Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

2nd batch: crisp exterior, light and airy on the inside

I came across this interesting article written by L.V. Anderson while doing some research on scones a few weeks ago and decided to give the recipe a try; I liked the taste of the scones (not too sweet), but the texture was a little off. Perhaps this was one of those times when environment/weather played a part in the final product, but I found the dough to be entirely too wet (and yes, I actually followed the recipe *mostly* as written) which then led to scones that were more cake-like in texture with a barely there nod to the biscuit-like texture I was expecting. Well, after much thought, I made the scones again this morning with several tweaks to the original recipe... you can decide which you prefer. But trust me, mine are better. ;)

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Scones

1st batch: soft and cake-like

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups AP flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
7 Tbs. cold butter, diced (*use non-dairy butter for vegan)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (*non-dairy for vegan)
1/2 cup fat-free half & half (*use soy or almond milk for vegan... and in case you were wondering, I keep half & half on hand for my dairy tolerant, coffee-loving friends)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. vanilla soy milk (you can always use more half & half, milk, cream... whatever)
1 tsp. sugar

1st batch: incredibly wet dough needed LOTS of bench flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients until well mixed then rub in the cold butter with your fingers (or cut in with a pastry blender, if you have one) until the mix resembles coarse crumbs. Toss in the chocolate chips. Pour in the half & half and vanilla and stir just to combine (I find a fork to be most effective). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed it 4 or 5 times until it comes together. Using your hands, pat out the dough into a rectangle, roughly 8"x 10" and about 1/2" thick (make sure you have easy access to more AP flour, sprinkling it on the dough as needed to prevent sticking). Once the dough is shaped, use a sharp knife (I actually use a pizza cutter) to cut out 12 triangles. Carefully transfer the triangles to the prepared baking sheet, making sure to leave about an inch of space around each scone since they puff up as they bake. Brush the tops of each triangle with your dairy product of choice and sprinkle on a very scant dusting of sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until the scones are light golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack and store in an airtight container... that is, if you can resist eating them right away. ;)

Enjoy!

*Cook's note: The traditional British scone is meant to be eaten warm, straight from the oven, the same day it's made. However, I've found that these particular scones hold up very well texture-wise for up to a week when stored in an airtight container which makes them a little more accessible to my mind.

Apple Pie Irish Oatmeal

I found this recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Closet Cooking, and couldn't wait to try it out. Not only did it sound incredibly easy (it is), but who doesn't like apple pie for breakfast? Even though I generally prefer a more protein-laden breakfast (read: eggs, turkey bacon, Greek yogurt), every once in a while I like to go with a good ol' bowl of comfort like oatmeal. I first tried steel-cut oats (also labeled Irish oatmeal) a couple of years ago and really liked the nutty, chewy texture which differs quite a bit from the softer texture of the more common rolled oats. However, you can't beat the convenience of quick cooking rolled oats because steel-cut oats take a good 30-45 minutes to simmer on the stove top and that's not exactly conducive to a fast breakfast. So. That's the other thing that struck me about this recipe: it's made in the slow-cooker so you can set the timer and have the oatmeal waiting on YOU when you wake up!

Apple Pie Irish Oatmeal

Ingredients:
1 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups of water (or apple juice as per the original recipe, but I just used water)
2 cups of milk (I used plain soy milk, but you could use whatever you want)
2-3 small apples, diced (I used 3 granny smith apples that were a little past the point of eating whole)
2-4 Tbs. of brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like things, you can use more or less- I prefer to use a little less)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt (I used fine sea salt- this wasn't in the original recipe, but I think you really need the salt to offset the sweet)
1/4 cup dried fruit (recommended: raisins or dried cranberries- I used cranberries)
1/4 cup nuts, chopped (recommended: walnuts or pecans- I used walnuts)
2 Tbs. milled flaxseeds

Directions:
Dump everything in your slow-cooker and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Easy, right? ;)

Enjoy!

Vegetarian Meat(less)loaf

Vegetarian Meat(less)loaf
based on recipe from Food.com, Really Good Vegetarian Meatloaf (Really!)

Ingredients:
2 cups veggie stock (I suppose you could use water, but why not take the opportunity to add more flavor?)
1 cup lentils
1 shallot, minced
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup grated parmesan (fresh is best, but the stuff from the green can would work in a pinch)
1/2 cup shredded cheese (white cheddar or jack)
1 tsp. ground flaxseeds
2 Tbs. sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup marinara (plain tomato sauce would work, but I had an open jar of marinara in the fridge)
1 tsp. garlic powder (yes, the powder- not fresh)
1/2 tsp. onion powder (or dried onion)
1 tsp. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried parsley
1/2 tsp. sweet paprika
salt & pepper, to taste
pinch of cayenne

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Bring the veggie stock and lentils to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the lentils have absorbed the liquid, about 25-30 minutes. (The original recipe says to add salt to water while cooking the lentils, but I've already learned NOT to do that to avoid tough lentils.) Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the remaining ingredients before adding in the cooled lentils, lightly mashing them as you fold them into the oat mixture. Pour the lentil mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the top is golden brown and slightly cracked. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes before turning the loaf out onto a board to cool completely. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans for that all-American comfort food classic.

Enjoy!