Another Week, Another Few Recipes

Another week has gone by without me cracking open a single seed catalog. We have had a few sunny afternoons, but the mornings have mostly been foggy. There's an old saw (adage? old wife's tale? farmer's lore?) that says you'll have moisture 90 days after a fog. If so, it could mean a late, muddy seeding of our wheat crop. Right now most of our fields are still snow-covered, although some hill tops are peeking through.

It's been warm enough that the snow is trying to melt away. It makes the unpaved roads treacherous. You can certainly tell by their vehicles who has been traveling on those muddy roads. It makes me glad we don't have very many dirt roads to traverse. My yard and garden space are still under that white blanket. I don't feel at all guilty about not starting to plan what I'll plant this year. 

We are still eating though, so I can share a few more recipes. Last week I was long-winded, so only shared one of the the overnight oats recipes I've been using. I'll share the other two now because we all want variety in our diet, don't we?

Nut Butter and Banana

Overnight Oats

1/2 C rolled oats 

2 Tbl nut butter

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 C almond milk

1 Tbl unsalted nuts, chopped

Pour the milk into a glass jar. Add the nut butter and stir well. Add oats and chopped banana; mix again. Store overnight in the fridge. In the morning, add a little more milk and sprinkle with nuts. 

Blueberry/Walnuts

Overnight Oats

1/2 C rolled oats

1/2 C frozen blueberries

1 tsp chia seeds

1 Tbl crushed walnuts

1/2 C coconut milk

1 Tbl maple syrup

Combine all in a glass jar. Stir well, cover and store in the fridge. Add a little milk in the morning. 

You could double that first one so you don't have a half a banana sitting around, but if you aren't going to eat it all at once, that banana in the mix might turn brown and be unappetizing.

I don't have frozen blueberries, but I do have dried ones. I've managed to be organized enough to rehydrate some for these oats. I soak them overnight the night before, so in actually mine are double-overnight oats. (I haven't really managed that very often, just enough to know I can do it and that rehydrated blueberries are okay.) One of these days I'm going to experiment with frozen mangoes and oats. (Last note: I'm using quick oats.)

I did try a new side dish last week. I thought it was tasty enough to be the whole meal. You might, also, if you can stand to go meatless, and if you like cooked raisins. This rice dish does pair well with pork chops, and it reheats nicely in the microwave. Pine nuts can be pricey, so feel free to substitute sunflower or pumpkin seeds. 

Spinach & Pine Nut Rice

1 Tbl oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 C pine nuts

4 green onions, sliced

1/3 C currants 

1/3 C raisins

2 C cooked & cooled rice

1-2 tsp oregano

1 Tbl salt-free blend

Garlic salt, to taste

4 C chopped spinach

Juice of a half a lemon

In a large skillet, saute the garlic, nuts, and green onions in the oil over high heat until lightly browned. Lower the heat to medium, add the fruits and seasonings. Stir well, then lower the heat to low. Stir in the spinach. Cover and steam until the spinach is wilted. Serve hot. 

I did cook pork chops in the InstaPot to go with this. I know Dennis isn't going to go vegetarian. You might want chicken or steak with your rice.