Honeyed Orange Breakfast Quinoa

Wisconsin finally has snow, although the cold temperatures have been with us awhile. We’ve been dutifully eating our oatmeal to keep warm on the chilly mornings. (See raspberry coconut oatmeal and maple banana oatmeal for a twist on the usual porridge).

If stodgy oats have you bored, give this breakfast quinoa a try. It’s brightened by orange juice and sweetened with honey. While it will warm your belly, it may make you look forward to warmer days.

You can find the recipe here in my weekly Tallgrass Kitchen column for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.


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Winter Weeknight Curry

This is one of my most frequent go-to meals. I love squash curry, and once you have dealt with the butternut squash, the rest of the preparation is quick and easy.

If you have difficulty peeling and chopping butternut squashes, having a sharp chef’s knife and a good vegetable peeler are crucial. I wash my squash, then slice off the bottom and top. Then, I either hold it in my hand or hold it upright on the counter and peel away the skin. I finish by slicing it in half length-wise, and scooping out the seeds. From there, you can dice it up however you wish. The worst part is that weird sticky residue that leaves your hands feeling like you need a paraffin dip. Oh well, it’s worth it.

Click through to my most recent Tallgrass Kitchen column in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for my winter weeknight curry recipe. It uses curry paste and coconut milk, along with squash, cauliflower, kale and tofu t0 create a healthy (and fast) alternative to take-out.

Winter Weeknight Curry

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Honey Meyer Lemon Curd

So I realize this photo makes my dish look a little like a sunny-side up egg. It is not. It is a dollop of golden honeyed lemon curd. I came across Meyer lemons at the store (thought to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange), which are super-seasonal around here. Last year I made these cookies.

I wanted to make a fruit curd, because they are versatile, rich, and delicious. Dollop on Greek yogurt (as above), smear on toast, top pancakes, fill cupcakes, layer cakes, or (unless you have more restraint than I do), simply eat it with a spoon.

Meyer lemons are sweeter than their common cousins and have a floral perfume that gives them their distinctive charm. I layered lemons, honey, and vanilla bean seeds for a sweet, exotic, tart spread. However, the citrus and honey can carry the curd on their own, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have a vanilla bean.

I’m a contributor at gojee.com, a unique web site that allows you to type in ingredients you have on hand and match you with recipes you can make. Check it out!

They’re having a virtual potluck, and there will be lots of delicious contributions. Starting on Thursday, January 26, check out other potluck dishes fellow gojee contributors shared. Go to gojee.com and enter “gojeepotluck” into I Crave.  You can also follow #gojeepotluck on Twitter.

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Peanut Butter Energy Bites

This is a throwback snack, with a few twists. Many people remember their moms making them when they were little, more often recalled as ‘peanut butter balls’. I changed the name to ‘energy bites’ because I added a few healthy mix-ins and I wanted to avoid comparison to a certain SNL skit with Pete Schweddy.

These little energy bites have a good balance of protein and fat to help get you or your little ones through the afternoon, along with a little nutritional boost and a kiss of sweetness to make it appealing to every palate.

The options for mix-ins are endless. Wheat germ, flax seed, chia seed, hemp seed, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, nuts, almost any dried fruit. Choose whatever combination is most delicious to you.

I’ve included links to two versions of this recipe. The first was published in The Isthmus, and the second was this week’s Tallgrass Kitchen column in the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal. Enjoy!

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Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Cauliflower is a popular vegetable for being unpopular, and I’m not sure why. It’s not green, it’s rather sweet, and similar to zucchini, willingly takes on the flavor of any accompaniments.

My husband was a proclaimed hater until we began feeding pureed cauliflower to our first baby. He gave it a taste, and decided that it was actually rather good. Sort of sweet and nutty. I couldn’t agree more. My only complaint is that it is kind of a pain to cut up, but I’ll gladly pay that price The taste and outstanding nutritional profile outweigh unwieldy chopping.

Curry and cauliflower are made to go together. Add a little fat for richness, some honey and mustard for dimension, and you have a dish that comes together in minutes and roasts while you’re pulling together the rest of your dinner. Continue Reading »

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