No Bake: Pineapple Overnight Oats

When I returned home, I got frustrated. I had a pantry full of items but because I lacked one essential ingredient for several recipes, I floundered. What do I make? Unfortunately, my “Use What You Have” method did not help this time.

I love Jack Monroe’s Carrot Cake Overnight Oats from her Tin Can Cook Cookbook (https://cookingonabootstrap.com/2019/05/30/carrot-cake-overnight-oats-recipe/). But, where I live, the canned carrots are seasoned with salty and sour spices that I could not rinse out.

So, I decided to make a variation on the recipe using a replacement ingredient for the carrots.

So, after three trips to various tiendas, I got oats, milk, and canned pineapple. This venture was Not Tightwaddery.

I was bound and determined to have a breakfast of overnight oats. During the process, I did a bit of research about overnight oats recipes and found answers to several of my questions.

There are several types of oats according to the Oldways Whole Oats Council (https://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/easy-ways-enjoy-whole-grains/grain-month-calendar/oats-%E2%80%93-january-grain-month/types):

Raw, Whole Oats Groats, Steel Cut Oats, Scottish Oatmeal, Rolled Oats Regular, Rolled Oats Quick or Instant, and Oat Flour.

On my visit to my family, I made the Carrot Cake Overnight Oats with quick oats. While the result was good, the oats were semi-soft, that was not a problem, they just gave the dish a different texture.

For this recipe, I used rolled oats which are thicker. This gave my new overnight oats recipe a thicker, crunchier texture.

Also, @TheKitchn gave some great information about making and storing overnight oats recipes. I wondered how long the oats would keep in the frig and found this article: This is How Long Overnight Oats Will Last in the Fridge, (https://www.thekitchn.com/this-is-how-long-overnight-oats-will-last-in-the-fridge-248415).

Also, I found I had already made an Overnight Oats Mug recipe years ago (https://riastoneblog.blogspot.com/2014/02/mug-no-cook-fruit-oatmeal-treat.html). With my new information, I can improve that recipe.



No Bake: Pineapple Overnight Oats


Ingredients:

Food container with a lid
1 Can of chunk pineapple, drained
Rolled oats (Instant will work, too)
Honey
Cinnamon
Milk


Process:

I had to eyeball the measurement of the ingredients based on the size of the food container.

Basically, layer the bottom of the food container with some of the pineapple chunks.
Top with a thick layer of oats.
Add honey and cinnamon according to taste.
Stir mixture well
Pour in milk to cover the oat mixture.
Stir well.
Cover container with the lid.
Store in fridge.
Check mixture about an hour later.
The oats will have absorbed most of the milk.
Add a bit more milk and stir.
Check later if necessary.

In the morning, upon serving, add more milk if mixture is too thick or dry.


#GERD-friendly

Tin Can Cook - Creamy 'Chicken' Soup

While visiting my family, I got Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook Cookbook and went a little crazy making a few of their recipes.

Jack Monroe is an incredible human being. She struggled through severe poverty with her young son for several years. During those years, she blogged about her experiences and her efforts to fed her child. Eventually, she caught the attention of the media and was approached to write a cookbook. They did.

While the cookbook was a "success", Jack still struggled in poverty. Since then, she has written several cookbooks including Tin Can Cook Cookbook. This book is special because Jack wrote it for others who have to survive on food bank donations. He also started a GoFundMe account so her followers could donate money to purchase the cookbook for food banks in the UK.

The GoFundMe account has purchased 1000s of cookbooks for several foodbanks and their clients.


Creamy Chicken Soup
(Adapted from: Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook, Creamy 'Chicken' Soup)

I loved the idea of this soup. It sounded easy, healthy, and tasty. But, sadly, I could not find pease pudding. So, I sorta learned how to make it by accident.


DIY Pease Pudding

Because I could not find pease pudding, my sister got me a small bag of split yellow peas.

I had no idea what to do next, so I put some in a bowl, covered them with water, then put the lid on the bowl and stuck them in the frig.

I went back to the frig several times to add more water as the peas did soak up the water but the peas remained hard.

The next day, I decided to put the peas in a pot, cover them with water and, bring them to a rapid boil on my sister’s gas stove. Then, I reduced the temperature to simmer.

At first, the pot boiled over with a white foam. I was not expecting this. I spooned off the foam and continued to simmer the peas.

After over an hour, the peas finally became mushy and the water got thick.

I did add some turmeric but I actually liked it plain.

I wasn’t ready to make the soup, so I poured the mixture into a bowl with a lid, let it cool, then added the lid and put it in the frig.


Creamy Chicken Soup
Again, I noted metric conversions and my substitutions.


Ingredients:

Estimated measurements for milk and bouillon

220g Pease pudding, 220g = 8oz
-I actually made a whole lot more, see picture

1 can Hot Chicken bouillon est 14oz
-I used 1/2 a chicken bouillon and a 1/2 can of LO creamy chicken soup

Consider a vegetable bouillon cube to keep soup vegetarian.

1 can Milk est 8oz
-I eyeballed the amount of milk because I had used a lot of pease pudding. I added enough milk to make the mixture soupy.

1 Tbspn Garlic paste
-I used a Tspn of minced garlic

I added 6-8 dashes of an onion and herbs spice
I added about a cup of minced cooked chicken, optional.
Black pepper, optional

Remember, other than the chicken bouillon cube, the original recipe did not have any chicken.



Process:

Add pease pudding to medium sized pan.
Add creamy chicken soup.
Add bouillon.
Add 1/3 of milk.
Add minced garlic.
Stir and mix well.
Cook on medium on hotplate.
Stir vigorously to make the mixture smooth.
Continue stirring
Gradually add remaining milk.
Add chicken bits.
Reduce heat to low, so milk does not boil.

Before serving, I increased the temperature to get soup warm-hot just before serving.

When serving season with ground black pepper.


Jack Monroe

https://cookingonabootstrap.com/

https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-tin-can-cook-to-foodbanks

Tin Can Cook - Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo

Myself and my nephew, I think, are the only ones in the family who like anchovies.

I was thrilled to see Jack Monroe's (https://cookingonabootstrap.com) recipe featured anchovies.

While at my sister and her husband's house on a recent visit, I tried several of Jack's recipes but I ended up eating them all because they did not appeal to others. I thought they were great.

This recipe took some time to make because it took time to smash, crush, separate, divide and mash the anchovies in the mayo amid many interruptions. I had to put the mixture in the frig, two or three times before I finished "creaming" the anchovies into the mayo.

Also, working in someone else's kitchen, sometimes you have to improvise. At first, the only "lemon" I found was a spice called "Lemon Pepper", so I used that. Then, I found a slice of lime in the frig, and used that, too. So, while my anchovy with mayo sauce was lemon-limey, I thought it came out great.

Again, I show the conversions from metric to ounces and my substitutions.

Tin Can Cook - Warm potato salad with Anchovy Mayo P81

Ingredients:

1 50g can anchovies, drained 1.76oz

I used a 2oz tin of anchovies.

100g mayo 3.527oz

1 Tbspn = .625oz

I used three heaping Tablespoons of mayo.

1 Tbspn lemon juice

I used a generous dose of "Lemon Pepper" and a good squeeze from a slice of lime.

1 500g potatoes, drained, cut in half, 500g = 17.63oz

I used a 14.5oz can of potatoes.

Process:

In a bowl or a medium container with a lid, add anchovies and mayo.

Mash with a fork and stir well.

Add lemon juice or other citrus flavors.

Stir.

Cover and place in frig.

Pour potatoes into saucepan.

Cut potatoes in half.

Add water to cover.

Bring to a boil.

Reduce to simmer.

Simmer 4 minutes to warm all the potatoes.

Remove pan from hotplate, drain potatoes.

Place potatoes in a bowl.

Pour anchovy mayo over potatoes.

Stir gently to coat potatoes.

Serve hot or cold.

Note: I made a lunch from leftovers that included: a fried egg and fruit from breakfast, pork and beans, Jack's Chickpea, Bread and Spinach dish, and a serving of Jack's Warm Potato Salad with Anchovy Mayo.

This recipe could be #GERD-friendly if other flavorings were substituted for the "spicy or acidic" flavorings.

So sorry, blogger has changed the layout of my blog and I can't fix it.

Update: it appears the system recorrected itself and now things are "normal." Whew!

Thanks Blogger.com

Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

I am enjoying reading Jack Monroe’s latest cookbook, Tin Can Cook. This is the first of several recipes I am going to try.

It is always an adventure to try and make a recipe.

BTW, I love the name of the recipe and the fact it is a no bake or cook recipe.

When I was in the states visiting family, going grocery shopping, is often a catch as catch can affair because I use public transit or join family on their trips to the grocery.

After a family event, my sister stopped by a grocery store. As we shopped, I tried to be quick. What did I need to make Jack’s Carrot Cake Overnight Oats?

Besides buying cans of carrots, I had asked my sister to pick up some oats. Back at the house, as I began to gather the ingredients to make this recipe, I realized she had selected quick oats, so I was not sure how they would work.

Note: I converted the metric measurements to ounces.

Tin Can Cook - Carrot Cake Overnight Oats
(No Bake)

Ingredients:

1 can carrots, drained, 200g = 7.05 oz

My can was 14.5 oz, so I used roughly half a can.

Milk 250ml = 8.79 oz
I used Lactose-free milk

Oats 70g = 2.49 oz

Raisins 70g = 2.49 oz

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 Tbspns Sugar, optional

Process:

In a medium-size container with a lid, add carrots.

With a fork, mash carrots.

Add milk.

Mix and mash carrots in the milk

Add oats.

Add raisins.

Add cinnamon and sugar.

Mix well.

Affix lid.

Chill overnight or 8 hours to allow oats to soak up milk and swell up.

Serve with a splash of milk or cream.

The recipe turned out great. Now, I have another oats recipe including the "Worts" recipe.

#GERD-Friendly

Tin Can Cook - Chickpeas with Bread & Spinach

I got Jack Monroe's Tin Can Cook Cookbook!

I love everything about the book, the cover art, the back cover blurb, the layout, the typefaces, the paper, and, of course, the contents.

One thing you can say about Jack is she gets things done.

In the book, Jack explains that when she was on welfare, she often used food banks to feed herself and her son. During those times, she wished she'd had recipes for the items she was given. After Jack found her niche in developing recipes for people living in poverty, she wanted to write a cookbook with recipes for the types canned foods people receive from food banks. She did.

Jack also created a GoFundMe account so her readers could contribute to the fund to purchase cookbooks for the food banks in the UK. Go to @bootstrapcook and see where thousands of Tin Can Cook Cookbooks have gone.

On a recent family visit, I had planned to make several recipes from Jack Monroe’s Tin Can Cook Cookbook. This is one of them.

I would call it Bean and Spinach Goulash.

This is a very forgiving recipe. As Jack notes, you can use a variety of other beans.

In this recipe, I list the ingredients and quantities as Jack has noted but I also include the ingredients and quantities I used where I made substitutions.

I also show the conversion from metric to ounces.


Tin Can Cook - Chickpeas with Bread & Spinach P61


Ingredients:

1 400g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed or kidney or cannellini beans, 400g = 14.10oz - 
I used a 15oz can
4 Tbspn olive oil
2 Tbspns garlic paste, I used 1 Tspn minced garlic
1 Tbspn paprika
1 Tbspn ground cumin or gram masala
100g bread chunks, 100g = 3.5oz, I used 4 slices from various bread loaves
1 400g can spinach, drained or frozen, 400g = 14.10oz, I used a 15oz bag of frozen spinach.
1 400ml vegetable stock, 400ml = 13.5oz, I used 1 vegetable bouillon cube in 14oz of water.
S/P to taste

Pre-preparation:

Put bouillon cube in 14oz of water.
Heat water for 1 minute in microwave on high.
Tear bread slices into bite-size pieces.
Drain and rinse beans.


Process:

Pour beans into a large sauce pan.
Add oil.
Add garlic and spices.
Stir well.
Cook on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
Stir occasionally to avoid ingredients sticking to pan.
I added a bit of the vegetable stock to prevent sticking.
Add bread chunks.
Add spinach.
Stir well.
Add vegetable stock.
Season with s/p to taste.
Stir well.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce to a simmer.
Simmer 20-30 minutes.
Enjoy hot or cold.

Notes: When I make this again, I will use 1/2 a bouillon cube. I liked the multigrain bread.

#GERD-friendly

Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles

I had collected several bread ends and they were stored in the freezer. Normally, I would have used the bread ends in a Bread Pudding but this time I craved a snack.

So, I cut out the middle of each bread end with a glass and made a batch of toasted bread circles. Then, I made a dipping sauce. Quite tasty. Necessity is indeed the Mother of Invention.


Toaster Oven: Toasted Bread Dipping Circles


Ingredients:

Bread ends
A round glass

Sauce:

Olive Oil
Oregano, crushed, dry
Ground black pepper, to taste (Optional)


Process:

Place bread ends on a cutting board.
Place glass in the middle of bread slice.
Push down and rotate the glass to cut a circle of bread out of the slice.

Place slices in toaster oven.
Toast until light brown and crisp.

Make sauce.

All I did was pour a bit of olive oil into a bowl and added some ground black pepper and oregano, then I stirred the mixture.

Dip the toasted bread circle into the sauce and enjoy.

I also toasted the edges of the leftover bread circles. I think I will use them to make bread crumbs.

#GERD-friendly

Toaster Oven: Chicken Meatballs

I adapted my own Chicken Meatball Recipe for use in a toaster Oven / Convection Oven.


Toaster Oven: Chicken Meatballs


Pre-preparation:

Pre-heat Toaster Oven to 350 degrees.
Line tin tray with waxed paper.


Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 Lbs ground chicken
1 egg
2 Tspns garlic powder
1 TBspn onion powder
1 TBspn dry parsley, crushed
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
1 Tspn dry oregano
5 dashes hot pepper sauce (Optional)
1 TBspn imitation bacon bits
1/4 Cup Commercial bread crumbs or saltine crackers, crushed
Additional bread crumbs for cutting board or prep surface when making the balls
Ground black pepper to taste
Milk, if need to moisten


Process:

I realize there is a difference between 1.5 - 2 Lbs of ground chicken. So, adjust use of spices accordingly as you wish.

Add ground chicken to a large bowl.
Add egg and spices.
Add bread crumbs.
Stir, mix and mash ingredients together thoroughly.

Sprinkle some bread crumbs onto a cutting board or other prep surface.
Roll approximately a tablespoon or more between your palms to create a ball.
Roll ball lightly in the bread crumbs to help the ball stay together.
Place the balls onto the tray.
Bake for 10-12 minutes.
Remove balls, place on plate to cool.

These are regular sized meatballs.
I made 18 meatballs.
I freeze some of the meatballs and save the rest for use during the week.


Various Ways to Use Meatballs:
Microwave the meatball(s) for about 1 minute on high or serve cold.

Make a meatball sandwich.
Make a meatball slider (basically, a mini-sandwich).
Serve as an appetizer accompanied by a curry sauce.
Add them to spaghetti or pasta with a cream sauce.

Note: I have yet to use a meatball as a toast topping but that is an idea.

#GERD-Friendly

Ria's Chia Caviar - Updated

Ria's Chia Caviar Recipe - Updated

I enjoyed creating this recipe.

While it may not have the "bubble" bursts in your mouth like fish caviar, chia does creates a gel-like texture when soaked overnight.

Ingredients:

1 small jar with a lid

2 full TBspns Chia seeds

Water

Salmon liquid or sardine liquid drained from can of salmon or sardines
1 TBspn of Oyster Sauce

1/4 Tspn salt

Suggestion: Serve on toast with olive oil.

Process:

Add Chia seeds to jar.

Add enough water to just cover the seeds.

Add salmon or sardine liquid.
Add Oyster Sauce.

Add salt.

Close jar with lid.

Shake jar to mix ingredients.

Place in frig to cool overnight or longer.

To Serve:

Spread olive oil on toast.

Spread a thin layer of Chia Caviar on the toast.

Cut toast into quarters.

Note: for a more briny taste, add more salt.

#GERD-friendly
 

White Bean Salad

By keeping cooked beans in the frig, a variety of bean salads can be made for various meals. Most recipe sites advise that cooked beans may last a week in the frig.

To cook a batch of white beans, see Blog post: Hotplate Small White Beans:
https://riastoneblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/hotplate-small-white-beans.html


White Bean Salad Recipe
(This recipe was inspired by many recipes, see resources below.)


Single Serving


Ingredients:

4 Heaping TBspns cooked white beans
6-8 Dashes Onion powder
1 Tspn Lemon juice, concentrate (made from a powdered drink mix)
1 Tspn Olive oil
1 Tspn Vinegar
3 Tspns Celery, diced
2 Heaping Tspns Carrots, diced or shredded
1 Heaping Tspn Black olives, sliced and diced
Sprinkle liberally with Parmesan or Feta cheese
5-8 Grinds of black pepper
S/P to taste


Process:

In a medium bowl, add ingredients.
Mix well.

I found the salad had a mild flavor. I liked it but some may want more flavor. To suit your taste, increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients.


See resources below for variations on making a White Bean Salad.


Resources:

Quick and Easy White Bean Salad
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/quick_and_easy_white_bean_salad/

Pasta and Bean Picnic Salad
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/pasta_and_bean_picnic_salad/

White bean and Tuna Salad
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/white_bean_and_tuna_salad/

How to Cook White Beans
https://emmycooks.com/2012/03/22/how-to-cook-white-beans/

#GERD-friendly

Hotplate: Cooking Small White Beans

After many experiments cooking a variety of beans, I can now confidently cook: lentils and small white beans.


Hotplate: Cooking Small White Beans
(Adapted from: https://emmycooks.com/2012/03/22/how-to-cook-white-beans/)

I bypassed many of Emmy's instructions.


Ingredients:

1 Cup of small dry white beans
Water


Process:

Put beans into pan.
Cover beans with water, with an 1" of water above the beans.
Set hotplate on highest temperature.
Bring beans to a boil.
Cover pan.
Boil beans until the water is reduced to the level of the beans.
Add more water.
Bring beans to a boil again.
Lower temperature to simmer.
Simmer beans an hour or more until tender.
Drain beans and let them cool.
Put beans into a container with a cover.
Put beans in frig for future use.