Carrot Muffin Oatmeal

I kept feeling like I was forgetting something as I was making this, but I couldn't think what. Alas it was cinnamon! I'll definitely be trying a few variations on this in the future though, so I can try to remember the cinnamon then. So, here's what I did this time, and I'll follow it with an idea for a variant to try next time as well.

Carrot Muffin Oatmeal
Adapted from allrecipes
2 1/2 c. water
1 packet dried fruit and nuts
1 carrot, grated
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
dash salt
1 c. quick oats

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute.
2. Serve immediately with cold milk and/or maple syrup and/or additional sugar.

Morning Glory Oatmeal
1/4 c. dried coconut, toasted
1 cinnamon stick
2 1/2 c. water
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
2 carrots, grated
1/4 c. raisins
1/4 c. dried pineapple
2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. wheat bran (optional)
1 c. quick oats

Shortcut Scandi Meatballs

This was superbly easy to throw together and it was pretty tasty to boot! I think it actually has one of the best deliciousness:effort ratios of anything I've made. I mean, I've definitely made more scrumptious meals, but this was just so very easy.

Scandi Meatballs
From bbcgoodfood
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 grinds black pepper
1 (400g) tin cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. prepared mustard (I used wholegrain)
~1/4 c. fresh dill, chopped
24 Swedish meatballs, cooked

1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil.
2. Add pepper and cook an additional minute or two.
3. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat, and cook until meatballs are warmed through and flavours have melded.
4. Serve over mashed potatoes with cabbage or other vegetable of choice.

Sweet Couscous

This seems like it could be a fun recipe to play with. Lots of different options for the fresh and dried fruit. I might try it without the orange peel next time; I found it to be a little bitter and overwhelming. It was very tasty otherwise though. Nice with a little honey and cinnamon.

Sweet Couscous
Slightly adapted from allrecipes
225g couscous
125g dried fruit (I used raisins and cranberries)
zest of 1 orange, grated
750mL milk
peach yogurt
honey
fresh fruit (optional)

1. Combine couscous, dried fruit, and orange zest.
2. Heat milk until it just boils. Immediately remove from heat and pour over couscous.
3. Stir couscous and let stand 10 minutes.
4. Fluff with fork and serve with yogurt, honey, and fresh fruit.

I'd like to try this with figs and... some other complementary fruit at some point.

Lentil and Sausage Stew

I was quite pleasantly surprised and impressed with how tasty and flavourful this stew was given the simplicity of the recipe. A+: would make again!

Lentil and Sausage Stew
Slightly adapted from realsimple
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2-3 ribs celery, chopped
2-3 medium carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1 bay leaf
15 grinds black pepper
~1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
dash cayenne
200-300g sausage, chopped (original recipe calls for kielbasa; I used saucisson sec)
2 c. French (green) lentils
5 c. stock (I used 1 c. beef stock + 4 c. chicken stock)
5 c. water
1/4 c. fresh parsley
Cheddar cheese

1. Cook celery, carrots, onion, and garlic in oil over medium heat until softened.
2. Add bay leaf, pepper, Italian seasoning, and cayenne and cook another 2 minutes.
3. Add sausage, lentils, stock, and water.
4. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Top with parsley and grated Cheddar. Serve with red cabbage and crusty bread.

Barbecue Baked Eggs

I've been eating a lot of eggs for breakfast lately. And while fried and scrambled eggs (and variants like omelettes) are delicious, I've started getting bored of them. Yesterday I tried poached eggs on portabello mushroom caps with ham and Branston pickle. That was pretty tasty, although my poached eggs were really messy. And today I decided to experiment with something different again: baked eggs. I'm familiar with the concept of baked eggs, but I'd never actually made or eaten them before. I found a "BBQ" baked egg recipe that sounded nice though, so I figured I'd give that a try. I had a bit of a false start that resulted in undercooked eggs the first time, but after a few more minutes in the oven, I got a really spectacular breakfast out of it!

Barbecue Baked Eggs
Slightly Adapted from Allrecipes
4 eggs
1/4 c. double cream
4 tsp. barbecue sauce
dash cayenne
1/4 c. blue cheese (such as Saint Agur)
1 Tbsp. fresh parsley
4 rashers bacon
dash freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook bacon and chop into small pieces.
2. Grease two large ramekins.
3. Break two eggs into each ramekin.
4. Add 2 Tbsp. cream, 2 tsp. barbecue sauce, and a dash or cayenne to each ramekin.
5. Combine bacon with cheese and parsley. Crumble and mix well.
6. Top each ramekin with half of the bacon mixture.
7. Add a dash of black pepper to each ramekin.
8. Bake at 200C (~400F) for 15-20 minutes or until desired doneness.
9. Serve with baked beans and buttered toast.