Heights Eats

The apple flavor of this oatmeal is really strong because of the apple juice and the chopped apples. The dried fruit is optional (Sarah doesn’t like it), but it definitely adds some flavor complexity.

While this recipe takes about 45 mintues, it’s really low maintenance. You can easily shower, get dressed, take the dog out, etc. while the oatmeal cooks.

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Apples, Cinnamon and Brown Sugar

1 tablespoon butter1 cup steel cut oats 2 1/4 cups boiling water2/3 cup apple juice (or ½ cup boiling water plus 3 TB. apple juice concentrate)1/2 cup whole or 2% milk1/4 cup buttermilk (or ¼ cup of milk with 1 ½ t. vinegar)1 apple, peeled and chopped (tart apples, e.g. Granny Smith or Mutsu, are especially good)1/3 cup dried cherries, cranberries or other fruit (optional)½ t. saltBrown sugar and cinnamon (to serve)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the oats. Stir for 2 minutes … continue reading

Thanksgiving leftovers are infamous for the headaches they cause. Slate has an excellent essay on why we should forsake the tradition of using up leftover turkey and another article which concludes that cooking chicken would be a better, more environmentally friendly idea. But the turkey tradition will continue, and I still can’t bring myself to throw out the leftovers.

Sarah’s Mom was kind enough to give us the turkey carcass to take home after an excellent Thanksgiving dinner. First I made Michael Ruhlman’s turkey stock (I should be portioning it out to freeze now instead of writing this blog — we have over a gallon of Turkey stock), which turned out well, but I still had turkey left.

I concocted the recipe below for the leg meat and ate it last night:

Beer Battered Turkey

2/3 cup beer (I used pale ale, but I’d probably try a dark beer next time)2/3 cup flour1 t. baking sodasalt, pepper, and … continue reading

I made Alton Brown’s recipe for soft pretzels today (reprinted below) which was fairly easy and turned out well. I don’t think I’d ever make yeast breads if it weren’t for our stand mixer–it’s fun to watch the dough hook in action and think about the labor saved.

I used two half packages of yeast from the fridge, one bread yeast and one champagne yeast (from a mostly failed attempt at brewing root beer), which actually might have made the flavor more complex. I also used kosher salt rather than pretzel salt for sprinking.

1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water 1 tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 package active dry yeast22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups 2 ounces unsalted butter, melted Vegetable oil, for pan 10 cups water 2/3 cup baking soda 1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water Pretzel salt

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand … continue reading