Simple Homemade Whole Grain Barley Cereal

While cooking a double batch of hulled barley with tuna and veggies for our work lunches, I felt inclined to cook a separate batch strictly for cereal. Hulled barley has everything intact but the outside hull and is the most nutritious form you can buy. Pearled barley is still a healthy choice, but it has been stripped of the nutritious husk and bran layers; it does cook faster though!


Cold Tuna Barley Salad for work lunch. Simple, healthy, yum!




Hulled barley is harder for me to find than pearled, so I make sure to get some whenever available. To cook, I simply add the barley to a dry pot over medium high heat and let it toast for a minute or two; stirring constantly. Once you can smell the toasted nuggets, add water and salt, cover, and let simmer for approximately 90 minutes.

 

Just wash a load of clothes, clean around the house, or get in a workout while waiting for the tiny grains to cook into chewy, nutty gems. Once cooked, add a tablespoon of honey or agave or, if you’re like me, use stevia to sweeten to taste.

 

Store cooked barley in the fridge to use as a cold cereal treat for breakfast or a healthy dessert. Cold barley mixed with plain Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and toasted almonds or pistachios makes a well-rounded meal sure to cool you on the hottest summer day. It's not ice cream, but you'll feel a lot better with this.


Alternatively, you could just heat in the microwave if desired, but cold is my preferred choice in the summer. Hot or cold, these nutty grains provide wholesome comfort long after eating.

Q: Have you cooked your own grains to store in the fridge and use as a healthy cereal treat?


I bet you could bake them after cooking on the stove for a crunchy alternative. Don’t think barley is your only option, I’ve done this with quinoa before and think rice, millet, kamut, etc. would be just as pleasing.

Homemade Coconut Quinoa Cereal: Goodbye, Cheerios!

Before I start, I want to say Happy 20th Birthday to my little brother, Preston!  Hope you enjoy the PB Pumpkin Protein Cookies once you get them!

While many people find comfort in foods like mashed potatoes and gravy, I look to cereal for my ultimate comfort food.  I used to have several boxes to choose from and would frequently mix and match on a daily/nightly basis.

My aversion to most package foods has limited what I choose for boxed cereal, but it's mostly the Food For Life Original Ezekiel Cereal now.  I love the stuff; no added sugar, stays crunchy, and very healthy with a small ingredient list.

But my mind wonders, and I'm always looking for something new to make and enjoy.  I thought of qunioa and how I really only use it for savory lunch recipes, but maybe it would do well as a tasty cold cereal to...hmmmmm.

I entered the kitchen on Saturday morning with my new-found agenda and eagerly set a saucepan on medium-high heat.  15 minutes later I had the end result....kinda.

I fed a few bites to my lovely tester/wife, Kelley, and received the nod of approval/I want more. Geez, it turned out way better and easier than I imagined, but now I wanted to make it crunchy.  Since Kelley liked it as is, I put some in fridge so she could have it later, then spread the rest flat on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and put in the oven.

Again, this was easier than expected (besides having to wait), and I now had a tasty, crunchy, and healthy quinoa cereal ready for some cold milk and topped with dry roasted nuts.  Boxed cereal? No thanks, I make my own now.

After trying both the toasted and non-toasted versions, I actually enjoy the non-toasted more. Now I can just whip up a big batch of quinoa and store in the fridge to have a super nutritious cold breakfast or treat throughout the week.

Do you have an extra 20 minutes? Use it to make this now and appreciate the extra time you'll have later.

Homemade Cold Quinoa Cereal

Quinoa
Liquid of choice - I used light canned coconut milk and unsweetened almond milk with great success Use any liquid that appeals to you; some options are apple, carrot, or pineapple juice, dairy or other non-dairy milk, brewed tea (chai would be wonderful), and whatever else you can think of.
Stevia packets - you can use honey or agave to taste as well
Pure vanilla extract
Salt to taste
Optional: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, peanut butter, or raisins


To cook, add one part quinoa with two parts liquid in a pot on the stove; add all but the vanilla extract to the  pot and bring to a boil.  I used 1/2 cup dry quinoa and one cup light coconut milk, sweetened with 2 packets NuNaturals Stevia powder and cinnamon and brought to a boil. Before adding liquid, try toasting the quinoa in the dry pot before adding liquid for about a minute to give it a great, nutty flavor. 


Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to simmer and let cook 15 minutes.  The quinoa will be translucent once finished; remove from heat to let cool ten minutes, and then stir in 1 tsp vanilla. and any of the optional ingredients. Store quinoa in an airtight container and keep in fridge until you're ready to enjoy.  I think it's best cold by itself, but could be great mixed with milk or yogurt, fresh fruit (berries, banana, pineapple, even kiwi), and toasted nuts.


If you want it crunchy, spread cooked quinoa out on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 - 40 minutes making sure to stir often. Watch for the seeds turning too dark/burned during the last 5 minutes.

Kelley said she could have this for breakfast instead of the Ezekiel cereal we order from Amazon, so I am going to test it out next week to see how it goes.  Keep your fingers crossed; maybe we won't have to buy boxed cereal anymore!

Q: What's your favorite comfort food?  Have you ever tried making a healthy version if it isn't already?

Celebrate Spring with Homemade Peanut Butter Dip N’Dots

Today marks the first day of spring for 2012, and we have nothing but constant rain here to start it off. But that’s ok since the rain will help the grass to grow, flowers to bloom, and everything will have a fresh start! Now we just need to avoid the Texas droughts that usually occur a couple months later.

I saw a few posts (here’s one good example) on homemade dip n’dots over the weekend and was instantly intrigued. I remember getting this from a little cart inside the mall as a kid….mmmm, all the tasty, frozen pellets would melt with each spoonful. It was good, but I’m sure not very good for you.

Enter the wonder and satisfaction of homemade! It’s simple, all you need is yogurt and your preferred flavoring to get started.

Or you could just use an already flavored yogurt that requires no mixing, but where’s the fun in that? Plus, flavored yogurt usually has a lot of sugar that negates most of its health benefits. No thanks!

I’m a fan of peanut butter, so that’s the flavor I immediately thought of for my own Dip N’Dots version. Go ahead, make your own and let me know how much you loved it.

Peanut Butter Dip N’Dots

Ingredients
- 3/4 cup Greek or regular plain, non-fat yogurt (or 2 6oz containers)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup peanut flour (If you don’t have, you can use 2 tablespoons natural, creamy PB; just briefly heat to make it easy to stir)

Directions

In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, vanilla, and peanut flour or peanut butter until well combined. I actually had a large 32oz yogurt container with the right amount left, so I used this to mix everything.

Put the yogurt into a plastic sealable bag, and zip shut.

Cut a small corner off the bag and use it like a piping bag to squeeze out small dots over a cookie sheet. I used a silicone baking mat for ease of transfer once frozen.

Place in your freezer for a couple hours and wait, impatiently, if you’re like me.

Fold the mat to create a “V” shape and dump (if you didn’t use a mat, use a non-metallic spatula to scrape) into a container with a lid to freeze until ready to eat. Or just eat them right away! Warning: these melt somewhat quickly, so freezing your storage device before hand will help the dots keep their shape.

The best part about this recipe is that you can easily change the flavors to your liking. Here are some alternative suggestions:

Honey or agave to taste; Honey Dots!

Liquid (plain or vanilla) or powder stevia; Sugar-free Sweet Dots!

Favorite flavored protein powder; Protein Power Dip N’Dots!

Blended fruit; MMMM, Peanut Butter Banana Dots!

Pumpkin puree; Pumpkin Pie Dots!

These can and do make for a wonderfully satisfying and healthy treat. Try mixing with nuts and Overnight Oatmeal Crisps for a unique and hearty breakfast!

Kelley’s sister asked us if we’d take her 7 year old daughter (our niece) one weekend to show her the foods I buy and cook. She’s a very smart girl with a non-stop hunger for knowledge, so hopefully she’ll go back to teach her mom and dad a few things on healthy food and cooking! Homemade Dip N’Dots are easy enough to make with a kid and I bet she’ll have a blast helping us make (and eat) this simple treat.

Do you ever spend time in the kitchen with your own or your relative’s kids?

"Flavorful Extraction".....Homemade Vanilla Extract

 

For something so “plain”, vanilla adds a lot of flavor to both food and drink. I love using vanilla extract to flavor a cup of coffee, mix into oatmeal (even overnight oats), or stir into plain yogurt. Problem is, that little bottle at the store is expensive! On top of the expense, most extracts have added corn sweeteners (corn syrup) and caramel color; even the organic ones just use organic corn syrup. No thanks!

So, how do you still enjoy something that is expensive and, if used frequently, doesn’t last long? You make it yourself! Making vanilla extract is simple and requires only two ingredients; vodka (other liquors like rum or bourbon will work too) and vanilla beans. An expensive bottle of vodka is not needed, but don’t go too cheap. Once you have these two things, it just takes patience since you have to wait a while for the “extraction” process to complete.

To make the extract, be sure you have a cleaned and sanitized (optional) mason jar or bottle with a rubber stopper or cap. Alternatively, you could just use the vodka bottle to make the extract.
 

 

With a sharp knife, split the vanilla beans length-wise, leaving them connected at one end (like a V-shape). Use approximately 4 – 7 beans for every cup of vodka. Yes, the beans can be expensive, but this site sells them for a very good price and in different quantities.

Put the split beans in your bottle and pour in the vodka. To flavor vodka faster, scrape out the pulp first, then add bean pods and pulp to your bottle. If you’re using the bottle of vodka for your container, just add the vanilla beans directly to the bottle. A full bottle of vodka will overflow if you add the beans; pour a shot or two, take a shot or two, and then add vanilla beans.

With the vodka and vanilla beans together, close the bottle and shake to distribute the seeds and start the extraction process. Find a cool, dark place in your home and let your homemade extract sit for at least 6 weeks, preferably 8. About once or twice a week, shake the bottle to separate the pulp and redistribute the seeds.
 

 

As the weeks progress, you will notice the liquid getting darker (wow, no caramel coloring needed!) and your anticipation building. You must remain unwavering and let it sit longer. Once 6 to 8 weeks is up, go ahead and try your homemade extract. The flavor only gets better with age, so keep it longer if you can, it will last for years.

 

This is a great, inexpensive gift idea that can be made for multiple people. After making extract in a large bottle, pour the extract into smaller bottles like these found on Amazon. For a truly special gift, make your own bottle labels, insert a split vanilla bean into each bottle, and tell the recipients to just refill with vodka to make more extract. You can keep refilling indefinitely and always have a great supply of extract so you never need the store-bought stuff again. It’s the gift that keeps on giving! Now would be a great time to make several batches to give for Christmas so they have aged all year to develop an intense vanilla flavor.

On a side note, to make vanilla infused vodka, follow the same process but only let the vanilla beans sit in vodka for 4 to 6 days and then remove. Presto! You have vanilla vodka….another wonderful gift idea.

Make a quick and tasty “ice cream” by adding a frozen banana with a 1/4 cup of skim milk (dairy or non-dairy) and a teaspoon of vanilla to a blender or processor and blending until smooth. Add more milk if you want a milkshake instead. You will most likely need to make more because friends and family will love this simple treat. Plus it’s a lot healthier than the ice cream you find at a store. Add your homemade extract to the milk in your cereal, mixed into fruit salad, in pancake or French toast batter, or many other food and drink applications. If using in something hot, add it towards the end to limit the amount of alcohol that is evaporated and therefore losing flavor.

 

Do you have any favorite ways to use vanilla extract?