Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

http://annies-eats.net/2011/10/10/baked-pumpkin-oatmeal/

I didn't actually make this for breakfast- just for an after school snack.  It would be great for breakfast, too- although it takes a while to make.  All of my kids thought it was great- and it is quite healthy, despite the butter and sugar.

Ingredients:
1 cup steel cut oats
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
4 cups very hot water
2 medium bananas, sliced
½ cup plus 2 tbsp. brown sugar, lightly packed, divided
2¼ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
3 cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions: 
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Place the steel cut oats in a large bowl with 4 tablespoons of the butter.  Pour the hot water over the oats and cover the bowl.  Let stand for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the caramelized bananas.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the bananas, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of the cinnamon to the pan.  Toss gently and cook briefly, about 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

After the steel cut oats have finished soaking, stir in the old fashioned oats, remaining ½ cup of brown sugar, maple syrup, salt, remaining 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.  In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the pumpkin, milk and vanilla.  Stir the pumpkin mixture into the oat mixture.

Spread the bananas over the bottom of a lightly greased 2 quart-ish baking dish.  Pour the oatmeal mixture on top of the bananas.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving.

Sunday Salad

For 4-6 people:

Prepare one large package of Jello ... any flavor will do.

When well-set, stir to mix, before adding other ingredients.

Add 1-2 cups of fresh or partially-thawed fruit: strawberries and bananas are a favorite, but any reasonable combination will do ... except, do not mix kiwi and pineapple ... kills the jello.

Now fold in an 8 oz tub of Cool-Whip lite (or equivalent whipping cream if you have no shame).

Not exactly magic, but a multi-generational tradition.

Sweet Potato Surprise

4 sweet potatoes, baked and mashed (you can use canned)
1 c. sugar
1/3 c. melted butter
1/2 c. milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla
Topping:
1 c. coconut
1 c. pecans
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/3 c. butter

Mix everything except the topping ingredients, put in 2 1/2 quart baking dish.
Combine topping ingredients, sprinkle over sweet potatoes.
Bake at 375 for 20 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Granola

Granola:

2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. rolled wheat (or more oats)
1/2 c. wheat germ
1/4 c. dry milk
1/4 c. coconut
1/4 c. chopped nuts
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/8 c. honey
1/4 c. oil
1/4 c. water
3/4 t. vanilla (or maple flavoring)

Mix dry ingredients, then add liquids.  Spread on a baking pan, bake at 350 for around 20 minutes (until it starts to brown), stirring a few times.  Cool and store in an air-tight container. 

Seriously- try this with vanilla yogurt and raspberries.  It's like dessert for breakfast.

Chicken Katsu

4 chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
2 T. flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c. panko bread crumbs
1 c. oil for frying, or as needed

Cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces, pound thin.  Dip each piece in flour, egg, then panko crumbs.  Press into the crumbs until well coated.  Heat 1/4 inch of oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken until golden brown on both sides. 

Sweet and Sour Sauce:

3/4 c. sugar
2 T. brown sugar
1/3 c. vinegar
2/3 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. ketchup (Tim used bbq sauce, and it was really good)
2 T. cornstarch.

Stir together and boil until thickened.  Add green and red pepper strips and pineapple chunks. 

Serve by placing rice on plate, chicken on the rice, sauce over everything.

Apple Salad

4 apples (2 red, 2 green) julienned to make matchstick-sized pieces- leave the peels on
Craisins
Walnuts
Mix,then squeeze half a lemon over the top and toss. 
Add a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
Mix well and refrigerate.

Belgian Waffles

This recipe is from "The Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook" by Carrie Levin

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
2 t. plus 2 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
3 eggs (separated)
6 T. melted butter

Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and 2 t. sugar in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.  Combine the milk, vanilla, and 2 of the egg yolks in a separate bowl and lightly beat them together (discard the extra egg yolk).  Now pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir them together with a fork.  That done, cut in the 6 T. melted butter.  Preheat waffle iron.  In yet a third bowl, whisk the 3 egg whites and the 2 T. sugar until they begin to hold a soft peak.  Take a big tablespoonful of the egg whites and mix it through the batter with a fork.  Once that's done, turn out all of the beaten egg whites onto the batter with a rubber spatula.  Using your spatula, fold the egg whites ito the batter.  You want to mix the whites into the batter, but overmixing will knock air out of the egg whites.  Cook in waffle iron!