From the Galley - Homemade Crunchy Granola and Yogurt for Breakfast

 

Getting over jetlag and dealing with the recent heatwave have precluded me from being in my galley much other than to make quick meals. A weather change offered a short respite from the heat and a chance to get to know my galley again and do a little cooking. One of our favorite breakfasts, especially in the warm weather, is crunchy granola with yogurt, so I thought I'd start there.

We can certainly buy yogurt in the supermarkets here, but it tends to be expensive and also takes up too much room in the fridge if we want to buy in quantity ... for a passage, for instance. I purchased an EasiYo Yogurt Maker for $20 when we first arrived in New Zealand and I've never purchased yogurt in the supermaket since.

I buy yogurt powder, available in plain as well as all sorts of flavors, mix it with water, shake it up and let it firm up in its hot water bath for 8 hours or so and voila, I've got a liter of thick, creamy, fresh yogurt that stores easily in my fridge and is always ready for breakfast. There are a couple of different brands available and I choose the one that's cheapest at the time with the same delicious results. Sometimes I add fresh fruit or flavoring, but usually it's perfect as is when poured over granola. Because we always conserve water, I use the “bath water” from the firming up process in the teapot or as dishwater rather than just throw it away. I keep a good supply of yogurt powder packets on hand, so we never run out. On smooth passages, I've made it en route.

Granola is also available in the supermarket, but it, too, is expensive and I don't always like the combination of ingredients they offer. The granola recipe below I've been using for years. I'm sure I got the original somewhere along the line since I'm not all that imaginative when it comes to basic recipes, but I've modified it to our taste and I think it's probably fairly original now.

From the Galley - Granola

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 cups (160g) rolled oats
• ½ cup (85g) sliced almonds or other nuts
• ½ cup (65g) sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup (40g) sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
• 5 Tbsp (75ml) honey
• ½ cup (40g) shredded coconut
• ½ cup raisins or sultanas (75g)

Instructions

1. Combine oats, nuts, seeds and coconut in a medium-sized bowl.
2. In a small saucepan, heat the honey and oil until combined.
3. Add honey/oil mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until the oats are thoroughly coated.
4. Spread in a very thin layer on a baking sheet (in our case, a pizza pan … no baking sheets aboard).
5. Bake 15 minutes in oven at low heat (300F/150C), turn mix on pan and return to oven for 10 more minutes.
6. Let cool.
7. Add raisins.
8. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

You can add wheatgerm to the mix or other grains. You can substitute walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or whatever nuts instead of almonds. After baking, you can add dried fruit pieces, chocolate chips, carobs or chopped dates. Even the quantities can be altered to taste. More coconut? Sure.

3.2.1275

Nostalgic Meals and Comfort Foods

 

One thing about being back in the States is that we've been eating lots of what I call “nostalgic meals”. I'm not saying they're particularly healthy (although some are) or even all that good (some definitely are not), but they conjure up images of being a kid again … only I'm the cook.

Some recipes I still use on the boat like Lemay Special. Others I've adapted along the way to suit our taste … a bit spicier, different herbs, adding some garlic maybe. Thinking back, my mom certainly didn't have the herbs and spices as readily available to her as we do now. She was a working mom and had little time for preparing elaborate meals especially since there were no “convenience” foods back then. You want mashed potatoes? You buy potatoes, peel 'em, boil 'em, mash 'em and eat 'em. That takes awhile compared to buying them pre-mashed and seasoned from the supermarket cooler. We had boiled potatoes a lot. Want them mashed? Use your fork on your plate and mash them.

Nostalgic meals tend to be comfort foods. I was brought up Catholic, so Fridays were fish days. If we didn't have fish and chips from the local take-out shop, then it was usually macaroni with canned tuna fish mixed with some mayo (excuse me, Miracle Whip...yuck). I still mix pasta with tuna for a quick meal, but not necessarily on Fridays. I make a dijon/mayo sauce and add onion and chopped jalapeno peppers or sometimes other veggies. Still, it's the same old Friday night comfort food … with just a little twist and served on Tuesdays or Wednesdays or whenever.

Stuffed peppers fall into the nostalgia category as do Shepherd's Pie and American Chop Suey (macaroni with ground beef in spaghetti sauce...who knows why it's called chop suey). My mom loves all of these and I was making them to please her. It did, indeed, please her, but, quite honestly, we've grown to dislike them because she'd prefer these same dishes ... over and over … night after night. I finally set the limit to two nostalgic meals a week and Salmon Pie (mashed potatoes mixed with a can of pink salmon and baked in a double crust pie ), which she insists we all loved when we were young … and we never, ever did … has been avoided altogether.

Tollhouse cookies hot out of the oven, warm brownies, cranberry pudding, apple crisp with whipped cream … just the luscious smells emanating from the kitchen/galley are enough to bring warm, homey thoughts to mind. Meatloaf, turkey soup after Thanksgiving Day dinner, peanut butter sandwiches … these are the foods we grew up with and the tastes and smells remain a part of lives.

I read an account of Beryl and Miles Smeeton, a pioneering cruising couple. Their boat, caught by a rogue wave off Cape Horn, pitchpoled and they were dismasted. Beryl was thrown overboard, but managed to get back to the boat. She also broke her arm in the fracas, but managed to bake a cake shortly thereafter for the crew. It was calming and comforting to be busy and return to some sort of normalcy after such a catastrophe. Maybe that's why some folks (like me, for instance) tend to eat when we're stressed or traumatized.

What was your favorite food as a kid? Do you still make it?

Here's my recipe for Stuffed Peppers … it's tasty, healthy and, yes, comforting.

Stuffed Peppers

Recipe Type: Main Dish

Author: Marcie Connelly Lynn

Ingredients

• 3 large peppers (red, green, yellow or a colorful mix of all), cut in half lengthwise and cleaned
• 2 cups of cooked rice (white or brown)
• 1 lb (½ kg) ground (minced) turkey, beef or whatever meat you prefer
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 can (12 oz) chopped tomatoes
• 1 8oz can tomato sauce
• 1 cup picante sauce (see recipe below)
• 1 c shredded cheddar-type cheese

Instructions

1. Either steam or microwave the peppers till they're fork-tender/al dente. This saves time in the oven (and propane in the tank). Brown the meat with the garlic and onion. Add Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Stir. Add cooked rice, chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir, then let simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
2. Divide the meat/rice mixture between the six pepper cups. Top with picante sauce and cheese. Cook in a 350F oven for 25-30 minutes or until peppers are tender enough for your taste, everything's hot and the cheese has melted.

Notes

For Picante Sauce: 1 c catsup, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp white vinegar [br]Mix together till sugar dissolves.

3.2.1275

The Blue View - The Whole Enchilada

About a hundred years ago, when I was a bachelor, I took a gourmet cooking class at the local community college. I thought that would be a great way to meet women, and if I learned how to cook, I would be able to dazzle my dates when I invited them over for dinner. I wasn't all that successful at either objective. The women in the class were either married or much older, and the men were there to meet other like-minded men. As to learning to cook, I am a real klutz with a knife, and I soon learned I was more adept at dicing my fingers than onions. Fortunately, when I met Marcie, I didn't have to depend on my cooking skills to convince her to let me stick around.  

I did manage to become proficient at a couple of recipes, however. I do enjoy making breads, and I have a focaccia bread recipe that isn't too bad. The nice thing about making bread is that it is quite difficult to injure myself with a mixing spoon.

Colorado has a strong Mexican influence, and I have a real fondness for Mexican food. Another of my favorite recipes is for a chicken enchilada casserole. (When I hear the word casserole, my Aunt Evelyn's infamous tuna and potato chip casserole comes to mind. Maybe I should call this my Mexican Lasagna?) This recipe has evolved over the years, and I can now call it my own. By substituting rice flour for the small amount of white flour, it is gluten-free. Serve it with the colorful Mexican bean salad.

( 4 servings)

1 medium onion, chopped (watch the fingers)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbs (25g) oil

1/3 cup (32g) flour (use rice flour for a gluten-free version)

2 cups (.5L) chicken stock

8 oz (225g) chopped green chilies

1-2 Tbs (10g-25g) seeded and chopped jalapeños (to taste)

1 tsp (1g) cilantro

1 cup (120g) sour cream

8 corn tortillas

3 chicken breasts

½ tsp (2g) salt (to taste)

16 oz (450g) shredded cheese (Mexican blend or a mix of Mozzarella and medium cheddar)

Cut the chicken into 1” (25mm) wide strips and boil in chicken stock for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the stock and when cool enough to handle, shred it with your fingers. Set aside.

Saute the onions and garlic in oil until transparent. Remove from oil and stir in a small amount of the flour. Slowly combine the chicken stock and remaining flour, stirring until smooth. Continue to simmer, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the onions, garlic and sour cream. Mix well, then add cilantro and salt to taste. Add chilies and jalapeños, and simmer until hot.

Microwave the tortillas for 1 minute, or heat ¼ cup (50g) oil and cook tortillas for 20 seconds on a side, and drain on paper towels. Fold and divide into quarters.

Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C). Lightly grease a 9”x13” (230mm x 330mm) dish. Spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of the dish. Add a layer of tortillas, a layer of chicken, a layer of cheese and a layer of sauce. Repeat the layers, then top with another layer of cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, turning the broiler on for the last 5 minutes to brown the cheese. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Mexican Bean Salad

This is a nice, colorful side dish to accompany the chicken enchilada.

16 oz. (450g) corn, canned and drained or frozen, defrosted

16 oz. (450g) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 medium green pepper, diced

1 medium red pepper, diced

1- 2 Tbs (10g-25g) seeded and diced jalapeños, (to taste)

3 green onions thinly sliced (or 1 small onion, diced)

2 Tbs (5g) fresh parsley, minced

¼ tsp (1g) salt

3 Tbs (35g) olive oil

3 Tbs (45g) fresh lime juice

1 tsp (10g) cumin

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and served chilled. Best if the flavors are allowed to meld for 2-3 hours.