Memorial Day has passed, and that means it’s (unofficially) summer!
If I had any white pants, I would wear them to celebrate. But I don’t – and the days in Utah that are both a) between Memorial Day and Labor Day and b) cool enough to wear pants are few, if they exist at all – so I’ll settle for eating fresh corn instead. Does that sound like a good plan?
I thought so, too.
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I figured I would give you a break from Saladfest 2013 (a.k.a. this blog last week) to bring you this meyer lemon curd.
I’m pretty sure we will return to Saladfest later in the week, though, because I am going to Mexico in just 10 days (!!!) and, well, yeah… I’d be lying if I said the whole food blogging thing has been good for my waistline.
But it can’t all be salads, especially because lemon curd would not go very well on a salad. That’s my prediction, at least. Feel free to prove me wrong.
Have you ever had lemon curd? I hadn’t before I made it for the first time. It is a lemony spread with the consistency of a very light pudding. Like a lemon jam, but less overwhelmingly lemon than I imagine that would be. It’s like a little bite of sunshine! Don’t be scared off by the “curd” in the name – not really sure what that’s about, but nothing is curdled here. Just sweet, lemony, (uncurdled) sunshine. Perfect for days when it’s supposed to be spring, but is cold and rainy instead.
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Spontaneity: not my thing.
Lists: totally my thing.
The way I get excited for things is by planning them. Vacations, parties, meals, you name it – planning is just my way of looking forward to something.
Come to think of it, that’s probably one of the reasons I like blogging so much.
This weekend, Nate and I have plans to go down to Moab, UT, one of my favorite places. Moab is home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as an adorable downtown and lots of mountain biking, climbing, and running. I’ve been there a few times, but only once with Nate, and that was for about 24 hours. I’m excited to go back with him and show him Arches and Canyonlands, both of which are suuuuper beautiful and make me so happy to live in this state.
I’m starting to get excited for the weekend as I plan out which hikes we’re going to do, where we’re going to eat, what I should pack, etc. I haven’t made any lists or strict schedules for us yet… but you know, there’s still time. :)
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Sometimes when inspiration strikes, you just have to go with it.
This weekend, I walked in the door from the gym, and out of nowhere, my brain shouted “pumpernickel pancakes!” What? Well, OK.
Unlike Monday’s pasta dish, I didn’t waste any time letting the idea marinate. I rushed out to the store to find some rye flour and caraway seeds, and these pancakes were a reality not long after!
I’m not impatient or anything.
Actually, just a few hours before, I had been planning on spending the day skiing. But when we got off the highway, the traffic was so bad that we turned around almost immediately. We got a big snowstorm on Saturday, and so we definitely weren’t the only ones with the idea to get up there on Sunday morning.
I was a little bummed, especially since the exact same thing happened last time I tried to go up :( But on the bright side, I had a whole free morning I hadn’t planned on. First on the agenda was a 4 1/2 mile treadmill run, and then when the inspiration for these pancakes struck, I felt like it was serendipity – I had all the time in the world to make them.
I’ve probably told you guys before that I’m not generally a pancake lover. On your average weekend, there are lots of breakfast foods I would choose before pancakes. But when the craving hits, it hits hard, and I guess that’s what happened this Sunday. If you can’t have skiing, you just have to have pancakes, you know?
Whether you’re a pancake, bagel, or savory breakfast person, these fit the bill. With all the other bagel fixin’s, they’re to die for!
I think this is the first recipe on this blog that’s not vegetarian (although it certainly could be if you just leave off the lox). And right on the heels of Monday’s recipe using 2 types of cheese, too. Nate is crossing his fingers this is becoming a trend.
Let’s talk quickly about the ingredients in here. As I mentioned, rye flour and caraway seeds were the two ingredients I didn’t have on hand and wasn’t sure where to buy. They were also the two ingredients necessary to get the pumpernickel flavor in these pancakes. I used Bob’s Red Mill dark rye flour, which I found in a natural foods supermarket (Sprouts, for anyone local – they have a huge selection of Bob’s Red Mill products!). The caraway seeds were super to easy to find in the spice aisle of my Kroger.
Do you like caraway seeds? I know from my days selling sausage in a German deli (story for another time) that they’re a “you love it or you hate it” ingredient. They are the distinctive flavor in pumpernickel bagels, but you can by all means leave them out of these pancakes if you’re not a fan. I personally like caraway and would probably grind up an additional tablespoon of the seeds to add to these pancakes next time.
It probably comes as no surprise (given the name of this blog) that I’ve wanted to post this recipe for quite some time.
The problem was pictures. It’s really hard to take a picture of anything in a bowl with an iPhone, because the lens distorts everything and makes it look like you’re eating out of funhouse dishes.
Not that these are the best pictures ever (still learning… lots), but with my spiffy new camera, they at least accurately portray this meal in all its whole grain glory without making it look like I shot them through a funhouse mirror.
Anyway, about this quinoa. When I was down in Moab with my parents in September, we got breakfast (and lunch) both days from the Love Muffin Cafe, an adorable cafe on Main St. that I had never been to before. If you’re ever in Moab, I highly recommend it! They have the best ever breakfast quinoa (that Mom and I ate both days) and that I just had to recreate when I came home. Actually, in the car on the way home from that Moab trip, Mom and I discussed blog names, and I had this dish in mind when I registered this domain name a few weeks later. :) I intended for this to be my first post! But like I said… the pictures.
I’ve tried making other breakfast quinoa recipes before, but they never turned out well enough to start my day with. Thank goodness the Love Muffin Cafe came along! I would have been stuck in a never-ending cycle of oatmeal and Cheerios. Well actually, I still kinda am, but now I have this to mix it up with.
The recipe is simple: quinoa, agave, cinnamon, nuts and fruit, and a splash of milk.
If you’re wanting to eat healthier, eat more whole grains, or eat better breakfasts this year, this is pretty much the best place you can start! I’ve never tried another grain here, but if you prefer farro, wheat berries, etc. you could definitely try substituting that. I don’t recommend using white quinoa, though… it doesn’t have the same rich nutty flavor as red quinoa. Rainbow or black would probably be OK, though.
Warm Breakfast Quinoa with Agave and Cinnamon
Inspired by the Love Muffin Cafe in Moab, UT
Serves 1
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked red quinoa (this can be prepared ahead of time)
1 Tbsp agave syrup
heavy sprinkle of cinnamon
small handful of chopped walnuts (toasting is optional)
handful of seasonal fruit such as pomegranate arils or strawberries and blueberries
splash (1-2 Tbsp) of milk (I use plain unsweetened almond milk)
Instructions:
If using leftover quinoa, microwave until warm.
Mix warm quinoa with agave and sprinkle with cinnamon. Top with walnuts and fruit. Pour a splash of milk over the top and stir – the milk will coat everything with the agave and cinnamon. Serve!
Time:
<5 minutes if quinoa is cooked ahead of time, 20-25 minutes if cooking quinoa
