From Stodge to the Stars

Getting a bit tired of toast for breakfast and absolutely not up to making oatmeal in the morning, nor of remembering to start it the previous night, I came across a many ingredient recipe for Oatmeal Breakfast Bars. Approved by -- a hospital dietician. Oh. 

That explained the low fat, no fat, no sugar, vigorous attempts to avoid anything that might carry flavor. Despite decades of research showing that low-fat isn't the great thing some people still believe. And that sugar in moderation is fine. 

Our local hospital serves terrific food from a kitchen where good cooks work. No doubt they know about nutrition, too, but they keep the flavor, too. Just a shout out for hospital food which can be good if it tries.

Anyway back to the dietician, one ingredient was a ready made shopbought spread, which shall remain nameless, filled with additives, subtractives, preservatives, derivatives, exchange traded funds, and who knows what else. Not that I have strong opinions on this.  

But I adapted happily, because the basic idea looked okay.

It needed applesauce, which I didn't have any of, never do, really. But I did have two Granny Smiths, so first I made applesauce. Of  which I used extra, to account for the missing spread stuff.

And since the recipe wanted brown sugar and unsweetened a. sauce, also vanilla, I did my usual sub for brown sugar, just cooking down molasses with white, and added in the vanilla. All at once.  

One of the features of Granny Smiths is that they keep their shape. So after gentle cooking down a while, I mashed them  with the pastry cutter. Worked fine. 

Here's the oats, whole wheat flour, raisins, b. powder, cinnamon, salt. And an egg beaten into milk, whole not skim (!)

And there's the trusty pastry cutter, ready for its off-piste foray into an off-piste applesauce.

And about half an hour at 350°f, ended in these sturdy items. They're better than you might expect.  Not a ringing endorsement, I realize, but okay and will be eaten. Easy breakfasts.

Then dinner soon followed and I think I swiped this from the divine Mrs Moon.

Cauliflower, roasted with crumbles of blue cheese, kosher salt, excellent pepper, this stuff really is worth sending away for, Greek olive oil, sliced onions.

 Then after about 20 minutes at 400°f, tossed about a bit, then about 15 minutes more.

Nicely browned and tender, then I tossed it in lemon juice and plenty of capers.

Here's the nice thing about living alone and cooking. If you want just one food for dinner, that's what you have. There's nobody asking what else is happening, is that it, etc.

It was very good indeed, a new departure from my limited repertoire of cauliflower recipes which usually mean soup or a cheese sauce. 

This is a whole lot more interesting, and if it was from you, Mary, thank you. And there's more for tomorrow. At that point it will be a room temperature salad kind of dish.