It’s hard to believe, but this coming Friday is the day our Spar for the Spurtle finalists will throw down to see who will represent Bob’s Red Mill in the 2011 Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championships.

If you’re around, come on out and join the fun. Here are the stats:

• Where: Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store
• 5000 SE International Way, Milwaukie, OR 97222
• When: Friday August 26th, 2011 at 2:00 pm, though we recommend showing up a bit early to get a good spot to watch.
• What to expect: we’ll have bagpipers making it merry and our finalists will recreate their dishes for our three celebrity judges. The finalists will have to follow the same rules as those in the Golden Spurtle. They’ll have 30 minutes and two butane burners to create their dishes. Our judges will pick the grand prize winner before 3 pm.

Our finalists:

Merry Graham with Black Bean Porridge Patties

Jim Schafer with Nutty Coconut Oatmeal

Rachel Kimbrow with Gingerbread Oatmeal (note: sometimes the sound on this video doesn’t work properly- we’re not sure why, but if it doesn’t work, try refreshing your screen.)

Our celebrity judges:

Leather Storrs – Chef, Noble Rot (and winner on Food Network’s Extreme Chefs)

Kim Sunee – Food & Wine Editor, Organic Gardening (plus former judge on Iron Chef America & author of Trail of Crumbs)

Rachel MacRitchie — Scottish native, wife of the honorary British Consul in Oregon & member (and honorary president) of Daughters of the British Empire in Oregon

Come on out and join the fun! RSVP for kicks on our Facebook event.

I saw this recipe in our recipe section a few weeks ago and it brought back a lot of memories from my first year of living in Portland. It was also my first year working at Bob’s Red Mill and my first year as a vegetarian. This was a recipe that I threw together a lot when I was struggling with how to cook tofu in a way that would appeal to my husband. I had recently discovered quinoa and wanted to use it in place of white rice. After all, I was hip-deep in learning about the benefits of whole grains and quinoa was quickly becoming my favorite grain (still is, to this day). Somewhere along the line, this recipe fell out of rotation. It’s back on the menu tonight, for sure.

At the time, I just added cubed tofu. I really didn’t know much about tofu and have learned a lot over the last few years. You can use baked tofu or fried tofu if you are not fond of plain tofu. You could also use tempeh or seitan in place of the tofu for a different protein, while still keeping it meatless. The truth is, though, that you really don’t need any protein in this dish at all- the quinoa provides all that you need.

Peanut Sauce Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu

• 1 Tbsp Oil
• 1 small head Broccoli, chopped
• 1 small Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 5 medium Mushrooms, sliced
• 1 package Extra Firm Tofu, cubed
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• 1 Tbsp Vinegar
• 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce*
• 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
• Cayenne Pepper (season to taste)
• 3 cups cooked Organic Quinoa Grain

Directions

Quinoa: In medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to boil. Add 1 cup Quinoa Grain, return to boil. Cover and cook for 15 minutes over medium-low heat. Remove from heat, fluff, and let stand 5-10 minutes.

Stir Fry: Heat oil in large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Sauté broccoli, pepper, mushrooms, and tofu for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter, hot water, vinegar, soy sauce, and cayenne pepper. (Don’t worry if sauce is not entirely blended, heat will melt the peanut butter into a smooth texture when added to wok.)

Pour peanut sauce over vegetable-tofu mix. Simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and crisp. Serve over quinoa! Makes 4 servings.

* For a gluten free version make sure to use wheat free soy sauce, wheat free tamari or Braggs liquid aminos.

Read more about this amazing grain at World’s Healthiest Foods.

Most often Bulgur is used to make various savory salads and entrées, such as the ever so popular Tabouli. Compelled by the August product list I thought, “what would Light Bulgur taste like baked into something?” So round one of experimenting with bulgur in a cookie, didn’t turn out so well. I par cooked the bulgur, thinking it would finish cooking during the baking of the cookie. Well I was wrong. My boss took a bite and said with a smile, “tastes like gravel.”

We all laughed and I moved on to round two of experimenting. Since the sun is sort of shining, what better to accompany those juicy Oregon berries than a lemon pound cake? Round two of baking with bulgur turned out a bit less crunchy and a lot more delicious. One cup of cooked and cooled bulgur was added to a simple lemon pound cake recipe and scooped into adorable little bundt pans. These Lemon Bulgur Pound Cakes are finished with a lemon glaze and are yours for $0.75 each or $3.95 for a 6-pack.

You will also find Bob’s Red Mill Light Bulgur 20% off through August. Not only does bulgur have a sufficient amount of protein, but fiber too. The addition of bulgur to this recipe adds a delightful new texture and added nutrition for you and your loved ones. Whether you’re making your famous summer Tabouli salad, or being creative and adding some bulgur to your favorite recipe, have fun! Enjoy this recipe with some local berries and dollop of whip cream!

Lemon Bulgur Pound Cakes

• ½ cup Butter
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Lemon Zest and Juice
• ¼ tsp  Salt
• 1 ½ cups Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• ½ cup Milk
• 1 cup Light Bulgur* (cooked according to package directions and cooled)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Grease cupcake tins.
2. Mix together Sugar and Butter
3. Add Eggs (well beaten), Lemon Juice and Zest. Mix well.
4. Add salt, flour, and baking powder. Mix well.
5. Mix in Milk.
6. Fold in cooked Bulgur
7. Pour batter into greased cupcake tin and bake for 15 minutes.

GLAZE: ¾ cup powdered sugar with 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Or

SIMPLE SYRUP: Juice of 1 lemon with 1 Tablespoon sugar

YIELD: 12 cupcakes

*The only difference between light bulgur and regular bulgur is the type of wheat used. Light bulgur is made from soft white wheat, while regular bulgur is made from hard red wheat.

Our 10 grain cereal is packed with whole grain goodness that will give you the energy to go go go!  With 34 grams of whole grains per serving, you can’t go wrong.  The cereal is great on its own, but you can also add it to baked goods or use it in your cooking.  You can simply replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe with the 10 Grain Cereal when baking.  Another idea is to replace up to 25% of polenta with the cereal when cooking it up.  Here are two recipes using these ideas to get you started!

Ruthie’s 10 Grain Muffins

• 1 large Egg
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Cane Juice (Sugar)
• 1/3 cup Margarine
• 1 cup Unbleached White Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 cup 10-Grain Cereal
• 1-1/4 cup sour Milk or Buttermilk

Mix 10 Grain Cereal and milk; allow to stand for 10 minutes while preheating oven and assembling other ingredients; cream sugar, margarine, and egg together. Add dry ingredients and milk mixture. Stir only until mixed. Spoon into greased muffin pan. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Polenta & Grains Souffle

• 1 cup Corn Grits-Polenta
• 2 Eggs
• 1 cup 10-Grain Cereal
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a shallow 1 quart casserole dish, set aside.

Cook Bob’s Red Mill 10-Grain Cereal and Bob’s Red Mill Corn Grits Polenta according to package directions.

Separate the eggs, yolks in a large bowl; whites in a small bowl. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Gradually beat the corn grits, 10-Grain Cereal and milk into the egg yolks. Reserve 2 tablespoons of cheese for later use.

Gradually fold the remaining cheese, pepper and 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the mixture until uniformly combined. Fold in the remaining beaten egg whites just until combined. Put mixture into casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

Bake 45-50 minutes or until brown and center is set when tapped. Serve immediately.  Makes 8 Servings.

Each month, excepting July and August, we hold fabulous cooking classes at our Whole Grain Store in Milwaukie, Oregon. I know this is only truly relevant to those of you who live nearby, but they are really definitely worth checking out if you are in the Portland area and looking for something to do. We get some top notch instructors and cover some really neat topics on everything from basic gluten free baking to ethnic cuisines (Lebanese, Italian, Ethiopian… to name a few) to artisanal breads. Some classes are more informational (with tasting of course!) and some are more hands-on.

Here are the classes for September. Check ‘em out and if you’d like to sign up, call 800-553-2258 x 208.

End-of-Summer Harvest with Amelia Hard!
Thursday, September 8, 2011 5:00-7:00 p.m. 

Celebrate Oregon’s end-of-summer harvest with popular chef Amelia Hard. She’ll show you how to prepare six delicious dishes using fresh ingredients from your garden or your favorite farmers market: Salmorejo (a rich ripe tomato gazpacho), sweet and crunchy Grated Raw Beet and Carrot Salad with citrus vinaigrette, crisp homemade Olive Oil Crackers, Rustic Crêpes (made with spelt and garbanzo flour) filled with sautéed seasonal vegetables, Wheat Berry Salad (flavored with cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, almonds, and shallot vinaigrette), and a luscious Brown Butter Almond Cake topped with caramelized fruit.

Note: All the dishes in this menu are vegetarian. There will be variations included in the recipes for the crêpes and the wheat berry salad for those who prefer to add meat.

Supplies to Bring: enjoy the sampling!       Class fee $40.00

The Wonders of Millet with Dan Brophy!  Thursday, September 15, 2011 5:00-7:00 p.m. September is our month to focus on Millet and boy do we have a fabulous menu for you!  Chef Dan Brophy is back to share his culinary expertise on how easy this grain is to prepare. Although millet is most often associated as the main ingredient in bird seed, it is not just “for the birds.” It was millet, rather than rice, that played an important part of the prehistoric diets in Indian and Chinese societies.  Chef Brophy’s menu will include: Millet Tabbouleh, Millet and Black Bean Salad, Millet Pilaf with Saffron and Lemon, Millet Flat Bread, Millet Crackers, Millet and Yellow Split Peas

Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the delicious ways to enjoy the whole grain goodness of millet!

Supplies to Bring: enjoy the sampling!       Class fee $40.00

It’s not very often that I have 12 of anything to give away, let alone 12 signed copies of a fabulous book! Well, guess what?? I found one more, so I get to pick 13 winners instead! Suits me fine, I’d give everyone a copy if I could.

Here are the winners, chosen at random from all who commented by 11:59 pm on 08/14.

1. Kim B
2. Jenni
3. Jennifer J
4. KR
5. Veronica
6. Heidi Howard
7. Alisha
8. Kristina
9. Thomas Hayes
10. Dawn
11. Patrick
12. Tom K
13. Heather Cornbleth

Congrats to everyone who won! I’ll be following up via email later today. If I don’t hear back from a selected winner within 5 business days, I will choose a new one from the list of remaining entrants. Thank you for participating and I hope you enjoy the book. If you didn’t win, but still want to check out the book, head over to RunBare.com to order a copy.

Alright, without further ado:

The finalists who will compete in Bob’s Red Mill’s Ultimate Oatmeal Throwdown are:

• Merry Graham from Newhall, California Black Bean Porridge Patties
• Rachel Kimbrow from Portland, Oregon Gingerbread Oatmeal
• Jim Schafer from Kohler, Wisconsin Nutty Coconut Oatmeal

The three finalists were chosen from the nearly 50 home cooks and professional chefs who submitted video recipes that featured Steel Cut Oats. I know the judges had a very hard time making a decision and spent a few hours watching the videos over and over again looking for just the right dish and the right personality. And no, I was (thankfully) not one of the judges. You guys know me- I would have flown out all 50 entrants and met them all face to face… then where would we be?

Now, the finalists will be flown to Portland where they will compete in a live cook-off on Friday, August 26. The finalists will prepare their recipes from scratch in front of an audience at Bob’s Red Mill’s Whole Grain Store. The grand-prize winner will be selected by a panel of celebrity judges (we’ll tell you who soon) and will travel to Scotland to compete in the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship.

So how did the judges select the winners? I know some folks will be wondering why the video with the most votes didn’t win. This is what I have heard from the judges themselves.

A variety of criteria was used to select the finalists, including site visitors’ votes, use of Steel Cut Oats as a featured ingredient, ability to appeal to the Scottish judges’ taste-palates and whether the recipes could be prepared in the competition’s allotted 30-minute time frame. On top of that, they took into account how the person handled themselves. It’s a lot of pressure to be under during the Golden Spurtle- you have cameras and microphones in your face during your 30 minutes.

Congratulations to the finalists! I cannot wait to see these dishes being created! We will be working to get all of the recipes from all of the videos on our website soon, there are so many delicious uses for steel cut oats (again, see why I’m not a judge??)!  In the meantime, check out the winning videos and the rest of the great entries at www.sparforthespurtle.com.

I will also be posting more info about the Portland cook-off in the next few days so you can come out, if you’re around and watch the fun for yourself.

Cheers!

When we started to offer hempseeds, we developed a variety of recipes so people could have plenty of ways to incorporate these nutritious seeds into their diet.  The popularity of the Hemp No Meat Loaf at the office was shocking!  Now, all these years later, I still get requests to make it for company potlucks.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Hemp No Meat Loaf

• 1-1/2 cups Wild and Brown Rice Mix 
• 3 cups Water
• 1-1/2 cups Hulled Hemp Seed
• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped
• 1 cup small Onion, chopped
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 – 2 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Basil
• 2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/4 cup Corn Starch

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Cook the rice with the water as directed. In the meantime, combine the red pepper, onion, garlic, pepper, basil, salt and olive oil in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.

In a bowl, combine shelled hemp seeds, prepared rice, cornstarch and the mixture from the blender. Spread mixture into a loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour

A list of race day do’s and don’ts could go on forever and each person you ask will have a different story or opinion. Rather than write a stale list of what to do and what not to do, I thought walking you through how I spent the 24-hours before, during and after the biggest one day race in America might have more of an impact. While I realize that most racers don’t have the luxury of traveling with support staff the way I do, the routine I follow can easily be adapted for the amateur racer.

My teammates and I arrived in Philadelphia several days before the race because of sponsor commitments. By Friday morning, we were settled into our race hotel and ready to pre-ride the course. When possible, we like to ride the course at the same time we will race the next day. This gives us a chance to get used to the conditions – wind direction, temperature, etc. – that we could encounter during the race.

Most of us had raced the Liberty Classic in the past, but a refresher of the course is always appreciated a year later. As we pre-rode the course, we reviewed the nuances of the course, recalled results of past editions and discussed potential tactics.

DO pre-ride the course when possible or review course profile online.

DON’T wait until you line up for the start to know your competition. Look at past results/reports to know how the race unfolded and which riders you should keep your eye on.

Following our pre-ride, it was back to the race hotel for showers and food. Having the luxury of traveling with staff, we dropped our race bikes off with the mechanic for final adjustments. I had a quick chat with my mechanic about my gearing and race wheel preference before I left my stead in his capable hands.

DO be prepared with the right equipment you need for the course.

DON’T wait until the day before to make changes to your bike (unless you have a mechanic at your disposal) to avoid last minute surprise mechanicals.

A shower was followed by a team dinner. I made sure I ate a well-balanced meal that included nutrient dense foods to provide me with the type of fuel I need come race day. My teammates and I generally eat together, and our Sports Director will conduct a team meeting before, during or after the meal.

DO fuel properly. Now is not the time to cut calories.

DON’T introduce foods you’ve never eaten before or during races. Experiment with new foods during training, not race day.

The team meeting included a repeat of the discussion points my teammates and I covered during our pre-ride before turning to the specific tactics we would employ the next day. We reviewed the course profile, designated team leader(s) and determined each rider’s roles.

DO know your race plan before you toe the line.

DON’T feel the need to make your plan alone. Seek input from you coach, your training partners, your friends who have raced the course before, etc.

Before bed, I packed my bag and pinned my numbers. Some people have a printed checklist that covers what needs to make it into their race bag for each race. Having raced for an eternity, I no longer need anything but a mental checklist to be sure my helmet, shoes, kit, gloves, socks, sunglasses, etc. make it into my bag. I rely on staff to ensure that anything I might require for nutritional and mechanical needs are packed in the team vehicles.

DO as much race prep the night before as possible so you aren’t scrambling the morning of the race and inevitably forget an important item.

DON’T feel the need to do everything yourself. Share the workload with teammates or enlist personal support.

Back in my hotel room, I chilled and stayed off my feet for the remainder of the evening before heading to bed at a reasonable hour.

DO get quality sleep.

DON’T spend more time than necessary on your feet.

Early morning wake-up for our 9AM start. Some of my teammates find that they need to eat their main pre-race meal three or four hours prior to race start. I’m lucky in that I can eat pretty much up to an hour before. As with my dinner, I make sure that I choose race day foods that provide me with all the nutrients I’ll need for my race.

My teammates and I biked to the course from our hotel and then rode the final few kilometers of the circuit. During our pre-ride the day before the course was not closed. Riding before the start we were able to see the final twists and turns just as they would be in the race. This served as both our warm-up and our final chance to talk through the tactics we had discussed the previous day.

DO warm up well. More intense warm up time is needed before shorter races, such as time trials and criteriums, than long road races.

DON’T allow the finish to be a surprise – ride the last couple kilometers with your teammates when possible to finalize tactics.

By the time we had finished our warm-up, our Sports Director had set up our team tent and pulled out our box of food and cooler of bottles. I stuffed my pocket with bars and gels and grabbed two bottles for my bike before throwing my extra clothes in the team van and heading to the start.

With four circuit laps under the blazing sun, the Liberty Classic generally gets off to a mellow start. As I surfed around in the pack, I reviewed my race nutritional plan. Ideally, I eat every thirty minutes and drop back to my team car for a bottle or grab one in a feed zone as soon as I’m empty.

DO know your eating and hydration schedule.

DON’T underestimate nutritional needs. Take more food than you think you’ll need, and if you won’t have the ability to grab a bottle during the race, consider sticking a third bottle in your jersey pocket.

My teammates and I stuck together on the course. It’s essential that we ride as a unit in order to communicate effectively. Team tactics carefully planned may need to be discarded if a race doesn’t unfold as expected, and riding as a group ensures that we’re able to discuss any required changes as they become necessary.

As the race heads into the final kilometers, everything becomes a bit more intense. The need to communicate clearly and effectively is even more heightened. My teammates and I chatted to make sure we remained on the same page regarding the plan we intended to execute.

DO communicate with your teammates as often as possible. Let them ‘in’ to a spot near you to facilitate communication.

DON’T be afraid to adjust your race plan on the fly.

Although we executed our plan to the best of our abilities at Philly, we had hoped for a better outcome than the fourth place we secured. Immediately following the race, we had a post-race meeting to discuss what we could have done better and what we need to improve upon for our next race. Together, we rode back to the hotel as a cool down before we indulged in another healthy recovery meal.

DO debrief post race to discuss what went right and what did not.

DON’T forget that post race nutrition is important, too, especially when racing again the next day.

Without question, this is not an exhaustive list of race day do’s and don’ts, but there is an abundant source of information here to help you get the most out of your racing experience. Remember that taking extra time to prepare yourself and your bike before the race will leave you best prepared for what happens during the race.

Photos courtesy of Larry Rosa