We’ve had quite a slew of entries in Spar for the Spurtle come in since last week and I wanted to highlight some that are really fun. We’re not playing favorites and just because I pick these to feature does not mean they will win, in fact, I have no say in who will get flown to Portland. I just thought they were unique and the recipes sound delicious. We’ve received more savory dishes this year than sweet and I love that. I think it’s great that folks are thinking outside of the box with Steel Cut Oats.

Before we get to videos, I want to list off the winners from our giveaway. These folks were selected at random and will each receive a set of Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats and a spurtle. Thanks for voting and helping the judges see who you think should win. You still have 7 days to enter Spar for the Spurtle and throw your hat in the ring to win a trip to Scotland for two and $2500.

Our winners are: Athena, Mardell, Tanya, Ray and Renata. I’ll get in touch today to get your shipping info. Congratulations and thanks for playing!

I really liked this recipe from Maiah for Espresso Chip Pancakes. It’s creative and sounds delicious.

This recipe from Shawn Christopher of The Gluten Free Spouse uses steel cut oats to make hors d’oeuvres. I had to giggle at his creative solution when his video started running long.

Finally, this one just strikes my fancy with its savory flavors and use of salmon. This is Oat-kayu Porridge with Mirin Glazed Salmon from Bob (not THAT Bob).

Check out the rest of the innovative creations at www.sparforthespurtle.com and help us pick round one winners by voting.

We’ve been getting some great entries over the last two weeks in our Spar for the Spurtle competition. Here are some that we think show a flair for creativity. Don’t forget, you can still enter the competition until 7/20 and throw your hat into the ring to win $2500 cash plus a trip for two to Scotland. If you visit SparfortheSpurtle.com you can see that it doesn’t take much to make a video. You’re not being judged on the quality of the video, but on the recipe, so don’t be shy- break out that smart phone and show us what you’ve got!

We love this fun take on the traditional Scotch Egg.

A finalist in the 2011 Spar for the Spurtle, Jim Schafer shares his take on S’mores.

It’s true, a good healthy breakfast will make your children more productive, although maybe not THIS productive. This video had us giggling at the end!

{Giveaway}

We want to share some spurtle love with you! We’re giving away a gift set containing a package of Steel Cut Oats and a Bob’s Red Mill Spurtle to five lucky winners. How to enter? Head over to www.SpartfortheSpurtle.com and vote for your favorite video. You can vote for as many as you like. Then, come back here and let me know in the comments that you voted. That’s it! I’ll pick five lucky winners at random from all who enter by 11:59 pm on 7/12/12.

All it takes is a little creativity and a video camera and you, too, can enter Spar for the Spurtle. We’re not looking for a fancy high-budget video, any old smart phone will do. What we are looking for, however, is a creative dish using Steel Cut Oats. Whether it’s just a fancy version of your morning routine or a whole new culinary enterprise, show us what you’ve done and you might just win yourself a trip to Scotland! You have until 7/20 to submit a video, so get cracking!

Check out videos from last year for some confidence building- if they can do it, so can you!

Here are some really fun ideas that might just spark your creative bug. Find these and more on our Spar for the Spurtle Inspiration Pinterest Board.

• Savory Oats with Onions, Bacon, Cheese, Avocado, BBQ Sauce and Shredded Chicken from The Vegster
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Oats from Oh She Glows
• Rosemary Maple Savory Oats from Spark Recipes.com
• Over Easy Savory Oatmeal with Kale from Clean Eating Chelsea
• Blueberry Coconut Baked Steel Cut Oats from Family Fresh Cooking
• Gingerbread Oatmeal from Rachel Kimbrow (a Spar for the Spurtle 2011 Finalist) (see video below)

Finally, visit the Golden Spurtle website and see what past participants have made.

A few nights ago, I attempted my first-ever homemade risotto. Instead of rice, I used a grain called freekeh. We don’t carry freekeh at Bob’s Red Mill, but I had been curious after hearing about it from several different blogging friends. I was given some to play with, so I tried to find a recipe to try it in. Since it was my first time using it, I wanted a tried and true recipe. I stumbled upon a freekeh risotto and thought, “I’ve never tried making my own risotto, I’ll give this a shot.” The dish came out great, even if it was time consuming. I tried something I’d never done before and got to try a new grain at the same time.

The point of all this is that I’ve got risotto on the brain and stumbled across this recipe. Steel cut oats are ideal for making risotto because of their inherently creamy nature. The starches are easy to draw out and they hold their texture well. This ris-oat-o recipe from Gluten Free Gigi can be done in 30 minutes and comes out creamy and delicious. Gigi was a contender last year in our Spar for the Spurtle. I’ve included her adorable video here and her recipe below. Enjoy!

Herbed Oregon Cranberry Slow Simmer Ris-oat-o

Contributed by: Gigi Stewart from Gluten Free Gigi

•     1 cup Steel Cut Oats*
•     1/2 cup diced Onion
•     1/2 cup dried Oregon Cranberries
•     3 cups Vegetable (or Chicken) Stock
•     2 Tbsp Olive Oil
•     1 tsp Herbs de Provence
•     1/2 tsp Salt
•     1/4 tsp White Pepper

Directions

Step 1

Add vegetable broth to a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Step 2

Add oats, onion, cranberries, olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper to a large skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon or spurtle for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Carefully add boiling broth, cover dish, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Makes 4 servings.

*Use our Gluten Free Steel Cut Oats to make this recipe gluten free.

We’ve really been on a, ahem, roll around here lately and let me just say that we’re not done yet! We’ve got one more new item to tell you about later in the week and, yep, you guessed it, we’re going to give some away, too!

If you’ve never been able to try our extra thick rolled oats before, now is your chance. These oats are rolled extra thick, making them heartier and chewier than our old fashioned rolled oats and light years away from quick and instant rolled oats. Extra thick rolled oats are a truly old-fashioned oatmeal. As Bob would say, “This is what oatmeal should taste like.” Our conventional extra thick rolled oats have long been a customer favorite in our line, which is why we’re so excited to be able to offer them to our gluten free customers, as well.

As with our other gluten free oats, these are grown on dedicated farms that plant only ‘pedigreed’ seed stock in oats-only fields. Each delivery is sampled using the R5 ELISA Gluten Assay to ensure the absence of gluten and packaged in our gluten free facility. Please be aware, however, that a small percentage of people cannot tolerate even the purest of oats. If you are unsure whether oats are suitable for your diet, please check first with your health advisor before eating them. Read more about oat (or avenin) sensitivity here.

These oats will be available in stores near you in the coming months, but if you absolutely cannot wait (and you don’t win), they’re on sale on our website at 25% off through the month of May.

Giveaway

We’d like to giveaway a package of our new Gluten Free Extra Thick Rolled Oats to three lucky winners. To enter? Simply leave us a comment here on this blog post and tell us one gluten free product you that wish we would make. We’ll pick three winners randomly from all who enter by 11:59 pm on 5/9/12 (that’s end of day tomorrow).

Steel cut oats have long been a favorite cereal at Bob’s Red Mill. Over the years, we’ve found that some people are daunted by the longer cooking time. Really, it’s not surprising. Steel cut oats take between 10- 20 minutes on the stove top and are near-impossible to cook in the microwave.  We have all sorts of tips and tricks to help you enjoy a hot bowl of steel cut oats in a hurry- everything from a slow cooker to a thermos. Still, the process is too complicated for some and not worth the energy for others. That’s why we’re happy to say that we now offer a quick-cooking variety.

These organic quick-cooking steel cut oats (also available as conventional) cook in 5 to 7 minutes on the stove top and are perfect for the thermos method*. Quick steel cut oats are made with the same high-quality oats that we use for our regular steel cut oats, but they are processed slightly differently to allow them to cook more quickly. These oats are cut on a specialized rotary granulator mill into slightly flatter pieces than our regular steel cut oats. They still taste wonderfully different than rolled oats, but they are a bit different than our regular steel cut oats. Their faster cooking time, makes them a great ingredient for baking and cooking. Try this wonderful recipe for Steel Cut Oat Fries with Cherry Dipping Sauce to see for yourself.

These two items will be on store shelves within a few months, but you can order them on our website if you simply cannot wait.

*Bob’s Famous Thermos Method: No joke, this is how Bob makes his steel cut oats when he’s in a hurry. Place 1 cup quick cooking steel cut oats and 3 boiling water in an airtight thermos at night. In the morning, you will have cooked steel cut oats. With these new quick cooking steel cut oats, we’re pretty sure you could do this when you first rise in the morning and have them ready by the time you get to work.

Steel Cut Oat Fries with Cherry Dipping Sauce

Yield 5 -7 servings

Steel Cut Oat Fries

• 1-1/2 cups Milk
• 1/2 cup Water or Stock
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 cup Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats
• Sea Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste
• 4 oz Chevre or other soft goat cheese
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups Olive Oil
• Oat Flour as needed

Line a 4 ½  x 6 ½ -inch metal baking pan with plastic wrap and set aside.

Bring milk, water and butter to a boil in a large heavy saucepan.  Gradually whisk in Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until oats are very thick and start to pull away from the sides, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Immediately transfer the oats to the prepared baking pan, spreading evenly so height is consistent throughout.  Refrigerate until cool and firm, about 1 hour.  To store overnight, cover when cooled and keep refrigerated.

Turn oats out onto a cutting board and cut into ¾ x 3-inch rectangles.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to very low, about 200°F.  Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Place flour in a plate or pie pan.  Lightly coat the oat fries in flour, shaking off excess.

Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, fry oat fries until golden-brown on all sides, about 5 minutes.  Add more oil, if necessary, but make sure the oil has warmed to medium-high heat before continuing frying.  Transfer fries to paper towels with a slotted spoon and let drain.  Place fries on a clean baking sheet and keep warm in the low oven while frying remaining batches.

Serve with Cherry Dipping Sauce.

Cherry Dipping Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 2 Tbsp Shallots, minced
• 2 Tbsp + additional to taste Balsamic Vinegar
• 1 cup Chicken or Vegetable Stock
• 2 Tbsp Evaporated Cane Juice
• 1/2 cup Dried Cherries, chopped
• Sea Salt to taste
• Ground Black Pepper to taste

Heat oil in a medium skillet oven medium heat.  Add shallots and sauté until translucent.

Add balsamic vinegar and stir well for about 1 minute, making sure to scrape up any pieces stuck to the pan.

Add stock and increase heat to medium-high.  Add evaporated cane juice and dried cherries, stir well and let simmer until thick, about 10 minutes.

Let cool slightly and serve with Steel Cut Oat Fries.

Giveaway

We’d like to share a few packages of these great Organic Quick Cooking Steel Cut Oats with you. We’re giving away a package of these new oats to three lucky winners! How to enter? Simply leave us a comment here on this blog post that tells us what you would make with quick cooking steel cut oats- could be plain oatmeal or some fancy oatmeal concoction! We’ll select three winners randomly from all who comment by 11:59 pm on Monday, May 7th.

This recipe is part of our month-long celebration of all things chia and comes from baker and writer, Christa Kelso Borden. Christa owns Mini Baker, a premiere cupcake and mini cake destination. Of herself, Christa says, “as a young girl, I always loved baking and had a large sweet tooth. Within the past few years, baking became not just a hobby, but a passion.” Mini Baker has become the go-to bakery for weddings, parties, baby showers, film/crew sets, and to satisfy anyone’s sweets-fix. You can read more from Christa on her blog, Mini Baker Cupcakes.

BAKED BLUEBERRY BANANA CHIA SEED OATMEAL

photo credit: Christa Kelso Borden of Mini Baker

(makes 6 servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 medium ripe Bananas, (the riper the better) sliced into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 cups fresh Blueberries
• ¾ tsp Cinnamon
• 1 cup uncooked Quick Oats
• ½ cup chopped Walnuts or Pecans
• ½ tsp Baking Powder
• ½ cup Chia Seeds
• pinch of Salt
• ¼ cup Agave Nectar (or Honey)
• 1 cup Whole Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly spray a 9X9” ceramic dish with nonstick
cooking spray.

2. Arrange the banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the ceramic
dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries (1 cup) and ¼ tsp. of the cinnamon
over the bananas and cover with foil. Bake 15 minutes at 375, until the
bananas get soft.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the oats, half of nuts (1/4 cup),
baking powder, remaining cinnamon (1/2 tsp.), chia seeds and salt; stir
together.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the agave, milk and vanilla extract.

5. Remove the bananas from the oven. Then pour the oat mixture over the
baked bananas and blueberries.

7. Pour the milk mixture over the oats, making sure to distribute the mixture
as evenly as possible over the oats. Sprinkle the remaining blueberries (1
cup) and walnuts (1/4 cup) over the top.

8. Bake the oatmeal for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown
and the oatmeal has set. Serve warm from the oven.

Recipe By: Mini Baker (www.minibakercupcakes.blogspot.com)

When the weather outside is frightful, a hot bowl of cereal is delightful…

Excuse the cheesiness, but isn’t that the truth? It’s hard to get excited about a cold bowl of miscellaneous flakes when the temperatures are dropping. There is something unappealing about pouring cold milk onto cold cereal when snow is collecting outside. Around here, nothing gets us out of bed on a drizzly day like a hot bowl of our favorite whole grain cereal.

Freezing weather or not, whole grain hot cereal is an ideal way to kick off any day. With the staying power of whole grains, hot cereal can warm you up and keep you going through the morning. The fiber and protein found in our hot cereals keep blood sugar from spiking (and consequently crashing) and help promote healthy digestion.

Truth is, most of us also like a touch of sugar, milk and/or butter with our hot cereal. A little sugar is fine for most of us; try to make the choice to add these things in moderation. We’ve collected some suggestions for taking your hot cereal to the next level of delicious, but still keep your breakfast on the healthy side.

• Add nut butter (peanut, almond, etc) or an egg to your cereal to boost flavor and protein and really kick start your day with a breakfast that will fuel you until lunch.

• Add some flaxseed meal, chia seed, hemp seed or pumpkin seed to increase your fiber and omega-3 intake to support a healthy heart.

• Fresh, frozen or dried fruit also make a great addition to boost flavor and add vitamins and antioxidants.

• Add a few tablespoons of canned (or fresh) pumpkin for a decadent, holiday-themed breakfast. Pumpkin is loaded with Vitamin A, Potassium, and Zinc, making it a great addition to a whole grain breakfast.

• Adding a sprinkle of cinnamon to your cereal will aid in stabilizing your blood sugar, not to mention that a little cinnamon can add a big flavor boost.
• Take it savory! Try this: add shredded cheese, sliced green onions, a dash of salsa and top with an egg for delicious and healthy Mexican dish.

Still want some inspiration? Try one of these recipes for a truly special breakfast.

• Hot Toddy Porridge (featuring Steel Cut Oats)
• Creamy Wheat Berry Hot Cereal
• Morning Couscous with Oranges and Dates (use whole wheat couscous to boost the nutritional profile)
• Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa
• Breakfast Polenta with Chorizo and Queso Fresco

This recipe comes from Pooja Mottl of Pooja’s Way. Pooja’s Way is filled with recipes, fitness tips and videos for a healthy lifestyle. Her philosophy is that healthy food should be delicious and simple to cook. We hope you enjoy this recipe from her. We love it because it adds whole grains to a classic favorite. Make this gluten free by using our Gluten Free Rolled Oats.

Creamy Vegan Butternut Squash Soup

Yield: Approx. 3 ½ cups

Can creamy be healthy and delicious? Absolutely! By substituting rolled oats for butter and cream, this seasonal butternut squash soup recipe takes on a beautiful creamy consistency while staying entirely plant based. Star anise adds a beautifully sweet flavor and aroma to this hearty Fall and Winter go-to.

[Updated: 11/21/11: 9:30 am]

Ingredients:                                                                                                   

• 1 tsp organic Expeller Pressed Canola Oil (preferred) or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 ½ cups Yellow Onion, diced (about 1 large onion)
• 4 cups Butternut Squash, skin removed, roughly diced into ¾ inch cubes (about ¾ squash)
• 2 ½ cups organic Vegetable Broth
• 1 ¾ cup organic Apple Cider
• ½ to ¾ tsp Sea Salt
• ¼ tsp ground Black Pepper
• 1 star Anise
• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Regular Rolled Oats
• ¼ tsp ground Cumin
• 1/8 tsp Cayenne
• ½ cup Water

  Procedure:

  1. Warm oil in a large heavy bottom saucepot or dutch oven over low-medium heat. Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent, making sure not to brown.
  2. Add squash, stock, 1 ¼ cup cider, star anise, ½ teaspoon salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, for 10 minutes.
  3. Uncover, remove star anise, add oats, spices, and continue to simmer, covered for another ten minutes. Or until squash softens and begins to fully dissolve.
  4. Turn off heat. Add water and remaining apple cider and immediately transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool for a few minutes.
  5. Transfer to a strong blender, and blend until creamy smooth. Blend in batches if necessary. Transfer back to sauce pot, add remaining salt (optional) and warm again as desired. Ladle into your favorite bowl and enjoy!

Copyright  © 2010  Pooja Mottl.  All rights reserved.

After a long flight to Edinburgh via Amsterdam and a train trek across the peaty countryside of Scotland to Inverness-shire, our hearty little band of whole grain evangelists arrived in the Mecca of porridge, Carrbridge, for the World Porridge Making Championships. The four of us from Bob’s Red Mill and our fan-competitor, Merry Graham, woke in Edinburgh today a bit jet-lagged and bleary-eyed, but nonetheless thrilled to be in this wonderful country to tell the world our secret: oats aren’t just a boring breakfast gruel.

Recall that we wrested the Golden Spurtle from its Scottish clutches in 2009. This year, facing unprecedented competition from the Scots, we tapped into the collective intelligence of Bob’s Red Mill’s myriad of incredibly creative fans by hosting an American elimination heat, the winner of which would be bound to represent the company at this most important and unusual competition. What we uncovered was the tireless imagination and porridge making talent of Southern California-based culinarian, Merry Graham.

Merry’s traditional porridge uses a couple of special secrets I can’t share yet, but take it from me, the former champ, Merry’s porridge is the best I’ve tasted. It’s simple as can be but makes the essential flavors of oats dive into one’s taste buds. Merry’s Specialty Category—the secondary category—recipe pulls together a bunch of her favorite native flavors of the Southwest, like fresh spring onions, tomato and cilantro, all atop a patty of steel cut oats and black beans that redefines comfort food.

Tomorrow is dedicated to preparation for Sunday’s big event but we’ve got things fairly well wrapped up. Now it’s just a matter of time and nerves. There is a tension that hangs like fog over the hamlet of Carrbridge as the competitors flood into town but we’re all feeling quite at ease here at the Fairwinds B&B. Technique matters. Salt matters. Clean water matters. We stand tall and confident with the power of the most important variable in such epicurean fisticuffs—the world’s best ingredients. Nonetheless, we thrive on your support and look forward to you following the event’s unfolding on Sunday. Wish us luck!

Matthew Cox

Marketing Director