A Recipe for Success!

by Stephanie Struyck Elgin

Her smile is contagious and her love for cooking…a success. In fact, it was her savory spin on porridge recipe that landed her a grand prize at Bob’s Red Mill Spar Spurtle Ultimate Oatmeal Throwdown.  
It was an all out battle of culinary wit as our very own, Merry Graham from Newhall, went head to head against two other finalists in front of a live audience at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store in Oregon.  Merry’s Black Bean Porridge Patties recipe blew judges away, naming her the grand-prize winner and landing her an all expense paid trip for two to Scotland where she represented Bob’s Red Mill in the 18th annual Golden Spurtle™ World Porridge Making Championship a few months back.
“It is incredible to see our fans so passionate about our Steel Cut Oats and to cook with the oats in such creative ways,” said Bob Moore, founder of employee-owned Bob’s Red Mill. “We were excited for Merry to be joining us in Scotland this year.”
So what exactly is a spurtle? A spurtle is a traditional Scottish cooking utensil, dating back to the 15th century that is used to prevent porridge from becoming lumpy.  According to Scottish tradition, porridge stirred clockwise with the right hand will ward off evil spirits during cooking.  
Video recipes from amongst 50 home cooks and professional chefs were submitted and viewed, and of those, the three finalists for the Ultimate Oatmeal Throwdown were chosen.  Judges chose Merry’s recipe based on taste, creativity and overall presentation, and amongst the celebrity judges were Leather Storrs, chef at Noble Rot in Portland and winner on this season of Food Network’s Extreme Chef Kim Sunee, food and wine editor at Organic Gardening magazine, and past judge on Food Network’s Iron Chef America and Rachel MacRitchie, Scottish native and honorary president of the Daughters of the British Empire – cited the uniqueness of using the oats in a savory dish as a deciding factor.
Merry’s award winning recipe was entered in the competition’s specialty category, which allowed for additional ingredients to be used. Merry joined team Bob’s Red Mill in competing against some of the top porridge makers from around the world, including professional chefs, hoteliers, caterers and porridge enthusiasts in Scotland.  
Way to represent Santa Clarita, Merry! Congratulations!
For additional information or to view all of the recipes submitted in the contest, please see www.sparforthespurtle.com or www.bobsredmill.com. For real-time updates on the team’s preparation for the Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship, check out the Bob’s Red Mill blog, Facebook page or Twitter page.

Black Bean Porridge Patties
with Black Bean Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Award Winning Steel Cut Oats
1 2/3 cups water
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinse, drained, divided
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/3 cup minced cilantro for patties
1/2 cup chopped cilantro for pico
3/4 teaspoon Bob’s Red Mill Baking Powder
1/3 cup Bob’s Red Mill Oat Flour
additional for forming patties
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 ½ chopped fresh tomatoes
2 green onions, chopped, additional for garnish
1/2 cup picante salsa, medium or mild if preferred
2/3 cup Greek yogurt

Instructions:

In a 4-cup bowl, combine Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats and 1 2/3 cups water, stir and set aside for three hours. Do not drain water after oaks have soaked. *Alternative non-soak method listed below.

Pour softened oats and soaking water in a 4-quart or larger saucepan, combine, garlic, water, and salt, cover, and cook on high or medium-high for 9 minutes, stirring 2 or 3 times. Uncover, add 1-cup black beans, cumin, and red pepper, stir constantly and cook 4-minutes.

Pour hot porridge into a large bowl and stir in 1/3-cup cilantro and then add baking powder, stir, add all but about 2-tablespoons of the oat flour until uniform in consistency. Sprinkle a work surface with about 1-tablespoon of remaining oat flour. Form 4 patties by scooping 1/2-cup oat mixture. Sprinkle each mound with about 1-tablespoon of oat flour; press down with the back of a metal spatula and shape with hands.  Use additional oat flour if needed.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat grapeseed oil on high. Fry patties on both sides 5 minutes, adjusting heat between high and medium-high, until patties are brown and crispy. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl toss together remaining black beans, 1/2-cup cilantro, tomatoes, green onions, and picante salsa.

Place Black Bean Porridge Patties on a large serving patter or on individual salad plates. Top patties with Black Bean Pico de Gallo and dollop with Greek yogurt. Sprinkle with cilantro and green onions.  Serves 4

* Alternative non-soak method: Combine oats with 2 2/3 cups water in a 4-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cover, adjust heat to medium and cook for 14 minutes or until water has almost completely absorbed into oats. Uncover, and add black beans, cumin and red pepper, stir constantly and cook 4-minutes. Continue instructions as listed above.