Sweet Potato Spice Oatmeal

As most of my regular readers know by now, my mother is visiting the USA for the summer. In between enjoying her home-cooked food, I've been introducing her to some of the WFPBNO foods I eat on a regular basis, one of which is oatmeal. To be honest, she's not sold on it yet. I made this awesome Sweet Potato Spice Oatmeal this morning and it was "just okay" according to her (LOL). I enjoyed this recipe a lot and here's why (a) it has no added sugar or butter (b) its made with all whole food ingredients and (c) it is ready and on the table in less than 20 min. 

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

1. 1/2 cups Steel-cut Oatmeal
2. 3 cups Water
3. 2 Medium Sweet Potatoes, roasted previously.
4. 1/2 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (Almond, Soy, Cashew etc.)
5. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds (or substitute with Pecans)
6. 2 tbsp Raisins
7. 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
8. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
9. A pinch of Sea Salt
10. Maple Syrup (as needed) 3 to 4 cups water

Directions:

Mix Steel-cut Oats, water, raisins and sea salt together and pressure cook under high pressure for 5-7 minutes. If you don't have access to a pressure cooker, simmer the oats on a stove until tender (approximately 20-25 min). Once the steam dissipates, add 1 tbsp almonds, 1/3 cup almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract and mix well. Dish out into 4 serving bowls, garnish with more slivered almonds and a small splash of almond milk. Dust on more cinnamon, if you desire. I didn't add any sweetener to this dish, but if you like it sweeter, add maple syrup to taste. Serve warm. 

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Breakfast Cream o' Wheat

This morning I wasn't in the mood for just another bowl of Oatmeal. I've been eating the same breakfast before work every morning for almost 2 years now and I still love it. Every once in a while though, I crave other things. It was going to be a chilly day, the first of many this fall and winter and I also wanted something with nuts in it. I stared at the pantry and then the fridge and then the pantry again before I remembered one of my favorite breakfasts growing up was Doodh ki Sooji ... essentially a creamy milky porridge made with Semolina (Cream of Wheat).

Breakfast Cream o' Wheat w nuts and raisins!

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/4 cup Medium-Grain Semolina (Sooji)
2. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
3. 1 tbsp Crumbled Cashews
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 tbsp Raisins
6. 1/4 tsp Cardamom Powder
7. 2 tbsp Brown Sugar (to taste)
8. 1-2 tsp Maple Syrup (to drizzle on top)
9. 1 and 1/4 cup Almond (or any non-dairy) Milk

Directions:

Heat a non-stick skillet or large sauce pan to medium high and add the semolina. Begin dry-roasting the semolina (with constant stirring using a rubber spatula) to aid in uniform roasting. As the semolina roasts, the color will deepen to a golden (about 10 min) and then go even deeper. As it begins to darken, add the nuts and raisins and dry roast those as well.

As the raisins plump up in the pan with heat, add the cardamom powder, give it all a nice toss and then add the milk, saving just a splash to drizzle on top. Allow everything to come to a boil, turn heat to low until it reaches the desired consistency, adding more milk if needed.

Add brown sugar, to taste, mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl, drizzle with milk and maple syrup and enjoy!! Mmm Hmm good!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 486 (Fat Calories 134)
Total Fat 14.9 g; Carbohydrates 70.8 g; Fiber 9.7 g; Sugars 31.9 g; Protein 12.6 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Cardamom Almond Semolina

Happy Sunday!!! I started out my day dreaming of a breakfast dish my mom used to make when we were growing up. "Sooji" or Breakfast Semolina, made as a sweet creamy pudding in milk, or as a savory dry concoction with vegetables and spices is a favorite whole-grain breakfast food across many households. I personally liked it much better when it was made as a thick sweet pudding. That is what I tried to mimic today, with my own #WFPBNO twist to it ... i.e. I didn't use any oil or fat and used plant-based almond milk instead of dairy. 

This dish uses coarse semolina. In the United States, coarser meal coming from softer types of wheat is known also as farina. Also, in the United States, this kind of semolina is sold under the trade name Cream of Wheat. I buy my semolina from the Indian market in town so it has a more authentic flavor. Also, semolina from India is often specked with golden and brown spots, versus Cream of Wheat which is almost a pure white in color.

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 0.5 cup Coarse Whole Wheat Semolina
2. 1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk 
3. 2 tbsp Raisins
4. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds
5. 2 tbsp Chia seeds
6. 0.5 tsp Ground Cardamom
7. 2-4 tsp Brown Sugar (optional)

Directions:

Dry roast the semolina in a non-stick pan, on medium to medium-low heat until it is golden brown and aromatic (it will smoke a little as it gets almost done, so watch to make sure you don't char it). Traditionally this is done with ghee (clarified butter) but I've found that dry roasting works just as well and has no effect whatsoever on the overall taste of the dish. When the semolina is almost done, add the almonds, raisins and cardamom seed powder. Skip the nuts if you're allergic or looking for a low-fat dish. I personally consume nuts and seeds so add both to my diet occasionally. If you wish to use cinnamon, feel free to substitute it at this time. You can also sprinkle both at the end but I find that dry roasting the flavorings makes for a more even flavor in the dish.  In just a couple of minutes, the raisins will plump up.

In the dry roasting pan!

At this point, add the almond milk. As the semolina is pretty hot so the almond milk will immediately simmer and boil so be careful. Reduce heat to low and allow everything to simmer for a few minutes. The semolina will lose some of its golden brown color and plump up with the addition of liquid. Simmer for a couple of minutes, add chia seeds at the very end (if desired), mix and dish out into 2 bowls. Serve with a splash of almond milk and little dollops of brown sugar (if desired for additional sweetness). Enjoy!!

Note: As I noted above, you can flavor this dish with whatever your favorite flavors are, cinnamon and maple syrup will work just as well as cardamom and brown sugar. If you're skipping the nuts and seeds, feel free to add dried fruits instead, or even top off with fresh bananas or berries. Once the basic semolina is ready, it can be easily adapted to your tastes.

Note: Next time you have some free time, dry roast a large batch of semolina until golden brown. Allow to cool and transfer to a well-sealed tupperware container. This stays in the freezer for several months. When ready to prepare the dish, heat up the semolina and add raisins .. moving forward from that step and Voila!! .. your overall cooking time is down to around 5-8 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without added sugar): Calories 272 (Fat Calories 69)

Total Fat 7.7 g; Carbohydrates 43.7 g; Fiber 6.8 g; Sugars 5.6 g; Protein 9.7 g

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without nuts or seeds): Calories 193 (Fat Calories 12)

Total Fat 1.3 g; Carbohydrates 38.7 g; Fiber 2.3 g; Sugars 5.4 g; Protein 6.1 g

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

Its fall! Its time for pumpkin everything! I already did a post on Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal. If you're not much of a coffee fan, but love pumpkin, this recipe is for you :)

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla) 
3. 1/2 cup Canned Pumpkin puree
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1 tsp Pepitas (Pumpkin Seeds)
7. 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp Maple syrup (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Mix almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk), oats, Pumpkin puree, almonds and Chia seeds in a microwave safe bowl. I usually use a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. Remove carefully. Add pumpkin pie spice* and vanilla extract (and maple syrup, to taste). Mix well. Transfer to a bowl, add another splash of milk, top off with pepitas and enjoy!!

*Pumpkin pie spice is basically a mix of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. If you don't have the mix, feel free to use the individual spices to taste :)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 331 (Fat Calories 122)
Total Fat 13.5 g; Carbohydrates 45.1 g; Fiber 14.4 g; Sugars 4.6 g; Protein 11.8 g.


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats

Last night Tony was craving chocolate. He's been doing so well with being plant-based recently. But he was really craving it bad and was on the brink of running out to the neighborhood gas station and picking up a pint of Rocky Road ice cream. Of course, I couldn't let that happen!! I promised I'd satisfy his chocolate craving, even while using Oats, which he just happens to despise unless they're in Chocolate Chip cookies. I searched the vegan blogs for various recipes and found one which didn't look quite as appetizing as I wanted it to be but I knew I could adapt very easily. 

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats

Adapted from: Chocolate Covered Katie - Chocolate Mudslide Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 3/4 cup Rolled (Old-Fashioned Oats)
2. 1.5 tbsp Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
3. 1 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
4. 1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
5. 2 tbsp Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
6. 1 pinch of Coarse Salt
7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
8. 1 tbsp Molasses
9. Maple Syrup (to taste)
10. Dried Coconut Flakes (optional)
11. Sliced/Slivered Almonds (optional)

Directions:

Mix Oats, cocoa, flax seed meal, non-dairy milk (I used almond milk!), salt, molasses in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 3-4 minutes until the mix is no longer runny but nice and creamy. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and mix in vanilla extract. Add more sweetener, if needed. I used Maple syrup but you can use whatever you like to use. The molasses do add a lot of color and sweetness so be sure to taste test. Mix well. Serve warm with chocolate chips sprinkled on top. On my bowl, I also sprinkled about a teaspoon of dried coconut flakes and another teaspoon of sliced almonds for some crunch!! Tony had his with only chocolate chips!

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats with my fixins :)

My Assessment: This was amazing. I knew Tony would never go for the original recipe. It was way to runny in the original pictures but I knew the flax seed meal would act like a binder (kind of like a flax egg) and result in a creamier texture. I also added more oats (1.5x) than the single serving the original recipe called for to make it even less runny. Overall, cooking the oats until the runniness is gone (4 min for my microwave) resulted in almost a fudgy pudding like texture. LOVED IT!!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 253 (Fat Calories 68)

Total Fat 7.5 g; Carbohydrates 41.8 g; Fiber 6.8 g; Sugars 14.4 g; Protein 6.5g

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

I made bread pudding this weekend, instead of canning apples which is what I original planned to do. I improved on my previous recipe and made it yummy and gooier than before and used half a loaf of stale bread from the loaf I made earlier in the weekend. It was a loaf of no-knead bread which was awesome when it was fresh and warm out of the oven. However, I need to figure our a better way to store homemade bread because it always dries out. I've tried putting it in a plastic bread box (becomes sweaty and soggy) and I've tried wrapping it in a couple of kitchen towels and leaving it on the counter. Any other suggestions on bread storage would be most welcome. Anyhow, the half loaf that we had left after lunch yesterday was dried and not quite edible this morning. So I decided to transform it into something much more decadent than stale bread. 

Prep Time: 5-10 min + 45 min in the oven.

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of stale home-made bread pieces, coarsely torn with your hands
2. 4 tbsp Raisins
3. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy Chocolate Chips
4. 1/8 cup Slivered Almonds
5. 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
6. 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 2 tsp Cinnamon
8. 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
9. 2.5 cups Almond Milk (Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2.5 qt covered casserole dish. Spread bread all across the bottom in an even layer. Sprinkle raisins, Chia seeds, chocolate chips, brown sugar, almonds and cinnamon across the bread, as evenly as possible. Mix vanilla extract in 2 cups milk and pour it slowly across the entire dish, so as to soak as much of the bread as possible. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Once done, remove from oven. Uncover, pour the remaining 1/2 cup of almond milk across the pan and re-cover. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow the excess milk to get absorbed and for the dish to cook down. At this point all the bread should be soft and gooey and the chocolate should have melted all over the bread. 

If it is not evenly melted, and the bread is still hard, make sure you add more milk and re-bake for 15-20 minutes to get the desired softness. Serve warm. 

My Assessment: Adding the brown sugar instead of maple syrup (my original recipe) makes for a thicker more yummy dish. Also, adding raisins to this dish added a new dimension this time. Even Tony loved it!!! My job is done :)

Very Berry Creamy Oatmeal

After having spent 2 weeks in India eating all kinds of 'cheat' foods, I was craving a good bowl of Oatmeal upon returning home. This morning I made a very cheerful looking bowl of porridge with a boatload of berries and all the nutrition and fiber and plant-based goodness I craved while travelling.

Very Berry Creamy Oatmeal

Adapted from: The Oatmeal Artist: Creamy Berry Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk
3. 6 oz fresh Red Raspberries (1/2 pint) 
4. 6 oz fresh Blueberries 
5. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
6. 2 tsp Flax Seed Meal
7. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
8. 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional)
9. A pinch of Coarse (Kosher or Sea) salt.

Directions:

Mix Oats, chia seeds, flax seed meal and fresh raspberries with almond milk in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well to mash the raspberries well (the oats will take on a nice pink color).  Mix in salt and brown sugar (optional). I didn't use any sugar because the berries made it sweet enough for my taste. Add almonds, mix well, transfer to a serving bowl, and top off with fresh blueberries. Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without Brown Sugar): Calories 438 (Fat Calories 122)

Total Fat 13.6 g; Carbohydrates 71.2 g; Fiber 19.3 g; Sugars 23.1 g; Protein 14.2 g

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal

Another oatmeal recipe? Is Rugrat Chow becoming an Oatmeal blog? Rest assured that it isn't so. I'm simply having a summer affair with porridge. I've had a friend of mine tell me the same thing ... it's when you dream of having oatmeal for dinner .. or when you jump out of bed in the morning because you're excited about a new Oatmeal recipe you've found. 

In the past few weeks, I've become a huge fan of The Oatmeal Artist. Her recipes are mostly plant-based and when not, they're easily adaptable. I've bookmarked her page and often check her recipes for ingredients I have on hand. Do give her page a like on Facebook. Lauren posted this recipe yesterday morning after her visit to a farmer's market where she picked up some fresh blueberries. I used frozen berries in mine as I wasn't able to pay the Yoder farm a visit this weekend. Also, I like to use frozen berries in my oats because it helps bring the temperature down into an edible range. You see, I make my oatmeal in a microwave. It's usually scalding hot in 3 minutes. Adding frozen blueberries after removing the oats from the microwave prevents the berries from being reduced to mush and cools down the oatmeal surrounding each berry, one little pocket at a time :)

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal

Adapted from: The Oatmeal Artist: Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk
3. 1 ripe banana (sliced and mashed with the oats)
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
7. 2 tsp Lemon Juice
8. 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional)
9. A pinch of Coarse (Kosher or Sea) salt.

Directions:

Mix oats with sliced banana in a microwave safe bowl. Use a fork to mash the banana with and into the oats so that they make a combined mush (umm appetizing ;)!). Add Chia seeds, almond milk, almonds and brown sugar (if using) to top the banana-oatmeal mix.  Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well, Mix in about half the blueberries, salt and 2 tsp lemon juice. I didn't use any sugar on my oatmeal today because a ripe banana is plenty sweet for me. Mix well, transfer to a serving bowl, top off with remaining blueberries. Enjoy!!

The original recipe called for Lemon Extract. I didn't have any handy so I ran a quick Google search on it. Lemon extract is a concentrated lemon flavoring used for baking. It has all the flavor of lemon without the tartness. It is more like the essential oils in lemon zest. A quick replacement for lemon extract would be lemon zest. I didn't have that either but I found several sites with baking tips that said that lemon juice can be substituted in about a 1:2 ratio. So I added 1 tsp of Lemon juice and I couldn't taste anything. I promptly added another 1/2 and then another 1/2 tsp and the results were phenomenal. Not tart at all and the lemon flavoring seemed to bring out a refreshing flavor in the blueberries and made them taste sweeter.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without Brown Sugar): Calories 428 (Fat Calories 124)
Total Fat 13.8 g; Carbohydrates 72.0 g; Fiber 15.6 g; Sugars 22.1 g; Protein 12.2 g

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

I admit, I've been on an oatmeal kick lately. Its not a bad kick to be on. Oats are one of the healthiest grains for the heart. Oats have Avenanthramides - polyphenolic antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-itching and anti-proliferative activity, and according to Dr. Esselstyn, oats also help stimulate the health of endothelial cells in our arteries. I've written about Oats before and posted this link for a blog post about Oats and Avenanthramides. Oats are supposed to help protect against coronary heart disease, colon cancer, skin irritation and so much more. So fix yourself a good size bowl of oats and enjoy ... they're not just for horses, you know :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer 

This dish was inspired by my longing for Kheer, a traditional Indian milk-based dessert - served for centuries .. and long before Western desserts like Ice creams and cakes took over the Indian Dessert menu. It is traditionally made with long-grain white Basmati rice and today I converted the traditional recipe to a WFPBNO, heart healthy, fiber-rich version. Also, the use of Flax seed meal as a thickening agent makes this version rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. And the other benefit of using flax seed meal as a thickening agent, along with oats, is that I didn't have to slave over this kheer for 3 or 4 hours like my mom still does when making kheer for a special occasion. Mine was ready in under 7 minutes from start to finish. 

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1.25 cups Almond Milk
3. 1 tbsp Raisins
4. 1/2 tbsp Ground Flax Seed Meal
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds (Badaam)
6. 1 tbsp Raw Cashews, crushed (optional)
7. 1/4 tsp Ground Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
8. 1/16 tsp (about a pinch and a half) Saffron (Kesar) 
9. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, or more to taste (Brown Sugar or Honey are great too!).

Directions:

Mix Oats, almond milk, raisins, brown sugar (if using) and ground flax seed meal in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 90 seconds. It will appear really thin and runny at this stage but fear not as it will thicken considerably in the next few minutes. Remove from the oven once the first 90 seconds are done, mix well. At this point, add about half the saffron, cashews and slivered almonds, mix well and again microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Carefully remove from microwave as the bowl will likely be really hot. Do a quick taste test for sweetness (adding  honey or maple syrup now if using one of those). Add ground green cardamom now and mix well. Let sit for a few seconds to allow it to get thicker, if needed. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with remaining almonds, cashews and saffron. Serve :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 423 (Fat Calories 138)
Total Fat 15.4 g; Carbohydrates 63.1 g; Fiber 9.0 g; Sugars 19.3 g; Protein 11.6 g

Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal

Another weekend .. another dirth of fresh fruits and ... another quest for the perfect oatmeal recipe with pantry ingredients. And guess what? Another visit with The Oatmeal Artist!!! She's got some amazing ideas and she works with Old fashioned (Rolled) Oats which I'm come to prefer over Steel-cut simply because of the timing involved in cooking SC Oats. I still use the latter on occasion (and I love the texture of SC oats) but for my daily breakfast, I've reverted to the ease of Old fashioned Oats. 

This recipe was a winner on sight!! I love fall and I love all fall foods!! And pumpkin spice lattes were my own personal indulgence during those last few months of the year. But I'm also one of those weirdos that loves pumpkin spice so much - I eat it all year!! Like Lauren says in her post - those drinks from gourmet coffee shops are loaded with calories - mostly from fats and sugars. My adaptation has fats as well but they're good fats derived from nuts (almonds) & seeds (flax and chia), so its a lot more healthier and a lot more nutritious. Also, I've found (after I went plant-based) that the Pumpkin Spice mix (at least the one used by Starbucks) has dairy in it. So even if I wanted to get a Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte - it would still have dairy in it!! Obviously, when I saw Lauren's version of the same awesome PSL - in a bowl - I knew I had to try it!!

Adapted from: Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal, The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 2/3 cup Brewed coffee (I used a Folgers Classic K-cup)
3. 1/3 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla) 
4. 1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin puree
5. 1/2 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp Maple syrup (to taste)
10. A pinch of Sea salt
11. 8-10 Raw Almonds, crushed. 

Directions:

Mix Coffee, Oats, Pumpkin puree, almond milk, flax seed meal and chia seeds in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove bowl carefully as it will be quite hot, add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, a pinch of sea salt, maple syrup (to taste) and mix well. Do a quick taste test for sweetness (I added 1 tsp of syrup as the original recipe called for and I needed about three times that amount to make it perfect for my tastes). Transfer to a bowl, add another splash of milk, top off with crushed almonds and enjoy your little taste of heaven!!  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 391 (Fat Calories 141)
Total Fat 15.7 g; Carbohydrates 54.2 g; Fiber 14.1 g; Sugars 14.7 g; Protein 12.8 g

Orange Raisin Oatmeal

This morning, I was out of all fruits except a half a bag of mandarin oranges. After looking around for a few minutes at other breakfast options, I decided to come up with a new recipe using the mandarn oranges and my regular breakfast of Rolled or Steel-Cut Oats. This one was a winner!!! 

Orange Raisin Oatmeal

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Rolled (Old-Fashioned) Oats
2. 2/3 cup Water
3. 1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
4. 1 tbsp Raisins
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1 tsp Vanilla extract
8. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
9. a dash of Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

Soak oats, raisins and Chia seeds in 2/3 cup of water and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice of 4-5 Mandarin oranges (I needed 4 to make 1/3 cup) into a separate bowl. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well, add slivered almonds, vanilla extract, maple syrup (optional) and then mix in the 1/3 cup Orange juice. Transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle a dash of ground nutmeg on top and garnish with a few sections, or a full slice. Enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, w Maple Syrup): Calories 432 (Fat Calories 102)
Total Fat 11.3 g; Carbohydrates 73.3 g; Fiber 11.6 g; Sugars 18.6 g; Protein 12.3 g

Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal

So I'm on an oatmeal kick this weekend and I've found just the site to help me through it .. The Oatmeal Artist. A whole blog just dedicated to oatmeal. I tried one of her recipes yesterday (Poached Pear Oats) and so in my quest to find another great recipe I went back to her site this morning!! 

Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal

Adapted from: Salted Brownie Baked Oatmeal, The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 40 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1/3 cup Apple Sauce
3. 1/3 cup Unsweetened Almond milk
4. 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
5. 4 tsp Cocoa Powder
6. 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
7. 1 tbsp Dark Molasses
8. 1 tbsp Pecans/Almonds/Cashews
9. One large pinch of coarse Kosher/Sea Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  I used a Pyrex 'Ramekin style' Soup dish since I wasn't sure how much this mix was going to rise. I should have just used a single serving ramekin dish as the rise was not super high, just enough to form a nicely rounded crust. I sprayed the dish with non-stick spray and then used a dry paper towel to wipe off all the excess, leaving a thin film all around the dish. Mix wet ingredients in a large bowl and then add the dry ingredients. Mix well. The original recipe did not call for any sweeteners and although I don't like my oatmeal to be super sweet, I do like some sweetness, especially in chocolate based dishes. I added an extra tbsp of molasses. And I added a tbsp of crushed pecans to add some crunch to this dish. Transfer contents of the bowl to the greased dish, sprinkle with a pinch of coarse salt. I wasn't sure if the original recipe called for covered, or uncovered baking, so I just baked it uncovered. I started with 20 min at 350 F and since it was still too runny, I baked it for another 10 min. I might have taken extra time as my dish was more deep than wide. The original recipe calls for 18-25 min. 

My Assessment: I liked it. But it felt more like I was eating dessert for breakfast. I've never been that person who eats chocolate for breakfast so I was skeptical to begin with, but tried it nevertheless. I think I will definitely have this again, but more as a dessert than as a breakfast cereal. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 323 (Fat Calories 91)
Total Fat 10.1 g; Carbohydrates 57.4 g; Fiber 8.1 g; Sugars 19.8 g; Protein 7.4 g

Update: July 28, 2013: I baked this tonight as a combined dinner/dessert since we were both feeling lazy this Sunday evening. I made a double batch, split into 2 shallow ramekin style dishes. Once baked, I layered each one with fresh sliced strawberries for an even more appetizing look. 

Even Tony, the self-professed Oatmeal hater cleaned up his dish. Call anything a brownie ;) and he'll eat it!! The fresh strawberries (about 1/3 of a cup/dish) only add 15 additional calories but make for a very decadent dessert, that is filling enough to be a supper. 

Apple Cinnamon Oats

So Tony consumed the last banana this morning :) after he asked me!!! Since I didn't have a banana for my usual Everyday Oats I decided to venture out into another recipe for my usual breakfast of oats. I had apples, peaches and pears in the fridge. So I decided on Apple Cinnamon as the flavor of the day. Simple and easy, about as easy a recipe as my usual recipe. 

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Oats

Prep Time: 5-12 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1 Large Red Apple, diced, with skin on
2. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned or Steel-Cut Oats
3. 1 tbsp Raisins
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 1 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened, Plain)
6. 1-2 drops Vanilla extract
7. A dash of Cinnamon powder
8. Raw Honey (or other sweetener), to taste (optional)

Directions:

Add diced apple, old fashioned oats, raisins, chia seeds and almond milk to a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 3 minutes. Remove, add remaining ingredients, stir and enjoy!!! If using steel-cut oats, simmer oats in almond milk for ~8-10 minutes, then add diced apple, old fashioned oats, raisins, chia seeds and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the remaining ingredients. Stir and serve warm. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 368 (Fat Calories 80)
Total Fat 8.9 g; Carbohydrates 69.7 g; Fiber 14.4 g; Sugars 29.5 g; Protein 8.5 g

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites

Recently, I've noted that I crave an occasional bite of chocolate or something sweet in the evenings, or on weekend afternoons at home. Usually, I've been able to curb those cravings with a Medjool Date. The ooey-gooey-caramely taste of dates works (almost) every time. Today I decided to try one of the various no-bake energy recipes I'd been pinning to by Plant-Based Desserts board on Pinterest. This one was one of the first to catch my eye several months ago. Today, it didn't disappoint at all. 

Adapted from: Gimme Some Oven - No Bake Energy Bites

Prep Time: 20-30 min (mostly for rolling the individual bites)

Ingredients (30 Servings):

1. 1 cup Oatmeal* 
2. 1/2 cup Shredded (unsweetened) Dry Coconut 
3. 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds*
4. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp* Ground Flax Seed Meal  
5. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy (Ghirardelli) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1/2 cup "Naturally More" Smooth Peanut Butter (with Flax seeds)
8. 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
9. 2 tbsp Honey*
10. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. and then add the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula so that the peanut butter is evenly distributed. The original recipe calls for 30 min of chilling in the refrigerator but I didn't have the patience and I used rolled the mixture into small balls (~1" in diameter). I got 30 balls out of this recipe. The original recipe calls for refrigerated storage for up to 1 week. I decided to freeze my batch in individual paper truffle cups. That way I won't eat them all at once and I can thaw only what I want when I'm craving a sweet something.

My Assessment: Love these!! The coconut and almonds add chewiness and the chocolate does its own thing. These tasted like a really chewy Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie! Next time I might even consider adding raisins to this recipe. A+++

My Modifications*:

• I used Instant Oats because I'm trying to get rid of a big box. The original recipe calls for Old Fashioned oats, but allows for a bunch of different grains.
• I swapped 1/4 cup coconut with almonds, just because!! :) 
• I added 2 extra tbsp of Flax Seed because that's all I had remaining after adding 1/2 cup. 
• I added 2 tbsp of honey because the mixture still felt dry after adding maple syrup and peanut butter. I used honey instead of more maple syrup as I figured it would add an extra flavor and it is also stickier. 
• I didn't refrigerate as the recipe called for, but it might be a good idea as they do tend to get really messy while rolling. 
• One option for making them less messy would be to roll each ball in shredded/ground coconut or sesame seeds before placing it in its individual candy cup.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 76 (Fat Calories 36)
Total Fat 4.0 g; Carbohydrates 8.3 g; Fiber 1.8 g; Sugars 4.2 g; Protein 2.4 g

Chocolate Bread Pudding

So after Tony had a sinus infection last week, he lovingly passed it onto me :)!! Not a pleasant experience especially since I was hit much harder than he was and after 3 days of OTC medicines had to go in to see the doctor and get the big guns!!! Last night was the worst ... head ache, plugged up, sore scratchy throat and a lot of coughing, fever .. the works!! So as I'm laying in bed with my achy throat, I was craving something soft and gooey (oh no!). So I decided to try this bread pudding, which came together in 5 minutes and was warm and gooey after 30 min at 375 F. 

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Prep Time: Less than 5 min and 30 min in the oven

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 3 slices of 100% whole wheat bread (I used Brownberry Double Fiber Bread)
   
2. 4 tbsp Vegan Chocolate Chocolate chips
3. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds
4. 1 cup Almond Milk (Silk PureAlmond Unsweetened)
5. 1-2 tbsp Maple Syrup (to taste)
6. 1 tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
7. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
8. 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut bread slices into halves and place the first 2 in a bread pan. Sprinkle a few almonds and chocolate chips on these and then add 2 more slices. Sprinkle a few more almonds and chocolate chips and top off with the last slice of bread. In a separate cup make a thick paste with cocoa, vanilla extract, cinnamon and maple syrup and then add almond milk and mix it all together. Making a paste with maple syrup first helps the cocoa and cinnamon mix into the milk much better than if you added these directly to the milk. Once the almond milk mixture is nice and smooth, pour it over the bread very slowly making sure some of it is absorbed into the top slice and seeps in (instead of just pouring off to the side). Place in oven and bake uncovered for 30 minutes (at the end you should see no spare liquid, except for thick gooey chocolaty bubbles on the side) as it should all be absorbed by the bread). Serve warm, with freshly sliced bananas and sprinkled with slivered almonds and more chocolate chips. 

Gooey Chocolate Bread Pudding

My Assessment: This hit the spot last night. The bread was gooey and soft and chocolaty and no added fat!! I like nuts but Tony doesn't and so I will probably make it without the added nuts the next time and just sprinkle some on top for myself. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 110 (Fat Calories 41)
Total Fat 4.6 g; Carbohydrates 17.0 g; Fiber 2.3 g; Sugars 12.3 g; Protein 2.3 g

Shredded Kale w Almonds

Kale ... aah!!! I still don't believe how much my body craves it after going without it ... even every couple of days. I had one bunch in the fridge already and I bought another bunch of dinosaur kale and a box of baby kale at the store last night. I hadn't had any kale at all in the last couple of weeks as I was travelling on business and kale isn't big on restaurant menus ;) so I was feeling greedy. I decided to adjust/modify my previous Garlicky Kale recipe to make it easier to eat. In the past, whenever I've made kale I've simply torn the stems away from the leaves and used is as it - coarsely torn and in some pretty large pieces. Unfortunately that makes it a rather 'ungraceful' dish to eat. 

Shredded Kale w Slivered Almonds

So today, I decided to shred my kale to make a more 'eater-friendly' version. Shredding salads and greens has definite nutritional advantages over eating them whole. While the act of chewing the leaves does help breakdown the cell walls, none of us really chew as well as we should, and often portions of leaves are swallowed whole. Fresh shredding of greens, and even other veggies (i.e. its not the same as buying shredded lettuce of cabbage), allows us to cut and expose a lot more of the cellular contents and that releases lot of enzymes and nutrients that may otherwise not be readily released. 

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (2 Servings):

1. 2 cups fresh Kale
2. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds
3. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
4. 2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
5. 1 tsp Deggi Chilli Powder
6. Salt, to taste
7. 1/4 cup water, as needed.

Directions:

Shredded Kale

Wash kale well to remove any dirt and then remove the thick stems. Using a food processor (shredder or slicer attachment) shred kale just before you're ready to prepare this dish. Because some of the enzymes and nutrients exposed by shredding can be labile to oxygen or air ... you will lose nutritional value while it sits on the counter after shredding. In a skillet on medium heat, add a thin layer of water, and add garlic, red pepper flakes and deggi chilli powder. Mix well and once garlic is fragrant, add shredded kale and slivered almonds. Toss well. Add a splash of water and cover and allow to simmer on very low heat. Stir every few minutes (adding splashes of water, as needed to prevent drying) until the leaves turn dark and wilt. Serve warm as a side dish. Garnish with hot sauce (I used Cholula).  

My Assessment: Loved it even more than my original recipe and this was so much more easy to eat!!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving with Almonds): Calories 81 (Fat Calories 34)
Total Fat 3.8 g; Carbohydrates 10.7 g; Dietary Fiber 2.7 g; Sugars 0.6 g; Protein 4.0 g

Spicy Garlicky Kale w Slivered Almonds

A good friend of mine reminded me how hesitant I was until a few months ago to even try kale :) This quick and easy recipe goes out to her because I think it is inspired by her original recipe (she uses a couple of other spices and olive oil).

Spicy Garlicky Kale w Slivered Almonds

Prep Time: 10 min

Ingredients (2 Servings):

1. 2 cups of fresh kale
2. 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
3. 2 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
4. 1/3 tsp Smoked Chipotle Pepper (powder)
5. 2 tbsp Slivered Almonds (optional)
6. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet with water, heat to medium high, and and add garlic, soy sauce and Chipotle chilli pepper powder. Add kale on top and cover. Reduce heat to medium low and allow the kale to wilt. Typically for my wilted kale recipes, I tend to only cook it through until it turns dark green, but for this recipe I like the kale to be cooked down and tenderized. After about 5-7 minutes, uncover, toss well, turn heat to medium high to allow any excess water to evaporate. Serve topped with slivered almonds and garnish, as needed with additional salt and freshly cracked black pepper. This serves as an excellent side dish for any kind of meal, and even as a warm side salad. 

Spicy Garlicky Kale w Slivered Almonds

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving with Almonds): Calories 79 (Fat Calories 31)

Total Fat 3.4 g; Carbohydrates 10.4 g; Dietary Fiber 2.2 g; Sugars 1.3 g; Protein 4.7 g

Tofu Kalakand

It is Diwali today. The festival of lights. A day celebrating the victory of good over evil. A day of celebration and prayer. We celebrated at home with a small simple celebration. 

As all holidays across the world, Diwali is also about the food. Home-made desserts and savory snacks (Pakwan) are shared with families and friends. My favorite foods, of course, are are the sweet desserts. Unfortunately almost all of them are made with lots of butter and milk and cheese. I also wanted to prepare something at home today to offer to the gods during my prayer (Prasad). Today, I decided to adapt one of my favorite desserts - Kalakand - into a no-added-fat, plant-based version. Here's the basic recipe I found online, which still uses milk. 

Prep Time: 45 min

Ingredients:

1. 1 x 14oz pack of Extra-firm Tofu
2. 2 tsp Cardamom powder
3. 1-2 flakes of saffron
4. 6-8 tbsp Powdered Sugar
5. 1 cup Almond Milk
6. 2-4 tbsp Slivered or Sliced Almonds

Directions:

In a small clean saucepan, bring almond milk to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and boil down to about a 1/3 of a cup. Meanwhile, press the block of tofu between kitchen towels for 15-20 minutes to drain all liquids. It helps to weigh down the top with a couple cans of beans to hasten the process. Once the tofu is drained, transfer the dry block to a mixing bowl and crumble with your hands. 

Add sugar and almonds to the tofu and again, using your hands, mix until well combined. When the almond milk is boiled down to a thick liquid, add cardamom powder and safron to it, mix well and pour that liquid onto the tofu. Mix using a wooden spatula (the milk will be hot so don't use your hands). 

Once well mixed, taste test for sugar and add more than you would normally consider sweet (things taste less sweet once cooled). Mix any additional sugar well. Transfer everything to a rimmed plate and press down evenly. 

Place in a fridge for 30 min to allow it to set. Once set, cut into squares or diamonds, garnish with some more cardamom powder and enjoy!! 

My Assessment: I think this recipe captured the taste really well. However, I didn't have any powdered non-dairy milk available and so it tasted just a tad bit watery. A couple of tablespoon fulls of powdered non-diary milk would definitely help it bind better and the taste inside would not be watery. I think the tofu crumbles definitely capture the texture and gooey goody flavor of kalakand. Yum! Happy Diwali everyone!!! 

Swiss Chard Pie

A few days hiatus and I'm back with a new vegetable. New Veggie #26 is Swiss Chard. I looked for a few recipes online and then came across one that seemed perfect  (Fat Free Vegan Kitchen/Savory Swiss Chard Pie) except I didn't have a couple of ingredients but I figured I could use a couple of substitutes. Unfortunately, halfway through my preparations, my blender decided to go belly-up on me ... and that started a downward spiral for this recipe. My pie didn't look half as pretty as the original recipe :(

Prep Time: 60 min

Ingredients:

1. I bunch of Swiss Chard (mine had about 9 big leaves in it)
2. 5-6 stacks of Celery (the original recipe calls for a medium onion)
3. 2 cloves garlic, minced
4. 12 oz firm/extra-firm Silken tofu, drained
5. 1/4 cup (60 ml) plain soy milk
6. 1 tbsp Cornstarch
7. 1 tbsp roasted slivered almonds (I didn't have any cashews on hand)
8. 4 tbsp dried onion flakes (I figured I'd add a little more since I used Celery instead of the onion)
9. 1/8 tsp turmeric
10. 1 pinch nutmeg
11. 1/8 tsp cayenne
12. 1/8 tsp Cumin powder (donno why I added this).
13. 2 tsp tsp dried Cilantro leaves (I didn't have any Thyme, or any of Thyme substitutions on hand!).

Directions: Here's the recipe as I made it and it came out quite so-so! I think I made several mistakes and some of my modifications/substitutions didn't work really as well as I hoped they would.  So, first step - preheat oven to 375F. The original recipe called for a 9" ceramic pie pan and all I had was glass, so that's what I used (first mistake!). According to Susan Voisin .. "Wash the chard but do not dry. Remove the center stem from each leaf. Set the leaves aside and chop the stems into small pieces. In a large skillet, sauté the onion and chard stems until softened (about 5 minutes), adding a tablespoon of water if necessary to prevent sticking." I added a splash of soy milk at this stage (second mistake?). Susan goes on to say "Meanwhile, cut the chard leaves into bite-sized pieces. Add them to the pan along with the garlic, reduce heat, and cover. Cook until all chard is wilted. Remove from heat. If any water has accumulated, drain it; then spread chard in bottom of prepared pie pan." I decided NOT to drain the water in the pan (its full of nutrients, I thought!). Well, I'm quite certain that was mistake #3.  Fatfree Vegan, Susan goes on to say "Place tofu and remaining ingredients in a blender, and puree until very smooth. Pour over the chard in the pie pan. Use a spoon to gently open holes through the chard so that the tofu mixture penetrates it. Smooth the top so that tofu layer is even and covers all the chard." ... Well since my blender was broke, I decided to whisk all my ingredients really well and then pour it on the chard. That might have been mistake #4. Given that my recipe was extremely watery, I had to bake the pie for 45 minutes to get anywhere near the coloration that fatfree vegan shows on her website. But after 45 minutes of baking, the center was well set and the top of the pie was nice and crusty. At this point, I remove it from the oven and allowed it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Savory Swiss Chard Pie

My Assessment: Next time I'll try the recipe 'as written' to give it another whirl. 

Quinoa Fruit Chaat

While in San Francisco a month ago, we ate a lovely Sunday Brunch at The Palace Hotel's Garden Court and one of the memorable items on the menu was this lovely Chilled Quinoa Berry salad. Ever since then I've been thinking about making something similar at home. I bought Quinoa a few weeks ago, and have had a hard time keeping berries in the house (... we have a teenager with a voracious appetite, who happens to inhale berries on sight!). So finally, I gave up trying to recreate what I had in SF. Instead, I used what fruits I had on hand and made Quinoa Fruit Chaat instead. 

Quinoa Fruit Chaat

Chaat (Hindi: चाट) is a Indian term describing all kinds of savory snacks. Often, these are sold at road-side shacks or stalls or carts in India. Of course, chaat is served in restaurants across the country and also prepared at home. The flavoring includes Chaat Masala, which is most often a mixture of Salt, Dried Raw Mango, Pomegranate Seeds, Cumin, Coriander, Black Pepper, Black Rock Salt, Mint leaves, Ginger, Nutmeg, Chilli Powder, Cloves, Cumin, Asafoetida etc. One can use either each of these ingredients individually, to taste, or simply buy a ready-to-use mix online. You cannot go wrong with MDH's Chunky Chaat Masala - it has been tried and tested by generations of Indians and it still works!!  

Preparing Quinoa: Most colanders will not hold Quinoa very well because the raw seeds are rather small. To rinse, use either a metal-mesh strainer, or a cheese cloth. Rinse the seeds in ample amounts of water. For every cup of Quinoa, bring 1.25 cups of water or vegetable broth to a rolling boil in a deep lidded saucepan. Add quinoa, reduce heat to a simmer, and then reduce further to low. Cover and cook for ~20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the stove, and let sit for another 5-7 minutes, before removing the lid and fluffing the contents. Quinoa seeds like to show you when they're ready to eat :) the grain swells up to almost twice its size, becomes translucent and the germ ring pops out, forming a spiral around the seed. For salads, you may want to cool the quinoa, before it is chilled. In order to do that, transfer the steamed quinoa from  the saucepan to a large plate, let it sit until it reaches room temperature and then transfer to a storage container. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes with previously cooked quinoa.

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup  Quinoa, cooked & chilled 
2. 1 fresh Mango, sliced & diced
3. 1 fresh Pear, sliced and diced
4. 1 tbsp Craisins
5. 1 tbsp Raisins
6. 1 tbsp Roasted Almonds, slivered or sliced
7. 1-2 tsp Chunky Chaat Masala, to taste
8. Lemon/Lime Juice, to taste
9. Salt, to taste.

Directions: Simply toss everything together :) and enjoy!! One cool thing about this recipe, you can use any fruit you have on hand. Simply cut it into bite sized pieces and toss it in. 

My Assessment: While this recipe didn't recreate what I had in SF a few weeks ago, it worked its magic in its own way. I loved the nutty flavor and texture of quinoa, which was enhanced by the roasted almonds and the sweetness of the fruit was balanced well with the savory flavor of the Chaat Masala. 

Quick Note: Chunky Chaat Masala tastes heavenly on just sliced bananas.  Sprinkle some directly on sliced bananas, and add some lemon/lime juice on top. Yumm!!