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!

Overnight Oatmeal & Rice Kheer

Last night after dinner, I had a little over 4 tablespoons of White Basmati Rice (about 1/8 cup dry) left over. No one wanted to finish this little bit off and I detest throwing good food away. On a whim, I decided to make an overnight oatmeal with rice which made for a delicious breakfast this morning. 

Prep Time: < 5 min

Ingredients:

1. 1/8 cup Cooked White Basmati Rice
2. 1/4 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
3. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
4. 1 tbsp Dried Coconut Flakes
5. 2 Medjool dates (peeled, pitted, diced)
6. 1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk (I used Almond)
7. 1/2 tsp Ground Green Cardamom Seed
8. Maple Syrup (optional, to taste).

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a lidded container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, mix well, heat for about 2-3 min on high in a microwave, if desired. Drizzle with a little honey or maple syrup and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: Calories 352 (Fat Calories 93)
Total Fat 10.4 g; Carbohydrates 63.1 g; Fiber 11.7 g; Sugars 27.3 g; Protein 8.8 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!

Herb & Spice Fact of the Day

Green Cardamom (Elaichi) is a small green triangular (in cross section) seed pod, with a thin and papery outer shell, with the inside containing small, aromatic, dark brown to black seeds. It is the third most expensive spices by weight, out-priced  in market value only by saffron and vanilla. It has a strong, unique, intensely aromatic, resinous and quite surprisingly refreshing fragrance. In India, it is often used as a mouth-freshener or after-mint. In cooking, it is used both in savory dishes as well as desserts and imparts characteristic flavors to both. Interestingly, while it is used primarily in Asian, Middle-Eastern and a few Nordic countries, the current world's largest producer of Cardamom is Guatemala - which produces 25,000 to 29,000 metric tons. India and Sri Lanka produce about half that quantity (together) and perhaps use most of it ;) 

In the US, although few Americans have probably tasted cardamom by itself - I would estimate that a large percentage of Americans have tasted it in the form of Starbucks Spiced Chai where Cardamom is a major ingredient (along with cinnamon, ginger root and cloves). While the ground spice is sold in the US and in other countries, this spice is best stored in pod form which helps preserve the essential aromatic oils. Although the pods may lose their distinctive green color over time, the seeds will retain most of the flavor. 

Medicinally, green cardamom is used as a broad-spectrum anti-microbial and is used to treat a variety of infections of the teeth, mouth, gums, throat etc. It is believed to help in reducing heartburn, chest/lung congestion (hence its use in Chai) and a variety of digestive disorders (intestinal spasms, IBS, gas, constipation etc.). A quick Google search revealed a whole host of essential oils in cardamom - close to 15 listed on Wikipedia alone. Chewing on the seeds or fresh pods has been used in Ayurvedic medicine as an antidote for bad breath and as a way of maintaining oral hygiene and health. Some people believe that Cardamom may even be an aphrodisiac .. I haven't yet tested, or known that property to work ;) 

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