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!

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!

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!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Someone posted a recipe on one of the Herbie pages on Facebook this past week that had a picture of the most amazing gooey chocolate chip cookies with it. I wanted to try it .. because of the picture it came with. I'm not sure who to give credit for the recipe, so I'm going to acknowledge the lady who posted in on Facebook - Lori Conner (Thank you!!!).

Can you resist this cookie? I couldn't!!! 

I made slight modifications to the recipe like using a whole 15 oz can of chickpeas instead of just 1 and 1/4 cup as the original asked for and used an extra 1/8 cup of agave to make the dough smoother when it seemed too dry and I baked these cookies for twice as long as the original recipe. 20 min at 350°F.

Mine don't look half as good but tasted great!

Prep Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients (15 Servings):

1. 1 x 15 oz Canned Chick Peas (Rinsed & Patted Dry)
2. 2 tsp vanilla extract
3. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Natural Peanut Butter (I used Smucker's)
4. 1/4 cup + 1/8 cup Honey/Agave/Maple Syrup (I used Agave)
5. 1 tsp baking powder
6. A pinch of salt (optional, I didn't use any)
7. 1/2 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all the ingredients, with the exception of chocolate chips in a food processor until smooth. Make sure that the sides of the processor bowl and scraped down and under all the sides to leave no chunks of chickpeas sitting around. Add chocolate chips, and pulse a couple of times. Using slightly wet hands (an excellent tip!), form small balls with the dough and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. I then used a wet fork to press down each one into a cookie shape, but you could also use your hand to do the same. Bake for about 20 minutes until the outsides begin to brown. The original recipe called for 10 min of baking and I thought they looked too doughy after only 10 minutes so baked them for another 10. I got 15 cookies out of this. Enjoy and keep out of the reach of little children, or they won't last long!! :)

My Assessment: My father-in-law, who WILL NOT eat anything plant-based loved these cookies and I sent almost all of my batch home with him. These were a hit in our household for sure. A big thank you to the creator of this recipe.

Nutrition Facts (Per Cookie): Calories 131 (Fat Calories 57)
Total Fat 6.4 g; Carbohydrates 15.5 g; Fiber 2.4 g; Sugars 2.0 g; Protein 3.9 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!

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

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

Poached Pear Oatmeal

As many of you know already, I consume a lot of oats .. can't swallow instant oats and use those only for baked cookie and dessert recipes. Instead I rely completely on Old-Fashioned (Rolled) and Irish Steel Cut Oats for my breakfast, and sometimes dessert (sheepish!) needs. Over the past several months I've perfected a recipe which I absolutely love and enjoy every morning - Everyday Oats is what I eat most mornings on my way to work, in the car, out of a cup. It works for me :)

Of late though, at least on weekends, either due to a lack of bananas at home (an essential ingredient of my standard recipe), or because I'm feeling adventurous, I've been scouting around for new and interesting recipes. Here's one I found this morning that turned out really great!! 

Adapted from: Sauteed Pear Oatmeal, The Oatmeal Artist

Poached Pear Oats

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1 D'Anjou Pear 
2. 1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
3. 1/2 cup Rolled Oats
4. 1.25 cup Almond Milk
5. 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1 tbsp Raisins
8. Pinch of Sea salt
9. 1 tbsp Pure Maple Syrup

Directions:

I used D'anjou (the original recipe calls for Bartlett) for this recipe since that is what I had at home. I chose not to peal the pears and diced them smaller than the original recipe. I call my version Poached Pears because I had the hardest time getting the golden look that is in the original recipe and ended up using almond milk and water as my poaching liquids. This helped me get the pears cooked nice and golden brown in about 15 min.  This might have been because I used a cast iron pan. In the end, my pears took on a much darker golden hue than the original recipe. Bring pan to medium heat and add pears, allow the pears to become golden brown adding splashes of poaching liquid (water or almond milk) from time to time to help release the sugars caramelized at the bottom of the pan. The pears are done when they're nicely caramelized and fork-tender. Whilst the pears are cooking, soak oats in almond milk, add Chia seeds and raisins and heat oats on high in a microwave for about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 tsp Pumpkin pie spice, stir and set aside. The original recipe called for 'cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger' - i.e. pumpkin pie spice. Once the pears are golden brown (or dark gold like mine), remove from pan and toss in a bowl with the remainder of the pumpkin pie spice (1/4 tsp).  Mix about 2/3 of the pears with the oats, toss well and transfer to a serving bowl. Top off with remaining pears, sprinkle a few raisins and a dash of sea salt. Drizzle maple syrup on top for a touch of sweetness and enjoy!!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 408 (Fat Calories 68)
Total Fat 7.6 g; Carbohydrates 77.7 g; Fiber 12.1 g; Sugars 35.0 g; Protein 9.2 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

Raisin Bread w Cinnamon

For Easter dinner tonight, I decided to make a loaf of home-made bread. Since my last several attempts at making whole wheat bread have ended in a rather miserable loaf ;) I've reverted to All-Purpose Flour (at least when the intention is to feed my omnivore family!) and I've gone back to one of the recipes I've tried previously (see here). 

Raisin Bread w a hint of Cinnamon

Prep Time: 10 min + 3.5 hours in the Bread Machine

Ingredients (Serves 12):

1. 1.25 cups Water
2. 0.25 cup Maple Syrup
3. 3.5 cups All Purpose Flour
4. 1 tsp Cinnamon
5. 1.5 tsp Sea Salt
6. 2.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast
7. 0.25 cup Raisins (@ "add ingredient" stage, optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine, with the exception of the raisins. Start the machine using the menu selection for basic white bread. Set the crust to medium or light. Start the cycle and when the machine beeps at the 'add ingredient' stage (just before the last 5-10 minutes of kneading), add the raisins. Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before slicing/cutting into the loaf.

My Assessment: My first loaf that was a complete hit and consumed 100%!!! Instead of cutting slices, I cut it into 2 halves straight down the middle and then cut each half into 6 wedges. Worked well as everybody got some part of the crust and everybody got some part of the soft middle. This recipe, was a hit for sure! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 162 (Fat Calories 4)
Total Fat 0.4 g; Carbohydrates 35.1 g; Fiber 1.4 g; Sugars 5.8 g; Protein 4.2 g

Overnight Chia Chocolate Oats

I've been moving away from my beloved spinach smoothie for a few weeks and concentrating on eating more whole grains for breakfast and have gravitated towards Old Fashioned Oats. I can eat them cold after soaking them overnight, I can heat them in the microwave for 3 minutes and still have a nice chewiness remain in my bowl of hot cereal. Adding the chia seeds also adds a little bit of crunch which is great in the morning (at least for me!). It's a win-win situation!

Overnight Chia Chocolate Oats

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (1 Serving):

1. 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2. 1 tbsp Chia seeds
3. 1/2 tsp Raw Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
4. 3/4 cup Silk Pure Almond Unsweetened Almond milk
5. 1 banana (sliced)
6. 4-6 Strawberries, sliced
7. Maple Syrup (optional, to taste)

Directions:

Soak oats, chia seeds and cocoa powder in almond milk overnight. In the morning, mix well, and add sliced banana and berries. If you prefer a warm cereal like me, microwave the overnight mixture with a half a sliced banana for 3 minutes on high. Remove, mix well until the mushy banana is well mixed with the oats (this imparts a lot of sweetness i.e. you don't need to use maple syrup). Then add the remainder of the banana and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 559 (Fat Calories 130)
Total Fat 14.4g; Carbohydrates 94.0g; Dietary Fiber 18.6g; Sugars 20.5g; Protein 16.4g

Chocolate Chia Pudding

I've been meaning to try Chia pudding for a long time but never really have had the time or the motivation to actually get down and do it. Finally, as I sat at home this morning, waiting for the furnace repair man to show up I decided to give 2 of the recipes, that I'd bookmarked a while ago, a try. Both are essentially the same recipe, with slight variations, so I could compare them against each other. 

Chocolate Chia Pudding

Recipe Adapted from food.com (my modifications are in Red):

1. 1 cup Almond milk
2. 2 tbsp (3 tbsp) Chia seeds
3. 1 tsp Cocoa powder 
4. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 
5. 1/2 tsp (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) Maple syrup (to taste)

Recipe Adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen (my modifications are in Red):

1. 1 cup Non-dairy (Almond) milk 
2. 3 tbsp Chia seeds
3. 1 tsp Vanilla extract 
4. 2 tsp Cocoa powder
5. Sweetener of choice (to taste) 
6. (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) Maple syrup
7. 1/2 to 1 cup raspberries, cherries, or other fruit, plus additional for garnish (optional)

Mix everything except Chia seeds and blend until cocoa is well mixed in the almond milk. Add dry Chia seeds to the container you will be using to set the pudding and pour the wet ingredients on top. Using a whisk, mix well so all the seeds are well soaked. Refrigerate for an hour, remove, re-whisk and then leave to set until ready to serve. ummmm .... fail! I left both puddings in the fridge for about 6 hours. Neither set or thickened enough to be considered pudding. So ... I mixed them both together into one bowl. Added an additional 2 tbsp Chia seeds, mixed it all together ... and back in the fridge! So here's my final recipe:

Prep Time: 5 min + 2-3 hours in the fridge (to set).

Ingredients (8 servings):

1. 2 cups Almond milk
2. 8 tbsp Chia seeds (whole)
3. 3 tsp Cocoa powder (optional)
4. 1.5 tsp Vanilla extract
5. 1/4 tsp Cinnamon 
6. 6 tbsp Maple syrup (add more to taste)

Directions:

Pulse almond milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup in a blender until smooth. Add Chia seeds to a glass dish and pour the wet ingredients on top. Using a whisk, mix well until all the seeds are well soaked. Refrigerate for an hour, remove, re-whisk and then leave to set until ready to serve (2-3 hours).

My Assessment: I liked it, with some reservations. The pudding was quite thick with my final recipe. It definitely didn't get to be as thick as store-bought chocolate pudding, but it was sweet and gooey and the flavor blended really well with the red raspberries. I liked the little crunch added by the Chia seeds, which is something T didn't like at all. But he's not a big fan of Chia seeds anyways. The recipe should easily be halved or quartered depending upon how many servings you want to make. I did come to the realization that I don't really enjoy the taste of raw cocoa powder. I would probably have loved this pudding if it was plain vanilla. I've crossed out the cinnamon because the only reason it was in my recipe was because I combined my 2 original recipes after my first attempt at setting both of them failed.

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 128 (Fat Calories 52)

Total Fat 5.8 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 18.5 g; Dietary Fiber 5.5 g; Sugars 10.8 g; Protein 3.4 g

Comments & Tips: One of the other herbie ladies on Facebook told me that it helps if you leave the whole mixture sitting on the kitchen counter for about 30 minutes before mixing, and refrigerating. It helps the Chia seeds expand more. Next time I'll be giving that a try!

Recipe Suggestion: Here's another recipe for Chia pudding that I came across after I had already started these 2 batches. I love the idea of using dates instead of maple syrup (its a more 'whole food' sugar).

Flax Seed Chocolate Oats

We haven't been grocery shopping in a few days. Last night, I realized I had no almond milk for my morning smoothie and since I'm addicted to my Red, White & Blue Smoothie, I couldn't imagine changing it up by making it in water. Frankly, the thought of making a smoothie without some kind of nut-milk to add smoothness was somewhat revolting. I polled the New Herbies page on Facebook on what to make for breakfast and the recurring response was Oats, in water. While that seemed somewhat revolting at first, I slowly warmed up to the idea and finally around 11pm last night I went back into the kitchen and soaked some Old Fashioned Oats in water to make overnight oats.  

Flax Seed Chocolate Oats

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (1 serving):

1. 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2. 1 cup water
3. 1 tbsp Ground Flax Seed Meal
4. 1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa
5. 1 Banana, sliced 
6. 4-6 Strawberries, sliced
7. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional). 

Directions:

.. just out of the microwave!

Soak oats in water overnight. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, add ground flax seeds, cocoa and half of the sliced banana and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, mix well and top off with the rest of the sliced banana and strawberries. The banana cooked into the oats provided ample sugar for me, but if you like it sweeter, drizzle a tablespoon of pure maple syrup on top! Enjoy!! 

My Assessment: Compared to my usual breakfast of a spinach smoothie with Chia seeds, this breakfast was loaded with nutrition and substance too. I loved the chocolate mixed in with the flax seed meal. It also kept me full for quite a while more than the smoothie does. I've been meaning to move away from drinking my calories for a while and this seems like a great substitute, although I might decide back-off some on the flax seed meal because of its fat content. Its all good fats, but it does add to my caloric intake which I'm trying to limit these days. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 365 (Fat Calories 97)
Total Fat 10.8g; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 63.6g; Dietary Fiber 11.6g; Sugars 18.8g; Protein 10.0g

In Search of the Perfect Loaf #2

So last weekend, I started up my brand-spanking new Bread Machine and after 2 attempts at making Multi-Grain bread ... I was left with 2 half-loaves of dense bread that no one would touch about 30 min after the loaf had been cut into. Both loaves tasted great while still warm ... but they turned out to be bricks when allowed to cool. So this entire work week, as and when I got the chance, I researched recipes and techniques for multi-grain bread. One of the cool websites I found - The Fresh Loaf -has lots of interesting tips and recipes and even a primer for the novice bread-maker. One of the interesting things I read this past week, is that even supposedly whole-grain breads actually are "cheater" breads in that they are made predominantly with white flour with a portion of whole-grain flour mixed in. So that's why my loafs were like bricks. I can't find the website where I read this ... but I know I did. 

Also, this week, I saw a McDougall Moment video about the use of white rice vs brown rice. And one of the things Dr. McDougall says in this video is ... white rice is OKAY!! ... brown rice is better, but white rice, white pasta and white bread, are not deal breakers. So I decided to make an about face - no I'm not switching to white bread completely. But, I'm going to first find the perfect white loaf ... and then, I'm going to tweak it with whole grain flour, seeds and nuts and whole grains where possible to make it as nutritious as possible. Sound like a plan?? Here's the first recipe I'm trying today. I found it online Its intended for bread machines and uses 1/2 a cup of Oatmeal and 1/2 a cup of sunflower seeds and white all-purpose flour. So, its not all bad!! :)

Oatmeal Sunflower Seed Bread

Adapted from the Betty Crocker website:  Bread Machine Oatmeal-Sunflower Bread

Prep Time: 10 + ~3.5 hours in a bread machine

Ingredients: (8 servings/slices):

1. 1cup water
2. 1/4 cup Maple Syrup
3. 2 tbsp Apple sauce
4. 3 cups All-purpose White Flour
5. 1/2 cup Oats (quick-cooking or old-fashioned)
6. 1.25 tsp salt
7. 2.25 tsp Active Dry Yeast 
8. 1/2 cup Sunflower Seeds

Directions: 

The Perfect Loaf?

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine, with the exception of the Sunflower Seeds. Start the machine using the menu selection for Basic white bread. Set the crust to medium or light. According to the original recipe - do not the delay cycle (I'm not experienced enough to know why!). Start the cycle and when the machine beeps at the 'add ingredient' stage (just before the last 5-10 minutes of kneading), add the sunflower seeds.  Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes before slicing/cutting into the loaf.

My Assessment: First off, I liked adding the nuts at the end of the kneading cycle. The last 2 times, the poor sunflower seeds I added were beaten to a pulp by the time the bread was done. This time I could see the whole seeds in the dough and also on the crust. Secondly, we had air ... yes, the dough actually rose and we had air pockets in the middle and the bread was soft and spongy. Lastly, it wasn't perfect. It was a great recipe and the bread came out real good - but tasted a bit sweet. I think I may need to cut back on the maple syrup. The sunflower seeds added a good amount of chewiness to the bread. And guess what? It was not a brick!!! :)

See the air in that baby?

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 237

Total Fat 2.3 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 47 g; Fiber 2.3 g; Sugars 6.3 g; Protein 6.5 g

Chatpati Cranberry Chutney

For the last 2 years, I've been having a late Thanksgiving meal at my place. I call it Thanksgiving Indian Style. While I do make all the traditional dishes for my Thanksgiving meal, I add a little Indian twist to each one. This year, since I'm plant-based I'm modifying all of my usual recipes to make plant-based, low-fat versions. Because I will be entertaining omnivores and because sometimes it's difficult to make non-fat foods ahead of time (which I need to do given the number of dishes), I will be using some minimal amount of oil/fat in these dishes - for that, I'll probably use Earth Balance. 

Chatpati Cranberry Chutney

Cranberry Sauce is what made thanksgiving turkey palatable to me when I was still eating meat. My MIL never used to make Cranberry Sauce for Thanksgiving, until she found out that I liked it. This is also one of the items on my menu that can be made up to a week in advance. For my dinner, in order to add an Indian twist, I convert the traditional sauce into a Chutney.  According to Wikipedia, Chutney refers to a wide-ranging family of condiments from South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spice(s), herb(s), vegetable(s) and/or fruit(s). They are typically grouped into either sweet or hot versions; both versions usually contain spices, including chili peppers, but differ by their main flavors. Chutney types and their preparations vary widely across Pakistan and India. The word itself is derived from the Sanskrit word which means "to lick" and most varieties are used as dipping sauces and condiments, so in some ways, they are the ethnic version of ketchup, mustard and ranch dipping sauce :) !!! A "Chatpati" Chutney is typically a sweet, sour and spicy concoction, that can be eaten with a variety of savory foods!  

Adapted from Plant-Powered Kitchen (Dreena Burton)'s Traditional Cranberry Sauce.

Ingredients:

1. 12 oz (~2.5 cups) fresh Cranberries
2. 1 cup Maple Syrup
3. 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
4. 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
5. 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
6. 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
7. 1/2 tsp All Spice
8. 1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
9. 1 tsp Garam Masala

Directions (3-7 days in advance of Dinner):

In a sauce pan, combine all ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and let simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have broken down and take on a darker deeper color. Once it has thickened, turn heat off, taste test, add more salt or spices, if needed (mine came out perfect with the above formula) and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for up to 1 week. Serve Chilled!! This was so easy to make and turned out so delish, I could eat it with a spoon :)