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!

Pomegranate & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

During one of many trips to India, before my dad passed on, he introduced Tony to Pomegranates. It was love at first bite for him. Ever since then, every time he sees it at the store, and he has some spare cash, he picks one up. They're expensive here in the US and I always thought they're more work than they're worth ;) but Tony is willing to do the work to get all the seeds out, so I'm willing to eat them!! Fun fact: did you know that pomegranate seeds are called 'arils'? 

Recipe Credit: The Oatmeal Artist - Pomegranate & Chocolate Chip Oatmeal

Prep Time: <5 min 

Ingredients: See recipe link above. 

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, mix oats, chia seeds, almond milk and salt together and cook on high for 3-4 minutes. Remove the bowl once in the middle of this time to mix well. Once oats are done, remove carefully from microwave, mix vanilla extract, pomegranate arils and chocolate chips and transfer to a serving dish. Enjoy!! 

My Assessment: I really really liked this recipe by The Oatmeal Artist. In fact, I don't think I've tried a single one of her recipes and not loved it. She's got a knack for oatmeal :) !!! The combination of pomegranate and chocolate was like eating cherries with chocolate, but the crunchiness of the arils made it similar to eating a nutty chocolate bar!! Loved it!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 331 (Fat Calories 95)
Total Fat 10.6 g; Carbohydrates 54.9 g; Fiber 8.8 g; Sugars 20.7 g; Protein 8.3 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!

Creamy Blueberry Yogurt Oats

I recently got my blood work done. Most of you probably already saw all the details on Facebook. After 2 years of being plant-based, I am finally in the awesome range with a cholesterol value under of 139 mg/dL. Based on the Framingham study, the risk of cardiac events in folks with total cholesterol below 150 mg/dL is essentially nonexistent. Yeah!! So what do I attribute this to? Along with giving up meat and dairy, I've added a large bowl of oatmeal to my daily routine. Because Oats are digested slowly, compared to commercially available sugary cereals, oats help maintain sugar levels stable, while providing a longer-lasting steady flow of energy. Unique to oats, are small antioxidant molecules called avenanthramides, which help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. See this article for more information (Oats and Avenanthramides). In the end, I'm not sure what helped get my numbers down, I'm just glad they are :) !!!

Creamy Blueberry Oats

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
3. 2/3 cup Frozen Blueberries
4. 1 cup Non-Dairy Milk 
5. 2-3 tbsp Non-Dairy Yogurt
6. 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix oats, non-dairy milk, chia seeds and 1/2 cup blueberries in a microwave save bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. If you want, you can also soak them overnight for the same effect, or cook the oats on the stove-top. In the end you want the oats to be nice and soft, but not mushy or crunchy. Once ready, mix vanilla extract and sweetener (optional) of choice. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with remaining blueberries and top off with non-dairy yogurt. I had Vanilla flavored Silk Soymilk yogurt at home today!! Mix well to incorporate the creaminess of the yogurt into the oats and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 350 (Fat Calories 102)
Total Fat 11.3 g; Carbohydrates 53.6 g; Fiber 12.8 g; Sugars 14.9 g; Protein 11.2 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!

Antioxidant Smoothie

I've been eating Oats for breakfast for a long long time. Quite a few months actually. So this morning I decided to change it up a little bit. I decided that an antioxidant rich smoothie would be a perfect pick-me-up to start the day on a strong note. And it was ... !!! 

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Almond Milk (Chilled)
2. 2/3 Medium Banana, preferably frozen
3. 3 oz Red Raspberries (fresh, half pack)
4. 6-8 Medium Strawberries (fresh)
5. 1/3 cup Blueberries (frozen)
6. 2 tbsp Non-Dairy Chocolate Chips
7. 1/2 tbsp Chia Seeds

Directions:

Blend almond milk, banana, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and chocolate chips together until smooth. Add Chia seeds and mix well. Pour and enjoy!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 281 (Fat Calories 9.2)
Total Fat 9.2 g; Carbohydrates 51.7 g; Fiber 10.2 g; Sugars 30.5 g; Protein 5.5 g

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

Pistachio Peach Pie Oatmeal

Peach Bounty in the Coder Yard

Our two peach trees are dripping with fruit. We're the kind of careless carefree fruit tree owners that do nothing with the trees and the trees selflessly provide us with this incredible bounty every year. We are truly blessed. We harvested a big basket on Thursday evening and there's still a few more baskets remaining to be harvested that will go to friends, family, coworkers :)

In past years, I've made peach pie, peach cobbler ... pretty much every fattening dessert you can imagine. Last year's harvest was not great due to the weather and we mostly ate our peaches fresh. Today I decided to look into making an Oatmeal recipe since I am into that these days. Here's what I came up with after exploring a few recipes on the internet including this one by The Oatmeal Artist. Since I already had an idea in my head and I pretty much stuck with what I thought would work for this recipe, I'm taking the credit for my concoction this morning :) 

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk
3. 2 Medium Peaches, diced (almost a cup)
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 10-15 Dry Roasted (no salt) Pistachios, crushed/halved
6. 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional)
7. A pinch of Nutmeg (ground)
8. A pinch of Cinnamon (ground)
9. A pinch of Coarse (Sea or Kosher) Salt

Directions:

Mix oats, almond milk, peaches and chia seeds in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well, add nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and brown sugar (if you like it sweet). I didn't use any sugar because the peaches were sweet enough for me.  Mix well, transfer to a serving bowl, sprinkle another dash of ground nutmeg on top and garnish with a few slices of peach and roasted pistachios. Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without Brown Sugar): Calories 354 (Fat Calories 125)
Total Fat 13.9 g; Carbohydrates 51.6 g; Fiber 13.5 g; Sugars 14.9 g; Protein 12.1 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

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

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

Everyday Oats

I was having a Spinach Smoothie for breakfast for the longest time. However, I'd read so much about not drinking one's calories that when I started on a new Corporate Weight Loss Challenge at work, I decided to change to oats instead. Of course, the added benefit of oats is how healthy they are (not that my smoothie was unhealthy). Oats have Avenanthramides - these polyphenolic antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative activity, and according to Dr. Esselstyn, oats also help stimulate the health of endothelial cells in our arteries. 

Everyday Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (1 Serving):

1. 1/2 cup Rolled (Old Fashioned) Oats
2. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
3. 2 tbsp Raisins
4. 1 Medium Banana, sliced
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
6. 1.25 cups Almond Milk (I use Silk PureAlmond, Unsweetened Original)
7. A dash of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
8. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional, if you like it super sweet only)

Directions:

Add the first three ingredients to a microwave safe bowl and nuke it on high, for 3 minutes. Sprinkle cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, mix well and serve. I almost never use maple syrup in this recipe because the banana and raisins provide ample sweetness. 

Everyday Oats

My Assessment: The perfect way to start the day. The nuts and the chia seeds help me stay full longer and also satisfy my crunch craving. Great way to start the day! Feel free to leave out the nuts or chia seeds if you're not a big fan. Just banana with pumpkin pie spice is great in this recipe.

Optional Ingredients: frozen or fresh blueberries, fresh blackberries, red raspberries. Sliced strawberries. Switch almonds with raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Switch raisins with or dried/diced apricots or half of a medjool date (those are super sweet, so add less than usual). 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 451 (Fat Calories 131)
Total Fat 14.5 g; Carbohydrates 76.9 g; Fiber 14.7 g; Sugars 26.4 g; Protein 12.4 g

In Search of the Perfect Loaf #4

The saga continues. My last bread making attempt was a disaster. The whole darned loaf ended up in the trash. My aim is to end up with a loaf that has as much whole wheat flour as I can get into it. I researched bread making a little more last week and came across this Bread Experiment. The author is a registered dietitian and  experimented with increasing proportions of whole wheat flour in all-purpose flour and made 5 different loafs. Being a scientist myself this approach made sense to me and I was all set to attempt it when I realized that my food scale is not precise to measure to the gram, or even to the 10 grams. So I've put this experiment on the back burner and will return to it soon. Meanwhile, here's the recipe I attempted today. It is a variation of an earlier attempt, without the oats, sunflower seeds or maple syrup. The boys don't like seeds/nuts and so I decided to skip those. Since my pan is non-stick, I didn't think I needed to use apple sauce to replace oil which I've seen in the original recipe. 

Still a little dense, but pretty good overall!

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

Ingredients: (8 servings/slices):

1. 1 cup + 3 tbsp water
2. 3 cups All-purpose White Flour
3. 2 tbsp Chia Seeds
4. 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar
5. 1.25 tsp Sea Salt
6. 2.25 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Directions:

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine. Start the machine using the menu selection for Basic White Bread. I had initially added only 1 cup water but the dough looked and felt a little hard so I added more water, one tbsp at a time, until I felt the right springy consistency to the dough and it didn't feel too dry. I set the crust to dark today. The basic white cycle on my bread machine, lasts about 3.5 hours. When the kneading was done, I could not even see the ball of dough from the top, without peering straight into the machine from the top. It was bigger than a baseball, but much smaller than a softball when it was done kneading.

Here's what the dough ball looked like after 1 hour of rising (about 3x its original size).

Here's what it looked like after another 40 minutes of rising - it grew at least another 2x at least.

And here's what it looked like just a few minutes before the cycle was completed.

I removed the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allowed it to stand for only 5 minutes before slicing/cutting into the loaf. We were starving :)

My Assessment: It was pretty good. We ate almost all of it with dinner tonight. For being white bread, it was still pretty dense and I wonder if that had something to do with (a) Chia seeds or (b) brown sugar. It got a lot of rise and the original smaller than a softball size dough ball rose to be at least 4-5 times its original size.  I guess my experiments will have to go back to basic white bread (with no chia and no brown sugar) to see how fluffy I can make that, before I start adding seeds and whole wheat flour.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 209 (Fat Calories 16)
Total Fat 1.8 g; Carbohydrates 42.1 g; Dietary Fiber 2.8 g; Sugars 4.5 g; Protein 6.0 g

In Search of the Perfect Loaf #3

My adventures with bread making continue. After a brief hiatus, I attempted another loaf today. After a quick Google search revealed nothing immediately promising, I decided to improvise based on my last few attempts. I've been reading up on bread making and all in all - basic bread should consist of 4 ingredients - Flour (is the body of the loaf), Water (to dissolve all the ingredients; both too much and too little water prevent adequate rise in the loaf), Yeast (which helps the dough rise) and Salt (which helps retard the yeast and tempers the fermentation process). As the old fairy tale goes ... salt is essential also for our taste buds ... it adds flavor. Some folks would say that bread making also requires Sugar - to help feed the yeast, which is basically a microorganism that uses starches (and sugars) to grow and multiply. During this process, any simple sugars are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide is released which bubbles through the dough and causes it to rise. During the baking process all the alcohol evaporates .. so you don't need to be worried about serving alcohol to your kids in the form of bread. So today, I tried a rather simple recipe, with only these basic ingredients and some Chia seeds for added fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

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

Ingredients: (8 servings/slices):

1. 1.5 cups Water
2. 1/4 cup Apple Sauce 
3. 3 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar
4. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
5. 2 cups All-purpose White Flour
6. 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
7. 1 tsp Salt
8. 2.5 tsp Active Dry Yeast 

So I placed all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of my bread machine. Started the machine for Basic White bread. Set it to a medium dark crust. I peeked in a couple of times as the dough was mixing and it looked pretty wet. I thought that would not be a huge issue and it would be okay once it rose. the dough rose really well and then .... poof!! It fell in on itself!!! BIG FAIL!!! The loaf that came out was so bad, its not even worth a picture!!!  Oh well ... I learnt something from this failed attempt. .... and I will try again tomorrow!! :)

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).

Multi-Grain (Machine) Bread - Take 2

Homemade Multi-Grain Bread - Take 2

So my first attempt at using my bread machine turned out pretty good. It wasn't great 'to die for' bread but it had a lot going for it. It had 3 different whole grains, it had a nice and crunchy crust, and was soft inside. The downside - it had 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance (a vegan butter replacement) and it was pretty dense - almost the consistency of a dense banana bread. So this morning, I decided to make a few changes that would help reduce the density and replace the fat with a more healthy alternative. 

Prep Time: 10 min + ~4 hours in a bread machine

Ingredients (8 servings/slices): 

1. 1 cup almond milk
2. 2/3 cup water
3. 2 tbsp Natural (No Sugar) Apple Sauce (replaces Earth Balance)
4. 2 tbsp Agave syrup (I removed this because I figured Apple Sauce would add some sweetness)
5. 2 tsp Salt (I removed this because I added Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds)
6. 3 cups Whole Wheat flour 
7. 3/4 cup All Purpose flour
8. 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed Meal (replaced 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats) 
9. 1/4 cup Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds (replaced 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats)
10. 2 tbsp Chia Seeds (I doubled this from Take 1, as I added less than 3/4 cup seeds) 
11. 2.25 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine.  I used the menu selection on my machine for whole wheat bread. 

Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes. Let the awesome yeasty aroma penetrate the senses of every living being :) !! Once they're all begging for you to cut some slices ... slice away!! 

My Assessment: Its still not there yet! Even though Joules, the old dog is begging for a slice (and she got a little piece!) it was still too dense in my opinion. So its back to the drawing board for me. Also, next time I will add back the agave as replacing both the salt and the sweet with only roasted seeds and 2 tablespoons of applesauce made it rather bland. This was definitely a better version than yesterday's attempt.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 198
Total Fat 10/9 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 22 g; Fiber 4 g; Sugars 1.3 g; Protein 5.8 g