Ovenight Oatmeal

Adapted from delish.com

4 cups water (32 ounces, 907g)
1 cup carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice (8 ounces, 227g)
2 tablespoons coconut oil or butter (28g)
2 tablespoons maple syrup (17g)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups steel-cut oats (232g)
2 large apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch size pieces (669g purchase weight)**

**Can use pears instead of apples or both apples and pears.

Generously grease a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray if you do not have a nonstick insert.

Add water, coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom and salt to the slow cooker. Stir in the oats and apples. Cook, covered, on low setting for 7 hours or until apples are broken down and the oats are tender,

Turn off slow cooker. Gently stir oatmeal and let rest for 10 minutes in the slow cooker.

Spoon oatmeal into bowls. If desired, top oatmeal with toasted nuts, coconut palm sugar or maple syrup, and carton unsweetened coconut milk or milk of choice.

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers and Spiced Cumin Dressing

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Roasted Red Peppers and Spiced Cumin Dressing
Adapted from Jack Bishop, A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen

Bulgur is a whole-wheat grain that have been cracked and partially-cooked. The grains are high in protein and high in fiber. Bulgur is a staple of the Middle Eastern and is used in dishes like Tabbouleh, Kibbeh or pilafs. You can substitute bulgur where recipes calls for couscous, quinoa or rice. The grains are light with a slight chewy texture and a nutty flavor. Bulgur comes in different grades ranging from #1 fine, #2 medium, #3 coarse and #4 extra course. Since bulgur is becoming more popular, you can easily find them in your local supermarket.

1-1/2 cups fine-grain bulgur (9.0 ounces)
3 cups boiling water (24 ounces)
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (1.2 ounces)
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (1.7 ounces)
One 15.5-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drain well
1 cup finely diced roasted red pepper (6 ounces or two homemade roasted red peppers)
1/4 cup minced fresh Italian parsley (0.4 ounce)

 

Place bulgur in a large bowl. Add the boiling water and immediately cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Allow the bulgur to sit for 45 minutes, undisturbed.

 

Meanwhile, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, cumin, cayenne and salt. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is well blended. Set aside.

 

After the bulgur sits for 45 minutes, uncover. The bulgur have tripled in volume. You will notice excess water sitting in the bottom of the bowl.

 

Drain the bulgur through a fine sieve, pressing out all the excess water from the bulgur.

In a large mixing bowl, add the bulgur, garbanzo beans, roasted red peppers and parsley. Toss well until thoroughly combined.

 

Add the dressing and give the bulgur mixture another toss until thoroughly combined. Transfer bulgur to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours before serving, allowing the flavors to bloom.

 

The salad can be eaten on its own along with some pita wedges or as a lettuce wrap. I like to serve this salad as a side dish to salmon or grilled chicken breast.

 

Yield 6 to 8 servings as a side dish or 4 as a main course

Enjoy!

Amaranth Porridge

Amaranth Porridge
Adapted from Three Many Cooks

Amaranth is a seed rather than a grain. You can find amaranth at Whole Foods Market or any health food stores. They are sold in packages and in bulk bins. Amaranth is inexpensive so do give it a try because it is very delicious. Amaranth is a nutrient powerhouse. It is gluten-free and contains more protein, calcium, magnesium, iron, and fiber than any other type of gluten-free grain. When cooked as a porridge, amaranth has the appearance of cream of wheat, but tastes very different from cream of wheat. It is thick and somewhat glutinous, a bit earthy and nutty in flavor, creamy with a slight crunchy texture...that is the best I can describe amaranth. It is delicious and I wish I had tried this sooner. It was love at first bite. It takes 25 minutes to cook amaranth porridge. It smelled grassy at first (I wasn't sure if I was going to like it) and almost seem impossible that it will thicken up, but it will. It will require your stirring attention during the last 10 minutes of cooking time because it will thicken up quite fast at the end and may scorch if you leave it unattended. I like my porridge on the thick side since I like to add unsweetened fresh coconut milk to my porridge when I eat it, so cooking with 3 cups of water is a perfect amount to use.

 

1 cup of amaranth (6.5 ounces)
3 cups of cold water (24 ounces)
Pinch of salt
4 teaspoons organic unrefined coconut oil (0.6 ounce)
2 tablespoons evaporated cane sugar or coconut palm sugar (0.6 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon

 

In a medium-size pot, bring water, amaranth and salt to a boil over medium-high heat (7.0 on induction cook top) When mixtures comes to a boil, lower heat to medium-low heat (4.0 to 3.0 on induction cook top). Continue to cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Partially cover pot because mixture will splatter as it becomes thicker. Pay close attention during the last 10 minutes of cooking time because mixture will thicken up quite fast and may scorch if you don't stir it frequently. Consistency will be quite thick and glutinous-like. When done, stir in sugar, coconut oil, cinnamon and cardamon. Remove from heat and ready to serve.

 

Serve with unsweetened fresh coconut milk, soy milk, almond milk or any type of milk of your choice. Top with fresh or dried fruits and toasted nuts, if desired.

 

Can store any remaining porridge in the refrigerator in portions and reheat in the microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes on high power.

 

 

Yield 4 servings

 

Calorie count for each serving (5.8 ounces) of amaranth porridge including 1/2 cup of unsweetened fresh coconut milk is 273 calories.

Cornmeal Waffles

Cornmeal Waffles
Adapted from epicurious.com

My quest for the ultimate cornmeal waffles is over because I have found the most amazing cornmeal waffle recipe. I've been on a waffle craze the last two weekends. Partly because my husband loves waffles and I love the challenge to make healthy waffles he will enjoy. I made an Almond Flour Waffle last weekend which we enjoyed and this weekend, I made a cornbread waffle. While I thought that cornbread waffles turned out good, I still wanted to continue my search for a better one. I came across this recipe which I think is the ULTIMATE cornmeal waffles. After my first bite of these waffles, my search is over. I can't imagine there could be a better cornmeal waffle recipe more superior than this recipe I'm about to post. If you love cornbread, you will love these waffles. And the best part is that it's 100% WHOLE-GRAIN. What I love about these waffles besides tasting like a very delicious cornbread, these waffles are crispy on the exterior and tender and light on the interior. It has a bit of a grainy texture from the cornmeal, but this is the texture of cornbread. This recipe does not contain any type of sweeteners, but you can add some sweetness to this batter if you like. If you are going to eat these waffles with maple syrup (hopefully 100% pure) or any type of syrup of your choice, you don't need to add any sweetener to this batter. I'm thinking these waffles will be perfect along with something savory, like Chicken a la King or even a thick chili or a hearty stew or even fried chicken (chicken and waffles). Waffles are not only served for breakfast. It's becoming a trend on the west coast to serve waffles with something savory.

1 cup WHITE whole wheat flour (4.3 ounces)
1 cup Bob's Red Mill brand FINE grind cornmeal (4.8 ounces)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs (5.4 to 5.7 ounces)
2 cups well-shaken cultured low-fat buttermilk (16 ounces)
6 tablespoons organic unrefined coconut oil or butter, melted (3 ounces)

In a medium-size bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir well with a whisk to combine all the ingredients together. Set aside.

In a large-size bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a whisk. Add the buttermilk and whisk together until blended. Add the coconut oil and whisk everything together until well blended.

Add the flour mixture all at once to the buttermilk mixture and stir gently with a pastry fork or a whisk just until combined. Set aside to thickened for about 30 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron for about 15 to 20 minutes. Coat waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of batter for two 4-inch thick waffles onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to the edges with a spatula. Cook for 4 minutes or until steaming stops. Repeat cooking procedure with remaining batter.

Serve waffles with 100% pure maple syrup over waffles.

 

Keep waffles warm by placing waffles on a baking sheet lined with a wire rack, uncovered, in the center of a preheated oven at 200 degrees.

 

Store any leftover waffles in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To reheat, place waffles in a toaster.

Yield eleven 4-inch thick waffles

One waffle with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is about 245 calories. Each waffle is about 195 calories and 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is about 50 calories.

Almond Flour Pancakes or Waffles

Almond Flour Pancakes or Waffles
Adapted from The Roasted Root

I love this pancake recipe from The Roasted Root. It's a very simple recipe to put together early in the morning and it's also quite delicious and wholesome. Almond meal flour are finely ground almonds. It's so finely ground that it looks like a powder. Almond meal flour can be purchase at most supermarkets. A popular brand would be Bob's Red Mill. You can also find almond meal flour at Whole Foods Market or other health food stores sold in packages or bulk bins. Most almond meal flour are made from blanched skinless almonds so the flour is a creamy white color. Trader Joe's sells almond meal flour at a very reasonable price. Trader Joe's almond meal flour are ground with their skins so the flour have dark brown specks. You can use either brands. Because almond meal flour is nothing more than finely ground almonds, you will taste the nutty graininess from the ground almonds in your pancake. I don't mind the grainy texture. My husband does not like this texture so he didn't care for the pancake. This morning, I decided to be adventurous to try making waffles with the same pancake batter and it worked. My husband enjoyed the waffle version a lot more than the pancakes. With me, I like them cooked both ways. So it's nice that this batter works well cooked as a pancake or as a waffle.

1-3/4 cups almond meal flour (5.9 ounces)
1 tablespoon organic natural cane sugar (0.3 ounce)
1 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten (3.6 ounces)
3/4 cup UNSWEETENED fresh coconut milk, almond or soy milk (6 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine the almond meal flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a small whisk or a fork, stir mixture until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, combine the eggs, coconut milk and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Add the almond meal flour mixture. Using a pastry fork or a whisk, gently stir everything together just until combined. Set aside to allow the batter to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to thicken.

 

For PANCAKES: Lightly wipe a light coating of oil on the inside of a 12-inch nonstick skillet and heat it over medium-high heat (6.5 on induction cook top) until hot. When pan is hot, add three scant 1/4 cup batter to the pan. You will hear the pancake batter lightly sizzle as you add the batter to the pan.

 

 

Let it cook on the first side for 4 minutes. Flip each pancake over and cook the second side for 2 minutes.

 

 

Serve with 100% pure maple syrup.

 

Yield nine 3-1/2-inch size pancakes.

 

For three pancakes plus 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup, the calorie count is about 445 calories. Each pancake by itself is about 132 calories. 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is about 50 calories.

 

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For WAFFLES: Preheat a waffle iron for about 15 to 20 minutes. Coat waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Spread 3/4 cup of batter for two 4-inch thick waffles onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to the edges with a spatula. Cook for 4 minutes or until steaming stops. Repeat cooking procedure with remaining batter.

 

 

Store any leftover waffles in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. To reheat, place waffles in a toaster.

 

 

Yield five 4-inch waffles

One waffle with 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is about 287 calories. Each waffle is about 237 calories and 1 tablespoon of pure maple syrup is about 50 calories.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Adapted from Clean and Delicious with Dani Spies

 

 

4 cups cold water (32 ounces)

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oatmeal (6.0 ounces)

1 cup pumpkin puree (8.0 ounces)

2 tablespoons dried cranberries, cut or tear each piece in half  (0.6 ounce)

3 tablespoons 100% maple syrup (1.2 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Pinch of salt

 

In a medium-size saucepan, bring water to a full boil. Stir in the oats. Reduce heat to medium heat (5.0 to 5.5 on induction cook top) and continue to cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally for 7 minutes.

 

Remove from heat and stir in the pumpkin puree, dried cranberries, maple syrup, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Let oatmeal sit for about 10 minutes, covered, before serving to thicken up. The longer the oatmeal sits, the thicker the oatmeal.

 

Serve with fresh unsweetened coconut milk (purchased from the dairy section of your grocer) or any type of milk of you desire. You can also drizzle more maple syrup to your taste and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds or toasted sliced almonds.

 



 

You can also prepare the oatmeal in advance and refrigerate in portions. Let the oatmeal cool completely and divide oatmeal into five 8.0-ounce portions and refrigerate. In the morning, transfer one portion of the oatmeal to a small bowl. Heat in the microwave, covered with a paper towel, for about 1:45 minutes on high power. I ate one portion this morning so you only see four portions in the photos above.

Yield 5 servings (approximately 196 calories per serving. Calories does not include additional maple syrup, milk or nuts.)

Almond-Honey Power Bars

Almond-Honey Power Bars

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

I love these power bars. I eat them for breakfast or for my afternoon snack. It's crispy, chewy, toasty, nutty, and fruity. What makes these bars so flavorful is the toasting of the oats, nuts and seeds which is an essential step. Don't be lazy to skip this part. I prefer to use Trader Joe's brand almond butter because the consistency of the almond butter is thicker than couple of other brands I've tried. If the almond butter consistency is thin, you will end up with softer bars that falls apart while eating.

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (3.0 ounces)

1/4 cup slivered almonds (1.1 ounces)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (1.2 ounces)

1 tablespoon whole golden flax seeds (0.4 ounce)

1 tablespoon sesame seeds (0.4 ounce)

1 cup puffed millet cereal (0.5 ounce) OR 1 cup quinoa pops (1.0 ounce)

1/3 cup dried blueberries (2.1 ounces) or dried bing cherries, cut into fourths (2.1 ounces)

1/3 cup chopped dried apricots (1.7 ounces)

1/3 cup dried cranberries (1.6 ounces)

1/4 cup Trader Joe's brand unsalted creamy almond butter (2.1 ounces)

1/4 cup turbinado sugar (1.7 ounces)

1/4 cup honey (2.7 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Position oven rack in the center of the oven. Lightly spray an 8-inch square pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Place the oats, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and sesame seeds on a large rimmed baking sheet. Toss to combine and shake pan to spread out in an even layer. Bake until lightly toasted and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes, shaking pan halfway of baking time. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the puffed millet cereal or quinoa pops, blueberries, apricots, cranberries and cooled oat mixture. Toss to combine and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the almond butter, sugar, honey, vanilla and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture bubbles lightly, about 2 to 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and immediately pour the almond butter mixture over the cereal-fruit mixture. Mix with a spatula until no dry spots remain.Transfer to the prepared square pan. Press mixture down firmly with the back of a large spoon to make an even tight layer.

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Remove from pan and cut into 8 bars.

Wrap each bar in plastic wrap and place them in a Ziploc bag. Store power bars in the refrigerator to keep them firm.

Yield 8 bars