Hard Breakfast Oatmeal

 This morning I used up the last bit of my beloved almond milk to make oatmeal.  There wasn't enough milk left to put in almond milk in the usual ratio of 2 parts milk to 1 part oats, so I improvised and just used what I had on hand.  I think the ratio was 1 to 1.5 parts milk to 1 part oats.  The result was a delicious oatmeal, in which the oats were nicely cooked and somewhat moist and yet I could taste each oat separately.  What a tasty textural variation on the standard breakfast oatmeal!  I will definitely be making oats this way again!

To follow suit, you will need:

• rolled oats
• milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• cinnamon (optional)

1. Mix rolled oats and milk in a ratio of approximately 1-1.5 parts milk for each part oats.
2. Microwave for 2 minutes, or until oats achieve desired level of doneness.
3. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
4. Enjoy!

Three Ingredient Quinoa Biscuits

These biscuits are delicious served warm and topped with coconut butter.

These biscuits are easy to make and quite good. They come out of the oven quickly and have a lovely golden color, a soft and crumbly texture, and a mild flavor.  Oh, and they happen to be pretty healthy too - each biscuit has approximately 130 calories!  You can make the biscuits in muffin tins (this was originally supposed to be a muffin recipe but the result was more biscuit like).  The biscuits require only three ingredients: quinoa flour, baking powder, and Sprite.  The Sprite works surprisingly well here - it has hints of citrus which make the biscuits taste a bit lighter than they might have otherwise, as they contain dense quinoa flour.  You can easily make a lower-calorie version if you substitute a sugar-free or diet soda for the Sprite.

You will need:

• 3 cups of quinoa flour (you can make your own if you can't find it)
• 2-3 spoonfuls of baking powder
• Salt to taste (optional, recommended)
• 12 oz of Sprite (I used one of the glass bottles where the soda is made with sugar rather than corn syrup.  Any lemon-lime or citrus flavored soda, including diet, would probably work well here)

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Mix the dry ingredients.
3. Add Sprite and stir until blended.  You should get a pretty thick dough.  If you don't plan on serving topped with some melted butter or oil, you may want to mix some into the batter as well.
4. Pour batter into 12 lined or greased muffin tins.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Enjoy!  They taste even better the next day.  You can split a biscuit with a knife, then nuke the biscuit halves in the microwave for 20 seconds or until warm, and then spread with some coconut butter, or better yet a salted coconut butter!

This stack of biscuits was actually much more stable than it looked!

See the nice, crumbly golden tops?

Nice texture.  Yum!

Biscuit, unwrapped!

Really, the best way to serve them - with melted salty coconut butter on top!

Hot and Creamy Cinnamon Breakfast Kasha

I've had this delicious kasha every day for breakfast this week.  It's wonderfully creamy and satisfying and so, so easy to make.  I am now on my way to buy another box so I can make more and more and more of it this week.  The directions are on the box for the basic mixture-I recommend adding cinnamon and a good pinch of salt as well as a drop or two of vanilla - to really bring out the flavors.  I think almond milk is just perfect here too, resulting in a breakfast pudding far more decadent in taste than regular old oats!

You will need:

• Kasha (roasted buckwheat)
• Milk of choice (I used Silk unsweetened almond)
• Cinnamon, sweetener, vanilla, and salt (salt is important here)
• Fruit for garnish (optional)

1. Mix kasha and milk in a large bowl in approximately a ratio of 1 part kasha to 4 parts milk (or follow the box instructions)
2. Add the remaining spices to taste.
3. Microwave on high for 5 minutes.  Watch closely-you don't want the kasha to overflow and create a mess.  If the kasha seems to be rising to high in the bowl, stop the microwave and stir everthing, or transfer the mixture to a larger bowl.
4. Let sit one minute, then stir.
5. Enjoy!

DIY Microwave Popcorn with Cinnamon, Sugar, and Coconut Butter!

 I recently learned that it's possible to make popcorn in the microwave, using a brown paper bag (as several folks have shown).  I gave the process a try last night, using some coconut oil, salt, cinnamon, and sweetener alongside the unpopped kernels.  I think from now on I will always make my popcorn this way.  The result was as delicious as it was fast, healthy, and cheap...  (I mean super cheap-a package of 30 brown bags were available at the dollar store, and 1 large bag of unpopped popcorn also costs $1, so basically you get about 30 personalized, healthy, single serving popcorns in the microwave for... a whopping $2 or pennies each!!!).  Not only this, but these glorious popped kernels taste so much better than their store-bought counterparts.  To seal the deal, there's, no mess, no cleanup, and the brown bag can be recycled afterwards - it's a green popcorn!

I am now hungry just thinking about this popcorn (and also looking at these photos!).  This is the new kettle corn, but so much better (in every way)!  Make this now.  And for the next movie you're watching at home.  Or tv show.  You get the idea!  And check back later for some savory popcorn recipes!

You will need:

• 1 brown bag
• Handful of unpopped popcorn kernels
• Coconut oil or other fat source (optional, 1-2 spoonfuls work nicely here)
• Salt, cinnamon, and sweetener (optional, I used stevia)

1. Open the brown bag and add kernels until they form a layer about 1-2 kernels thick on the bottom of the bag (a 1 kernel thick layer in a standard brown lunchbag will yield 2-3 cups of popcorn).
2. Add oil and salt.
3. Fold the bag carefully, making as many creases as possible (it will unwrap a bit as it starts to pop).
4. Microwave on high until the time between pops lasts 2-3 seconds.
5. Open the bag carefully (it will be steamy!), add cinnamon, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then close the bag and shake to distribute the spices.
6. Enjoy!

This is what the baggie looked like when I took it out of the microwave and unwrapped it.  You can tell that it was folded really tightly from all of the creases in the bag.

Looking inside the bag, after I had already consumed a few handfuls of popcorn.

Now with some extra cinnamon on top.

If you liked this post, you may also enjoy our beautiful beet chips and our creamy overnight breakfast kasha.

Creamy Avocado Pasta

After reading about a creamy avocado pasta sauce with lemon and garlic on Oh She Glows, I knew I needed to try this combination out for myself.  I had no idea how delicious it would be!  I simplified things a bit using microwaveable Shirataki noodles instead of regular boiled noodles and powdered garlic and bottled lemon juice instead of fresh, etc., and Angela's version is certainly healthier, more natural, and I would imagine tastier.  But this version is really, really good, with little cleanup and even less effort!  With the shirataki noodles it's basically free of carbs and sugars and much lower in calories than the original dish.  It's also very satisfying.  I have made this pasta 4 times in the past week, it's just that good!

You will need:

• 1 bag shirataki noodles
• 1/2 of a medium-ripe avocado
• To taste: salt, garlic powder, lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper

1. Prep the shirataki noodles: rinse and drain them very thoroughly and then mircrowave them for 90 seconds and drain them again.
2. Add avocado flesh and seasonings, and mash into the shirataki pasta.  Keep going until the sauce is at a desired consistency - I like little chunks of avocado to remain, but if you would prefer a consistently creamy sauce, it may be easier to prep the avocado good separately and then add it to the shirataki pasta.
3. Enjoy!

For more fun with shirataki noodles, see our recipe for cheesy pasta.

This post is part of Allergy Free Wednesdays.

60 Second Magical Mocha Mug Cake

 After reading about a 60 second, super easy, flourless microwaveable mug-cake from Foodie Fiasco (click for her recipe!), I knew I was going to have to try making one of these myself.  I was not disappointed!  What a brilliant approach, and yet healthier than the sinfully delicious espresso brownie cups I had made earlier.

I followed Ms. Fiasco's recipe to a T, except I added a bit of instant coffee to the mix before popping it in the microwave to get a mocha flavor in the mix.  The texture is amazing and cakelike - I didn't taste the pumpkin in the mix at all.  The cake is also beautiful and yields a substantial portion.  Be careful to add a lot of sugar or sweetener, though-without it the cake can be a bit bitter.

I will definitely make this again, hopefully veganized.

Enjoy with a 60 calorie vegan mocha!

You will need:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg white
• 2 spoonfuls of canned pumpkin
• 1/2 teaspon/small spoon of baking powder
• 3 spoonfuls of milk of choice
• Instant coffee (optional)
• Sweetener of choice

1. Mix everything together.  You may want to put everything except the egg in so that you can safely taste and be sure you have sufficient sweetener.
2. Pour into microwave safe greased or sprayed ramekin.
3. Nuke it for about 3 minutes, but watch it like a hawk, as every microwave is different.
4. Enjoy!

Do please also check out Kelly's post on this at Foodie Fiasco.  She has a lot of ideas/commentary/etc. for the recipe, and her site is just generally awesome.

If you would like something similar in taste but less healthy and even faster to put together, try these espresso brownie cups!  You may also enjoy our grain free brownies (more work, but more servings and also super yummy).

Personal pumpkin bowls

The pumpkin, midway through the preparations.

 Fresh pumpkin is delicious and has a taste entirely different from that of the canned stuff we find on sale at the grocery store around Thanksgiving.  A smallish orange pumpkin can be cooked in the microwave.

You will need:

• 1 small orange pumpkin (2-3 lbs or less)
• Spices: pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and sweetener to taste

1. Place the whole pumpkin in the microwave.
2. Cook on high for 5 minutes on high to soften the pumpkin.
3. Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out the innards.  You may bake the seeds and eat them later if you like.
4. Place the pumpkin halves face down on a plate, and fill the plate with water.
5. Microwave the pumpkin halves for 10 minutes on high, or until soft.
6. Season each half to taste with the spices.
7. Mash the pumpkin and spices together with a fork.
8. Enjoy!

Note: cooking times will depend on the size of your pumpkin and the power of your microwave.  If this is your first time cooking a winter squash in the microwave, exercise caution and cook the squash for shorter periods and check up on it periodically.