Super Fudgy Steel-Cut Oats

Nutty + chocolatey +... healthy?  Yes!  Cocoa + coconut oil work so well with the steel cut oats here.

Steel cut oats have a wonderful nutty flavor and a satisfying crunch.  While I generally prefer them to the standard rolled variety, I would avoid them because they were too much work.  That is, until I realized I could make steel cut oats easily in my single serving rice cooker (stay tuned for some more details in a future post!).

To make these chocolate oats, you will need:

• Plain oats of choice, cooked as you like them and warm (steel cut oats are wonderful!)
• Unsweetened cocoa powder, to taste
• Sweetener of choice, to taste (I used Splenda)
• Coconut butter, a small dab for richness or to taste

1. Mix everything together.
2. Taste and adjust ingredients as necessary.
3. Enjoy!

Coconut Quinoa Pudding

This is a healthy, creamy breakfast pudding, reminiscent of a rice pudding.  Unlike standard white rice pudding, this pudding is made from nutrient-rich quinoa, so comes with loads of protein and fiber.  The flavors are pretty comparable, and the texture is a little more creamy than standard rice pudding.  To make the pudding, you will need:

• Quinoa of choice, uncooked (I used basic white quinoa)
• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• Coconut flakes
• Sweetener of choice (I used a mix of stevia and agave)
• Ground ginger
• Vanilla (optional)
• 2-3 Green cardamom pods

1. Fill small (1.5 quart) crockpot until 2/3 full with quinoa and milk, with approximately 1 part quinoa to 3 or 4 parts milk 
2. Stir in remaining ingredients to taste
3. Cook on low overnight or on medium or high heat for a few hours, until the pudding is soft and creamy.
4. Taste and adjust seasonings; sprinkle with some extra coconut flakes.
5. Enjoy!

Pancake Milk Shake

Behold the ultimate healthy comfort food: the pancake milkshake.

This thick and creamy, high protein, sugar-free maple shake was born out of a mostly empty kitchen and some desperation.

It's been a busy few weeks, with less time than usual for fiddling around in the kitchen.  I also hadn't been able to go food shopping as much as I would have liked to, either.  So left without my go to breakfast cereals, limited time, and an overwhelming craving for comfort food, I began to experiment.  This shake is the delicious result of a few quick minutes of mixing one morning.  I highly recommend this shake!

You will need:

• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened almond)
• Unsweetened soy protein powder (either plain or vanilla would work)
• Maple syrup of choice (I used a sugar free variety)

Stir everything together and enjoy!  If desired, swirl in some extra maple syrup after you have mixed everything together.  The soy protein powder has a dry and flour-y consistency that makes this shake thick and satisfying.

Creamy Cinnamon Sugar Breakfast Quinoa

This is one of the healthier, more filling breakfast meals I have had in a while.  Quinoa is a delicious seed that tastes a lot like a grain.  The consistency of this quinoa dish is much more like a porridge or oatmeal than a traditional quinoa.  Imagine wholesome, nutty quinoa, just more creamy than you might be used to, and mixed with cinnamon and sugar.  Yum!

Surprisingly, it's also one of the easier hot breakfasts to put together.  You will need:

• Quinoa
• Cinnamon, to taste
• Sweetener of choice, to taste (I used stevia)
• Salt to taste (a dash is usually enough)
• Milk of choice (I used unsweeteend almond milk)
• Fruit topping (optional, I used grapes)

1. Inspect and rinse the quinoa (some boxes come pre-washed, and if so this step is unnecessary).
2. Combine all ingredients in a small slow cooker (I used a 1.5 quart slow cooker).  You will want to use more milk/liquid for each serving of quinoa than recommended on box instructions, probably 1.5 to 2 times as much and possibly even more than that.  
3. Cook on low overnight or until creamy.  Overcooking a bit is okay, just make sure that your cooker is sufficiently fully (2/3+) so that nothing gets burnt.
4. Adjust seasoning.  Serve with sliced fruit, if desired.
5. Enjoy!  It's yummy hot or cold.

I ate the entire portion, but it did make quite a lot, and I would imagine for those with smaller appetites or serving bowls it might serve two.  If you have any leftovers, this should keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, and tastes pretty good cold as well.

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!

Cinnamon Raisin Celebration Muffins

These muffins look especially festive wrapped in multicolor paper!

 These muffins are delicious, satisfying, easy, and healthy.  They are easily made gluten-free, and they clock in at about 100 calories/muffin and have almost no fat.  Each muffin is fairly generously proportioned, too, and while it may taste like a traditional muffin, it won't leave you with a sugar high followed by a sudden crash.  You may choose whether to use or omit the flaxseed - it won't affect the taste much but will make the muffin a bit less crumbly than it might be otherwise.  To make the muffins, you will need:

• 3 cups oat flour
• 1-3 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 spoonful of ground flaxseed (optional, makes muffins less crumbly)
• 1 bottle of beer (for gf muffins, use a gf beer)
• salt, sweetener, and cinnamon to taste
• vanilla (optional)
• raisins to taste (I used 1.5 single serving boxes of Del Monte  raisins)

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Mix together the oat flour and baking powder (and the flaxseed, if desired); fluff with spoon.
3. Add the beer, stir until all the clumps of oat flour get dissolved.
4. Add the remaining ingredients, stir, and taste the batter.  Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Pour the batter into 12 lined or greased muffin tins and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
6. Enjoy!

Makes 12 muffins.

Right after they leave the oven, all ready to be eaten!

You can see a few of the raisins peeking through the surface.

Orange Creamsicle Powerbar Balls

 These balls are the lovechild of an orange creamsicle and a protein power bar.  They also happen to be rich, creamy, coconutty, and vegan.  With the proper choice of jam, they are poteintially fiber rich as well as sugar free!  They're also super-easy to make.  No baking or waiting required-just mix, roll, and presto!  You have healthy creamsicle balls.  If you have been following this blog, you may recognize the following dough mix as the same as the one from our no-bake shortbread cookies.  This time just go a bit heavier on the marmalade and vanilla, and there's no need to refrigerate the balls first.

You will need:

• Coconut butter
• Protein powder (I used unsweetened soy; I haven't tried others here)
• Orange marmalade (I used SF Polaner)
• Vanilla extract

1. Melt the coconut butter in the microwave.
2. Add protein powder and orange marmalade and stir into the melted coconut butter.  Start with equal quantities of the three ingredients, and then keep adding protein powder until you get a thick dough.
3. Add vanilla to taste.
4. Roll into balls.
5. Enjoy!

Roasted overnight kasha groats (buckwheat)

 After the success of an earlier experiment with overnight oats, I decided to give another overnight grain cereal a go.  This is my favorite overnight cereal so far.  I had picked up a box of buckwheat kasha from the grocer (I used Wolff's brand), mixed it with almond milk, salt, sweetener, and cinnamon, gave the mixture a stir, and let it sit, covered in the fridge overnight.  In the morning I had a lovely nutty breakfast treat.  It was a very satisfying meal, but not heavy, and I'll definitely be making it again.

You will need:

• Kasha
• Milk of choice (I used unsweetened vanilla Almond)
• Cinnamon
• Sweetener of choice (I used stevia)
• Salt (you will definitely need at least a pinch here to get the flavors to sing)

1. Mix milk and kasha according to directions on box.  You can add a bit of extra milk if you like, a lot can get absorbed overnight.  I think I used a ratio of about 1 part kasha to 4 parts milk.
2. Add the cinnamon, sweetener, and salt to taste and stir.
3. Cover and let sit in fridge overnight.
4. Enjoy!