Popular Porridges
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5 Oatmeal Recipes to Welcome Spring (Deliciously)
Spring is my FAVORITE season. All the bad parts of winter literally melt away, and the sharp pains of bitter cold mornings are left behind. Warmer days come along, and an exciting anticipation of summer takes hold. I think the anticipation is even greater than summer itself, which comes with scorching hot days, sweat, and steep electricity bills. But not spring. It exists in a perfect little vacuum of mild temperatures, sunshine, and rebirth. Naked trees become green again, and Washington Square Park turns its mesmerizing fountain back on.
Another fabulous part of spring is the food. By the time March comes along, the prospect of spring produce can shake us free of our invisible contracts with potatoes and squash and let us explore greener things again. When the first day of spring snuck up on me yesterday (winter was such a whirlwind!), I couldn’t wait to start thinking of what would go in my bowl.
Here are my favorite recipes featuring spring produce (at least in the northern, western hemisphere).
Lemon Asparagus Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Inspired by a popular risotto, this oatmeal features the king of spring vegetables (asparagus!!!!!) and its favorite flavor enhancer, lemon. There’s also peas, another springtime leader. A dusting of dairy-free parm and black pepper garnish this savory beauty perfectly.
>> RECIPE >>
Poached Strawberry-Rhubarb Reduction Sauce
If you love the idea of rhubarb (which explodes in gardens during the spring months) but aren’t a big fan of its intense tartness, try cooking it down in a reduction sauce. By pairing it with strawberry (another spring fave), you’ll tame that tartness AND capture that classic strawberry-rhubarb pie flavor. Add this to a simple oatmeal base or pancake!
>> RECIPE >>
Savory Citrus & Arugula Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Arugula (along with spinach) hits its prime during spring. Enjoy it in this savory oatmeal that gets a touch of sweetness from another spring royalty, oranges. This steel-cut porridge hits every taste bud with its sweet, savory, tart, and bitter flavors. Highly recommended!!
>> RECIPE >>
Rhubarb Mango Oatmeal
Another way to sweeten that tart rhubarb stalk is by pairing it with a hyper-sweet fruit like mango. Apparently, mango is also in season during spring months. Since I live nowhere near a tropical region, it’s hard for me to conceptualize this, but this is what the interwebz tells me. This is a super simple recipe that can also be prepared using frozen mangoes!
>> RECIPE >>
Orange, Cherry, & Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal
Feeling frisky? Chocolate for breakfast is always a great choice. Orange and cherries, both springtime fruits, pair beautifully with chocolate on their own, and altogether the three make an enticing combo of sweet, tart, and luscious that is hard to beat. The recipe can use fresh, frozen, or even dried cherry, so whatever you can find will do!
>> RECIPE >>
Best of 2016
See also: Best of 2012 / Best of 2013 / Best of 2014 / Best of 2015
In many ways, 2016 was a pretty tough year. I don’t think I need to elaborate on that as we all seem to be on the same page about this dumb excuse of a year. 🙂 But in other ways, this year was big for me. I really found my passion in school–bilingual education–and my mental health improved by a billion. I feel almost as balanced and stable as I did pre-teaching, just way more jaded. But I can deal with that. I got not just one but two jobs. My nephew can finally say my name and recognize me. My boyfriend brings a lot of joy and adventure into my life. The initial work of my thesis has gotten a lot of praise. I even learned a good chunk of Spanish!
Oatmeal-wise, this year has challenged me as I have fallen in love with experimenting with unique ingredients and sophisticated flavor combinations, yet I also want to keep my recipes easy, quick, and inviting. I wish all my recipes could be made with five ingredients, and I don’t want to scare anyone off with my persimmons. 🙂
As usual, I have assembled the top recipes from the year for us to reminisce together!
1. Fan Favorite Recipe
These German Chocolate Cake Oatmeal Bites, much to my surprise, received more views than all other recipes from 2016. I did not see that coming!
Oatmeal Recipes for Christmas – 2016 Edition!
Every year I assemble my most Christmassy recipes in one post. I would have liked it to be inclusive of other winter holidays, but alas, I have no expertise in Jewish cuisine (although I did rock that tzimmes recipe for Passover).
This year welcomed many new additions to the Christmas-themed lineup, many in the form of PB2 toppings! But this roundup also includes old favorites because peanut butter blossom cookies will never go out of style. (more…)
10 Recipes for National Apple Month!
October is National Apple Month! This makes sense, considering it’s the time of year that everyone suddenly develops an interest an apple-picking. You’re definitely going to need some recipes to use up the seven pounds of apples you brought home out of pure excitement. Maybe this list will help you out!
Apple Oatmeal with Chocolate Tahini & Coconut
This combination of ingredients would not appear to go together at first glance, but they truly do. Chocolate tahini is also a great way to test the waters if you’re new to tahiniland. (more…)
10 Oatmeal Recipes to Celebrate National Peach Month
August is National Peach Month, oatmeal lovers! Did you know it’s my favorite fruit? It is. I mean, mango definitely gives it a run for its money, but as of now, peach still holds the key to my #1 spot. Therefore, I’m really freaking excited to celebrate August, the month of peaches, peaches, peaches. Here are ten of my best recipes featuring los duraznos!
Peach & Almond Butter Oatmeal
When I think about almond butter in oatmeal, I always think of this recipe. The entire combination is absolutely luscious, from the rich almond butter to the juicy peaches.
Five Recipes for Nat’l Cheesecake Day!
Tomorrow is National Cheesecake Day! These days are, of course, completely arbitrary most of the time. (Seriously, why is every day designated to a specific food? It’s the strangest thing we humans have ever come up with. Besides this.)
Still, I can’t help but celebrate them. As soon as I see a holiday coming up, I think, “Hey, I love [insert food here]!” and “Wow, I have a lot of oatmeal recipes like [insert food here]!” Cheesecake is no exception.
Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal is a rather new adventure of mine, but I still had five killer recipes to share for this holiday! (more…)
10 Best Recipes for Enjoying Oats in the Summer
I’m pretty stubborn, so I continue to sweat over a stove to cook my daily porridge, which I then take to my bedroom and eat while standing directly in front of the air conditioner. However, I understand that’s not everyone’s cup of chamomile tea. If you don’t want to say goodbye to your filling, fibrous oats, here are my ten favorite recipes that avoid turning on stoves or ovens!
Overnight Recipes
> Ambrosia Overnight Oatmeal
Bright from the citrus and creamy from the coconut! (more…)
The Cookie Collection
Considering how frequently oats appear in cookie recipes these days, it’s no surprise that cookie-inspired recipes turn out so satisfyingly perfect! They are a wonderful complement to each other. If you’ve made my Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal, you understand just what I mean: it tastes (and smells) exactly like the real cookie!
Here I have assembled all of my cookie-themed recipes, including some overnight “cookie dough” porridges. And FYI, you can always check out all the cookie recipes by scrolling through the “Cookie Lovers” tag.
Oh, and for each oatmeal recipe, I paired it with a vegan cookie recipe if you want to skip breakfast and go right for dessert! 😉
Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal
Check out this mini peanut butter cookie recipe by Kathy Patalsky.
(more…)
10 Recipes for Valentine’s Day
On Wednesday, I put aside my disgust with Valentine-themed recipes. Today, I continue that brave step forward. It’s not that I have let go of my hatred of the holiday. I assure you that I hate the holiday just as much as I ever have. However, I do love red fruits, so if cherries and strawberries count as a Valentine’s Day breakfast, then Happy Valentine’s Day to me. ?
How did I pick these recipes? Simple: I looked for ones that reminded me of chocolate-covered strawberries. ? That’s valid, right?
10 Recipes for Valentine’s Day
Berry Oatmeal with Coconut Butter and Pomegranate
Luscious coconut butter and jewels of pomegranate? It’s basically an aphrodisiac. (more…)
Community Round-Up: Favorite Nut Butters!
It is no secret that I love nut butters, and you all seem to agree with me. (Did you know there are people on this very planet who claim they “don’t like” peanut butter? Is that some sort of medical syndrome? Is it genetic? Is it contagious? I don’t understand.)
I tend to stick to plain peanut butter and just flavor it myself using the spices and extracts in my pantry because it’s cheaper, but I always have major envy of the flavors I see my readers playing with. Thus, I asked all of YOU what your favorites are.
What are your fave kinds of nut butters, & w what oatmeal? e.g. I <3 PB & Co’s Cinnamon-Raisin on Apple PB&J Oatmeal https://t.co/J2qENV5lSA
— Lauren Smith Ⓥ (@lauren_015) January 13, 2016
Your responses had me drooling!
Like me, most of you stick to plain creamy or crunchy peanut and almond butter.
- @hisworkmanship.e210 [Instagram] Peanut Delight makes a natural peanut butter that is good with pears. Basically, peanut butter makes everything peanut better 🙂
- Christina [Facebook] For baked and stovetop oatmeal, my favorites are Smart Balance creamy peanut butter and Justin’s almond butter. I like to use natural nut butters with healthy fats, but do not like that layer of oil that occurs in most kinds. Smart Balance and Justin’s do not have that puddle of oil, plus you don’t need to store them in the refrigerator.
- @healthyhappyeats_ [Instagram] I love the natural peanut butter from Costco and I eat it mostly everyday with baked banana oatmeal!!
- Tiffany [Facebook] My local health food shop makes their own peanut butter – they literally grind it up for you then and there. It’s so fresh and delicious and has no oil, salt or sugar added. Heaven! My go-to oatmeal is Peanut Butter Banana Porridge with fresh berries.
>>Try my Nutty Nana Berry Oatmeal! 
- Anna [Facebook] I love gingerbread&cinnamon oatmeal (+egg whites and sometimes chia seeds) topped with almond butter (Biona) and banana. Also raw cacao oatmeal with PB&banana is awesome!
