Popular Porridges
Monthly Archives: August 2013
Strawberry Kiwi Oatmeal
I don’t remember much from elementary school—especially anything of importance. However, I easily recall the Ocean Spray vending machine outside the cafeteria. At a certain point in the day (after afternoon recess, I think?), we were allowed to walk by ourselves to the vending machine and put in 50 cents to get a can of Ocean Spray juice.
There were the standard options, like orange, apple, and grape, but my favorite was strawberry kiwi. Now, I shudder at the thought of all this juice and its effect on my beautiful teeth, but I definitely enjoyed it back then.
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Coconut, Honey, and Fig Oatmeal
Last Monday marked my first day of school at NYC. Thanks to my lovely 40-minute commute, this entails me waking up at 4:45 for the next ten months. Thankfully, I love my job. I feel like you have to love your job in order to drag yourself from underneath your electric blanket at 4:45 (yeah, I sleep with an electric blanket in August; don’t judge me!).
Luckily for me and my exhausted self, I’ve enjoyed some fantastic porridges every morning. Feeling particularly ambitious on Monday afternoon, I whipped up FOUR different oatmeal recipes. Yeah. Four. My roommates kept filtering in and out of the apartment, shooting me odd looks as I ran around the kitchen, pulling out seemingly unrelated ingredients and dirtying every bowl and spoon and fork in the cupboards.
Sweet Potato and Soyrizo Oatmeal
Let’s all take a moment to acknowledge just how fantastic soyrizo (aka soy chorizo) is.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s the vegetarian version of chorizo, a Spanish sausage. My first experience with it happened at my favorite restaurant in Newark, Elbow Room (now closed). It’s a specialty mac and cheese joint, and it’s the cutest little thing. They have this ridiculous vegan queso mac, made with a housemade vegan cheese sauce (meant to replicate queso fondido), soyrizo, avocado, cilantro, and fried tortilla strips. I was allllllll about that place last year.
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Peanut Butter Banana Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Earlier this week, I finally received a functional stove. The gas for our kitchen appliances had not been turned on before we moved in, so everyone in the entire building has been eating cold salads, wraps, and sandwiches…or just getting food delivered…for the past two weeks.Luckily, I have a slow-cooker.
This recipe can be made on the stove or in a slow-cooker. In fact, any steel-cut oat recipe should, in theory, work fine in a slow-cooker. However, I must state my preferences: I despise oatmeal made in slow-cookers. I find the results to be unpleasantly chewy and contain an unwanted aftertaste. I much prefer to make it on the stove. Still, I included both options in the instructions because I know someone people enjoy that method.
6 Comments
POSTED IN: bananas, big batch, honey, jams and jellies, peanut butter, slow cooker, steel cut
POSTED IN: bananas, big batch, honey, jams and jellies, peanut butter, slow cooker, steel cut
Pineapple Jalapeno Oatmeal
I have discovered an imperfection in Trader Joe’s. It has taken me a year, but I finally found it. Trader Joe’s does not sell individual jalapeño peppers. If you wish to purchase one, you must buy a container of them that holds SEVEN PEPPERS.
Because who doesn’t need seven jalapeño peppers at one time?!
Feeling clever, I purchased one of their “guacamole kits” instead. It contains ONE jalapeño, two avocados, some garlic, a lime, and two tomatoes. I can use the avocados without a sweat, and I can easily find an excuse to use a lime. The garlic will remain usable for weeks and will definitely serve its purpose eventually. The tomatoes, however, will be a struggle. I might try and make tomato sauce or something (I have garlic, after all!).
Peach and Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal
First there was Peach & Blueberry Oatmeal. Then Peach & Blueberry Oatcakes. Now, I present Peach & Blueberry Overnight Oatmeal. Three cheers for the best fruit combo known to mankind! (Or can you nominate a better one?)
I made my version diced, but I bet it would be marvelous with pureed peaches (if you’re okay with dirtying your blender).
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Fig and Banana Muesli
I know hundreds of people in my own neighborhood live without a roof over their head or food to eat. They can barely afford a loaf of bread, let alone figs. Still, I have to say that not having gas really sucks. Cold showers suck. Not having a functional stove sucks. Not having an oven that heats up sucks.
Luckily, I’ve had dozens of recipes from July to post, but those are running out. I’m eager to “stay ahead” of the posts. I don’t like feeling pressure to slap a post together just for the sake of staying on schedule. Moreover, I just have to admit that eating overnight oatmeal cold is just not my thing.
Oh yeah, did I mention I don’t have a microwave either?!
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POSTED IN: 5 ingredients or less, bananas, dried fruit, figs, muesli, not porridge, nuts, yogurt
POSTED IN: 5 ingredients or less, bananas, dried fruit, figs, muesli, not porridge, nuts, yogurt
Oatmeal Recipes for Coconut Lovers!
Most people associate coconut with summer. It’s tropical, and many pina colada lovers celebrate the hot summer months. I have no shame in admitting that I devour coconut year-round. It’s recently become one of my favorite ingredients to work with, no matter the month.In honor of my semi-recent transformation (from coconut hater to lover), here is a round-up of my favorite coconut recipes!
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Chocolate Zucchini Baked Oatmeal
It’s been quite a long time since I’ve shared a recipe for baked oatmeal. I devoted most of July to stove-top recipes and had little ambition for heating up the oven.
I made an exception for this recipe. I came in possession of a zucchini from the farmers’ market in my hometown before I left for New York, and I knew I had to attempt this recipe. I don’t buy zucchinis often, so it was now or never.
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Peach and Blueberry Oatcakes for One
What is it about oatmeal that makes my digestive system run so well? I understand the nutrition aspect and all (hurray soluble fiber!), but this marvelous ingredient still astounds me. Pancakes make me sick for the rest of the day. Cereal (even the “healthy” ones) makes me puffy and weird. Even whole wheat muffins or waffles or pancakes leave me ill.
But swap the flour with oats? Problem solved.
These oatcake recipes actually let me enjoy pancakes again. Plus, they’re way more flavorful than anything Bisquick could make.
