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Author Archives: Lauren Smith
Call for Submissions! Savory Oatmeal Contest
At the request of a reader (I searched the comments but could not find who said it–sorry!!), I am holding a guest post contest for savory oatmeal recipes! While I enjoy savory oatmeal and have a long list of ideas for them, I rarely have the motivation to actually make them, so I’m pawning off my duties to YOU! (I’m not too proud to admit my laziness. ^_^ )
What are the rules for the contest recipes?
- It must be a savory recipe and use oats–not other grains.
- The recipe does not have to be vegan, but preference will be given to vegan or vegan-friendly recipes.
- It must be inherently savory (e.g. herbed pumpkin & leek oatmeal), NOT a sweet-salty blend (e.g. salted plum oatmeal).
- The recipe can be a single serving or a big batch. It can be steel-cut or quick. It can be baked or stovetop. Please no pancake, muffin, or baked goods recipes.
- I recommend looking through my savory recipes to avoid pitching an idea for something I’ve already done.
Oatmeal Enthusiast: Meet Victoria!
I have actually known Victoria for a while now. I met her when she lived in New York for a while, and she recently did a guest post for Sweet Potato and Date Oatmeal. Considering how beautiful her oatmeal is, it’s about time she gets the well-deserved opportunity to be October’s Oatmeal Enthusiast! Yay!
Hello everyone !!
My name is Victoria (@healthymonkey_ on Instagram), I’m 19 and I’m thrilled to be your oatmeal enthusiast this month! I’d like to thank Lauren, because not only has she asked me to write this post during my favorite time of the year (yep, cold weather fan right here), but she’s been an inspiration for my daily bowl of oats for the past two years!
So here’s a little more about me, I recently moved from France to Canada where I am now studying International Development, Anthropology (Omgg this is an amazing subject to study, I highly recommend!) and environment at McGill University. I’m absolutely loving it here; Montreal is such a nice city, and winter being my favorite season, I am beyond excited to finally put my rain boots back on and have snow on my doorstep in a few months’ time .
I also live with my cat, Dartagnan, the cutest little fur ball I’ve ever seen (yes I’m a proud crazy cat lady, but we all know they make, hands down, the best companions ever, so no shame whatsoever).
Anyway, I’m rambling here. We’re here for oatmeal, right?
So my love story with oatmeal started on my path to becoming a vegan and wanting to get healthier, well, just healthy given my past. This was two years ago and I’ve been totally addicted since. Lauren’s posts were the best thing that had ever happened to my breakfasts. It actually got me into cooking, baking and all that fun stuff.
The reason why I fell in love with oats is because of its versatility. You can literally make everything you want with it.
A funny thing I noticed while I was learning Spanish abroad, is how your breakfast can seem extremely unappealing when you explain it to people who’ve never tried it before (and particularly to those who usually eat processed stuff for breakfast, if any). When you start learning a new language, you usually begin with simple conversations like “What did you have for breakfast!?”. And so you try to explain. With basic words. In a foreign tongue. That makes for very confused and skeptical faces from the person you’re talking to, I’m telling you. To be fair, oats and water (or even plant-based milk), a banana and some cinnamon, doesn’t sound really appetizing, I’ll admit.
That’s the only problem with oatmeal, you can NEVER do justice to oatmeal, unless you have an Instagram worthy picture of it, then people start to believe it actually tastes good.
So here’s a week worth of oatmeal in Instagram worthy pictures so you can actually believe oatmeal is delicious. But I guess we’re all oatmeal lovers here so we don’t really need further proof of how incredible oatmeal is.
(Note that I used “oatmeal” 4 times in just two sentences. Can’t-Get-Enough.)
Warning : I’ve been extremely addicted to peanut butter lately.
Monday : Banana-cacao oatmeal
This was a post-workout breakfast, I wanted something quick but still delicious so this did the trick, basic banana oatmeal with a cacao twist! Cooked in half water/half almond milk, some cinnamon because even with cacao I can’t help myself, a mashed (over-overripe haha) banana and I added raw cacao powder at the end of the cooking process! It was a rainy and gloomy day so picture’s not that good but I promise the oatmeal was ! And I may or may not have thrown some PB in…
Tuesday : Apple Pie Oatmeal
I had made homemade applesauce just a few days before so apple pie oats seemed a good idea for a chilly morning just before school. This is one of my favorite recipes ever, I got it from Angela Liddon, the amazing cook behind the Oh She Glows blog and cookbook (cookbook you should definitely buy btw!). This recipe features diced apple, applesauce, almond milk, spices and chia seeds which give it an incredible texture. I really recommend!
Wednesday : Banana-Cinnamon Oatmeal
This is pretty basic I know, but sometimes all you want is cool toppings, right? Cinnamon and banana oatmeal is still the bomb.com don’t get me wrong, but I was feeling like peanut butter in my oatmeal, and strawberries, and banana, chia seeds too, but that was more for the aesthetic haha #thethingsyoudoforInstagram Anyway, this didn’t disappoint, and curiously, cinnamon and PB is super good!
Thursday : Stewed Date and Apple oatmeal
Okay so you’ve got to try this! I’m serious. This oatmeal was born out of despair (don’t ask me why because now that I think about it, I actually had amazing ingredients). I had just arrived in Montreal, and my dad and I were in an Airbnb apartment. Breakfast time arrived and the only ingredients I had were dates, apples, dark chocolate and peanut butter. You’d think those couldn’t go together in the same bowl (…or, maybe yes…) but I tried anyway just for the sake of experiment. And boy! I’m glad I did! So, you stew a diced apple and date pieces in a saucepan until it’s kind of mushy and smells amazing, and in the meantime you cook your oats (add some more date pieces there!). When this is all done, pour oatmeal in a bowl, and top with the stewed apple/date mix, peanut butter and dark chocolate! And voilà ! Delicious.
Friday : Banana oatmeal with maple-nut sauce
Again here, it was mostly about the toppings. The most important one being the maple-nut sauce. I discovered it here on The Oatmeal Artist, I usually put it on my pancakes, and also usually do it properly by making the peanut butter melt in a sauce pan but I was feeling very lazy so that part went a little out the window. I love this sauce though! Maple syrup + peanut butter is a match made in heaven ! But don’t be lazy like me and make it on the stove top it’s worth the extra dish to clean!
Saturday : Grated apple oatmeal with berry coulis
This was actually lunch, but I mean, oatmeal is so good I could have it three times a day so who cares. For this one, I was inspired by Deliciously Ella. She had posted that same day a recipe with berry coulis on top of oatmeal so I thought I’d give it a shot. I must admit I’m actually not a fan of berries in oatmeal because it gives it an acidic taste but this was good, can’t compete with a creamy oatmeal though, but that’s just my taste.
Sunday : SWEET POTATO FUDGE OATMEAL
All time favorite. Hands down. I just HAD to end the week with this. It’s insane how good this oatmeal is and I will never thank Lauren enough for creating the recipe.
Let me emphasize this again. BEST. OATMEAL. EVER.
Learn more information about the Oatmeal Enthusiast series and how you could be featured by reading more here.
Tahini Cookie Baked Oatmeal
So tahini has been a learning experience for me. My first taste was one of . . . bewilderment. I was taken aback by its bitterness and wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. I think I made some great recipes with the mocha poached pear and raspberries and chocolate and the apple and honey. But I still wasn’t sure how I felt about tahini in general.
This baked oatmeal gave me a new appreciation for tahini. Inspired by this recipe for tahini cookies, I made a baked oatmeal similar to my Peanut Butter Cookie Baked Oatmeal, but with tahini. Would you believe that I liked it just as much? (more…)
Cookies and Cream Overnight Oats [Guest Post]
TOA: Special shout out to Kelsey! She suggested making a cookies and cream overnight oatmeal, and I said her idea sounded brilliant and she should try it out herself. Being fantastic, she went to work right away and delivered this perfect recipe. I can’t wait to try it in my kitchen!
Hi there!
My name is Kelsey; I’m a math grad student at the University of Virginia and a major oatmeal fanatic. Before we get to the recipe, let me just say that I am so excited to be writing this guest post. I’m a big fan of the blog, so rest assured there was some major fangirling going on when Lauren brought up the possibility of writing this post.
My story is very similar to hers (digestive issues, transition to veganism, cutting out almost all added sugar, etc.), so I’ve always really related to the content on the blog. Oatmeal is one of my main creative outlets as far as food is concerned so I really love experimenting with new ingredients and flavor combos.
The newest flavor oatmeal in my life is Cookies and Cream. It plays off of Lauren’s faux-reo PB2 recipe, which is basically oreo cookie butter, and employs overnight oats, my new go-to afternoon snack. (more…)
Fig & Toasted Hazelnut Muesli
I haven’t posted any muesli recipes in. . . a year? Wow.
I developed a negative association with muesli after I survived off it last August when our stove didn’t work. Because I was forced to eat muesli every day (hence the burst of muesli recipes last August), I now have a slight resentment for it.
However, giving it another shot this month reminded me of why I love it. So versatile, and perfect for hot summer mornings. (And we have too frickin many a lot of hot summer mornings in New York.)
Truthfully, I’m not much of a hazelnut fan. They’re my second least favorite nut (after the brazil nut, which tastes like equal doses of harsh sorrow and bitter remorse). Yet, I was determined to give them a shot for this autumn-inspired muesli combining figs and hazelnuts. Plus, I’m on a nut-toasting craze, and perhaps freshly toasted hazelnuts would not suck blow my mind!
(more…)
Here’s How to Microwave Oatmeal that Still Tastes Really Damn Good
Let me be the first to openly proclaim my dislike of microwaved oats. Maybe I just don’t have the skillzzz, but my attempts at microwaved oatmeal have always resulted in a gummy or dry mess that resists all attempts of flavoring. Or worse, it results in an overflowing bowl and a mushy, messy puddle in the microwave.
Stove-top oatmeal for LIFE.
However, I’ve recently learned that a huge chunk of my readers DO make my recipes in the microwave, and another chunk of my readers are curious about how to do it. Since I clearly haven’t mastered this skill, I turned to the real masters: my readers. Special thanks to all of you that helped me out with all the great advice!
PSSST. . . you’ll notice that some readers’ tips contradict each other. That’s fine! It’s called “personal preference.” 😉 It just goes to show you that there is always more than one way to accomplish something!
Basil Chocolate Zucchini Oatmeal
Say whaaaat?
Yeah. Basil + chocolate. I went there.
Okay, sure. This isn’t for everyone. But I love basil. I have a passionate love for all fresh herbs, but basil is easily my favorite. It’s been proven by the food blog community that basil pairs perfectly with sweet fruits, so why not chocolate?
(more…)
Blueberry Apple Oatmeal
I’ve done so many oatmeal recipes with apples, but I’m just now exploring the concept of using apples as a base like I do with banana. This is thanks to grating. With a grated apple, you get the taste and volume of apple without the chunks. When you dice an apple, those chunks steal the focus of the oatmeal. When you’re making Apple Pie Oatmeal or Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal, that’s a good thing. But sometimes, you want apple in the background. Voila, grating.*
*Or use applesauce, if you insist.
In addition to the grated apple, I spiced the base with my usual cinnamon + vanilla combo. Why? Because it’s classic. It works in the majority of my oatmeal recipes. It’s not me being lazy. It’s me acknowledging what works. And this works. Every time. (more…)
Spiced Banana Oatmeal with Java PB2
As promised, I made a banana version of the Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal with Java PB2. I always follow through with my promises, right?
Considering I’ve already explained the influence behind this post, I’ll just do some quoting. It started in my Banana, Mango, & Cardamom Oatmeal:
I finished my PB2 and cocoa powder before the move to Brooklyn, and at my new apartment, I decided not to buy more. Why? Because it’s all I wanted to eat. Every day. My blog was begging for new recipes, but all I ever wanted to eat was Fudgy Banana & Peanut Butter Oatmeal or Berry Blackout Oatmeal or Mocha Brownie Batter Oatmeal with Almond Butter.
. . . So I’m challenging myself to not keep those two ingredients in the apartment for a couple weeks to see what I can create in the morning without them calling my name.
The idea for this recipe actually came from my banana soft serve. I usually flavor my banana soft serve with cocoa powder and top it with PB2 (shocking, right?). Since I couldn’t do that, I had to get creative.
Spiced Pumpkin Oatmeal with Java PB2
Hello, friends. Meet the newest take on Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal.
That’s right. As I am always eager to find a way to add nut butter to every recipe, I developed a different way to enjoy the most famous Starbucks drink in oatmeal form. The oatmeal is a simple pumpkin spice, made exactly like my Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal. Then, it is topped with a wonderful flavor twist on nut butter: PB2 laced with coffee!
I polled you all on Instagram several weeks ago, asking how early is too early for a PSL recipe. Nobody seemed to mind that it was early August, but I managed to hold out until mid-September. Go me.
