Popular Porridges
Author Archives: Lauren Smith
Watermelon Coconut Overnight Oatmeal
Watermelon + oatmeal has been an equation that I’ve been trying to solve for quite some time. I tried this Melon Berry Overnight Oatmeal last summer. Truthfully, it was okay. But it most definitely wasn’t my favorite. I’ve been dying to give watermelon another try, but I just couldn’t crack the code. How do you make a watermelon oatmeal that is 1) not too runny, and 2) sweet without being heavily sweetened?
I found two answers to this question. One: use coconut milk. Coconut milk (from the can) is so thick and creamy that it would compensate for watermelon’s . . . well, watery-ness. The other answer came from my partner-in-crime (well . . . sort of. She hasn’t agreed to this title, haha): Meghan from Oatgasm. (more…)
Chocolate Hazelnut PB2
PB2 is magical! You can do so much with it. I finally bought hazelnut extract (primarily because I bought a second spice rack and I needed to fill it out haha), and I was so excited to try out this Nutella-hack.
As much as I frequently eat PB2 as is, I also enjoy making fun “spins” of it (see: Faux-reo Cookie PB2). Truthfully, I’ve only had Nutella a couple times (pre-vegan days), and I was always assaulted by how cloyingly sweet it was. I much preferred PB&Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams, as I’ve mentioned before.
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London Fog Oatmeal
What is a London Fog, you ask? Hold on, I’ll get to that.
Back in college, I had the world’s best barista. Well, I had two excellent baristas, but I’m going to talk about one in particular. Her name was Noelle. We were both majoring in the humanities, so we saw each other around campus and even took a creative writing course together (and she was obviously brilliant at it). She was one of the coolest people I knew. You know those girls who walk around confidently with their own unique fashion sense and don’t give a crap about the trends anyone else is following? But manage to pull it off without looking ridiculous? That was Noelle.
She also happened to be a helluva barista. (more…)
Raspberry Oatmeal with Tahini & Dark Chocolate Chunks
My first tahini experience! Ta-da!
For years, I’ve been buying the “tahini sauce” from Trader Joe’s and using it for salad dressing. It is not the same as plain ol’ tahini. Tahini sauce contains add-ins like lemon juice and garlic. In fact, it kind of tastes like hummus, without the chickpeas! Thus, when I observed multiple #oatmealartist posts on Instagram include tahini, I was appalled. “YOU ARE TOPPING YOUR FRUITY OATMEAL WITH GARLICKY TAHINI?! (more…)
Glühwein (Mulled Wine) Oatmeal [Guest Post]
Hi oatmeal lovers! I am back in New York City after a three-week excursion to visit friends and family. If you’ve been following the blog, you know that I’ve been featuring many guest posts to keep the blog active throughout the summer despite my travels. Although I’ve been eating simple oatmeal every morning, I didn’t really have time to create new recipes, make them look pretty, and take nice pictures of them. So I outsourced. 😉 I found Tiffany’s “Glühwein” (aka mulled wine) Oatmeal on Instagram and thought it was brilliant.
Vanilla Cappuccino Zoats [Guest Post]
Good morning, oatmeal lovers! Today marks my first day back home in NYC (it’s great to be back!), and I have been so appreciative of everyone who has helped me keep the blog active with fantastic recipes while I’ve been traveling. This recipe comes to us from Taigen, the Oatmeal Enthusiast from July. The moment I saw it, I knew I wanted to see the recipe for myself and to share it with my readers. Luckily for all of us, she said yes!
Hi guys! I am so happy to be back! And thank you to Lauren for asking me to share one of my zoat recipes with you – I hope you all like it!
So, I have never been a massive coffee drinker. When I use to have it, it was for that earthy fresh smell, the sweet flavours (vanilla or hazelnut every time) and the sensation of holding warmth. I love the taste of coffee, but that hasn’t ever translated to loving it as a drink.
One morning I woke up craving coffee and a bit of a ‘kick’ to start the day. It then occurred to me that I could put coffee in my daily oats and just eat it instead. So that’s exactly what I did.
This has been one of my favourite coffee-oat creations to date. The use of vanilla protein powder gives it a sweetened edge that I love. (more…)
Poached Strawberry-Rhubarb & Reduction Sauce
The idea behind this recipe surfaced as I looked for ways to enhance pre-flavored oatmeal packets. On its own, I truly hate the taste of Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal. Not only is it too sweet for me, but I always think it lacks depth in flavor. It’s just like, “AHHH MAPLE!!!!! BROWN SUGAR!!!!!” It has no captivating nuances. No variation of texture. No fruit, no interesting spices . . . just sugar, sugar, and sugar.
You can pump up Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal in numerous ways as I discussed in the aforemetioned post. I knew I was going to add a banana—because bananas are like oxygen to me—but I also wanted to add an interesting topping. Considering I was in Minnesota at the time, I “stole” some rhubarb from my sister’s front yard (I assure you she will not miss them) to make this super easy topping.
Poaching is easy. The definition of poaching is simply simmering something in a liquid. For example, you’ve probably heard of wine-poached pears, which is merely a pear simmered in wine (which is an excellent idea since pears are gross and flavorless). You can poach any fruit (or eggs, haha) in anything: from water to tea to juice to wine to some other sort of spiced concoction. (more…)
8 Simple Tricks to Spruce Up Pre-Flavored Oatmeal
Several pictures below originally appeared in my post 10 Tips for Eating Oatmeal While Traveling.
I think we’ve all been in that spot before: maybe you’re stuck with the limited options of a hotel continental breakfast, you’re a guest trying to make your daily porridge in a home without plain oats, a well-intentioned friend has given you a box of Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal, you’re “making it work” in a campus dining hall, or perhaps you’re simply trying to use up an old supply of oatmeal from before your transition to homemade porridge.
At one time or another, we’ve all held a packet of Apple Spice or Peaches ’N’ Cream or Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal and thought, “How can I possibly enjoy this?”
Maybe I’m being too presumptuous. Some of you may still like those famous flavored packets. However, judging by the sentiments repeatedly expressed by my Oatmeal Enthusiasts, many of you share my dissatisfaction of the old packets. Once you go homemade, the pre-flavored stuff just doesn’t do it anymore.
Certainly, it may not reach the same level of enjoyment as your usual Sweet Potato Fudge Oatmeal or Peach Cherry Almond Oatmeal at home, but you can hack a flavored packet to make it more tasty!
Here are some tricks to make a flavored packet more enjoyable to your new, sophisticated palette. 😉
Blueberry and Basil Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans [Guest Post]
Hello, TheOatmealArtist readers! It’s Monica from My Pink Recipe Book again, back to share another oatmeal recipe, this time for a Blueberry and Basil Steel Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans. Being a full-time med student, my food-focus is typically quick and easy, while always being healthy and full of nutrient-dense ingredients. Thus, oats are a very common staple in my diet.
My love for combining fruits and herbs all started with a Strawberry and Basil smoothie I made at the beginning of this summer. Realizing what a fantastic pairing they were, I vowed to create more recipes pairing fruits and herbs. One evening, as I was pondering what to have for my breakfast the next morning, I glanced over, and similarly to Lauren, spotted my basil plant by my window. (aside: my too has since withered away) Immediately, I knew I wanted to make a steel cut oatmeal in the morning that would pair well with this delicious, slightly sweet and licorice-tasting herb.
Since I had tried strawberries already and knew they were a winner, I thought to venture out to more berries and include blueberries instead. Since I like to keep my breakfasts high in protein, I tossed in a generous amount of chopped pecans. Topping this oatmeal dish off with a drizzle of honey made it feel almost like a dessert, but knowing how healthy it really was made it that much more enjoyable to eat.
To get the recipe, head on over to my blog and read more about the Blueberry and Basil Steel Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Pecans.
Oatmeal Enthusiasts: Meet Cassie!
Although I have discovered many previous Enthusiasts on Instagram, Cassie was a special case. I love seeing my recipes duplicated on Instagram, but another thing I love is receiving comments on my posts. Cassie was consistently posting enthusiastic responses to my new recipes, and it didn’t take long for me to notice and start to recognize her name. I couldn’t wait to invite her to be August’s Oatmeal Enthusiast, and I’m so happy she accepted.
Wow, I cannot even begin how exciting it is to be the Oatmeal Enthusiast of August! I was beyond ecstatic since I comment on Lauren’s posts regularly and cannot get enough of her amazing concoctions. I tend to put the most effort into breakfast since it is my favorite meal of the day as well!
My name is Cassie, otherwise @superfitbabe on Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, and I am an 18 year-old health and fitness blogger, foodie and traveler who loves trying new things. Oatmeal tends to be an exception since I frequently go back to making it, but I always discover creative recipes—including my favorite banana PB&J oatmeal and banana chocolate chip oatcakes from Lauren’s blog!
Growing up, my mother usually made my oatmeal for me. My first favorite oatmeal was the “Magicolor Cinnamon Crunch” Quaker instant oatmeal I had every day for breakfast before I would leave for preschool. I slowly grew out of rainbow sprinkles and grew to love cold cereal, especially the most popular kid brands such as Frosted Flakes and Lucky Charms.* It stayed that way for a long time until eighth grade when I saw I needed to make healthier choices and switched to whole wheat bran flakes and fruity granola. The problem with cold cereal was that I was never full after one serving and would end up eating more than seven bowls in one sitting!
*TOA: I can’t help but interject that these were my favorites, too!
Eventually I researched that oatmeal was the main alternative to cold cereal and asked my mother to buy me my first large canister of rolled oats—yes, none of that pre-packaged instant oatmeal stuff! Later as I became more expertise in making oatmeal, I found amazing recipes and add-ins that thicken and volumize my oats—my favorites became egg whites, coconut flour and vegan protein powder!
I’ve been hooked on oatmeal ever since developing a healthy lifestyle and relationship with food—it’s so hard to get bored! If you don’t believe me, hopefully you’ll find so otherwise when you take a look at my week of oatmeal eats below!
Sunday: Salted Caramel-Glazed Oatmeal
I decided to use one and a half spoonfuls of coconut flour as my main oatmeal thickener. After sprinkling some cinnamon on the oats, I topped it with a golden plum, a strawberry, raspberry, some Evoke Healthy Foods Athletic Fuel muesli (with pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, cashews, almonds, and raisins), Nature’s Path Qi’a chia cranberry buckwheat cereal, and a healthy salted caramel glaze topping I made by stirring some Quest Salted Caramel protein powder with a few splashes of water. I loved the sweetness of the glaze and the fluffiness of the oats—it was basically eating a giant cinnamon bun with a bunch of my favorite toppings! (more…)
