Popular Porridges
Tag Archives: apples
How to Use PB2 + Applesauce PB2 Overnight Oatmeal
I recently asked you all how you like to use PB2 in your oatmeal. Not surprisingly, many of you have similar ideas as mine! I’ll share some of your ideas, and I’ll end with a new recipe using PB2 at the end.
Caramel Apple Oatmeal Parfait
For my readers who have been around since the beginning: can you tell I’m not as into apples as I used to be?
I used to love them so much. They were the first “health food” I hooked myself on when I started weaning myself off processed foods. I would honestly eat two or three apples a day to keep myself from eating crap like Doritos or ice cream. When I started buying organic food, apples and bananas were pretty much the only produce I could afford. When I fell in love with peanut butter, I would eat sliced apple with peanut butter every afternoon when I came home from my last class of the day during my junior and senior year in college.
You can see that obsession in my early recipes. So. Many. Apples. I’m not sure when it happened, but during my year in Newark, the love affair ended. I started having stomach issues (mainly bloating) after eating apples, and I found bananas and oranges to be less abrasive. The apple recipes faded away. (more…)
Apple Baked Oatmeal with Espresso Almond Butter Frosting
Remember how I bought almond butter and managed to not demolish it within seconds? Here is another recipe I created with it. Seriously, what could be better than a robe of almond butter smothering a baked oatmeal cake? Nothing, that’s what.
To see how I made it, scroll to the bottom. I’m about to do some sappy reflecting. (more…)
Stewed Fig and Apple Steel-Cut Oatmeal
Happy Tuesday! Happy last week of school for me! Happy birthday to my older brother, Christopher!
There are so many reasons to be happy this week. One of the reasons includes starting every morning with this oatmeal. The inspiration actually came from my dislike of the appearance of fresh figs. Why are they so unattractive? Thus, I thought to myself: maybe if I stew them or make a compote, I can enjoy the flavor of figs without the ugly appearance.
Well, it turns out that stewed figs are, in fact, uglier than a regular ol’ fresh fig. Bummer.
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Salted (or not) Caramel Apple Oatmeal
One week remains of my first year of teaching! Each year, as my life and career become increasingly more demanding, I worry about how my blog will fit into my schedule. This year, I consistently worked 70-80 hours a week, yet I somehow managed to squeeze in a few hours each weekend to manage this blog . . . So if you’re wondering why I’m not so great at responding to blog comments anymore, that’s why. I’m sorry! I read and appreciate all of them!
Despite my long hours of classroom prep, I remained loyal to this blog. I think that’s quite telling. No matter how stressful my life was, I made this blog a priority. Why? I enjoy it. Yes, it’s a LOT of (more) work, but it’s also gratifying and therapeutic.
This recipe, like many others, has been stumping me for at least a year. How could I make a VEGAN caramel sauce? It’s not that I didn’t know how–there are tons of recipes out there. I just didn’t feel like making it (see above re: 70-80 hours a week)!
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Apple Beet Oatmeal
One of my favorite parts of meeting new people is how they influence my food preferences. Before I met my former roommate Christin, I never sauteed my vegetables (I always steamed or roasted). Before my current roommate Chilee, I avoided mushrooms at all costs. And of course, there was my former boyfriend from my junior year of college, who inadvertently converted me to a vegetarian (and eventually fully herbie).
Then, there’s Allison. She’s taught me you can never use enough cinnamon. She showed me (before going vegan) that “runny eggs” are nothing to be feared. She introduced me to dozens of foods I had ever tried before, like goat cheese and Indian food and RAMEN (the real stuff). Last but not least, with months of effort, she trained me to appreciate her favorite vegetable: beets.
I tried them once. I tried them twice. I tried them several times. Each time, I found them tolerable at best, but why did they taste like dirt? Why were they always cold and gelatinous?
But then this recipe happened. I had thought of the concept ages ago, but making it would force me to confront my wariness of beets. I’m pleased to report that I’m so glad I finally did it!
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Apple and Cherry Jam Baked Oatmeal
After several recommendations from multiple readers, I finally tried grating an apple instead of dicing it. I originally disregarded it because I thought about how much I loathe grating carrots. Luckily, apples are softer than carrots and grate much more easily. I actually found it easier–and possibly even faster–to grate the apple than dice it!
Because apple is so juicy, grating it results in a sauce-like (but wonderful) glop. That may sound unappealing, but it’s perfect when you consider that you’ll have apple flavor in every single bite. It also means you won’t have big mushy apple chunks, which is my least favorite part of baked apple oatmeal. (more…)
How to Make Creamier Oatmeal with Diced Fruit
If you’ve been following the blog from the beginning, you will have witnessed the progression of my apple recipes. If not, let me catch you up.
First, there was Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal–simple, easy, and reliable. The only problem? Look how separated it is. The rolled oats appear to segregate themselves from the apple chunks. The oats do not join together like pudding.
For comparison’s sake, look at this Banana Bread Oatmeal picture–SO CREAMY!
And then there was Apple Pie Oatmeal. UGH! LOOK AT IT! How unappetizing.
I learned two lessons from the Apple Pie Oatmeal photos: 1) cut the apples into smaller pieces, and 2) douse the oatmeal in milk before photographing.
The result was a slew of milk-doused apple oatmeals.
Then, something wonderful happened: I met quick cook steel-cut oats. This drastically changed my porridges, and this is Secret #1.
1. Use quick cook steel-cut oats whenever you’re working with diced fruit.
I could not believe this recipe when I made it. Look at how pudding-like it is! Instead of segregating into unhappy flakes, it creams together like custard…no banana necessary! I didn’t even need to splash milk on afterwards. (Pictured above: Salted Maple, Apple, & Pecan Oatmeal)
Around the same time as this recipe, I also created Applesauce Oatmeal using homemade applesauce. This gave me another revelation.
2. When possible, precook apples before adding them to the oatmeal.
Despite the fact that I left my applesauce rather chunky, it stirred into this oatmeal seamlessly. Now I was really pleased with myself! However, I quickly discovered yet another way to achieve soft apples without having to make applesauce.
3. Use steel-cut oats to give the apples more time to cook.
The success of this method is demonstrated in my Apple Pie Steel-Cut Oatmeal. After all, if you add the apples right away, they cook with the oats for an entire twenty minutes! The results? Integrated, cohesive, happy creaminess (and soft apples!):
However, when making “regular,” ready-in-five-minutes oatmeal, it’s still possible to achieve soft apples and creamy porridge. My latest secret? A quick stewing.
4. For instant “softer” apples, stew the apples for a couple minutes before adding the oats.
You’ve seen the results of this method previously this week in my Apple & Veggie Sausage Oatmeal. Before I bring the milk/water to a boil, I dice the apple into a saucepan and add about 1/2 a cup of water. I bring it to a boil and let it “stew” for approximately two minutes. Then, I add a 1/2 cup of milk, return it to a boil, and add the oats. All of that gives the apples an extra 3-4 minutes in the simmering liquid, which takes away its crunch and lets it melt in your mouth.
The above tricks work with all stone fruits, berries, and anything that requires dicing. However, it’s most relevant to apples since they are stubbornly firm.
Still, none of this success would have been possible without my quick-cook steel cut oats. If you haven’t tried this variety yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!
**You can also find hundreds of other oatmeal recipes (as well as tons of other meatless recipes) on my Pinterest account! You can also like The Oatmeal Artist on Facebook. Thanks!
Apple and Chestnut Oatmeal
When I posted my Berry and Fig Oatmeal and asked readers what ingredient they’d like to see me experiment with, Irene (a frequent commentor) requested chestnuts. My initially reaction was “GTFO.” My only experience (truly, the only one) with chestnuts was last Thanksgiving. I spent that holiday with Allison and her family, and together we prepared a phenomenal Chestnut, Leek, and Apple Stuffing.
Obviously, I loved this dish, but I still couldn’t see myself using chestnuts in oatmeal. However, as I wear out all my pumpkin and sweet potato possibilities, I’m starting to open my mind to different ingredients. Cue the chestnuts.
Apple and Veggie Sausage Oatmeal
I definitely try to limit my exposure to fake meats, but it’s always fun to experiment with them. My friends know that soyrizo is my absolute favorite, and good ol’ tempeh is a close second. I tend to have those around in my kitchen pretty regularly.
However, occasionally I get super crazy and buy random items…like these sausage links.
