Popular Porridges
Tag Archives: nut butter
Applesauce Ancient Grains Oatmeal with Almond Butter and Cherry Jam
After falling in love with Purely Elizabeth’s 6-Grain Ancient Grain Cereal, I decided to work with it again, this time with two special ingredients. 1) almond butter, which costs an arm and a leg, and 2) cherry jam, which my friend bought me from Italy. 🙂
The title says applesauce, but you could also use stewed apples, grated apples, or diced apples–whatever floats your yacht. (more…)
Scotcheroo Oatmeal
TOMORROW is my 2-year vegan anniversary (aka my vegan-versary!). To celebrate, I made this beautiful baby that I’ve been trying/failing/trying/failing/trying/failing for quite some time now. But here it is, the most successful version.
Not sure what Scotcheroos are? No worries—you’re not alone. I myself had much confusion regarding this title, but now I can confidently give you the low-down.
Growing up, I was familiar with two similar bars: Rice Krispy bars and Special K bars. I had never heard of a Scotcheroo. However, I eventually learned that what I was calling a “Special K” bar was actually a Scotcheroo. To be a Special K bar, it has to be made with Special K cereal . . . duh. (more…)
Cherry-Berry Oatmeal with Chocolate PB2 and Toasted Coconut
I used to have a strong aversion to cooking my fruits in my oatmeal. What was the point of having fresh fruit if I were just going to boil it to oblivion in my oatmeal? However, I’ve recently come around.
First of all, the flavor is astounding. Second of all, it’s a perfect solution if you’re working with frozen fruits (as I often am when it comes to cherries). And third of all, you can still include fresh chopped berries that you add in later, so it’s the best of both worlds.
This recipe reminds me of my Black Forest Oatmeal, and I almost called it Black Forest Oatmeal 3.0 (since I’ve made so many versions of this particular flavor). However, I decided against it.
I used chocolate PB2 (obviously), but you can sub in any chocolate nut butter (yes, including Nutella), or you can take regular peanut butter and mix in cocoa powder–and maybe some sweetener if you think it’s necessary.
And don’t forget to participate in the contest to become December’s Oatmeal Enthusiast!
All you have to do is leave comments. See details here.
Random Recommendations:
- [reads] Here’s another new article of mine on ThoughtCatalog: “Dear People with Children: My Life is Not Meaningless“
- [tunes] I’ve always loved DJ Earworm’s annual mash-ups, but somehow I missed the 2014 version. It rocks. Like always.
- [tunes] Many people think Mariah Carey’s best song is “All I Want for Christmas is You.” False. It’s “Always Be My Baby.”
- [stuff] ModCloth has the best selection of skirts around. Flattering silhouettes, modest lengths, and gorgeous patterns.
Cherry-Berry Oatmeal with Chocolate PB2 and Toasted Coconut
What you'll need:
- 3/4 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup quick cook steel cut oats
- 5 frozen or fresh cherries, pitted and halved
- 5-10 fresh strawberries (frozen not recommended)
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- serving of chocolate PB2 or nut butter* (OR Faux-reo Cookie PB2)
- unsweetened coconut flakes or chips
- optional: chocolate chips, chunks, or chopped dark chocolate; almonds; strawberries for garnish
For topping
How to make it:
- Add liquid to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a low boil and add oats. Reduce heat to medium low (it should be at a simmer).
- Add halved frozen cherries.
- Dice strawberries (the smaller, the better, in my opinion) and add HALF of them to the oatmeal along with the vanilla extract and salt.
- While you wait, toast your coconut. In a small skillet over medium low heat, add a handful of coconut. Shake the skillet occasionally so the coconut toasts evenly. When coconut starts to show tooasty golden goodness, remove from heat and set aside.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, stir in the remaining strawberries, and then transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of milk, chocolate PB2, and toasted coconut, and any other optional toppings.
Just an FYI:
* You can make your own chocolate nut butter or PB2 by mixing in a teaspoon of cocoa powder. If desired, you could also add sweetener.
7 Comments
POSTED IN: almonds, berries, cherries, chocolate, coconut, nut butter, pb2, peanut butter, strawberries
POSTED IN: almonds, berries, cherries, chocolate, coconut, nut butter, pb2, peanut butter, strawberries
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.
Spiced Apple Oatmeal with Tahini & Honey
I’ll start with my usual disclosure for the vegan police: yep, honey. As I always say, I’m “one of those vegans”–go ahead and berate me in the comments. I’ve received more hate from YouTube trolls and sixth graders misbehaving in the hallway than you can imagine. I can most certainly handle your lambasting. I briefly discuss my views on honey on my Plant Proud! page.
Alright, good. We’re past that. Moving on.
So my first attempt at tahini was not the groundbreaking experience I had hoped for. As it turns out, tahini is not peanut butter. It is not rich like peanut butter. It is not warm and cozy like peanut butter. It is neither sweet nor salty like peanut butter. In fact, it’s pretty darn bitter. It’s kind of like creamy sesame oil with a bitter aftertaste.
(I’ve totally convinced you to try it, right?) (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…)
Triple Chocolate Baked Oatmeal
“Lauren!” you might have gasped. “Triple chocolate? For breakfast? What happened to your nutrition concerns?”
No fear. It sounds much unhealthier than it actually is. In fact, I was so curious, that I entered the ingredients list into a nutritional calculator to see how this stacked up. Considering how I rarely do this, I was stunned at how great the results were. Despite all the chocolate, it gives you nearly 30 grams of fiber (what?!), 18 grams of protein, and a laundry list of vitamins and minerals, all for under 500 calories. Unbelievable.
Of course, the one hit you will take is in the sugar department, but I think that’s the choice you make when you decide to put chocolate chips in your oatmeal. 🙂
Of course, it does contain chocolate chips, so it is a bit indulgent for breakfast, but that’s all relative, right?
If you make this with a banana like I did, this baked oatmeal is naturally sweetened, packed with nutrients, and filling. If you’re not a fan of banana-flavored chocolate, you could sub hearty sweet potatoes, rich avocado, or neutral-flavored zucchini. (more…)
8 Comments
POSTED IN: baked oatmeal, banana, bananas, chocolate, dessert lovers, nut butter, peanut butter
POSTED IN: baked oatmeal, banana, bananas, chocolate, dessert lovers, nut butter, peanut butter
Faux-reo Cookie PB2
Perhaps you’ve seen the cookies ‘n’ creme cookie butter at Trader Joe’s. Or the many recipes around the interwebz for a similar product. Or maybe you just eat an entire package of Oreos at once like Oreos.
It doesn’t take a genius to recognize none of these options are particularly healthy. Luckily, I have a much healthier alternative for you. I didn’t set out to make it, but I accidentally “discovered” it one morning as I prepared my daily PB2.
You see, in my pre-vegan days, I made homemade Oreos…not once, but twice. That’s the kind of person I am. (They do have vegan recipes out there, but I used this one because Smitten Kitchen is a queen.) (more…)
