Tag Archives: nuts

Blood Orange, Cranberry, and Pistachio Oatmeal

Have you ever been in a moment so perfect–when everything you appreciate most in life is happening all at once–that you are rendered speechless and can only look around in awe?

These moments seem to pop up when I least expect them. For example, last night I barely knew the people I was hanging out with (the exception being the girl that invited me). However, halfway through the night as we were sitting around laughing and having stimulating, intellectual conversation (a rare find at my age), I could do nothing but smile and take a mental photograph of that moment.

Yes, intellectual conversation is all it takes to make me happy. šŸ™‚ I am an English major, after all.

Anyway, I almost made Strawberry Banana Oatmeal this morning, but then I decided I wanted to give you a new recipe. This one, in all its “bloody” glory (not funny?), is one I’ve been tweaking for a while. I bought a bag of these oranges (which are rarely, if ever, available in South Dakota) from a farmer’s market in San Diego, and I knew right away they’d end up in a bowl of oatmeal. Surprisingly, as strong of a taste as blood oranges have, the flavor gets diluted or something in oatmeal, so I had to find a way to enhance it and give it the spotlight. It was being a little shy. šŸ™‚

Have you ever noticed how unattractive pistachios are? šŸ™‚

But alas, this one is finally ready to make its debut. Oh, and I’ll let you in a little secret: this one is also good with chocolate chips on top. šŸ˜‰

Blood Orange, Cranberry, and Pistachio Oatmeal

by The Oatmeal Artist
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 5 min
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Ingredients (serves 1)
  • 2 small blood oranges, or 1 bigger one
  • 1 cup milk of choice, or water
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • handful of dried cranberries
  • small handful of pistachios
Instructions
  1. Begin by prepping your blood oranges. Cut one in half across its mid-section, like you would for a grapefruit. Then, I take a paring knife and slide it down each side of every segment. That will make them easier to spoon out. Once your have one prepped, repeat with the other orange.
  2. Bring milk (do NOT use all water for this recipe; I use an equal mixture of almond milk and water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium.
  3. Spoon out the segments from your blood orange halves and add to the oatmeal. Stir.
  4. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add ginger, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
  5. Add cranberries. If you’d like to add any extra ingredients (coconut oil, raisins, sunflower seeds), do so now.
  6. When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Serve with another splash of your milk of choice pistachios, and any other toppings you’d like (shredded coconut, chocolate chips, etc.).
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**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!

Loaded Banana Oatmeal

Do you ever have trouble deciding which kind of oatmeal to make in the morning because you kind of just want everything??

If so, this one’s for YOU. It’s like an Everything Bagel, without the garlic.

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Normally, when we hear the word “loaded,” we think of heart attacks like loaded chili or loaded baked potatoes, which usually feature bacon, sour cream, and junk food like “Funyuns.” No, thanks.

THIS loaded concoction can be as healthy (or unhealthy) as you like. For a healthier route, look for toppings like fresh fruit, dried fruit, peanut butter, puffed rice, any type of yogurt, nuts, raw chia or hemp seed, banana butter, sunflower or pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, granola, or more sliced banana. You could also add maple syrup or honey on top.

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Orange Almond Poppy Seed Oatmeal

Eating is personal…especially if you follow a particular diet like I do. The ingredients I choose and the meals I create feel like an extension of myself. I would even go so far as to say that my kitchen is almost like my diary; when friends come over and step into my kitchen–or worse, see inside my refrigerator–I feel exposed and self-conscious. Will they judge me for drinking almond milk? Or for buyingĀ organicĀ spinach? And then there’s the flax and chia seed in the cupboards…Does anyone else feel this way? Or is that just me?

Anyway, the point is, my kitchen is my comfort zone. I never realize how truly “at home” I feel in that space until I have to cook in someone else’s kitchen. For example, my whole world is flipped upside down when I visit my parents. I spend my mornings in a panic: where’s the almond milk?! Where’s the naturalĀ peanut butter??? Where’s my EARTH BALANCE?!! Oh, the horror!

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But that didn’t stop me from making this beauty. Unfortunately, I had to make it using water. Gag. I don’t understand how people can make oatmeal with water. It just makes such a sad bowl of porridge…

I overcame that, though. No flax…no coconut oil…no almond milk…no problem! I’m a teacher; I’m trained in creativity and flexibility. Even without my most beloved ingredients, I managed to whip up this bright and lively creation. Sha-blam!

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Variations on PB Oatmeal

Considering my love for peanut butter, it’s no surprise that it frequently finds its way into my oatmeal! I was editing my 3 Basic Oatmeal Recipes post this morning, and I was baffled at how to display all the possibilities for peanut butter oatmeal without it being cluttered and confusing. Finally, I realized it deserved its own page. Think of all the variations I’ve created!

Here is a list of possible variations for my basic peanut butter oatmeal:

Chunky vs. Creamy:

The most obvious variation is to experiment with both chunky and creamy nut butters. I normally buy creamy PB, but chunky PB is exceptionalĀ in oatmeal! Give it a shot!

Peanut Butter & Banana:

Add a mashed banana (or half of one) after adding the oats, OR add banana butter when serving.

PB&J:

Stir in jam or jelly while the oatmeal is cooking OR drizzle/whirl it into the top of the oatmeal when serving. You could also make it with banana or apple.

Ā PB2:

Whisk in 2 tbsp of PB2 before your liquid begins to boil for an extra flavor boost.

Ā Honey-Nut:

Drizzle honey generously when serving. You could also add apples!

Ā Not Peanut Butter:

Try using almond, cashew, or any other nut butter in place of the peanut butter.

Ā Chocolate Peanut Butter:

Use a chocolate PB (like this one, or even something like Nutella), OR add 1-2 tbsp cocoa powder in place of the cinnamon.


Almond Joy Oatmeal

I truly did have great ambitions for the blog this week. I had a couple new ideas for breakfast oatmeal, a lengthy list of savory oatmeal possibilities, and even a couple baked goods in mind. But then I went ahead and got myself a kidney stone.

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Yes, Wednesday morning, I awoke bright and early with a kidney stone slicing its way to my bladder. How pleasant! I practically sang and danced all the way to the emergency room. Never in my life have I been filled with such joy and endless optimism!Yeah right. In truth, it was easily the most painful experience I’ve ever been through. Luckily for me, it was only one small stone, and it passed pretty quickly. I’ll count my lucky stars this time.

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Honey Nut Oatmeal with Apples

If you’re allergic to peanuts, look away now… šŸ™‚

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The idea behind this recipe began a while ago, but I’ll take you back even further: I highly admire several food activists fighting Big Food these days. One of my idols right now is Andy Bellatti, a registeredĀ dietitianĀ from Seattle. He’s one of the best tweeters, constantly posting clever, educational, and witty updates. He’s also friendly and helpful, and he always answers any questions I ask him.

One of these questions popped up about a month and a half ago. I saw that bizarre PB2 product at the store; it’s basically a jar of dried peanut butter, in the form of powder. I rolled my eyes the first time I saw it, but then I couldn’t stop thinking about it later. Think of the possibilities! And what would it be like in my oatmeal? Wouldn’t it be like using cocoa powder instead of chocolate syrup (not to suggest chocolate syrup is in any way nutritionally similar to peanut butter!)?

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Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

There are so many beautiful things about oatmeal that make it perfect for poor college students like me. First of all, it’s insanely cheap. One large container of Quaker oats, which contains around thirty(!!) servings, costs around $3. That’s $3 for a month’s worth of breakfasts! Second of all, you don’t need fancy or expensive ingredients to make it special. A few pantry staples can whip up a fantastic bowl of porridge.

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My Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal is the perfect example of this, which is probably why it’s a standard in my oatmeal repertoire.Ā I originally posted this in my list of basic oatmeal recipes on my other blog. However, I refer to it so frequently that I felt it deserved it’s own post, so voila:

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Basic Oatmeal How-To (3 Simple Recipes)

I really love oatmeal. It’s not just something I eat in the winter time, and it’s not something I eat once a month. I have it at least four times a week, all year round.

I had oatmeal for the first time two years ago, during my sophomore year of college. I knew I needed more soluble fiber in my diet to get my digestion issues under control, but I also wanted a low-cal option to help me lose my freshmen you-don’t-even-want-to-know-how-much.

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