Apple Pie Oatmeal

As a kid I always hated oatmeal. I couldn't stand the stuff. This was probably because back in the late 80's and early 90's the only kind of oats you made oatmeal with were rolled oats which produced a chunky, gelatinous porridge that I couldn't imagine anyone willingly eating. 

Oatmeal is best eaten with a bear spoon.

Fortunately for me, a few years ago stores started carrying steelcut oats, also called Irish, Scottish or pinhead oats. These oats still produce a thick porridge and if you stir gently they do not release as much soluble fiber that produces a gelatinous goo. They also have a nice texture and a slightly nutty flavor when toasted.


There are a million ways to eat steelcut oatmeal and I particularly like mine to have lightly sweetened pie-inspired flavors. Today I'm making apple pie inspired oats.


This recipe will make one serving, so adjust accordingly for the amount of people you will be making it for.


Apple Pie Steelcut Oatmeal


1/4 cup steelcut oats
1/2 cup chopped apple
(You want a sweet and firm apple such as gala, braeburn, fuji or honeycrisp. Take a guess which state I'm from.)
1 pitted, chopped date (optional, if you like it sweeter)
1 cup water
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground cloves
1/4 t fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 t ground allspice
pinch of salt


Heat a small pan on medium low heat. I use a 1.5 qt pot for a single serving. If you like, you can add about 1/2 t of butter or Earth Balance to the pot to help with toasting the oats, but this isn't necessary. When the pan is warm and the butter is sizzling, add the oats to the pan. Let them toast, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes until they sizzle and smell toasty. Add the apple, date, spices and salt to the pan. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the water. Be careful because it will boil in the hot pan at first. Turn the heat down to low and let the oatmeal simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are making a larger batch it will take longer. Gently stir the oats occasionally to make sure they are not sticking to the bottom. When the oatmeal is thickened to your liking, it is ready to serve. You can serve it just like this, the apple will make it slightly sweet, or you can add chopped nuts, brown sugar or whatever else you like on top.



This recipe serves 1 and has 210 calories per serving (without extra toppings or butter).


Since you only need about 1/2 a cup of chopped apple per serving, I like to chop one or two apples and put them in the fridge with the spices in a small container so I have them ready throughout the week. Anything that makes making a healthy breakfast faster or easier is a good idea in my book.


If you don't eat oatmeal regularly, you should start. Oats have more soluble fiber than any other grain, which slows digestion to help you feel full longer, lowers cholesterol, and reduces your risk for heart disease. They're also really tasty!

Avocado Egg Salad

I hate mayonnaise. It smells funny, it has a weird color, and it jiggles. 


Unfortunately, I like a lot of things that have mayonnaise in them, so I started using avocado as a replacement. Here is an egg salad that is equally good made with tofu. Feel free to add or replace ingredients to your taste.




Avocado Egg Salad

4 hard boiled eggs or 1 cup extra firm tofu

1 ripe avocado

1 t lime juice

1 T finely chopped red or mild white onion

finely minced jalapeño (to taste, optional)

finely minced garlic (to taste, optional)

salt

black pepper

chipotle chili powder (to taste, optional)

Put the avocado flesh into a bowl and mash it with a fork until it becomes smooth. Peel and cut the eggs into a few pieces, put them into another bowl, and mash with a fork until you form small chunks. If you are using tofu instead of eggs, wrap it in paper towels and put a heavy plate on top of it for 30 minutes to an hour to squeeze out the excess water before mashing it. 

Fold the egg or tofu into the mashed avocado and add to the mixture the lime juice, onion and jalapeño and garlic if using. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Add in the chipotle chili powder to taste, if using, or sprinkle it on top if serving open faced sandwiches or on crackers, like in the picture at the top. This salad can also be served on lettuce leaves, with pita chips, or you could just eat it with a spoon.

This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to make. Serves 4 and each serving has 156 calories. Avocados have healthy monounsaturated fat and 35% more potassium than bananas. They are also high in B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K and fiber so enjoy them!

Vegan Adzuki Bean Burgers

Small, red adzuki beans have a slightly sweet taste and are perfect for making these vegan bean burgers. They are high in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid and they are low in calories. If you can't find them or don't like the flavor, black beans are a great substitute.

Vegan Adzuki Bean Burgers

15 oz cooked adzuki beans

4 oz cooked garbanzo beans

1/2 medium onion

1/2 small zucchini

1 large handful spinach and/or kale

2 medium button mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

1/2 t chipotle chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1/4 t red chili flakes

1/4 t turmeric

black pepper

salt

1/4 cup flour of your choice

lettuce

tomato

avocado

spicy brown mustard (optional)

If you are using canned beans, drain and gently rise them in a sieve or bowl. Place the beans into a bowl and mash them until they start to turn into a thick paste but still have some chunks of bean. Finely chop the onion, zucchini, greens and mushrooms.

Heat a sauté pan on medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil (I like macadamia nut oil). When the pan is hot, add the chopped veggies and sauté until the veggies wilt and become a little soft. The spinach and kale should still be bright green, but wilted. Do not over cook and dry out the veggies too much.

Add the cooked veggies to the mashed bean mixture. Finely mince or crush the garlic and add it to the mixture. Add the spices, and salt and pepper to taste. The spices can be adjusted to you liking. Refrigerate the mixture for at least one hour. If the mixture feels too soft or you plan on using it the next day, add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the mixture to dry it out a little more.

Heat a pan on medium heat with two tablespoons of oil. Form scoops of the bean mixture into patties that are approximately 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 an inch thick. You can adjust the diameter based on your burger bun size, but if they get too big they will tear easily because the mixture is quite soft. Lightly dust the patties with flour of your choice and add them two or three at a time to the hot pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per size until golden brown.

Serve on buns (I like Portland French Bakery’s Pub Buns) with lettuce leaves, lightly salted tomato slices, avocado slices and a little spicy brown mustard if you like.

This recipe makes about 6 patties.

138 calories per burger patty.