Coconut-Grapefruit Oatmeal with Pineapple

I bought a pineapple for the first time (ever) this week. I've always feared them, so the few times I've needed pineapple, I just bought the frozen stuff (I hate canned pineapple).

I had to Google how to cut one, but I found it much easier to deal with than a mango! And oh, so delicious! I want to bring some to school for lunch on Monday, and I'm having a hard time keeping my fingers out of it this weekend. I may only have a few tidbits to enjoy by tomorrow! ;)

Anyway, when I purchased it, I immediately thought of oatmeal. What concoction could I come up with??

So without further ado, I give you:

Oats cooked in coconut milk with grapefruit segments, and topped with fresh pineapple and shredded coconut. As if I didn't love my regular grapefruit oatmeal enough as it is, this combination really blew me away. The pineapple was divine, and it sweetened up the bitter grapefruit. Plus, pineapple and coconut is one of my favorite flavor combinations! Hurray!

Here's what I did:

1. Begin preparing the oatmeal like you would for my regular grapefruit oatmeal. For this recipe, I used a full cup of coconut milk.

2. When it comes to flavorings, I wasn't quite sure what to add. So, I kind of experimented: cinnamon, ginger, and poppy seed. Yes, poppy seed. I know that sounds like an odd combination, but you know what? It worked. Go ahead and do what you think is best here. I'm not exactly an expert at tropical food, so... :)

3. When finished, top with fresh pineapple chunks, shredded coconut, and another splash of (coconut) milk.

Soooooooooo delicious!!

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal

I know, I'm know. I'm out of control. This is my ten billionth post about oatmeal in a row.

But I really like it, okay?

This morning, I had full intentions of making my Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal. As I started heating up the almond milk on the stove, however, I had a sudden change of heart. I wanted something different. Something without chocolate. I've done the chocolate thing too much lately.

How have I not tried the strawberry-banana combo yet with oatmeal? It's so obvious; it has to be one of the most classic flavor combinations out there!

I decided to use the strawberries as toppings instead of mixing them in/cooking them along with the oatmeal. After all, what's the point of having fresh strawberries if I'm just going to cook them up and turn them into mush? What have I been thinking?

How I did it:

1. Cook the oatmeal as you normally would. As I've said many times before, I use an equal mixture of almond milk and water to cook my oats. I also cook mine with a spoonful of flax. 
2. Next, mash a banana well, and stir that in.
3. Once more of the liquid has dissolved, add a splash of vanilla extract, a tiny pinch of salt, and a modest shake of cinnamon (don't you love my measurements?). Stir.
4. Transfer to a bowl and top with diced strawberries (I used four). Other toppings include nuts, dried fruit, and coconut. I served mine with coconut, sliced almonds, and another splash of almond milk. Nummy!

You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Lemon Poppyseed Oatmeal

If you can believe it, I didn't try lemon poppyseed until I got to college. In my depression/identity crisis, I basically ate my feelings, so I made frequent trips to the on-campus eateries throughout the day. One of the treats I became addicted to was the lemon poppyseed bread. It was dense, chilled, and super sweet. I shudder now at the amount of extra calories I consumed every week from that bread alone.

When I started eating oatmeal the following year, I initially set out to recreate dessert recipes. I tried banana bread, carrot cake, cheesecake, french toast, and chocolate chip. Basically, oatmeal was my attempt to make dieting suck less (before I discovered whole foods).

Lemon poppyseed was one of the first flavors I tried to recreate, but it took a lot practice. In fact, It took almost two years to perfect. I originally used a recipe that used lemon pudding mix, which was delicious, but it no longer works with my whole foods approach. Thus, I have had to come up with something else. I then tried simply adding lemon juice and poppyseed, but that was dreadful--it was bitter and tart! Finally, I had an epiphany to use a mashed up banana to sweeten it. It worked!

Here's what I did: 


1. Begin cooking the oatmeal like you normally would. For me, this means cooking a 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats and a tablespoon of milled flax in one cup of half-water, half-almond milk at a low boil. For this particular recipe, I would also recommend coconut milk!

2. Mash up a banana very thoroughly and add to the oatmeal. Trust me, you don't want to stumble upon a chunk of banana in this bowl of porridge. Stir.

3. When more of the liquid has dissolved, add four or five teaspoons of lemon juice and one teaspoon of poppyseeds. Stir.

4. Serve with dried fruit, nuts, and/or shredded coconut, and another splash of milk!

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Oatmeal doesn't have to be dull.

I think I've made it clear that I love oatmeal. In addition to posting about it more than any other type of food, I also eat it every single morning.

In fact, last week, I accidentally ran out of oats, and I spent hours deliberating what I would have for breakfast the next morning (I had just been to the grocery store and didn't want to make a second trip). My soul was truly tortured. Thinking of starting my day with something other than that comforting bowl of porridge terrified me.

I survived, luckily, and I'm here to share more oatmeal awesomeness!

My bowls of oatmeal are typically fairly simple. I only add a few ingredients, and I stick to the same flavorings (vanilla, almond, cinnamon, chocolate). But sometimes, on the weekends, I like to get a little...crazy. Sometimes the craziness is due to me wanting to be crazy. :) Other times, like this morning, it's due to indecisiveness, and the wonderful realization that I don't have to narrow my choices down; I can just have everything!

And thus, I present to you, super fudgy oatmeal with chopped fresh strawberries, topped with banana-peanut butter and shredded coconut. What up?!

I literally finished this approximately five minutes ago. The taste is still lingering in my mouth and tantalizing me. I don't think I've ever gobbled up a bowl of oatmeal so fast!

Wanna try it? Here's what I did:

1. Follow the directions for making Chocolate Strawberry Oatmeal (I skipped the mashed banana this morning).

2. Top with Chocolate-Covered Katie's banana butter. It's essentially peanut butter blended with banana. It bulks up peanut butter so you can use more without consuming extra calories. I didn't think it would be that good (I didn't want my peanut butter to taste like bananas!!), but I was sick of experiencing thin smears of peanut butter instead of gobs, so I tried it...and I ended up really liking it. (Side note: I also added vanilla extract to mine.)

3. Sprinkle with shredded coconut and a splash of whatever milk you prefer!

Enjoy!

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Grapefruit Oatmeal

Remember nearly three weeks ago, when I had the audacity to christen myself "Lauren the Runner?" Yeah, well, I spoke too soon.

The week that I wrote that post, I went running every other day, and I loved almost every minute of it. I felt great, motivated, and eager to move.

The next two weeks, I felt the exact opposite. What happened?

I've come to realize that there is, in fact, a direct correlation between the weather and my motivation. Back in January, I stuck to my New Year's resolution...until the temperature suddenly dove below 10 degrees and the clouds dumped a foot of snow over everything. Suddenly, my mood plummeted, and all I wanted to do was sulk around the apartment.

Around mid-February, the weather was consistently hanging around between 20-40 degrees, and the snow was almost entirely melted. Out of nowhere, I willingly hauled myself to the wellness center and ran a full two miles for the first time ever. Then I did it again two days later. The rest of the week, I consistently kept running.

Until the next week, when we had a mini-blizzard on Monday afternoon. I dragged myself to the wellness center on Tuesday night, but I've yet to go back since. During this length of time, we have experienced a drop in temperatures, fierce winds, and several snowfalls.

And don't even get me started on this week's major blizzard. Or perhaps it'd be more accurate to call it an ice storm.

Ice, ice, ice, and more ice

All of this evidence supports my belief that I suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. I have actually had a rather pleasant winter this year, due to the fact that we have had little precipitation and only one or two days when the temperature dropped below zero. Last year, during a string of nasty blizzards and a consistent negative temperature, I remember dragging my feet everywhere, feeling hopeless and desolate, and even crying at the thought of getting out of bed and physically transporting myself to class. If I didn't love school so much, it's possible that I wouldn't have gone at all.

I haven't had to deal with that this year, luckily, but I'm still seeing it impact my motivation for exercising.

So what's a girl to do when it's snowing and the wind is howling? Try a new oatmeal recipe, of course!

I first stumbled upon a recipe for grapefruit oatmeal on Pinterest (imagine that!), and I was initially skeptical. I have never used citrus in my oatmeal before, and I had a hard time imagining how those segments of bitter juice would mesh with an earthy bowl of porridge.

Well, I'm here to tell you that they mesh beautifully. Even more impressively, after I dropped the segments in and stirred, they broke into their tiny, individual pockets of juice, which resulted in every spoonful having an equal dose of grapefruit!

Although I got the idea from Pinterest, I made up the recipe on the spot. Here's what I did:

1. Begin cooking the oatmeal like you normally would. For me, this means cooking a 1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats and a tablespoon of milled flax in one cup of half-water, half-almond milk at a low boil. For this particular recipe, I would also recommend coconut milk!

2. Spoon/cut out the segments from half a grapefruit and drop in the oatmeal. Stir, stir, stir!

3. When the oatmeal is closer to your desired consistency, add a pinch of ground nutmeg and a shake of cinnamon.

4. When the oatmeal is ready, serve topped with shredded coconut and another splash of almond/coconut milk. Enjoy!

If you're interested, here's another method of preparing grapefruit oatmeal, using the actual grapefruit as the bowl!

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Coconut Quinoa and Apple Salad

Salad is, like, my thing right now.

And I don't mean iceberg lettuce and cheese. I mean good salads. Super salads. Powerhouse salads.

My world changed a month or two ago when I suddenly realized that I could put fruit on salads. I've always made mine with things like broccoli, hard-boiled eggs, carrots, feta, etc. But then Pinterest came along, and I started collecting super salads. And then I found this recipe, with quinoa cooked in coconut milk. I was sold.

The problem is that I can't afford to buy pomegranate every week. So I adapted the recipe to my budget level. But that doesn't mean it's less awesome; I found it equally enchanting to my taste buds. :) It also fills me up without weighing me down! I love this dish.

They may not be pomegranates...but how can you not like APPLES?!

Coconut Quinoa and Apple Salad

Adapted from the Sprouted Kitchen

1/2 c coconut milk

1/4 c quinoa

1 heaping plate full of greens! (Either spinach or mixed baby greens, like I used)

1/2 an apple, diced

handful of raisins

small handful of sliced almonds

For a citrusy drizzle:

1 tbsp. lemon, lime, or orange juice (I used lime)

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

dash of salt

splash of coconut milk (optional)

1. Bring the coconut milk to a boil, add the quinoa, and reduce heat to low or medium low. Simmer for 15 minutes. Be careful! Sometimes it cooks weirdly fast, and I'll return to the stove to find it dried out and burnt to the bottom of the pan. I hate that! In other words, check on it occasionally. You may need to add more milk or turn down your burner.

2. Cook until the quinoa is cooked (not hard) and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and place in a fridge. I like to spread it out so it cools faster. (I also make the quinoa in a larger batch and just keep it stocked in my fridge, so I always have some cooled coconut quinoa ready!)

3. Prepare the rest of your salad while the quinoa is cooling. On top of your "heaping plate full of greens," add the diced apple (I used organic Braeburn), raisins, and sliced almonds. 

4. Mix together the ingredients for the citrusy drizzle. I like it with the coconut milk because it makes the whole salad all wonderfully coconuty.

5. Spoon the quinoa over the salad. It might be a little warm still, but I didn't mind that. If that bothers you, you can wait until it cools more.

6. Drizzle on the citrusy dressing, and munch, munch, munch!

Probably the healthiest thing I've ever eaten four days in a row.

The Best Day

I have had the best day ever. Well, kind of. But it does really seem like things are going my way today.

I started my day off right with some fun and delicious Choconut Oatmeal.

For lunch, I made linguini with my homemade tomato sauce and lentil balls, with a salad consisting of baby greens, grapefruit segments, raisins, sunflower seeds, and a raspberry-lime-coconut vinaigrette.

In the afternoon, I dragged myself to the wellness center. I really didn't want to be there. But after just 2 laps of running, I suddenly felt great. I knew I was going to run more than a mile. Gleefully, I ran a mile and a half...which sounds anticlimactic, but not if you consider that I haven't run more than a mile at a time since high school. I was considering continuing to two miles, but then my lungs really started hurting, so I wimped out. :)

Then I went to my beloved grocery store, which I actually haven't been to for nearly two weeks! And wouldn't you know it? They've expanded the health market section. And guess what one of the many new products is? A blend of almond milk and coconut milk. I'M NOT MAKING THIS UP. I was so excited that I opened it up as soon as I got to the car and took a swig. Such an interesting flavor! It begins with that typical nutty flavor I know and love, but then it hits you with the coconut. Bam!

Soon, it was time to make dinner. I had purchased all the ingredients to make this fantastic shredded brussels sprouts and apple salad...including the tofu. I really hate tofu. Or at least I thought I did. But then I read somewhere that if you tried tofu and didn't like it, it's because it wasn't prepared right. So I decided to give it another chance.

Um, this salad is possibly the best thing I have ever made (although I'm not sure it could beat my chili...or roasted butternut squash and kale pizza). I have been allllll about interesting salads lately (check out my Pinterest board!), but this one just blew me away. Charred, flavorful, sweet from the apples, crunchy from the almonds (I used sliced almonds instead of pine nuts), and.....that TOFU. I caramelized mine by sauteing it with olive oil, salt, garlic, and blackstrap molasses. It was crisp and sweet and smokey and wonderful...and it didn't taste anything like that dreadful sponge in the package!

Let me make this clear: if you've tried tofu and didn't like it, it's because it wasn't prepared right.

And then, just because I was so delighted with the world and needed some dessert, I made a glass of pina colada soft serve, with just three beautiful ingredients: frozen bananas, frozen pineapple, and coconut milk. And gosh darn it, it was the perfect ending to a great day. It was super healthy, yet it tasted far more rich and decadent than a brownie, or my mother's amazing baked cheesecake.

I tell you, my friends: clean eating is a blast and a half.

Choconut oatmeal

One of my favorite things about adopting a more healthful diet is that it taught me to try new foods. My diet used to consist of various combinations of potatoes, ground beef, corn, and Campbell's Condensed Cream of Chicken, with occasional doses of Cheetos, Lucky Charms, and Toaster Strudels. Anything beyond that, I hated. If it didn't taste exactly like something my mom made, I would turn my nose up.

Opening my mind to all foods has really helped me embrace all flavors and textures. Many foods that I hated five years ago have now become some of my favorites.

One food in particular has really captivated me lately: coconut. I had always hated it. I hated german chocolate cake because of the coconut. I hated Samoas because of the coconut. I hated coconut cream pie because of the coconut.

Perhaps it was Malibu (and Pina Coladas) that helped me acquire a taste for it, but I've lately been coconut crazy. I bought some coconut milk yesterday to make this coconut quinoa salad for dinner--which was beyond delicious--and this morning I used it to create this chocolatey coconut oatmeal. Or, as I like to call it, Choconut Oatmeal. :)

Choconut Oatmeal

• 1 c coconut milk
• 1/2 c old-fashioned (rolled) oats
• 1 tbsp. flax or chia (optional)
• 1 tsp. cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp. chocolate or carob chips (I used Nestle dark chocolate)
• shredded coconut (I didn't have this, so I skipped it)

1. Bring coconut milk to a boil. Add oats and flax, and reduce heat to medium. Stir frequently.

2. After several minutes, add the cocoa powder. You could also use chocolate chips here instead, but I wanted to keep the added sugar to a minimum, so I used cocoa powder. It takes a little longer to mix in, though.

3. When the oatmeal is done, transfer to a bowl and top with chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and another splash of coconut milk. As you can see from my picture, I stirred half of my chips in and then added the other half on top. 

I rarely have oatmeal with no fruit. To compensate, I followed up this beautiful bowl with a gorgeous grapefruit (so much alliteration!). I always aim for 4-6 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!

Thin Mints Oatmeal

I have a love-hate relationship with bananas. In general, I kind of hate them. I rarely eat them plain; their taste and texture make me gag a little if I'm not in the right mood. On the other hand, they are just wonderful. They are a natural sweetener, super cheap, and versatile. I can put them in sandwiches, smoothies, oatmeal, or baked goods, which is why--despite my on-and-off hatred of them--I almost always have some on the counter.

The fruit I have available typically dictates what kind of oatmeal I'll make for breakfast. For the most part, I mainly switch back and forth between apple cinnamon oatmeal and banana bread oatmeal, but sometimes I get creative. This was one of those mornings.

I had one banana left on the counter, and it was looking pretty sad and close to death. I was much more in the mood for apple cinnamon, but that banana demanded my attention, and soon. Begrudgingly, I began cooking the oats and mashing the banana.

But then I had the idea: mint chocolate chip. Why not? It's not just an ice cream flavor, after all. The Girl Scouts proved that mint chocolate chip makes an excellent cookie as well, and anything that makes a good cookie will also make a good oatmeal. That's my theory, anyway.

How does a banana fit into the equation? Just like I used it for my lemon poppy seed oatmeal, the banana sweetens the oatmeal, and it also bulks it up both literally and nutritionally! Because of the strength of peppermint oil, you most definitely will not taste the banana. Which is exactly what I wanted that day. No banana.

I was surprised by how much I liked this oatmeal. It was somehow refreshing and hearty at the same time!

Mint Chocolate Chip Oatmeal (or, "Thin Mints Oatmeal")

• 1 c of milk, water, or a combination (I use half water and half almond milk)
• 1/2 c Old-Fashioned Oats
• 1 tbsp. milled flax (optional)
• 1 mashed ripe banana
• 2 tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp. peppermint oil or extract
• 1 tbsp. dark or semisweet chocolate or carob chips

1. Bring your water/milk mixture to a slight boil. Add the oats and flax and reduce heat to medium.

2. Mash up your banana so no chunks are left. If you don't mash it enough, you'll end up getting tastes of banana during your mint chocolate chip experience, which is not ideal. Once it's all perfectly mashed, add to the pot.

3. Wait until the oatmeal has thickened up, and then stir in the cocoa powder. Stir, and watch your oatmeal transform into fudgy goodness. Next, add the peppermint oil and stir again.

4. Serve the oatmeal with another splash of milk, and then sprinkle some chocolate chips on top.

You could also top it off with other mix-ins, like nuts or shredded coconut. I left mine plain.

Aaaaand now I really need to do some homework. :)

**You can check out my other oatmeal recipes here, or by clicking the oatmeal tag. You can also find dozens of other oatmeal recipes on my Pinterest board (along with tons of other meatless recipes!). Thanks!