oatmeal

Instant Carrot Cake Oatmeal

By in Breakfast, GF Mains 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

carrot cake oatmeal

We’ve been trying to find more ways to incorporate veggies into our breakfasts. Fruit is a lot easier to work into breakfast then veggies seem to be. A raw apple verses a raw carrot first thing in the morning? Apple please. So I’ve been getting creative with taking our go-to breakfasts and working veggies in, in a tasty way that you actually want to eat them first thing in the morning.

This oatmeal has become one of our favourites. It’s an instant oatmeal, but it uses rolled oats instead of instant. I can’t stand the texture of instant oatmeal, so this is a must for me. We like the versatility of making individual servings in the microwave because it’s quick, I can whip one up fresh when each person comes to the table, and everyone can customize their own easily. I can’t even remember the last time I made a big batch on the stove.

Filled with carrots, spices and maple syrup (or brown sugar) this oatmeal tastes remarkably like carrot cake. And, when you top it with walnuts and raisins, it just seals the deal. If grating carrots first thing in the morning sounds like too much work then grate a batch earlier in the week to have on hand for breakfasts. A food processor with a grating attachment makes quick work of it.

Enjoy some veggies for breakfast. I promise, it won’t be a chore. ;)

carrot cake oatmeal

Instant Carrot Cake Oatmeal

To make this gluten-free use gluten-free certified oats.

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup grated carrots, packed
  • pinch salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • pinch of ground cloves, ginger and nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup hot water
  • 1 tablespoon raisins
  • 1-2 tablespoon chopped walnuts
  • splash of milk or almond milk for serving

Place oats, carrots, salt, spices, syrup and water in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. If needed continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until desired consistency. Top with raisin, walnuts and milk just before serving.

Serves: 1

Spicy Oatmeal Snaps

By in Cookies & Bars, Sweets 6 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

spicy oatmeal snaps

Cookies are my friend. If I had to choose one dessert to eat for the rest of my life it would be cookies. I love their endless adaptability in shape, size and flavour, their perfectly proportioned serving size, and the fact that they freeze so well, meaning you can have them on hand at all times. They are the perfect individual dessert, in my mind – move over cupcakes! Give me a cup of chai tea and a cookie and I’m a happy camper.

These particular cookies have one of my favourite textures. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside. They’re basically a chewy oatmeal cookie and a peppery gingersnap all in one. What’s not to love?

On a cold winter night with a cup of hot tea in hand, I can’t imagine a better accompaniment.

Spicy Oatmeal Snaps

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats

Combine flour, spices and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside

Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour and oats; mix until everything is evenly distributed.

Roll, or scoop out 1 tablespoon balls of dough and place 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350ºF for 12 minutes or until crisp on the edges. Cool 2-3 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes approximately: 2 dozen

Adapted from My Recipes.

Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal

By in Breakfast, Fall, GF Mains, Gluten Free 1 Comment Tags: , , , ,

Hello friends! I kind of disappeared off the face of the earth for a little bit there didn”t I? The wonderful thing about fall and your son being in preschool is that you get all sorts of wonderful bugs brought back to your home. Let”s just say that food has been the last thing on my mind and health has been at the foremost. Probiotics are being consumed daily and I have a newly spurned desire to make sure, even more, that what we”re eating is not only tasty but nourishing for our bodies too. And a healthy day starts with breakfast!

This oatmeal was actually Max”s idea. I was going to make our usual Banana Walnut Oatmeal when he protested that today he wanted Apple Oatmeal! So I decided to take my go-to and give it an apple-cinnamon spin. It was a hit and it will now be going into our morning oatmeal rotation.

Apple-Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal

Use gluten-free certified oats to make this gluten-free.

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 cup milk (or almond/coconut milk)

  • 1 small apple (or 1/2 large), peeled and diced

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • pinch nutmeg

  • pinch salt

  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/3 cup raisins

Place water, milk, apple, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and maple syrup in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in oats and raisins. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes or until desired thickness. Top with additional milk, cinnamon and apple slices before serving, if desired.

Makes: 2-3 servings

Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

By in Cookies & Bars, Sweets 6 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

maple walnut cookies

Happy Canada Day weekend! I hope everyone is enjoying a wonderful day off, and hopefully some fabulous weather to go with it! Every time Canada Day comes around I can’t help but make something with maple. Give me any excuse to cook or bake with maple and I’ll jump at the chance.

These cookies are put together a bit differently than your average cookie. They don’t have any eggs, for one, and the dough starts out with melted butter and boiling water. It may sound strange, but the results are a thick, chewy cookie with a lightly crisp outer crust. They’re not overly sweet, with some crunch from the walnuts and a light maple flavour. I found them quite addicting. I usually don’t care for jumbo cookies, but in this case I was very happy to have a giant cookie all to myself.

These would be so delicious warm from the oven with a scoop of Maple Brown Butter Semifreddo. Next time I might make them half the size just so I can sandwich some semifreddo in between.

P.S. Please make these for your next camping trip. They’re the perfect cookie for the job.

Maple-Walnut Oatmeal Cookies

  • 1.5 cups rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple extract
  • 1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Mix together oats, coconut, flour, salt, and sugar. Set aside.

Place butter and maple syrup in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Cook and stir until melted. Remove from heat. Stir together baking soda and boiling water and add it to the melted butter along with the maple extract. Stir the butter mixture into the oats. Fold in walnuts.

Divide dough into 12 equal pieces (about 3 tablespoons each), place them about 3 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets, 6 to a sheet. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake at 300ºF for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and set. Transfer to wire racks or paper towel, to cool. Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 1 week.

Makes: 12 jumbo cookies

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Banana Walnut Oatmeal

By in Breakfast, Fall 11 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Banana Walnut Oatmeal

Now that my family has gotten into a fairly regular routine, breakfast has become a family affair. It”s one more chance for us to spend time together and connect before the day begins. The tastier and quicker it is to throw together, the more likely we”ll be to make the time to sit and enjoy each others company.

The nights are cold – in our apartment we have no control over the heat and it has yet to come on, so I”m bundling the kids up in layers of clothes before they go to bed. We”re all waking up hungry and in need of extra warmth and comfort. Nothing sticks to your ribs and warms you from the inside out, like a big bowl of oatmeal.

This Banana Walnut Oatmeal is even more comforting because as it simmers it fills the house with the smell of baking banana bread. If that doesn”t get the family flocking to the table I don”t know what will.

Sitting around the table with a warm breakfast, fall spices wafting through the air, surrounded by your family, talking about the day ahead – what could be a better start to the day?

Banana Walnut Oatmeal

  • 1 cup water

  • 1 cup milk

  • 1 banana, mashed

  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • pinch nutmeg

  • pinch salt

  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar or maple syrup

  • 1 cup rolled oats

  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Place water, milk, banana, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and brown sugar (or maple syrup) in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Stir in oats. Simmer over medium heat for 8 minutes or until desired thickness. Stir in walnuts just before serving.

Makes: 2-3 servings

This post was featured on Women”s Health Magazine online.

Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls

By in Breads 4 Comments Tags: , , , ,

Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls

We”ve all come down with a really nasty cold/flu so I”m going to keep this post short and sweet. If you haven”t got a starter going already you may want to get on it right away because these rolls are like big soft pillows of goodness and if you haven”t had them your missing out. I would say that I want to stick them under my head and have the best nap of my life but they”re so fluffy they would disappear under the pressure. The flavour is sweet and mild with the slight tang of sourdough. Absolutely delicious!

There”s molasses in the dough which I think adds a nice richness but you don”t actually taste it, so if you don”t care for the flavour of molasses don”t let it stop you from making these rolls. Please!

These are great sandwich rolls. We had them with tuna salad and cucumbers the next day and the combination was perfect. The rolls are just a tad bit sweet which complimented the tuna perfectly. Plus they”re just so airy that the filling really shines. But I”ve also been eating them straight from the freezer, zapped in the microwave with just a pat of butter. Mmm.. good.

Oatmeal Sourdough Rolls

  • 1/2 cup warm water

  • 2 teaspoons yeast

  • 1 cup sourdough starter

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 1 tablespoon molasses

  • 1 egg, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (plus more if needed)

  • 1/2 cup quick cooking oats

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water and let proof for 10 minutes. Stir in starter, honey, molasses, egg and butter. Beat in 2 cups flour, oats, salt and baking soda until well combined. Beat and knead in remaining flour until the dough is tacky but not sticky (it should be quite elastic but not get stuck to your finger when you press into it). Place in a greased bowl. Cover and place in an oven that has been preheated to the lowest setting (you can shut it off once it”s preheated). This is to ensure that the dough warms up from the cold starter and that it rises beautifully. Let rise until double (approximately 1 hour).

  2. Divide dough into 12-24 rolls depending on the size you want (12 for very large sandwich rolls, 18 for medium sized sandwich rolls and 24 for small dinner rolls). Place on greased or parchment lined baking pans. Cover with greased plastic wrap and let rise until double (about 1 hour).

  3. Bake at 400ºF for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to cooling racks or paper towel to cool.

Makes: 12-24 rolls

* A trick that I do to make sure that my buns are cooked through is to flip them over and tap the bottom. If they sound hollow they”re done!

Adapted from allrecipes.

1 2