Blueberry Oatmeal Pie

Okay, this isn't actually pie - sorry, no pie for breakfast - but that is EXACTLY what it smelled like when it was finished cooking. It was a really nice twist to the usual Power Oatmeal I normally eat for breakfast.

1 1/3 c. hot water
1/2 c. rolled oats
2 T. ground flax seeds
1 T. wheat germ
1 t. cinnamon, more or less to taste (I l.o.v.e. cinnamon!)
1 T. agave nectar
1/2 c. blueberries

Bring hot water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to medium, add oats, and cook for 3 minutes or until oats are tender. Remove from heat and stir in flax, wheat germ and cinnamon. Top with agave and blueberries. Add a small amount of almond milk, if desired.

Serves 1.

Note: To get the true blueberry pie smell, let the oatmeal cool. With blueberries in the bowl, microwave for about 1 minute or until some of the blueberries pop. Stir well.

Nutty Breakfast Cereal

Okay, okay, if you tell me this is just decorated oatmeal you'd be right - but it is DELICIOUS decorated oatmeal. It's full of protein, fiber and Omega-3's, so it's not only wonderfully good for you, but it keeps you full. Perfect on mornings when you wake up to snow.

1 1/3 c. water
Scant 1/2 cup rolled oats
1 T. wheat germ
1 T. ground flax seed
1 to 2 T. agave nectar
2 T. almond butter
1 t. Sucanat
1/8 c. pecans, crushed

Bring water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add oats, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Add wheat germ and flax seed and cook an additional 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in agave nectar and almond butter.

Pour cereal into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with Sucanat and crushed pecans. Serve with almond or cococnut milk, if desired.

Note: When I make breakfast cereals, I usually only make 1 serving because the kids don't like it. They usually eat dry cereal with milk or bagels for breakfast. Any of my breakfast recipes can be doubled, tripled or more to feed a family.

Creamy Peanut Butter Porridge

This is so simple and so delicious. I was trying to think of a healthy way to add protein to my morning oatmeal - and this hit me!

2 c. hot water
1 c. oats
1/4 c. creamy peanut butter
2 T. Sucanat
Banana, blueberries, strawberries or other fruit as desired
Almond or soy milk, if desired

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add oats, reduce heat to medium, and stir occasionally until cooked through, about 3-5 minutes (depending on how chewy you like your oats). Remove from heat. Add peanut butter and Sucanat. Stir thoroughly to combine. Cereal will be thick and creamy. Top with bananas and almond milk, if using. Serve immediately.

Makes about 2 servings, but you can see how easy it would be to double or triple the recipe to serve more.

Homemade Granola Part 2

I got this recipe for homemade granola from a girl at work (except that I added the agave nectar and reduced the amount of maple syrup). She tried the recipe I had previously posted on this blog and, after remarking it "smelled good but had no taste," offered me her recipe. It wasn't quite as sweet as I'm used to with granola, but it was very tasty. The next time I make it I will probably add a little Sucanat.

3 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. raw pecans, chopped
1/2 c. raw almonds, chopped
1/2 c. raw walnuts, chopped
1/4 c. agave nectar
1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 t. cinnamon, more or less to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Do not grease.

Place oats and chopped nuts in a large bowl. Feel free to chop the nuts as coarsely or fine as you choose. Toss to combine. (Add Sucanat at this stage if you prefer your granola sweeter). Pour agave and maple syrup directly on top of the oats mixture. Stir well with a wooden spoon until all oats are moist.

Transfer mixture to prepared baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring after 10 and 20 minutes. Watch closely to prevent burning. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight bag for up to one week.

Variations: Add raisins or other dried fruit with the chopped nuts. Think cranberries, blueberries, strawberries or mangoes.

Homemade Granola

This granola is quite tasty, but much softer than commercially prepared granola. Be sure to watch it closely so it doesn't burn.

1/2 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. agave nectar
2 T Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
2 c. oats
1/2 c. almonds, chopped
2 T. ground flax seed
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. dried cranberries*
Other nuts or seeds as desired
Cinnamon, nutmeg and/or allspice if desired

Melt peanut butter, agave and Earth Balance in a very large skillet. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl (including seasonings if using), then add to pan containing liquid ingredients. Cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat.

Transfer to a baking sheet covered with foil and coated with cooking spray. Spread granola mixture evenly on baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, stir, and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool. Store in a zip-closed gallon storage bag for up to two weeks (for longer storage, keep in refrigerator).

*The most popular variety of dried cranberries are Craisins, which are produced with added sugar (and refined sugar is not vegan because it is bleached with charred animal bones). Recently at the health food store I found dried cranberries with NO sugar that were sweetened with apple juice. They were a little more money, but they were well worth it - if dried fruit can be juicy, these were. :~)

Variation(s): There is no limit to what you can do with homemade granola. Let this recipe simply be a springboard. Add different types of nuts and seeds, dried fruit, coconut, etc until you find something you like. Depending on how strictly vegan you want your recipes, you could even use honey in place of the agave nectar. I personally prefer agave because of the low glycemic index, but it's up to you. :o)

Breakfast Split

Okay, so I totally stole this from The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook with just two tiny twists, so I really can't call it my own. It's just too good not to include, though. A banana split - for breakfast? Doesn't that go against everything pure and wholesome? Well, not if you stick to the good stuff. The boys are on a 5-day streak with this dish for breakfast.

Disclaimer: The chocolate syrup definitely isn't vegan, so you can either leave it out, make your own (I'm going to work on that this weekend) or substitute strawberry syrup or agave nectar if you feel strongly about a completely vegan dish.

1 banana, sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 c. vanilla flavored soy yogurt
1 large or 2 small strawberries, stems removed and diced
1 T. granola or other crunchy vegan cereal
Drizzle sugar-free chocolate syrup

Place sliced banana on a plate or in a bowl. Place yogurt in the center of the banana. Top with strawberries and sprinkle granola. Drizzle chocolate syrup.

To make strawberry sauce (instead of chocolate sauce), blend 3-4 large strawberries with 1-2 T. agave nectar until smooth. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.

Note: Some people have an allergy to soy or choose to avoid soy for a number of reasons. If this is the case, there are other non-dairy yogurts you can use, including rice yogurt and yogurt made from coconut milk. These tend to be more expensive, but they're a wonderful alternative to soy.