Coconut Oatmeal

I made up this Coconut Oatmeal to use up 1/2 can of coconut milk left over from the curry I made the other day.  (Serves 2-4.)

1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup vanilla soymilk (sweetened)
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups minus 3 Tbsp oatmeal*
3 Tbsp wheat germ
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1. Heat the coconut milk and soymilk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the edges start to rise up and hiss.
2. Add the pinch of salt, then stir in the oatmeal and wheat germ.
3. Toast the shredded coconut, keeping an eye on it.
4. When the oatmeal is cooked to the consistency you like, turn off the heat.  Mix in most of the toasted shredded coconut, reserving a bunch to sprinkle on top.
5. Put the oatmeal into bowls and top with the rest of the toasted shredded coconut.  Enjoy!

*Rather than removing 3 Tbsp of oats, I just put 3 Tbsp of wheat germ into the measuring cup before I fill it with oats.

Rose Bakery's Honey Granola

I'm trying to participate more in the "featured cookbook" thing on 101 Cookbooks Library.  The featured book through the end of April is Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery.  Many of the recipes are too heavy for everyday cooking - I don't need to make a whole pan of brownies unless there's a special occasion - but I do love breakfast, so I've been focusing mostly on those recipes.

Up until a few weeks ago, I had been making granola regularly, so I settled on the Honey Granola.  I haven't posted it until now because I didn't take a picture when I made it.  I wasn't crazy about it at first, but it grew on me.  At first I thought I overbaked it, despite the fact that I left it in for the minimum amount of time, but from a discussion on 101 Cookbooks library I realized that's the way it's supposed to be!  I was disappointed, but I noticed myself taking bites throughout the day, and then I realized I actually do like it.  I haven't been eating granola lately, but I'm looking forward to giving this recipe another try in the future.

Muesli

I've never had muesli before.  At least not the right way.  On our vacation in January I had a delicious muesli at a breakfast buffet.  But I ate it just as a cereal, with milk, and didn't give it time to soak.  This Muesli from Super Natural Every Day was super simple to make - just mix a few things together and soak overnight in the fridge while it plumps up full of thinned-out yogurt - and super tasty too.

It got me thinking about other muesli recipes I've seen.  There are two in Good to the Grain - one with hazelnuts, rye and quinoa flakes, and dried cherries and cranberries, and another with almonds, pecans, walnuts, spelt and quinoa flakes, figs and apricots - and one on 101 Cookbooks with dried peaches and apples, sweetened with honey.  I'm thinking about my own flavor combinations too - mainly apricot and pistachio.  I'd also like to try the mixed rolled grains in place of some of the oats for a little variety.

Strawberry Oatmeal

I like to mindlessly read health and fitness articles, and last night I came across a "program" with a "menu" of healthy meals and snacks.  Half of them were boring or contained things I won't so much as look at (canned tuna makes me want to throw up) but I got a few little points of inspiration.  The article also made me want to eat yogurt, which I will go out and get today.

Right now, I'm eating breakfast.  I have resolved (sort of "end-of-year resolutions") to eat more oatmeal and to eat bigger breakfasts in general.  I'm also trying to eat more fruits and vegetables.  I took some inspiration from the article I read last night for this oatmeal recipe (really just the strawberry part) and from an old Cooking Light recipe that had you add wheat germ to oatmeal (I do it all my own way now).


Strawberry Oatmeal
Makes 1 serving

1. In a small saucepan/pot, put 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup vanilla soymilk.
2. Take out a 1/2 cup dry measuring cup.  Spoon in 1 tablespoon wheat germ.  Fill the rest of the cup with old-fashioned rolled oats.  Add this to the saucepan when it starts to simmer, plus a pinch of salt.
3. Put 8 frozen strawberries in a small microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute.  Drain as much liquid as possible (careful, I lost 2 strawberries in the process) and squish them up.
4. When your oatmeal is cooked to your desired consistency, mix in your strawberry smoosh.  Transfer the contents to a small bowl.
5. Take out the spoon you will use to eat with - you should be eating with a small "teaspoon" silverware (regular spoons).  "Measure" one spoonful of sliced almonds and top your bowl with it before digging in.

Optional: add a small spoonful of ground flaxseed.  This is another resolution of mine that I always forget about until the bowl is empty :(