Mo' Betta Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal

I love oatmeal. I love it so much, in fact, that my father once speculated that I might actually be part horse. When I had my wisdom teeth taken out, the silver lining amidst my gauze-stuffed and stitch-filled gums was that I got to eat oatmeal, like, three times a day for an entire week.

Oatmeal is magical.

Although oatmeal has been a topic of debate in the gluten-free community (Is it safe? Is it cross-contaminated? Outright glutinous?), mercifully, I’ve found that certified gluten-free oats work beautifully for me. The estomago, in all its crankiness, becomes immensely happy when consistently fed GF oatmeal. (I use Bob's Red Mill brand, and I've never had a problem with them.)

With all that in mind, I was intrigued when I saw billboards advertising the fact that McDonalds, of all Godforsaken places, started carrying oatmeal on their breakfast menu. Since it’s not GF (and since I never got to McDonald's unless I'm on a long drive, on the brink of starving to death, and there are no other food options for miles), I never tried it – but I was awfully curious about whether it was as healthy as it was purported to be.

My boy Mark Bittman (whom I adore) apparently wondered about this as well, and he addressed it in this op-ed column in the Times. It turns out that the McDonald’s version is – surprise, surprise – full of junk unless the customer explicitly requests for all the chemical-, calorie-, and generally crap-laden condiments to be left out. You’re shocked, I’m sure.

In his column, he also calls out other oatmeal offenders – including Quaker Instant Oatmeal in strawberries and cream flavor. I haven’t eaten that in years, but sweet baby Jesus, did I ever love it when I was a kid. I vividly remember it as a staple of my weekend routine, circa 1988. With a bowl of Quaker strawberries and cream oatmeal and Saturday morning cartoons, I was pretty sure that I was living the high life. Ya know, insofar as a seven-year-old can be living the high life.

Remembering my flaming love of this stuff, I felt inspired to make my own GF and markedly healthier version of my childhood favorite. Using certified GF rolled oats, organic strawberries (I splurged on fresh ones after months of the frozen kind…is it springtime yet?!), almond milk, nutmeg, and agave nectar, it’s both GF-friendly and vegan. It’s also a nutritious, super fast, and filling breakfast. Oh, and it tastes awesome. 

Mo' betta Strawberries & Cream Oatmeal

1/2 C GF rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)

1 C water

1/2 C organic strawberries

1/3 C almond milk

Pinch of nutmeg

Agave nectar, to taste

 

 

Combine the oats, water, and strawberries in a microwave-safe bowl, and let stand for 5-10 minutes. (This helps the oats absorb water and be well-prepped for their upcoming date with the microwave.) 

Before:

After (notice how the oats expanded and got all fluffy?):

 

Microwave for 2 minutes (microwaves can be kind of wonky in their respective power levels, so the bottom line is that you want to microwave it until the oatmeal starts to boil). Once oats are fully cooked, let stand 1-2 minutes. Pour in almond milk, agave, and nutmeg. Stir and serve.

 

 

Middle Eastern Lentil Soup

Sometimes a girl craves lentils. Well ok, sometimes this girl craves lentils. I’ve gotten many a weird look from people when I 'fess up to that craving. I mean, seriously: who in their right mind craves legumes?

I do, apparently.

For whatever reason, that craving has been insatiable lately. Whenever I so much as look at a lentil, my inner monologue switches into Fat Bastard (from the Austin Powers movies) mode, and I have to suppress the urge to yell “Get! In! Mah! Belly!” Combine this with the fact that I’ve been missing the Middle East like woah lately and you have…a chick who really wants some Middle Eastern-style lentil soup.

I decided to make this soup with one of my favorite spice blends from my year of cavorting about the desert: advieh, also known in the Gulf countries as baharat. While it originated in Persia (now modern day Iran), different variations exist throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean. The version I use consists of cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. If it sounds like a little much, I promise that the flavors blend together wonderfully to create a complex, exotic blend of spices and general awesomeness.

I added the advieh to both the soup and the caramelized onions that grace the top of this delectable bowl of lentil-y goodness. Served with brown rice, it’s gluten-free, vegan, and high in both protein and fiber.

Middle Eastern-Style Lentil Soup With Caramelized Onions:

1 C split red lentils

2-3 T olive oil

2 C water or vegetable broth

1 chopped onion

2 T olive oil

Brown rice (I prepare the rice in a rice cooker, since it takes longer to cook than the lentils do) 

Advieh:

1 T Cardamom

1 T Cinnamon

1 T Cumin

1 T Coriander

1/4 t Black pepper

*Boil water in a separate pot or use a rice cooker to get the rice going while you focus on the soup. Regardless of whether you're going stove-top style or using a rice cooker, use 1:2 ratio of rice to water.

Boil water or veggie broth, and add all the lentils. Reduce heat and let simmer 20-30 minutes.

In a separate pan, begin heating olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté. Add some advieh here, too – once again, do it to taste. I just used a few dashes of each spice - you don't need much on the onions.

*Boil water in a separate pot or use a rice cooker to get the rice going while you focus on the soup. Regardless of whether you're going stove-top style or using a rice cooker, use 1:2 ratio of rice to water.

Boil water or veggie broth, and add all the lentils. Reduce heat and let simmer 20-30 minutes.

In a separate pan, begin heating olive oil on medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté. Add some advieh here, too – once again, do it to taste. I just used a few dashes of each spice - you don't need much on the onions.

Layer the bottom of a bowl with brown rice and ladle the lentil soup on top -- or mix them together in the same pot, whichever suits your fancy. Garnish with caramelized onions and serve. (Oh, and don’t be like me: in my eagerness to chow down, I didn’t let it cool down enough and subsequently burned the hell out of my mouth. D’oh!)