Savory Protein Red Lentil and Steel Cut Oats Porridge (vegan & gluten-free)

Recipe from Nisha Melvani of Cooking for Peanuts 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 2 generous servings

I had never made nor tested savory oats before.  I found this recipe and it looked so good, I gave it a go. It was just scrumptious!  It’s quite easy to prepare, but because it takes 20 minutes to cook and you must babysit it a bit, it would make a better savory breakfast on a weekend morning.  It could also be served for any other meal of the day.  

Ingredients
½ cup red lentils rinsed
½ cup steel-cut oats 
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon ginger powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8-¼ teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons coconut aminos or low-sodium tamari
1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
1 cup chopped greens (bok choy, kale, spinach, napa cabbage, collards, etc.)
½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms or cremini mushrooms** 
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth + a bit more to prevent sticking as you cook
Dash of black pepper

For the optional omega 3 topping: The omega seed topping is optional but adds texture and heart-healthy fats.
2 teaspoons ground flaxseed (I added these when the dish was done.)
2 teaspoons ground chia seeds (I omitted these.)
1 teaspoon ground black cumin seeds (I didn’t have these.)
2 teaspoons sesame seeds (I used toasted sesame seeds after the dish was done.)

Instructions
1. Rinse lentils: Place red lentils in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse very well under running
water until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
2. Combine: In a medium pot, combine the drained red lentils, oats, nutritional yeast,
ginger powder, garlic powder, turmeric, coconut aminos, chopped greens, and sliced
mushrooms. Add the 2 cups of broth.
3. Cook: Bring the liquid to a gentle boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a low
and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, or until the oats and lentils are cooked.
Stir occasionally, until thick and creamy. If it begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, stir in a bit more broth.
4. Season: Taste and adjust seasonings. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
5. For serving: Serve warm with a generous pinch of omega seed topping, if
using.

Notes
**For extra texture, brown sliced mushrooms in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until they release their moisture and turn golden. No oil required. Add a pinch of salt as desired at the end, then spoon over the porridge just before serving.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.  To reheat, add a splash of water or broth and gently warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring halfway through.  The texture will loosen as it heats.  You can also prepare the dry ingredients and seed topping in advance to weekday cooking even faster.

Nutrition
Calories: 396; Carbohydrates: 62g; Protein: 25g; Fat: 7g; Saturated Fat: 1g; Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g; Monounsaturated Fat:1g; Trans Fat: 0.01g; Sodium: 147mg; Potassium: 994mg; Fiber: 23g; Sugar: 2g; Vitamin A: 1427IU; Vitamin C: 6mg; Calcium: 122mg; Iron: 8mg

Basic Steel Cut Oats Instant Pot Mini Duo (3-quart)

Recipe from https://thisunmillenniallife.com/instant-pot-steel-cut-oats/ 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

I finally gave up on slow cookers with ceramic inserts.  If the insert gets chipped or has another mishap, it's impossible to replace the insert without paying more for it than it costs to buy a new slow cooker.  I decided to order an Instant Pot Mini to take care of making steel cut oats for my beloved. He eats them every day. (See his embellishments below the recipe.)  Finding the perfect recipe using a mini was also a bit challenging.  I tested a couple and this one has consistently turned out perfect oats.  

1 cup dry steel cut oats

3 cups water

Pinch of salt 

Add the steel cut oats to the Instant Pot 3-Quart Mini Duo.  Pour in the water and give it a good stir so that the oats are completely wet.  Lock the lid in place.  Press Pressure Cook.  Set the timer to 3 minutes. Make certain the Vent Valve is set to Seal. (It is located on the lid towards the back.) The Instant Pot will take about 10 minutes to come to pressure and the silver pin will pop up.  Once the Instant Pot finishes the cooking, you will see L000 on the display screen.  The Instant Pot will slowly release the pressure and the display screen will begin counting up. This can take up to 15-30 minutes. Be sure to wait until the pin drops.  When it does, you can safely open the lid.  (It's perfectly fine to keep the Keep Warm setting on.  The pressure will slowly release and the pin will eventually drop.) There may be liquid on top of the oats.  Just stir it into the oats.  Serve it up.

Jim's embellishments to one serving of his steel cut oats:

organic fresh or frozen strawberries and blueberries, depending on the season

dried fruits such as raisins, prunes, apricots

banana slices

ground flax seed 

skim milk

ground cinnamon

walnuts

sunflower seeds

Other ideas for oatmeal additions:

fresh apples

dried cherries, blueberries, apples or cranberries

apple pie spice or a pinch each of ground cloves, nutmeg, and allspice

almonds

cooked prunes

chopped fresh or canned peaches

Pear and Date Spiced Oatmeal (Instant Pot/Vegan)

Recipe from Rainbow Plant Life

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes

I’m totally new to Instant Pot cooking.  After experimenting with dried beans, I decided to graduate to steel cut oats.  Steel cut oats are an excellent choice for breakfast, but they are often overlooked because they take much longer to cook than regular old fashioned oats or quick cooking oats with much babysitting the pot.  But not any longer!  This took about 30 minutes from start to finish and most of that time was totally hands off.  To save time, I measured the dry ingredients and pitted dates into an airtight container before going to bed.  Then when I awoke, all I had to do was spray the inner pot with cooking oil, measure out the milk/water and cut up the pears.  While the oats cooked, I washed my face, got dressed and made the coffee.  These oats tasted spectacular and kept me full all morning.

Coconut oil OR cooking spray

1½ cups steel cut oats

4 cups oat milk OR other nondairy milk (I used 3 cups almond milk plus 1 cup water.)

6 Medjool dates, pitted

2 large pears, peeled and diced

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground allspice OR nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Lightly coat the inner pot of the Instant Pot (I have a Duo Nova Plus 6-Quart Instant Pot) with coconut oil or cooking spray to avoid sticking and getting a BURN message.

Add all of the ingredients to the inner pot of the Instant Pot.

Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing (not Venting).

Select the Pressure Cook setting (or Manual setting on older models) at High Pressure and set the cook time to 12 minutes.

Once the 12-minute timer has completed and beeps, allow Natural Pressure Release for 20 minutes; then switch the Pressure Release Knob from Sealing to Venting to release any remaining steam.

Open the pot and stir the oatmeal thoroughly. There may be some liquid and foam on top, but once you stir it, the liquid will incorporate into the oatmeal and thicken up.

Serve plain or with your favorite toppings.  (I added some pecans, a drizzle of maple syrup and some almond milk.) Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to a week.

Gingerbread Oatmeal & Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge (Vegan)

Recipe from Snixy Kitchen (Sarah Menanix)

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes about 6 (½ cup servings)

Treat yourself this winter with this delicious porridge. Make it on the weekend and then enjoy it through the week. (It can also be prepared in an Instant Pot.  Directions at the bottom.)

Porridge:

¾ cup steel cut oats

½ cup raw buckwheat groats, toasted on the stove until golden and fragrant

3½ cups water or non-dairy milk

1-3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar or Sucanat (I used 3 Tablespoons because that was in the original recipe, but I thought it made the porridge more in the dessert category J , so next time I make it, I will use 1 Tablespoon of sugar or maybe even maple syrup.)

1 Tablespoons dark molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt

Serving Options:

Non-dairy milk

Pear or apple, sliced or chopped

Pecans, toasted and chopped

Before you go to bed, toast the buckwheat groats in a dry skillet. Then measure out all the dry ingredients into a medium bowl or jar along with the toasted buckwheat and cover. Set aside on the counter. In the morning, bring the water or non-dairy milk to a boil in a large saucepan on medium-high heat.  Add all of the porridge ingredients to the pot and stir well. Reduce the heat to a low simmer.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed to the desired consistency and grains are cooked through.  (This took about 20 minutes.  The original recipe stated 30 minutes, but I found that the porridge was beginning to scorch.  So, begin checking at 20 minutes and go from there.) If the grains haven’t cooked to your liking after the liquid has been absorbed, add another 2 Tablespoons water or non-dairy milk at a time, until cooked through.

Serve warm with a splash of non-dairy milk, pear chunks, and toasted pecans. 

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.  Add a few tablespoons of water to loosen it up while reheating.

Instant Pot Directions: (Not Husband-Tested)

Add all the ingredients to the instant pot and stir to combine.  Place the lid on the pot and make sure the pressure release valve is in the sealing position.  Press the pressure cooker button, making sure it’s on high and set the time for 6 minutes.  When the timer is up, let the pressure cooker naturally release for 10 minutes.  When the time is up, release any additional pressure by carefully moving the pressure release valve into the venting position.

Kitchen Sink Whole-Grain Cookies

Recipe from http://lifemadesimplebakes.com

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 20 (3-inch diameter) cookies

These cookies are just scrumptious.  These were originally called breakfast cookies, but I think of them more of a treat to be enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee or tea. When I first made them, I used the exact measurements for the sugar and maple syrup.  We thought they were plenty sweet and next time, I will use less of each. They would be a great addition to any picnic basket or lunchbox.  Because there are quite a few ingredients, I would suggest making a few batches of the dry ingredients and then storing two batches in jars or bags in the fridge.  Then, when you are ready for a little pick-me-up, just add the “wet” ingredients and bake.

1 cup walnuts

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

¼ cup steel cut oats (or ¼ cup more old-fashioned rolled oats.)

1/3 cup whole-wheat flour

½ cup ground flax seed meal

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ cup almond butter or peanut butter

1/3 cup liquid coconut oil*

¼ cup (or less) coconut sugar* or brown sugar

¼ cup (or less) maple syrup or agave

2 large eggs, room temperature

1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup dried raisins or cherries or currants

¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

½ cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or almonds) and/or bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat and then set aside.  Pulse the walnuts in a food processor until a coarse meal or flor forms; transfer to a large bowl.  Add the oats, whole-wheat flour, flax meal, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Whisk to combine.  Add the almond butter, coconut oil, sugar, maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Using a large spatula, mix until a sticky dough forms.  Fold in the dried fruit, coconut and nuts or chocolate chips.  Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.  Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Lightly press the dough down to flatten a bit (about 3 inches in diameter.) They won’t spread out much at all during baking.  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the edges become lightly golden brown in color.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Notes:  If using coconut sugar, allow it to dissolve, in the warm coconut oil for 5 minutes before proceeding with the remaining steps.

Nutritional Information:

(I used the CalorieKing app) 1 of 20 cookies = 248 calories/ 3.5 grams fiber; 1 of 24 = 206 calories/4.2 grams fiber