Oatmeal with a Protein Boost

 In the past I've mentioned how I've tried to give my breakfast a nutrition boost by replacing my usual granola and yogurt or oatmeal options with a green smoothie. That didn't end up working for me since I have a strong preference for chewing my meals. I would find myself wanting to eat a second breakfast and since I'm not a Hobbit, I need to limit the amount of meals I'm having before noon. Last winter I tried overnight oats. I enjoyed them and could pack lots of stuff in there, but was adding a decent amount of maple syrup to sweeten it up. After doing my cleanse this Fall, I decided to take a hard look at the amount of sugar in my diet. I don't crave dessert type foods very often, and tend to lean towards salty and savory foods, with the exception of breakfast. Growing up eating breakfast cereal most every day left a lasting imprint on my habits. Even though I mostly eat plain yogurt with my granola, I drizzle it with maple syrup and then add either golden raisins, banana or blueberries, depending on the season. I also took a look at the sugar content of the granola I eat, and was surprised to find it was 10g per serving. Compared to other granolas, I found it to be much less sweet tasting, but that's a pretty big dollop of sugar in the morning. My oatmeal may be a bit less, but I'm guessing it's still up there. So I'm searching for alternatives. I think I can change up the overnight oats mixture to provide a lower sugar, yet tasty option. This week, I tried this recipe and found it tasty and satisfying with the only sugar coming from the banana.

Mainly I'm trying to reduce my sugar because as I age I find my metabolism changing. Also, the creator of the cleanse I did has a firm belief that if you start the day with sugar, you end the day with sugar. I figure reducing sugar can't hurt and I can find an equally as enjoyable breakfast, so it's not a sacrifice, but a shift in habit. 

Adding eggs to oatmeal doesn't add flavor, in my opinion, but it does add sustenance. It keeps me full longer. The original recipe called for a whole banana, but I used half since that's all I had and I think that was enough, but go for a whole one if you prefer getting more banana into your diet.

The mug-bowl in this picture is a special one. It was given to me as a gift by my friend Kathy. She bought it for me from a local potter during a girls weekend I wasn't able to attend at the last minute. I don't have anything else like it and think it's very pretty. I save it for days when I feel like I need a boost, so I can start my day with something that makes me smile. 

Oatmeal with eggs

3/4 cup uncooked rolled oats

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk (start with this amount and add more if necessary I used oat milk and more of a 1:1 ratio with the oats by the time I was done)

1/2 - a whole ripe banana, mashed (amount based on preference)

1 tspn cinnamon

1. Put all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat. 

2.  Cook until all liquid is absorbed, the eggs are cooked and it's reached oatmeal consistency. Add more milk if necessary. 

3. Top with slivered almonds or anything you like on top your oatmeal. 

Tangy Braised Chickpeas in Acorn Squash Bowl

First Snow was a bit unexpected and odd this year. The unexpected part was it sounded like it was going to be a dusting that would melt within several hours, as if it had never arrived. Instead, many inches fell and I ended up shoveling IN OCTOBER. The odd part was the leaves have lingered on the trees this year and it's pretty unusual to see snow and gold or red leaves sharing space on a tree limb. It was also quite beautiful. Then, one week later it was in the 70s for several days in a row and it has felt amazing.

Anyway, enough weather talk. My point in all this is to tell you that I totally rocked First Snow in Autumn dinner. There's a dish I've been meaning to make from Smitten Kitchen (of course), and it's been a while since I've used an acorn squash as a bowl. It seemed like these could make a nice pairing and they really did. The flavors worked well together and paired with a nice glass of red wine, you've got yourself a cozy and soul satisfying meal. I bought a couple more acorn squashes and am going to experiment with using them as a bowl for a different bean based meal. There's a black bean spinach chili I haven't made in a long time and that might be just the thing.

Here's the link to the Smitten Kitchen recipe:

Tangy Braised Chickpeas

Tangy Braised Chickpeas in Acorn Squash

Tangy Braised Chickpea Stew

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 large thick carrots, cut into 1/4" thick slices

sea salt

fresh ground pepper

1/4 tspn chili flakes

at least 8 oz of thickly sliced mushrooms - crimini or portabella

4 tblspn tomato paste

1 1/2 tblspn brown sugar

3-4 cups broth - mushroom or other veg broth

1/3 cup sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar can also be used)

2 tspns worcestershire sauce (tamari could be used in its place)

2 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained

1 bay leaf

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Use a pot that can go from stove to oven (like a Le Creuset dutch oven). Heat the olive oil over medium heat and add onions. Cook for a few minutes until softened and then add garlic, cook for another 2 minutes.

3.  Add carrots, salt and both peppers. Cook for 2 minutes until the carrots begin to glisten.

4.  Add tomato paste and brown sugar. Cook for a few minutes until well incorporated. 

5.  Add chickpeas, worcestershire, broth, bay leaf and vinegar. Bring to a simmer, adding another teaspoon of salt and some pepper.

6. Once simmering cover tightly with a lid. Put in oven, arranging racks so there is also room for the squash pan to fit in there with it later.

Acorn Squash

1/2 an acorn squash per person

olive oil

salt and pepper

chopped parsley for garnish

1. Cut acorn squash in half. You can do it in either direction, based on your preference, but I did it crosswise rather than lengthwise because then you can get a better base for it to sit flat as a bowl. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon.

2. Put a little olive oil in the cavity, and then using your hands, rub it all around the inside and the top edge. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Put on a baking dish, cavity side facing upwards.

4. Place in oven. Test for doneness after about 30 minutes. I let mine stay in the most of the remaining time I cooked the chickpeas (a little over an hour by the time I put them in) and the flesh got very soft and caramelized, which I liked. It made it easy (and tasty) to mix the squash with bites of the stew. 

To serve, place squash into a wide soup bowl or plate. Ladle stew into the acorn squash and then some more around it in the plate. Garnish with parsley.