Recipes
Use these recipes as guidelines. Try them out,
then make them your own. Use the provided tips + variations to fit your preferences or pack in the nutrition. Tweak them to suit your lifestyle or swap out ingredients to make them allergy-friendly. I’ve taken out the nutrient guesswork by adding whole food ingredients with extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants & omega-3s.
Check out more free recipes or order The DIY Kitchen Cookbook on Amazon. This Kindle book contains 62 recipes to craft your own make-ahead mixes, seasoning blends, snacks, breakfasts, condiments, dressing & drinks. The included do-it-yourself, copycat recipes are healthier, cleaner versions of what you'd normally buy.
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Put This in your Pantry: Oatmeal
September 16, 2010 by Melanie Zook
That big cardboard canister is often overlooked. But at $2-3 for 30 servings of whole grain goodness (& in a recyclable package too), it shouldn’t be. Oatmeal is a cheap, quick, and healthy breakfast (cholesterol-lowering fiber included) for adults & kids. And what a cozy start to a fall or winter morning.
Too boring? Here’s how to spice it up, while also boosting nutrition (such as calcium, iron, omega-3s, fiber and antioxidants):
Method
Replace all or half the cooking water with milk (cow’s, soy or almond).
Add nuts: walnuts (often available pre-chopped as “baking pieces”), slivered almonds or Brazil nuts (for the selenium; aim for no more than 2/day).
Sprinkle on ground flaxseed (if you buy pre-ground, store in the fridge/freezer; otherwise, grind fresh in a coffee grinder).
Add dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries. Or try dried peaches or apples.
If you like your oatmeal sweeter, add a touch of honey, pure maple syrup or brown sugar (preferably organic).
Make it festive with spices. For a taste of fall, replace half or all of the cooking water with apple cider. Add cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or apple pie spice. Around the Holidays, top with a splash of all-natural egg nog & sprinkle with nutmeg.
Add some immune-boosting vitamin A and some fall flavor—make pumpkin spice oatmeal.
How about s’mores oatmeal for a fun treat? Top it with mini dark chocolate chips, mini marshmallows & crumbled graham crackers!
Are you someone who eats breakfast on the run (or worse, not at all) & need your morning meal to-go?
Try making a large pot of oatmeal on Sunday (don’t forget to add your mix-ins), then store it in the fridge in a glass bowl. Each morning, heat up a scoop of the oatmeal in a small glass bowl in the microwave, transfer it to your travel mug and enjoy it on your commute to work or school, or once you get to your desk (it will stay warm).
Not only does oatmeal like this beat other convenience breakfasts (granola bars, cereal bars, breakfast drinks) when it comes to nutrition (& you get none of the additives), it’s a money-saver too. For the price of one to-go oatmeal from a coffee shop or an energy bar or two, you can pay for your breakfast for a whole month, and with a lot less packaging to throw away too.
What else to do with oatmeal?
Add it to smoothies (try low-fat milk + low-fat vanilla or plain yogurt + a banana + peanut butter + oatmeal).
Mix in to meatloaf or burgers, instead of bread/cracker crumbs (3/4 cup per pound of ground beef or turkey).
Top peach or apple crisp, or add toasted oats to salads or other desserts (to toast, bake at 350 degrees until golden brown).
Make a spread of oats + your favorite nut/seed butter + honey; spread on whole-grain crackers or apple slices.
