The Smiling Onion

Vegetarian and Gluten-free Cooking

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Oatmeal with Frothed Milk, Jaggery, Raisins, and Hazelnuts

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I tend to be very opinionated about things most people consider inconsequential. Oatmeal is one of them. After many disillusioning attempts at following package directions and different recipes from the internet, I finally realized I like to make my oatmeal with WAY more water than is usually called for. I also like to put the oats and water in at the same time for a creamier texture, and they must soak for a bit before the flame is turned on. Finally, I don’t really enjoy oatmeal when it’s piping hot. The texture and flavor are so much more satisfying when it’s served warm.

Since discovering my surprisingly strong oatmeal preferences a few years ago, I’ve developed my own oatmeal making method, and haven’t looked back. I’ll also share it with anyone who will listen, because…you know…passion about inconsequential matters is hard to shake! Recently, however, I discovered something new: the wonders of adding frothed milk to oatmeal. This happened because of something else I’m overly passionate about, of course: the proper ratio of frothed milk to espresso. While I enjoy a cappuccino now and again, I can’t stand it when too much milk waters down the boldness of the coffee. One day, I accidentally frothed more than I needed, and not wanting it to go to waste, I decided to pour it into my oatmeal. The results were quite incredible.

It sounds simple, but the interplay of textures – the creaminess of the oatmeal and the fluffiness of the milk – took my oatmeal to a whole new level. The addition of frothed milk may even turn some oatmeal agnostics into oatmeal believers. The stickiness that some find off-putting is mellowed by the frothy texture and it also serves to make your bowl of oatmeal much more visually appealing! My favorite way to enjoy it is with a sprinkle of jaggery – an unrefined sugar common in Indian cuisines that has incredible molasses-y notes – a few raisins and maybe some toasted hazelnuts for good measure. What a breakfast!

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Turmeric-Carrot Muffins

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Despite my obsession with carrots, carrot cake and carrot muffins have never really done it for me. I’ve always placed them in the “oatmeal raisin” camp, which to me translates as not my jam. Maybe I’m just biased against desserts with raisins? But something about your run-of-the-mill carrot muffin is just not that appealing to me. Yet when the polar vortex hit the other day, so did the baking bug. And I’m now completely sold on carrot muffins.

But – big caveat – these are definitely not your ordinary carrot muffins. There’s no cinnamon and no raisins: instead, I went with fresh turmeric and ginger, a generous dose of sour cream, a hint of cardamom, and a subtle kick from some ground black pepper. They are also less sweet than a typical carrot muffin, making them a fantastic (and not so sugary) breakfast or snack that is delicious warm or cold. So let me rephrase my previous statement: I’m now completely sold on carrots in muffins – as long as there’s turmeric and sour cream in there too. These are definitely going into my muffin rotation!

In addition to the flavor profile, I’m also excited about these muffins because they are completely nut-free. While I normally depend on a small amount of almond flour to add moisture and tenderness to my baked goods, I wanted to create some muffin recipes that don’t use this somewhat polarizing (because of its cost and because not everyone can eat nuts) ingredient. Since it’s the high protein and fat content that makes almond flour such a great ingredient in gluten-free baked goods, those elements are taken care of by the sour cream, eggs, and butter in this recipe. High protein oat and sorghum flour seal the deal, and – along with a teaspoon of binding psyllium – help to create the perfect texture.

So – whether you are offended by or sympathetic to my stance on the “typical” carrot muffin, I do urge you to try this remix. You can even add in some raisins – if you must. (Just make sure to soak them first.)

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Banana Spice Muffins

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I didn’t plan to bake today. But sometimes, inspiration just strikes and the mixing bowls have to come out. Of course, knowing your baking triggers can be helpful when it comes to acceptance. Here are mine:

-Rain or snow

-The remnants of rain or snow (snow-covered trees, clouds of fog, etc.)

-Waking up early without an alarm

-A clean kitchen

Today, waking up at 7 to a light dusting of very pretty snow and realizing that I had the morning free set my internal baking clock to “Go.” And why fight that? Especially when it resulted in these surprisingly healthy (you wouldn’t know it from the taste) banana spice muffins that happen to be gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar free. Yum!

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Easiest, Fluffiest Gluten-Free Pancakes

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Out of all the gluten-free pancakes I’ve eaten (and I’ve eaten my fair share), these probably have a texture closest to your standard white-flour variety. They are neither bready nor gummy, which is a hard balance to get right in the gluten-free pancake world. At the risk of sounding like I’m describing coffee, I would call them “medium-bodied,” by which I mean that they are in the just-right category between very thin and very thick. Best of all, they come together in your blender, contain no sugar or sweetener, and brown up beautifully.

So what’s the secret? A very ripe plantain. This lends the batter a delicious, sweet flavor that makes these beauties enjoyable even without any syrup on top. (For those of you who eat pancakes for the syrup, don’t worry: slathering these with butter and syrup is also a win.) You’ll be blending up your ripe plantain with some whole-grain gluten-free flours (oat and sorghum), baking powder, a bit of oil, a non-dairy milk of your choice (I like almond), and a couple eggs. And that’s all it takes!

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Double Chocolate Buckwheat Zucchini Muffins

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“Ping!” goes the toaster oven. And faster than a speeding bullet, I’m in the kitchen. The aroma of chocolaty goodness is making my mouth water, and I can hardly wait to chow down on my last double chocolate buckwheat zucchini muffin. (I’ve been keeping a bag of them in the freezer for easy access but haven’t allowed myself to finish them off before posting the recipe. Sidenote: Yes – these freeze!) As I bite into the muffin, my face lights up. It’s tender, chocolatey, cakey, deliciousness. Hard to believe this type of decadence can be achieved with gluten-free whole grains and zucchini! I pat myself on the back for having the willpower to save this one – they are pretty hard to resist  – and am then immediately annoyed that I chose to save just one, rather than two. Or three. With these muffins, it’s hard to stop.

While I’ve been sitting on this recipe for a while, the appearance of zucchini at the Greenmarket signaled that it was time to share. After all, while zucchini is one of my favorites (if you’re put off by the texture, try cooking it this way) the sheer surplus of it during the summer months means it’s a good idea to have some zucchini bread recipes on hand. I mean, it’s possible to get sick of eating zucchini, but almost unheard of to get sick of double chocolate muffins or zucchini spice cake. (Btw, while I decided to post this recipe as muffins, you can also make a sinfully delicious loaf of zucchini bread by baking the batter in a silicone loaf pan – see notes below. Plus you’ll still have enough batter left over for 3 muffins!)

Aside from giving you a reason to stay excited about zucchini in the months to come, these muffins have other benefits too. They are made with whole-grains like sorghum and buckwheat, you can freeze ’em for easy snacking, and they don’t contain too much sugar. The only real downside to making these muffins – and this is based on a sample size of 1 – is the risk of getting that Do you know the muffin man? song stuck in your head. I mitigated this unfortunate side effect by stuffing my face with muffins. It seemed to work!

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Spiced Cacao Breakfast Pudding

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There’s definitely no shortage of breakfast puddings and porridges on this site. While these types of warming breakfasts always make me feel the best, I have a compulsion for variety and I simply can’t just eat plain old oatmeal every morning. In fact, I often use the thrill of an exciting breakfast the next morning as a bargaining tool to prevent myself from late-night eating.

If I go to sleep now, I’ll feel refreshed in the morning and have time to make my golden porridge…or 5-spice+turmeric breakfast pudding…or 3-ingredient creamy coconut porridge…or (my newest addition to the breakfast porridge rotations) –  this spiced cacao breakfast pudding. 

When morning comes, the promise of an already-decided-upon breakfast also helps get me out of bed! (There is nothing worse than getting up and realizing you don’t have anything appetizing to eat for breakfast.) In addition to being a great incentive for starting the day, here’s what I like about this spiced cacao breakfast pudding, which is made by simmering teff flour on the stove:

-Easy to prepare

-Nutrient-rich (Teff is high in protein, iron, and calcium!)

-Contains raw cacao powder, for a chocolaty boost of energy

-Is delicately spiced, light, and warming – the perfect food to eat early in the morning!

Oh, and you can top it with salted-maple pecans if you like!

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Golden Porridge

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When the sun decides to stay hidden for multiple days in a row and the weather is dark and gloomy, there’s nothing better than a bit of gold to brighten up your morning. Especially when that gold takes the form of a warming, hearty breakfast that will give you the fuel you need to start your day, sun or no sun.

This golden porridge is delicately spiced with turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon and uses a mix of gluten-free oats and quinoa flakes for a really lovely texture that is reminiscent of steel cut oats. Don’t panic though – there is a VERY big difference between this porridge and steel-cut oats: it doesn’t take forever to cook!

Finally, I love this recipe because you can customize it to your liking. I happen to be a turmeric freak and often make this with a full teaspoon of turmeric, but I’ve tried to tone it down for my readers. If it’s still a bit heavy on the turmeric for you, or you think it could really use more cinnamon, or maybe you’re feeling a nutmeg vibe, this recipe is yours to fiddle with. Spice it however you’d like. The same goes for sweetener: add a bit of maple syrup, coconut sugar, honey…whatever floats your boat. Or leave it unsweetened, which is what I’ve opted for lately. With some fresh fruit and a bit of candied ginger, I find that I really don’t crave any extra sweetener at all, and my body is happier for it.

So, ready to whip up a batch of porridge? Just make sure to store any leftovers far away from Goldilocks.

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Red Velvet Pancakes (Baked!)

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Red velvet cake is often an appalling maroon color that can really only be achieved with copious amounts of red food coloring – not that appetizing. However, this iteration of red velvet apparently only surfaced during the Great Depression, when an extract company created a food coloring-heavy recipe in an attempt to boost sales. Before that, it was a much more natural color, with the “velvet” term referring to the smooth texture. In fact, the key characteristics of red velvet are buttermilk, cocoa, and vinegar – not red dye.

Be that as it may, there is something luscious about the color red, especially when Valentine’s Day is coming up. So I decided to give these pancakes a slightly redder tint with sustainably-harvested red palm oil, a buttery-tasting oil with a lovely hue that is high in Vitamins A and E. This also has the added benefit of making them dairy-free!

Finally, just in case you wanted to make these for a Valentine’s Day breakfast, I wanted to give you a recipe that didn’t leave you slaving over the stove frying pancakes on a weekday morning. Thus, the batter for these pancakes is actually made the night before and is simply poured out onto a sheet tray and baked the next morning. You can then use your favorite cookie cutters to make pretty little dainty pancakes, that – slathered with a “red velvet butter” and fresh strawberries – make for an elegant breakfast.

And yet, despite their elegance, there’s a heartiness about these too. They are made with whole grains like teff and sorghum that will give you an excellent morning boost.

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Shakshuka

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There was a time in my life when I ate shakshuka on an almost daily basis. The Shuka Truck (now sadly closed) used to park very close to my office and was one of my frequent lunch spots. But before I wax poetic about shakshuka, let me just make sure everyone knows what it is: a delicious, middle-eastern/North-African dish composed of eggs cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Because shakshuka is eaten in so many parts of the world, there are many different varieties. This also means that – like tomato sauce in general – it is highly customizable. The tomato element can be spicy, smoky, tangy, spiked with warming Middle-eastern spices like cumin/paprika, or laced with fresh herbs like parsley and basil. Single servings of shakshuka are also a great way to use up leftover tomato sauce – just sauté some chives in olive oil, add your sauce, spice it up if you wish, and then crack some eggs into it!

The version below is simple and delicious – the tomato sauce base falls on the tangy end of the spectrum and uses Italian spices. In addition to making a great base for my shakshuka, this is the sauce I use for spaghetti dinners and pizza nights. While I call for fire-roasted tomatoes, there is no smokiness – the fire-roasting simply helps give this sauce plenty of zest while keeping it free of onion and garlic. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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5-Spice + Turmeric Carrot Breakfast Pudding

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What if it were acceptable to eat pumpkin pie filling for breakfast? Would you? Even in summer? I might. Because this 5-spice + turmeric carrot pudding tastes like a breakfasty twist on pumpkin pie – in pudding form of course. The spices are subtle yet warming – the perfect start to your day – and the color is vibrant. And, as an added bonus, the fresh turmeric root provides a nice anti-inflammatory boost!

While this 5-spice + turmeric carrot breakfast pudding screams autumn, I find myself craving warming breakfasts like this year round. Would you expect anything less of a winter ice-cream eater? Anyway, if you’re not much for warming breakfasts in summer, this pudding is also fantastic cold. (In fact, if you chill it, it will taste even more like pumpkin pie filling.) I, however, actually prefer it warm,  with a splash of almond milk, a sprinkle of raisins, and some toasted coconut. The notes of molasses in the jaggery sugar compliment the cloves and pepper in the 5-spice perfectly, and the raisins add a nice bite.

So…breakfast pudding, anyone?

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