Instant Pot Oatmeal That Tastes Like Apple Pie Vegan and Gluten Free

This yummy oatmeal takes little effort in your Instant Pot.

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Gluten-Free Cool Weather Breakfast
When the temperature drops, my desire for cold smoothies wanes and I want a nice warm breakfast. I actually prefer eating a more lunch-like meal in the morning, such as a sweet potato and greens or a quinoa bowl. But when we are in a hurry and want something soothing, we turn to oatmeal. 

This is one of our favorite ways to make Instant Pot oatmeal - especially in the fall when we still have a refrigerator packed with apples from our Fuji apple tree. And it's pretty perfect for our dairy and gluten-free diet.

For seasoning, we use Penzeys Apple Pie Spice mix, which is a blend of China cassia cinnamon, Korintje cassia cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and cloves, but you can just use whatever cinnamon you have with a pinch of nutmeg (and if you have ground mace and cloves, you can put a tiny bit of that in too.)

We use this blend in muffins, crisps, on French toast, and more.

Oatmeal is naturally gluten free but often the oats are contaminated during transportation or in the processing plant. For most people who may be somewhat gluten sensitive, it might be ok to just buy regular rolled oats. But if you are highly sensitive to gluten, or have Celiac disease, you should buy certified gluten free oats. We buy Bob'a Redmill Organic Gluten Free Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. 

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Instant Pot Oatmeal with Fresh Apples and Cinnamon Spice
Vegan, Gluten and Dairy Free
[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats
3 3/4 cups water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Pensey's apple pie spice
1 packet stevia
2 cups roughly chopped, peeled apples
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions
Place all ingredients in the Instant Pot and stir to mix.
Secure the lid, making sure the vent is closed. Press "Manual" and set for 4 minutes at high pressure. When done, press "Off" and let the pressure release naturally.

Remove the lid carefully, stir well and serve.

After the pressure comes down, it will look like this.
Stir well before serving.

Nutrition
Per serving: 141 calories, 2 g total fat, 34 mg omega-3 and 685 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 4 g protein, 28 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber and 147 mg sodium. 

Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

A delightful way to eat oatmeal in the heat of the summer.

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Keep Oats in your Diet
Oats have the fiber "beta-glucan" which can help lower bad cholesterol which in turn lowers the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. But when the weather heats up, you may not crave a bowl of hot oatmeal.

Adding uncooked rolled oats to your favorite smoothie is a refreshing way to get those healthy oats into your diet. Here's a simple recipe that uses seasonal strawberries and provides 6 grams of fiber per serving.

In the following recipe, you can substitute the almond butter and water for almond milk or any nondairy milk. 

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Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smooth
Vegan, Dairy and Gluten Free (see note)
[makes 2 (1 1/2 Cup) Servings]

Requirements
High Speed Blender

Ingredients
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 1/2 cups cold water
1 frozen banana
1/2 cup uncooked rolled oats
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia

Directions
Place all the ingredients in your high speed blender and process until smooth.

Nutrition
Per serving: 206 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 124 mg omega-3 and 1498 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 5 g protein, 36 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber, and 4 mg sodium.

Note
Although oats are naturally gluten free, they are sometimes cross contaminated. So if you have celiac or are extremely sensitive to gluten, use certified gluten free rolled oats.

Strawberry Crisp With Nutty Hemp Seed Topping

Fresh strawberries in a delicious vegan and gluten-free crisp.

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Strawberries are in Season
My little strawberry patch is producing in full force and although my favorite way of enjoying them is to just pop them in my mouth, I love making this healthy strawberry crisp. 

Strawberries from my garden.

To add additional fiber and structure, I combine the strawberries with a few delicious pears and to get a good dose of omega-3, I add raw, shelled hemp seeds. 

I like the taste of organic coconut sugar in this recipe but you can also use regular organic cane sugar. 

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Strawberry Crisp
Vegan, Gluten Free (see Note)
[makes 6 servings]

Requirements
8-inch Square Baking Pan

Ingredients
For the topping: 
3 tablespoons Earth Balance or other vegan "butter", plus more for greasing pan 
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup oat flour
1/4 cup raw hemp seeds
2 tablespoons organic coconut or cane sugar
2 (1-gram) packets stevia powder (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon 

For the filling: 
2 pints fresh strawberries, cut in half and sliced (~4 cups)
2 pears, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon organic coconut or cane sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch 

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan. 

Make the topping: In a small bowl, combine the oats, flour, hemp seeds, sugar, stevia, and cinnamon and mix well. Add 3 tablespoons of "butter" and mix together with your fingers or with a fork until crumbly. 

Make the filling: In a large bowl, toss the strawberries and pears with the sugar and cornstarch. Pour the fruit mixture in the prepared baking pan.

Cover the fruit evenly with the topping. 

Place in the oven and bake until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes, and serve. 

Per serving: 231 calories, 10 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 753 mg omega-3 and 2,091 mg omega-6 fatty acids*, 0 mg cholesterol, 5 g protein, 33 g carbohydrates, 5 g dietary fiber, and 53 mg sodium. 

* Nutritional information for omega-3 or omega-6 fatty acids excludes any contribution from the Earth Balance, since that information was not available from the 

manufacturer. 

Note

Although gluten is not naturally present in oats, oats occasionally get cross-contaminated during storage and processing. If you are on a gluten-free diet, use certified gluten-free oat flour. 

Fresh Cranberry And Pear Oatmeal With Pecans - A Simple And Delicious Thanksgiving Morning Vegan Breakfast

Just for fun, this was posted at 1:11 on 11/11/11

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Thanksgiving Morning
Picture that it's Thanksgiving morning and you already have a house full of guests. You have a busy day of chopping and cooking ahead of you so you don't really have time to prepare a big and complicated breakfast. So start the day off right with a festive bowl of oatmeal bursting with fresh cranberries and pears and a sprinkling of chopped, raw, Texas pecans! It will only take a few minutes and this hearty breakfast will carry you through the morning.
What's different about this oatmeal is the wonderful flavor of fresh fruit. Unlike dried cranberries, raw ones burst in the oatmeal giving a fresh and slightly tart flavor. This tartness is offset by a nice, ripe pear and a touch of stevia. 


Cranberries
Nothing says Thanksgiving more than fresh cranberries. Besides their wonderful flavor, they are a "phytonutrient stew" containing 5 different categories of healthful plant chemicals: anthocyanins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, proanthocyanidins and triterpenoids. Although many have flocked to supplements of cranberry extracts or cranberry juice, the "whole" cranberry provides the most health benefits. Just about every woman knows that cranberries protect against urinary tract infections, but their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties also play a role in lowering the risk of heart disease, periodontal disease, stomach ulcers, colon cancer and more. 
Check out my recipes for Raw Cranberry Relish and Low Sugar Cranberry Sauce.

Purchase bags of cranberries when in season and throw them in the freezer for use all year long!

Use a juicy, soft, sweet pear for this recipe. A Comice pear is shown above but you can also use Anjous, Bartlett or Bosc

Fresh Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Pecans
Vegan, Gluten Free (when certified gluten free oatmeal and oat bran is used)
[makes 4 (1 cup) servings]


3 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup rolled 5 minute oats (thick cut)
1/2 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 packet stevia extract
1 medium, ripe pear, peeled and diced
4 tablespoons chopped, raw pecans


In a saucepan, bring water, vanilla extract and cranberries to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for 2 minutes.
Mix oatmeal, oat bran, salt, cinnamon and stevia in a bowl.
Bring water back to a boil and add oatmeal mixture. Cook uncovered on medium low heat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in diced pears and cook for another 2 minutes or until oatmeal thickens. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 2 minutes.


Stir well and pour into 4 bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of chopped pecans and serve immediately.


Per serving: 188.7 calories, 7 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0.1 g omega-3 and 2.2 g omega-6 fatty acid, 5.6 g protein, 31.9 g carbohydrates, 6.8 g dietary fiber and 148 mg sodium.

Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies With Walnuts And Cranberries - An Old Favorite "Veganized"

"Veganizing" an Old Favorite

In the past I posted a vegetarian version of this cookie recipe that used organic butter and eggs. Since this site has gone vegan, I'm reposting the recipe using Earth Balance buttery spread, Ener-G egg replacer, vegan sugar and vegan chocolate chips. It comes out just as good and they are less than 80 calories per cookies. Another healthy cookie you can bake for Christmas!

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Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies with Walnuts and Cranberries

[makes 2 dozen "petite" cookies]

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup Sucanat or organic cane sugar

1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer

2 tablespoons warm water

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cups white whole wheat or oat flour

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Thoroughly mix the egg replacer and water and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, buttery spread, and vanilla and mix well with an electric beater or fork. Add the egg replacer mixture and beat until mixed in.

In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix thoroughly with the electric beater or fork.

Fold in the cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and drop 24 tablespoons of this mixture on to a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 13 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven, let sit on the cookie sheet for 1 to 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Per cookie: 78.6 calories, 3.6 g fat, 1.2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1.3 g protein, 10.9 g carbohydrates, and 1.1 g dietary fiber.

Low Sugar Vegan Mixed Berry Crisp With Strawberries, Blueberries And Raspberries - How Berries May Prevent And Reverse Age-Related Memory Loss

5 cups of mixed berries provides brain healthy polyphenols.

Berries act as "Housekeepers" for the Brain

In a recent study presented by Shibu Poulose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, it was reported that berries, and possibly walnuts, activate the brain's natural "housekeeper" mechanism that removes toxic proteins linked to memory loss and mental decline due to aging. Cells in the brain called microglia act as housekeepers. They remove and recycle debris that could end up interfering with brain function.

"But in aging, microglia fail to do their work, and debris builds up", Poulose says. "In addition, the microglia become over-activated and actually begin to damage healthy cells in the brain". He goes on to explain, "our research suggests that the polyphenolics in berries have a rescuing effect. They seem to restore the normal housekeeping function. These findings are the first to show these effects of berries".

So eating lots our favorite berries may help our aging brains stay healthy and young!

How do Berries do this?

Poulose reports, "the good news is that natural compounds called polyphenolics found in fruits, vegetables and nuts have an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect that may protect against age-associated decline". He and James Joseph, who died June 1, 2010, did some ground-breaking research on how antioxidants in fruits and nuts prevent cognitive decline due to aging.

In a previous study, they showed that feeding laboratory rats a diet containing 2% extract of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries resulted in a reversal of age-related declines in brain function.

What other Foods are Rich in Polyphenolics?

Besides berries and walnuts, Poulose encourages people to eat other fruits and vegetables that contain polyphenols emphasizing the importance of consuming the "whole fruit" that contains hundreds of plant-chemicals.

Polyphenols are found in many rich colored foods.

Besides berries, other fruits include dark grapes, cherries, apples, dark plums and citrus.

Most vegetables provide polyphenols, especially ones that are brightly colored - red, orange, blue, yellow, purple and green.

Whole grains, beans (especially soybeans) and nuts are good sources.

Coffee, tea (especially green tea), red wine and chocolate also contain good amounts of this important plant chemical.

Here's a healthful and delicious recipe that contains many of these high polyphenol foods and takes advantage of all those fresh berries that are in season! Besides polyphenols, each serving provides nearly 5 grams of fiber and over 700 mg of omega 3 fatty acid.

Feel free to change the relative amounts of the berries or to substitute different kinds. Just make sure you end up with a total of 5 cups of berries.

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Vegan Mixed Berry Crisp

[serves 8]

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 cups fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white whole wheat flour (or regular whole wheat)

1 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup English walnuts, chopped

3 tablespoons organic cane sugar

4 packets Stevia extract (optional, for added sweetness)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup Earth balance (vegan buttery spread)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine berries in a 9X13 inch pan. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, oats, walnuts, cane sugar, stevia extract and cinnamon. Cut in buttery spread until the mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the berries.

Bake for 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

Per serving: 226.4 calories, 12.1 g fat, 2.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 3.6 g protein, 26.9 g carbohydrates, 4.8 g fiber and 734 mg ALA omega 3 fatty acid.

Healthy Holiday Whole Grain Cookie Recipe -Oatmeal with Cranberries, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

Fold in cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of batter on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

It's Not the Holidays without Cookies

What is it that compels us to bake during the holidays? Is it the cold weather or childhood memories? I'm not sure. But baking cookies for the holidays doesn't mean we have to throw our healthy eating habits out the window. Here are a few ideas for a healthier cookie:

• Use organic white whole wheat flour or organic oat flour instead of regular white flour - It has 3 times the fiber.

• Use Sucanat or organic cane sugar and cut down on the amounts.

• Only use aluminum free baking powder. Studies suggest a link between aluminum and Alzheimer's.

• If you use eggs, buy omega 3 enriched, organic, cage free eggs. Vegan egg replacers can be used instead of eggs like Ener G egg replacer.

• If you use dairy, buy organic butter made from milk free of bovine growth hormone and antibiotics. Vegan buttery spreads like Earth Balance can be used instead of butter.

• Substitute some of the fat with unsweetened apple sauce or pureed prunes.

• Go light on the chocolate. Opt for dark chocolate with a higher percentage of cacao.

• Use raw English walnuts in your cookie recipes. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acid.

A Versatile Cookie Recipe

This is basically a healthy oatmeal cookie made with a white whole grain or oat flour and less sugar (only 1/3 cup) and less fat (only 1/4 cup) than most cookie recipes. Feel free to substitute the cranberries with raisins or dried cherries. You can substitute the English walnuts for pecans or other nuts. Dark chocolate chunks or carob chips can replace the milk chocolate chips. Have fun and experiment.

Check out the Vegan Version of this recipe.

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Oatmeal Cookies with Cranberries, Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

[makes 2 dozen cookies]

2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup Sucanat or organic cane sugar

1/4 cup organic salted butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large omega 3 enriched, organic, cage free egg

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup raw English walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, butter, and vanilla and mix well with a fork. Add a lightly beaten egg to this mixture and combine thoroughly. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently combine. Fold in the cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips and drop 24 tablespoons of this mixture on to a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly brown. Remove from oven, let sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to cool.

Per cookie: 75.4 calories, 3.6 g fat, 1.6 g saturated fat, 15.3 mg cholesterol, 1.5 g protein, 9.9 g carbohydrates, 0.9 g fiber, 132 mg omega 3 and 657 mg omega 6 fatty acids.

Oatmeal with Walnuts, Bananas and Raisins - A Warm, Healthy, Vegan Breakfast

It Needs No Added Sugar
When traveling, the healthiest breakfast you can order is usually oatmeal but I'm always surprised to see it served with massive amounts of brown sugar, cream, and raisins. You really don't need all this. In today's recipe, the oatmeal needs no added sugar and is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon and sweetened with fresh banana slices and a modest amount of raisins. A bit of added oat bran adds more fiber and raw English walnuts allow each serving to provide over 1 gram of omega 3 and 5 1/2 grams of omega 6 essential fatty acids. Each serving also provides over 10 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber (over 1/3 your daily requirement).

Why Oats are Important in Your Diet
Oats and Oat bran contain the fiber "beta-glucan" which has been shown to lower bad cholesterol which in turns reduces the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease. Years ago, my husband Doug lowered his cholesterol from 240 to 179 in three months by eating this recipe every morning (sometimes he substituted diced apple for the banana for variety), exercising at least 30 minutes a day and taking 500 mg of time released niacin at dinner and again at bed time. His doctor, who was insisting that he take statin drugs (which carry their own risk and have numerous side effects), was shocked to see him lower his own cholesterol so quickly. Before taking this much niacin for this long a time frame, however, you need to talk to your doctor. They may monitor your liver enzymes.
Beta-glucan also has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar and helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes - one, because of the effect of the fiber and two, because oats are very high in manganese. Manganese is a co-factor for hundreds of enzymes including those involved in the secretion of insulin. Manganese is also important in the metabolism of carbohydrates and amino acids and supports bone health and energy production.

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Oatmeal with Walnuts, Bananas and Raisins [serves 2 - 3]
2 2/3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (or to taste)
1 cup rolled oats (5 minute oats)
1/3 cup oat bran
1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (or to taste)
1 small banana, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons raw English walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons seedless raisins

Boil water and vanilla. Add oatmeal, oat bran, salt and cinnamon, (stirring constantly while adding). Cook uncovered for 5 minutes until it thickens. Add banana slices and raisins and stir while cooking another 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and cover. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir in the raw walnuts and serve. Adding the raw walnuts at the end helps preserve their omega 3 content.
Serve with a little soy milk if desired.

Per serving (2 servings): 339.5 calories, 10.8 g fat, 1.3 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 10.7 g protein, 59.5 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 1.1g omega 3 and 5.5 g omega 6 fatty acids.