Jeff Kontur: An Oatmeal Recipe for All Seasons
Hank, one of my older boy cousins, liked to cook and grill. He was daring and did bold things to food, but chose the business world for his livelihood. Jeff Kontur reminds me of Hank in those two ways—he’s daring and develops, not just tasty,
healthy food; he’s developed his own copywriting business, as well. Jeff writes today’s delicious post.
World’s Best (and Healthiest!) Oatmeal
I love oatmeal. Some may argue that we are at or near the end of oatmeal season. (Does oatmeal actually have a “season”? Okay, granted, it’s more popular during the cold winter months,but it’s nourishing and filling any time.)
When I say I love oatmeal, I’m not talking about the little paper packets of sugar and powdered milk you find on grocery store shelves. I’ll admit to having eaten my share of that stuff, but these days I mix my own.
This mix is naturally sweet without needing to add any real sweeteners. (Some of the ingredients have sweeteners in them but they are relatively minor ingredients in the oatmeal mix and the sweeteners are only a small part of even those.)
Fair warning: the ingredient list is rather long. So long that I broke it into sections based on ingredient type. Don’t be intimidated. The list is also very flexible. Some are core ingredients that I always use (after all, oatmeal wouldn’t be oatmeal if I didn’t add… oatmeal!), but I frequently substitute many others based on what I have on hand.
Because there are so many ingredients, it’s best to mix this up in a very large batch and then portion out servings as you need them. It would be much too burdensome trying to make it up one serving at a time.
Unlike most recipes you see in cookbooks, I embellished this one with narrative along the way to help explain the reasoning behind some of the ingredient choices.
My mother taught me how to cook without measuring. I can follow a recipe, but I do all my best cooking by instinct. After the fact, I go back and estimate how much of each thing I put in. I did that here, too, so don’t get too hung up on the quantities listed. More important is the proportions of those quantities in the final mix.
Note well: In the photo which shows all the ingredients laid out in neat little piles, those piles are not shown proportionally. They are simply neat little piles of random quantities of all the ingredients.
The last thing before we get to the recipe is that I use a giant plastic canister, both to mix and to store my oatmeal. Find these at warehouse stores, or in the bulk food section of a well-stocked grocery store. Look for large canisters containing things like pretzels, cheese puffs, or other snack foods. Mine is actually a tub that once contained protein powder.
The Base
1.5-2 canisters Wheat, Barley, Oats and Rye – Although you can just buy a couple of canisters of Quaker Oats (or your store-brand equivalent) [Note from Natalie: Also available in organic], I like the mixed grains version I find at Trader Joe’s. It contains all four grains combined in roughly equal proportion. If there’s not a Trader Joe’s near you, or you just don’t want the mixed grains, then substitute regular steel-cut oats. This should be about 50% of the total final mixture.
Fruits
I add fruits in roughly equal quantity to one another, so how much of each individual fruit I add is based on how many different fruits I have on hand. Use only dried fruits unless you plan on eating all of the oatmeal immediately. Otherwise, you’ll have to contend with spoilage and mold. I use 2-3 tablespoons each of the fruits listed below. I chopped larger fruits so that all pieces are more uniform, roughly the size of raisins or dried cranberries.
All of the fruit combined should be around 20% of the total mixture:
Banana, mango, raisins (regular, black/purple), golden raisins, cranberries,
currants, apricot, prunes, apples, peaches, pears. In the past, I’ve also used blueberries, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, papaya and guava. Many other fruits would be excellent in this mix, as well.
Nuts
- 1/4 cup coconut – shredded. How can you not add coconut with both mango and banana in the mix? Use unsweetened raw coconut, if you like, but I prefer the ordinary, pre-packaged, sweetened kind found in the baking aisle. It adds just the right touch of sweetness.
- 1/4 cup Almonds – pulverized. In fact, if you shop at Trader Joe’s, look for almond flour or almond powder. If you read the ingredient list, you’ll see that it’s 100% almond. The powdered texture will be perfect for our oatmeal mix. If you can’t find that, get unsalted raw almonds and pulverize them.
- 1/4 cup walnuts – finely chopped.
- 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds – unsalted. Because we add no sweeteners, ordinary salted sunflower seeds will make the mixture too salty. Leave them out if you’re not able to find unsalted ones. (With leftover seeds, use them on salads–they’re great!)
At times, I have also used pecan pieces, chopped pistachios, chopped cashew pieces, and peanut pieces. Use almost any kind of nuts you like or have on hand, as long as they’re unsalted.
All of the nuts combined should make up around 20% of the total mixture.
Spices
Yes, spices! Most people don’t think of this, but it goes a long way toward adding terrific flavor and trace nutritional elements without adding calories or excess sweetness.
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Don’t be afraid to go a little heavy on the cinnamon.
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger. You can also go heavy on the ginger, it’s terrific. It’s a natural decongestant, plus it soothes sore throats and upset stomachs.
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Don’t shy away from this one! Even if you don’t like spicy food, such a small amount will not make the oatmeal uncomfortably hot. What it will do is add a wonderful zing. Especially when combined with the ginger.
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice. Go a bit light on this one. It’s actually less than 1/4 teaspoon but more than 1/8 teaspoon. (For all you sticklers, that would make it about 3/16ths of a teaspoon. Good luck finding a set of measuring spoons with that on it.)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
- Often, I’ll also add 1/2 teaspoon Valencia orange peel, dried and ground. I didn’t have any on hand when I made this batch, but it lends a terrific flavor. Do not zest your own for the same reason that you shouldn’t use fresh fruit.
Even though we’re throwing in a lot of spices, they make up essentially none of the total mixture by volume. We could count it as 1%-2%.
Texturizers
1/4-1/3 cup Whey Protein Powder. I use vanilla flavored, which also has some sweetener added. You could also use soy, hemp, or some other kind of protein powder, or even powdered milk. You can also try some flavor other than vanilla, or unflavored or plain. If you really like your oatmeal creamy, either double the amount of protein powder or add both protein powder and powdered milk.
Although I didn’t in this batch, most of the time I will also add 1/4-1/3 cup grits, Malt-o-Meal, Cream of Wheat [Note from Natalie: Also available in organic], or baby food (believe it or not!) such as Rice Cereal. All of these have roughly the same texture, so use only one. They add what I can only call a sort of “coarse creaminess” to the oatmeal when served.
When I have it on hand, I will also often add 1/4 cup ground flaxseed. Its texture is like coarse flour, and it adds a vegetarian source of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Rarely, I will add one packet of hot cocoa mix.
The texturizers make up 8%-10% of the total mixture, by volume.
Wrapping it up
That’s it! Part of the beauty of using a large canister with a screw-on cap is that you can simply shake all the ingredients to mix. That includes the stickier fruits. The spices and texturizers will coat them and prevent the fruits from sticking together. If you do find fruit clumps, pull them apart, and mix again. What you should end up with is a wonderful, lumpy mixture.
I prefer not to cook oatmeal, I simply add boiling water and enjoy. My wife adds boiling water, then microwaves the entire bowl to fully cook the oats.
If you’re truly adventurous, stir some of the raw mix right from the canister into a cup of plain or vanilla yogurt just like you might do with granola. Enjoy!
The Recipe, Without Narrative
- 1.5-2 canisters wheat, barley, oats and rye
- 2-3 T each 10-12 types of dried fruit
- 1/4 c coconut, shredded
- 1/4 c almonds, pulverized
- 1/4 c walnuts, finely chopped
- 3 T sunflower seeds, unsalted
- 1/8 tsp cloves
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Valencia orange peel
- 1/4-1/3 c whey protein powder
- 1/4-1/3 c powdered milk (optional)
- 1/4-1/3 c grits, creamy wheat cereal, or a rice cereal baby food
- 1/4 c ground flaxseed
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
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Nature’s Path Organic Toaster Pastries—the good “fast food”
What’s a mindful eater to eat when s/he needs to be somewhere 15 minutes ago? Hopefully, she’s planned ahead for those times, and stocked the pantry with a few organic foods. Here’s one for you: Nature’s Path
® Organic Toaster Pastries. It fits the need, and the moment, when we’re in a rush for fast food. Skip the fast food joints that serve up all things non-nutritious. These pastries pack a heap more nutrition.
When we went organic at our house, we ran into a snag. Let’s just call it Taste. Some of those organic packaged foods we bought didn’t offer a lot of it. They’ve come a long way since then, baby! Now, good, organic food tastes…well, good. Darned good, in fact.
Back in the day when we dropped our food dollars into the conventional grocery store’s coffers, I’d grab any ole thing, thinking it was all “safe” to eat. Not! Since then, our shopping criteria has drastically changed—not just ours, but millions of mindful shoppers who want real bang for their buck, healthy foods. With every dollar we spend on organic foods, we’re buying healthy ingredients, the ideology behind organic foods, and taste. That’s Nature’s Path® foods; they’ve got it all. Take a peak at the quote on their Toaster Pastries package: “Good for the Earth! At Nature’s Path® Organic, we’ve been committed to delicious, organic food choices for over 25 years. Eating organic means no synthetic pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. It also means better soil and improved farm biodiversity for our future generations.” They didn’t mention taste, but I will.
Dazzling. These pastries—Cherry Pomegran is our fave—were our intro to Nature’s Path products. Our tastebuds were dazzled by the taste of delicious, real fruit, not overly sweet, just enough to please. And they’re oh-so-handy to have around for quick meals.
On days when the rush isn’t on, Heather and I split a packet and serve it alongside grapefruit, bacon, and eggs. No kidding, it’s a healthy, filling way to start the day—fruit, protein, a carb. It keeps you hummin’ till lunchtime.
A couple things about these pastries you may want to know before you head to the store:
- They’re NOT gluten-free; they’re made with whole wheat flour
- They’re NOT dairy-free; they contain whey protein concentrate.
- One pastry costs you 200 calories.
- You’ll eat zero trans fats, zero cholesterol, 3 grams of protein, 1 gram of dietary fiber, pretty low sodium at 150 mg.
- Vegetarians can eat them.
- Three foil pouches of two come in each box.
One last thing. Good folks make these pastries. Trust them with your food dollar.
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Coffee, tea—health benefits…and warm memories
My European-born dad had a way with coffee. He took the ordinary out of the act of sipping the deeply satisfying brew. Thus, coffee has always been my warm beverage of choice. Dad may have downed cups of tea for the short time he lived in London, but I’m bettin’ coffee reigned supreme
Until we moved to Minnesota, you’d never find a box of herbal tea in our kitchen pantry. Since then, teas of all kinds have found a place in our lives—though they’ll never replace our coffee-lovin’ ways.
A pantry shelf of herbal teas. The one at upper left is the brand of Tulsi Tea we like.
Among the teas we keep on hand are green, oolong, and tulsi. Every tea, it seems, has an attitude, er, that is, a unique taste and function. Green tea is one that doesn’t excite my tastebuds, yet it boasts a cornucopia of health bennies, such as protection against cancers of many types, and it aids weight loss. Taste and health benefits are two criteria I prize in an herbal tea. Though green tea doesn’t quite pass my taste requirements, who can pass up the stellar protections it offers?
Enter tulsi tea, a tea that has it all: taste, and a proud resume of outstanding health benefits. I’m astounded by this list, and maybe you will be, too. Presenting—many of tulsi’s benefits:
- it calms and relieves stress, and lowers blood pressure (good for the heart)
- it helps several of the body’s systems, such as the respiratory and digestive systems, and metabolism
- it boosts the immune system
- it helps vision
- it protects against free radicals
- it lowers blood sugar (good for diabetics).
And it’s one of the adaptogenic herbs, meaning it helps the body to adapt to new stresses. Scientific research supports these claims, backing up what the people of India have known for 5,000 years.
Herbal tea-drinking isn’t for everyone. Those who are after the quick fix, for example. I was one of ’em. When my first cup of herbal tea failed to halt my miserable cold, I felt gypped and ready to donate the rest of the box to a true tea-lover. Ahhh, but herbs aren’t quick fixes, I learned. Takes time, patience, and drinking more than one cup.
A couple of unrecorded (till now) side benefits
No tea manufacturer will tell you about these side benefits to drinking tea, or the price might shoot up! They’re probably unaware that some of their customers conjure up idyllic scenes in their minds when anticipating tea time. Like this relaxing (and improbable) scene I’ve painted in my mind’s eye: I’m wrapped in an afghan on a wintry night, comfortably settled into an overstuffed chair near a slightly roaring fire, where I’m reading one of the books I’ve been meaning to get to. Music plays softly as a backdrop. A cup of tea is within arm’s reach. Squares of good chocolate, also within reach, fill a cut-glass dish. Can you picture it?
And this. Whether tea or coffee, warm beverages stir warm memories. When I was in young kidhood, my dad and I frequently headed to his office at the college where he chaired the Modern Languages Department. There, he’d brew a pot of coffee (never tea) and serve me an almost microscopic amount in a tiny, flower-covered china cup with its matching saucer. No music, no afghans, no fireplace, no bowl of chocolates; just dad and me, making a memory I still treasure, as we sipped the lovely beverage he loved and that I learned to love. At no extra charge, coffee or tea offer timeless, priceless moments.
If you’d like to know more about tulsi tea, maybe you’d enjoy Dr. Narendra Singh’s book, Tulsi — The Mother Medicine of Nature. Have a cup nearby for maximum reading enjoyment.
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PRODUCT REVIEW: Field Day Ravioli and Spaghetti Rings
Since our organic food co-op’s expansion, Amanda, the grocery buyer, has added lots of new products to the shelves in her department. We’re not usually in a huge hurry when we shop at the co-op; gotta have time to stumble across new “finds,” after all. About a week ago, Heather spotted cans of Spaghetti Rings, among other Field Day canned products. I knew she and older sister Robin used to lunch on a well-known brand of spaghetti rings, and I bet myself she’d want to try this find. Sure ‘nough, she did!
I hope there’s a store near you that carries Field Day products. If so, be sure to try their crackers, buttery good and oh-so-delicious. Irresistible, actually. They’d make a good “side dish” to go with the Spaghetti Rings, or the Cheese Ravioli—who can resist ravioli? Both of these cans serve two, but no one—certainly not me—will squeal if you can’t resist eating the whole can.
Field Day's Cheese Ravioli and Spaghetti Rings
In case you’re wondering how the Field Day Spaghetti Rings compared to the other brand, well, I wondered about it, too. Heather told me this, “They compare favorably.” Up against a memory food, that’s a pretty fine rating, wouldn’t you agree? We’ll, obviously, be buying more of the Spaghetti Rings.
Today, Heather warmed the can of ravioli for lunch (the can to the left in the picture, the one without the lid). So far, Field Day foods have fared pretty well in our household, three for three, so I wondered aloud how she’d liked this new one. “They’re the best canned ravioli I’ve ever had,” she said. We’ll, obviously, be buying more of the ravioli.
Organic foods are highly prized around our house. Organic fruits and veggies are a slam-dunk; they’re always good and better in every way than conventional produce. But when we find an organic canned food that tastes good—now that’s a bonus. Not only does Field Day wear the organic seal, its label notes: “No GMOs—We do not use ingredients that were produced using biotechnology.” Two thumbs up for the people at Field Day!
These Field Day foods make good quick lunches, or a quick supper. Just add a salad and/or steamed veggie, and a light dessert for a satisfying evening meal. Did I mention they’re affordable? Under two bucks a can.
Unfortunately, these aren’t foods that anyone with a milk or gluten intolerance can tie into since both the ravioli and ring pasta contain wheat and milk. If that’s not you, go for it!
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Non-GMO Month is happening right now!
We’re into the third day of Non-GMO Month. October 2010 was the first ever Non-GMO Month, and what a difference a year has made! Tons more people have become aware of the GMOs (genetically-modified foods) in their midst, and the dangers they pose to human health, wildlife, and the environment.
My motto!
I first became aware of GMOs 15 years ago when we moved to Minnesota. This is not just the Land of 10,000 Lakes! It’s the land of healthy initiatives and CSAs (community-supported agriculture farms), organic foods, and organic food co-ops.
Like millions of others, I became angry at the prowess, the success, the disregard of one company, Monsanto, whose bottom line superseded all else. This company’s greed and unconscionable influence led them to convince countless farmers across America that planting GMO seeds was a good thing. Today, thousands of acres of farmland are seeded with GMO seeds, most notably, corn and soy.
But I’m not the only angry consumer. Legions of us have looked for an effective means to organize ourselves into a force strong enough to turn back the giant Monsanto. In the end, it takes another giant to help all the positive forces already at work to reach this point in the anti-GMO story.
Enter Jeffrey M. Smith. He’s globally recognized as an expert on genetically-modified foods and their effects on every living thing. You may recognize his name. He authored Seeds of Deception and Genetic Roulette. When news that the well-known, articulate Smith had founded the Institute for Responsible Technology, we knew we were on solid ground. Then Smith went further: He instituted the Tipping Point Network. When news of TPN landed in my inbox, I signed up.
It’s not just the fact that Monsanto snuck their untested-on-humans seeds into our nation’s cropland. Another frustrating element to the saga is that we consumers weren’t allowed to know our hard-earned food dollars were buying GMO foods. Smith’s grassroots call to action has spread further, into exciting, new initiatives. This month, all across the U.S., people are marching on state capitols and our nation’s capitol, demanding that GMO foods be labeled. At the heart of this quest is the question: Don’t we have the right to know what’s in our foods? After all, our neighbors across the pond label their GMO foods—why can’t we? Why aren’t we?
For a peek into the thinking of a Monsanto insider speaking to the effects labeling GMOs would have, read what Norman Braksick said 16 years ago— 03/07/1994—in the Kansas City Star. It’s simple and to the point:
“If you put a label on genetically-engineered food you might as well put a skull and crossbones on it.”
Mr. Braksick was, at the time (and may still be), president of Asgrow Seed Company, a subsidiary of Monsanto.
I’ve compiled what I hope will be a helpful guide for you on GMO reading and events.
Reading:
- Article on Dr. Don Huber’s animal studies.
- Dr. Joe Mercola’s 09/27/2011 article on GMO toxins in foods.
Shopping:
- Use the Non-GMO shopping guide
Joining:
- The Tipping Point Network–Three ways you can become a member
Supporting: The Right2Know March
Happenings throughout October: events
World Food Day, 10/16/2011: events
Things for you to do on your own during Non-GMO Month.
And one last thing: Consider shopping for organic foods to avoid GMOs. Some ways to do that are to join an organic food co-op, a CSA, or shop at your local farmers markets in season. Or join reputable organic food clubs, such as the Green Polka Dot Box. I heard about this club from Institute for Responsible Technology.
Natalie M. Rotunda's Organic Pantry Blog 
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