Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection & My Favorite Protein & Fat-Rich Add-Ins

 Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection

This Creamy Oatmeal Porridge is truly pure perfection.  Happiness in a bowl!  According to The Tao of Nutrition, by Maoshing Ni, Ph.D., C.A. and Cathy McNease, B.S., M.H., oats have a warm nature, and sweet taste, with the actions to regulate and strengthen (or tonify) our Qi /Chi (seen as our vitality, energy, and circulation), and our digestion.  Oats are used in Chinese food therapy to treat a variety of conditions, although they are less commonly consumed in Asian countries where rice, millet and wheat are the primary staple grains.







Made with a blend of rolled oats (about 11 g of protein per cup of dry oats), and Bob's Red Mill Protein Oats (with nearly 3 x the amount of protein, or 27g per cup), this Creamy Oatmeal Porridge has become our go-to breakfast that we look forward to every morning.  

The added benefit has been how sustainable this Creamy Oatmeal Porridge has been, providing hours of fuel for our active bodies ~ and brains ~ post-training, and pre-writing at the computer for hours on end.  

Plus, the nature and taste of oats being warm and sweet make them an ideal part of a Winter Diet.






For a quick view of a recent variation of my Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection, you can check out this under 1 minute, short video.  (Or watch this video for a day of training + day of meals, including making a bowl of Creamy Oatmeal Porridge with Yummy Add-Ins.)





What Makes This Creamy Oatmeal Porridge So Creamy?


I have a Super Creamy Oatmeal recipe in my old macrobiotic cookbook, Basic Macrobiotic Menus & Recipes that I will be republishing this spring.  Amazingly,  I had forgotten this one basic step to making super creamy oatmeal.  And, it's so simple!  

SOAK YOUR OATS OVERNIGHT!

Measure the oats and water in a pot before you go to bed.  Not only will this save you time in the morning, but you'll enjoy the benefits of a super creamy Oatmeal Porridge at breakfast time.

Secondly, it helps to make sure you bring your oats to a full boil.  Keep the lid ajar slightly to avoid boiling over.  Once it comes to a boil, it can help to cook the oats on medium for another 3-5 minutes, (fully covered) before turning to the lowest setting.  Place your pot on a flame deflector to prevent scorching.  If you need to skip that step, just cover, and turn low once it has come to a full boil.  (I just purchased this new stainless steel flame deflector for around $10.)

What Else Is So Special About This Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection?

Well, what is perfect for you may be a bit different than what is perfect for us, but that is so easily modifiable.  That in itself adds to the perfection, and is the essence of macrobiotics, Chinese dietary therapy, and Ayurvedic medicine.  Foods, herbs, spices, and cooking styles are customized for the individual, according to their needs, which I discuss in The Macrobiotic Action Plan, Your MAP to Greater Health & Happiness (aka The MAP.)   

Every one of you can create your own heavenly bowl of oats!   (My Overnight Oats recipe in both The MAP, and my soon to be republished Basic Macrobiotic Menus & Recipes book may be a more heavenly bowl of oats for Kapha dosha types, who do best with dry versus cooked oats.)  


Creamy Oatmeal Porridge with Hemp Seeds, 
Chopped Walnuts, Almond Butter, Pumpkin 
Butter & Sorghum Syrup - It doesn't get more 
heavenly than this! (As seen in the above video)


Creamy Oatmeal Porridge topped with 
Chopped Walnuts, Sorghum Syrup & 
Rehydrated Prunes & Raisins




















IN this post, I'll share what I've been adding, which is somewhat different than how Don tops his Creamy Oatmeal Porridge.  Plus, I've added the nutritional analysis, below.

Now, mind you, I don't use the exact same add-ins to my Creamy Oatmeal Porridge every day, although, I have had some on repeat.  They are that satisfying to me, adding to the perfection of my porridge!

None of this is new either.  I'm sure others have been eating their morning oats in a similar fashion, at least to some extent.  But, I'll tell you why I started changing up what I stir into my morning oats.

Oats Strengthen Digestion, Nuts & Seeds Calm Vatas, Nourish Yin


I have been dealing with some classic Yin and Yang Deficiency symptoms.  It's common as we age, and is traditionally remedied in Chinese medicine through regular consumption of Yin, Yang, Qi or Blood Tonics, &/or tonics for any of the primary organs: the Lungs, Heart, Spleen / Stomach, Liver and Kidneys.

Also, according to Ayurvedic medicine, oatmeal, nuts, seeds, oils, sweet fruits, cooked vegetables, and (very) few of the beans and legumes are beneficial for helping reduce excess Vata.  Those with a predominant Vata dosha will want to center their diet around Vata reducing foods, spices, cooking techniques and herbs.

Without bogging down this Creamy Oatmeal Porridge post, and making it a bit less heavenly to read, I'll flesh out more about Yin and Yang according to macrobiotics versus Chinese medicine, and dosha specific modifications in future posts.  UNTIL THEN, you can learn more about both in The MAP.


Our Creamy Oatmeal Porridge with Rehydrated Prunes & Raisins, 
Hemp Seeds & Walnuts, served with Arugula (with a tsp. of flax oil) & 
Soy Chorizo cooked w/ Onion (which I made to add to our lunch to-go 
to have with these delicious Clay Pot Cooked Black Beans, but 
we had it for breakfast instead!

Basic Recipe for Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection

This recipe is the quantity Don and I consume each morning.  I have a bit more than one third of the recipe.  We may have our Creamy Oatmeal Porridge with Miso Soup, steamed or QB Greens, and/or fruit.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup Bob's Red Mill Protein Oats
  • 1 cup organic Rolled Oats 
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 cup soy milk (plain or vanilla) or use your favorite nondairy milk
  • Pinch of salt (roughly 1/8 tsp. or up to 1/4 tsp.)
STEPS
  1. Measure oats and water in a pot, and let soak overnight.
  2. When ready to cook, add milk, salt, and any optional add-ins.
  3. Bring to a boil with the lid slightly ajar to prevent from boiling over.
  4. Once at a boil, cover completely, reduce to medium to medium-low heat, and let cook another few minutes before turning low.  Place on a flame deflector to prevent scorching the oats.
  5. Set a time for 25-30 minutes.  Turn off heat, and let sit 3-5 minutes before removing lid.
  6. Add your choice of toppings.

Nutritional Analysis of My Creamy Oatmeal Porridge with My Recent Favorite Toppings


My Recent Favorite Creamy Oatmeal Variation:  Just over 1/3, but less than 1/2 of the above recipe with 1/2 tablespoon each of unsalted almond butter and sorghum syrup, 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds, about 4 walnut halves, 4 Rehydrated Prunes, & 1 Tbsp. Raisins:  Total cals: 511, 14.6g protein, 67.5g carbohydrates, 23.9g fat, close to a third of the RDI for several B vitamins, with B1, B2 being more, and B3, 5 & 6 being a bit less, 5.5mg Vitamin E, 238mg Calcium, 4.3mg iron (half the RDI), 942.6mg Potassium, 3.1mg Zinc, 9.3g Fiber, 1.7g Omega 3 fats++.  

If I want it to be a little lower fat, I adjust accordingly.  Sometimes I also stir in 1 Tbsp. wheat germ.  I find the higher fat breakfast to be more satiating.  

I boost the protein by adding greens, Miso Vegetable Soup with Seaweed, or sometimes I stir in 3/4 of 1 scoop of Nature's Sunshine Vanilla Power Meal into my Teeccino (coffee alternative) which I drink prior to eating.  It is quite tasty too!

Alternatively, Don will sometimes add 2-3 tablespoons of Fearn's Soya Powder or Granules, or TVP (which can be found made from either pea or soy protein.)  Natto, fermented soy beans, or 1/4 cup or more of any canned beans can also be cooked with the oats, or heated separately and served on the side.

Toppings & Variations for Creamy Oatmeal Porridge

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS (Specifically for Fall / Winter Diet)
  • 1 Tbsp. hemp seeds.  Ground chia or flax seeds can be added instead, however, I don't particularly care for either of those seeds stirred into my porridge, unless I also add more heated soy milk.  They are dryer than the hemp seeds, at least to me.  But make it your own bowl of oatmeal perfection.
  • Chopped fresh or roasted walnuts.  To roast:  Place walnuts on a baking tray, and roast at 250-275º for 10-11 minutes.  They should be golden brown, and crisper, or crunchier without being burnt.
  • 1-2 tsp. of almond butter (among my current favorite add-ins), or peanut butter.
  • Chopped dry roasted peanuts, or slivered almonds.
  • Rehydrated prunes and/or raisins:  Place a 16 oz. bag of non-sorbate dried plums (prunes) into a wide mouth storage jar, add a cinnamon stick and fill with filtered water, either heated first, or from the tap.  Alternatively, add a mix of prunes and raisins.  These become more sweet and syrupy the longer they sit in the fridge.  (Or try any of my Stewed or Baked Fresh and/or Dried Fruit recipes.)
  • Pumpkin or apple butter or apple sauce.  (Homemade is best!) or any other Stewed or Baked Fruit.
  • Optional sweetener of choice.  The sweet flavor is balancing to Vata dosha types, and is considered a Qi tonic in Chinese medicine.  Over doing simple sugars would have the opposite effect, and instead of nourishing the Earth element, or Stomach, Spleen (& Pancreas), organs of digestion, it could lead to an accumulation of phlegm.  My recent choice of sweetener making my Creamy Oatmeal Porridge pure perfection has been a heaping teaspoon of sorghum syrup.  Use whatever you like if adding a sweetener, including maple syrup, dark brown sugar (another favorite, which adds to the warmth of the oatmeal, which I discuss in my Perfectly Simple Poached Pears recipe), maple sugar, or date syrup. 
  • 1 Tbsp. wheat germ, which boosts the Vitamin E content
  • Gomashio (roasted sesame salt).
  • Serve with fermented vegetables like homemade kimchi, &/or steamed broccoli, QB Greens,  Miso Vegetable Soup, or a store bought or homemade, plant-based breakfast sausage.
  • For even more protein, top with warmed soy milk, or see variations #5, 6 & 7 below, or the first four optional add-ins, above.  (As an aside, my Macrobiotic Weight Loss happened in part because I was not focused on eating a lot of protein, although not saying it would not help others.)

Miso Soup & Oat Millet Porridge recipes
can be found on Simple Vegan Macrobiotic
Meals & Recipes: Oat Millet Porridge, 
Miso Soup+





VARIATIONS

  1. Cook oatmeal with a finely chopped apple.  Peanuts can be added while cooking as well  
  2. Add raisins or a couple chopped dates to sweeten it as it cooks.
  3. Add cinnamon.
  4. Add vanilla.
  5. Stir 2 Tbsp. peanut butter powder with 1&1/2-2 Tbsp. water or non dairy milk.  Stir into the oatmeal while it's cooking, or add on top in lieu of peanut butter.
  6. For higher protein, measure 1/4 cup (or up to 1/2 cup) red lentils with the oats, and either decrease the rolled oats by the same amount, or increase water by twice the amount of lentils (1/2 cup more water for 1/4 cup red lentils.)  Or add 2+ Tbsp. soy granules, or pea or soy TVP, or 1/4 cup canned beans, and cook as above.  Alternatively, try serving with Natto fermented soybeans, which is a great source of Vitamin K, and live beneficial enzymes.
  7. Combine 1+ Tbsp., of protein powder into some warmed, nondairy milk. and add to cooked porridge.  Or, mix 2 Tbsp. Peanut Butter Powder with 2+ Tbsp. water or soy milk.  Sweeten if desired.  (I add a teaspoon of brown rice syrup.)  Drizzle on top of cooked oats.  
  8. For a buttery-rich flavor, and added choline, top with 1 tsp. liquid lecithin.  Or, boost Omega 3s, and add 1 tsp. high lignin flax oil (to which I like adding dark brown sugar.)
  9. Oats and Millet is another great combo, but then it wouldn't be the Creamy Oatmeal Porridge Perfection.  It would be the Oatmeal & Millet Porridge, probably a second runner up of perfect porridges!


Resources

Recipes






Learn more about how to choose the best foods, correct imbalances, and enjoy a 'macrobiotic diet' - meaning a diet that will help you enjoy a long, great, healthy, vibrant life - that's best for you!


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