Paleo “Oats” and April Eats

So with all the running hoopla (and ya know, school) that’s been going on I haven’t written about food in what seems like forever! A spring recap and summer preview might be in order to keep everything straight! What better way than to get a food post started than with how I’d love to start every single day: Oatmeal

Okay, so this post isn’t actually oatmeal. It’s oatless oats. A paleo version of my favorite breakfast food? Sure why not! Espicially with how popular my Overnight Oats post seemed to be! For the record, I do not eat strictly paleo, but I’m always down to try new protein packed recipes (plus when I saw Julie over at Peanut Butter Fingers was giving it a try, I knew I had to!)

You’ll need:

• 2 egg whites (I have made statements before about how I will never substitute eggs in a recipe because eggs are GOOD for you. While this is still true, I was concerned about how this recipe would turn out so I followed the egg white suggestion exactly)
• 1/2 almond milk
• 3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• Banana
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix together egg whites and almond milk in a small bowl. Eat half the banana, and mash the other half (very well!) Mix in the banana, flax seeds, vanilla, and cinnamon. Once well mixed, add to small saucepan and heat on medium low. Stir frequently! Heat until you reach whatever consistency you like- between 5 and 10 minutes. I like my oatmeal pretty thick, so I had mine on for a full ten minutes.

And that’s it! Take off heat and serve with whatever you would normally top your oats with. I ate mine with coconut (obviously), honey, chia seeds, almonds, milk, and a large mug of coffee. I’m surprising at the size of the portion I ended up with! I’m also surprised by how DELICIOUS it turned out! While it didn’t entirely taste like oatmeal, I looooove the almost cream-of-wheat type texture to it.

Would definitely recommend for those looking to cut back on grains! I doubt it would heat up well, so I’ll have to save it for days when I have a little bit more time in the morning, but I will be making Paleo “Oats” again guaranteed!

So Lauren, it’s the end of April! What else have you been eating?

Wow, great question! Here’s a quick food tour of what’s been going on:

Shrimp tacos from Smugglers Wharf in Cedar Rapids! I got mine grilled, but David threw a beer-battered one onto my plate at the bottom. They came with lettuce, cilantro, and this yogurt sauce that I don’t even know what was in it. Heaven. Will have to try at home!

Uh, well, celery was 99 cents at Hy-Vee, so I’ve been that annoying girl that every dislikes because she’s always eating celery…

BUT it’s been awesome in EVERYTHING! Yes, including smoothies. I’ve been using frozen berries, frozen spinach, celery, water, and stevia in the mornings to make a green juice type smoothie! It sounds weird, I know. I’m not much of a juice person though (cough cough coffee), and I’ve been loving this blend.

 

Uhh, why is your oatmeal pink? I came home the other night and was absolutely craving a baked good, like a danish or a scone. To improvise, I made a small bowl of oats with chia seeds, vanilla protein powder, milk, and a spoonful of sugar-free strawberry jam! It was warm, fruity, filling, and tasted like carby baked goodness, without the hassle.

When I posted this photo to Instagram, Brueggers even commented on it. That’s how good the new Riviera bagel sandwich is from Brueggers, with a fresh egg, prosciutto, brie, and an asiago parmesan bagel!

I also made Black Bean Brownies yesterday, from Chocolate Covered Katie! They were good, but I’m not giving them their own post because I can’t rave about them a ton like I’d like to! I would recommend if you’re on a stricter diet, but I’ll probably go with something a little more “real” next time and just not eat the whole pan (kidding…kind of)

Any favorite dish you’ve had this month? I’ll be getting in some type of recipe post before finals- stay tuned!