When I'm in a hurry and I want to eat something filling, I make Steel Cut Oats, actually, who am I kidding? I make this all the time, not every day, but almost. I love it, it is the most delicious breakfast I can have, and it is so very easy. I have to thank my good friend Marian Frantz for this, without her talking about Steel Cut Oats a few years back I would have never been interested in them, and my mornings would have been a lot less delicious. Also, special mention, and much needed mention, goes to Alton Brown for his recipe, which I will make you look up over at the food network website, it is worth it (I don't follow it completely, but I base my stuff off his).
So, if you already looked at Alton Brown's recipe, don't look scared! I don't follow it completely. I use only four ingredients: Oatmeal, butter, milk, water.
You may also have noticed his recipe says 45 minutes, I claim 15, huh? Why is that? Because I don't do one cup, I only do a few tablespoons, and, remember, I don't follow the recipe completely. You may also notice my picture it looks very watery, almost like cereal and milk, when I'm in a hurry I add some milk to cool it down. With that out of the way, lets go on!
I am okay not eating super sugary stuff, so I don't add sugar, however, I do add fruits, dry and fresh. Sometimes both, sometimes just one or the other, the only right way is what I crave. Lately I got ahold of almond and vanilla extracts, so I add that too (while cooking it, one or the other). Every now and then, in the rare occasion that I do want it sweet, I add maple syrup, but just a little bit.
The picture above has the following: Pear, Raisins, dry Cranberries, Maple Syrup, and Cinnamon
Sometimes however, I just add a banana. Sometimes just raisins, sometimes apples, sometimes nothing. You can add anything, really. And it is one of the best and most delicious breakfasts I can wish for some mornings. Other mornings I do crave heavier stuff. Like egg burritos, but we'll talk about those later. :P
So, that's for the mornings. Sometimes when I'm really busy and don't have time during lunch, one of my favorite things to make that is simple, yet has a lot of flavor (in other words, I'm not in the mood of a simple sandwich) is a salad. All you need to do is chop, chop, chop. Which doesn't take that long, though don't speed through it, I don't want to be blamed for lost fingers or blood in the salad.
There's a very famous salad bar chain in San Diego, and possibly in other places too, I love going there. But, truth is, they are not that special, I love it because of how convenient they are, you just drop your veggies on your plate, pour your favorite dressing, or dressings, toppings, and voila, deliciousness awaits you. Lunch though is like 8 bucks or so, maybe more, and the drink is not included (not like it matters since I drink water). And again, I love that place, a lot. They have other things too, like soups and weird pizza like breads, good stuff, not great, but good.
However, making a similar salad at home is not that difficult or time consuming, and a lot more cheaper. I will make a short and sort of inaccurate list, one that you can easily compare when you go to the grocery store. It's inaccurate because I don't really remember the prices of everything! It also actually depends where you live, and what grocery store you go to. I go to a local grocery store that prides itself in getting the produce right from the local farmers, they recently changed their name, but they are also known for selling bulk beans, snacks, and very fresh produce. I ADORE them, however, I won't advertise them.
If there's something you have probably noticed on this blog is that I do not write out brands, or names of companies. I don't get paid for it, nor would I want to. But the point is that I do it intentionally, if you really want to know what I am talking about, feel free to contact me! I will share the information. :)
Anyway, to make my lunch today, I used a few vegetables, some snacks, deli stuff, and some shitty brand dressing because I was too lazy to make my own.
I used:
Romaine Lettuce - 76 cents
Red Onion - Less than a buck
Tomatoes - Like 2 bucks per pound?
Cucumber - 3 for 1 dollar.
Mexican Squash- 4 for 1 buck
Bell Pepper - 3 for 1 dollar
Cheddar Cheese - This one a bit expensive because it is good, forgot the price. But you can use whatever you have.
Turkey Ham - Again, not sure how much this costs, just your typical deli turkey stuff. Like 2 bucks?
Cajun Mix - 2.49 lb (bought 1/4 lb)
Shitty Brand Famous Dressing - 3 bucks?
If you add it up and divide it per meals, really, nothing is cheaper. Nothing out there can be cheaper than a home a made salad, even after adding a ton of vegetables, YOUR favorite vegetables. Even if you buy a really good dressing, I only add like one tablespoon or two per salad, so it lasts me a long time.
The only hassle is washing the vegetables, and chopping them. But, maximum it would take you like 20 minutes. Can't take more. And preparing it, since you are tossing everything together, it can't take you longer than 2 minutes!
There's one unhealthy thing that I always do to my salads though, which is, I always season them. I always add salt and pepper. Always. I like it that way.
So today, that was my breakfast, and my lunch. Very fast, very fulfilling, decently healthy. When it comes to the salad, there's no reason for them to be boring and tasteless.
Don't have croutons? Don't stress! Have potato chips? Crush them, throw them on your salad. I had those Cajun Mix I always buy from the grocery store, it seemed right to add them so I did. Nuts? Go ahead!
Any vegetable you have laying around can make a salad, and if you don't have any, then buy some! You can make anything with vegetables, sandwiches, soups. Get in the habit! You will not regret it.
So those are today's inspirations, hope it opened up your appetite, and made your meal planning a bit less stressful!
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