Pumpkin Oatmeal: The Ultimate Autumn Breakfast

The yellow, orange, and red foliage that bring the needed pops of colours during a gloomy, rainy day and that shine vibrantly in the shining sun. Ahhhh, autumn.. 'tis the season to incorporate pumpkin into every recipe possible. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin bars, pumpkin latte, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin oatmeal. Today I will share with you one of the warmest, coziest, most-autumn-y breakfast one could possibly enjoy on a chilly morning. Not to mention it's extremely healthy, full of wholesome ingredients and no refined sugars of any sort.

The dry ingredients: oats + cinnamon

The trick to sweetening this oatmeal without adding granulated or brown sugar, or even honey, is the 'melted banana trick'. After I discovered this creative natural sweetener from Chocolate Covered Katie (who's recipes I adore), I will refuse to make oatmeal without a spotted banana lying around. I don't use the microwave but instead caramelize it (or cook it, if I'm impatient) in my pot before adding the rest of the wet ingredients. It adds so much sweetness and flavour, totally brings a plain bowl of oatmeal to the next level.

A bowl of oatmeal is the perfect breakfast to kick start the day. Oats provide long-lasting energy and are digested slowly, therefore keeping you fuller for longer. This particular recipe has a whole serving of fruits and vegetables in it! Cellulose (aka fibre) keeps the digestive tract squeaky clean! The warmth also energizes the body on a cold morning, or any morning really. Contrary to what I often read on the Internet, cold food is actually not a good way to start the day. Cold food takes away the body's energy, because the body uses up it's energy to warm the food it is ingesting. That's probably why diet articles always encourage dieters to chug down an ice cold glass of water right after getting up. Being raised in a Chinese family, my mom always frowns at me when I pour a ice cold glass of milk into my cereal. But I really have a thing against warm and soggy cereal, it's gross. So, if I am in need of a hot breakfast (that isn't pancakes or something with eggs), oatmeal satisfies.

This recipe can be customized to your liking; feel free to adjust amounts and add or omit items to suit your taste buds. I'm more of a chunky oatmeal kinda gal, so my liquid to oats ratio is a tad lower. Aaaand I love cinnamon, so a heaping teaspoon of that for good measure.

Hot bowl of Pumpkin Oatmeal

Using quick oats is the way to go, because if an empty stomach screaming for breakfast makes you cranky like me, then waiting more than five minutes for food isn't going to cut it. Measure out dry ingredients in the bowl you plan to eat out of, dunk all wet stuff into a small pot, boil, mix, boil eat. Easy and quick. Okay, enough with my meaningless mumble jumble. Here's the recipeeeee!!

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Recipe by Coconut Crumpet

Serves 1 

Ingredients

• ½ ripe banana (the riper the better!)
• ¼ quick cooking oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup milk
• Splash of vanilla

Extras

• 1 tbsp nut butter – add to pot with wet ingredients
• Yogurt – stir in at the end; flavoured yogurts add extra sweetness
• Chopped toasted nuts – for topping
• Honey – extra sweetness

Directions

1. In a small saucepan or pot, mash ripe banana into a puree. Cook over medium heat until sizzling and 'breathing'.
2. In a small bowl, combine oats and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. Once banana is caramelized or cooked, add milk, pumpkin, vanilla, and any other wet ingredients you wish you add in. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil.
4. Once wet ingredients have come to a boil, add dry ingredients and stir. Cover and cook for 3 minutes, or according to package directions. 
5. Serve hot with a splash of milk, top with something crunchy, or drizzle more nut butter or honey on top. Dig in!

Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡

Aren't my Piglet and Eeyore purple pajamas the best? :P

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Quick and Easy Cream of Broccoli Soup

This quick and easy broccoli soup has quickly become a family staple at the Coconut's Home. My mom has already made this soup at least three times in the last 2 weeks already. It came be put together in less than half an hour. Serve a big bowl of this thick green goodness along with some bread and you've got yourself a meal!

It all started when we snagged an awesome deal of two or three dollars for a massive bag of ready-to-eat broccoli florets at our local supermarket. I looked to my folder of recipes on my computer to search for ways to use all the broccoli in time. One should aim to have a serving of dark green vegetables (and orange too!) per day and broccoli is one of the best ways to meet that rule of thumb. Broccoli is packed with nutrients like fibre, calcium, and iron. This soup makes it easy to have a large intake of broccoli in one sitting, yum~ 

This healthy and basic recipe would make great base for any other vegetable puree soups. Swap out the broccoli for another vegetable like carrots and viola! another soup. 

Cream of Broccoli Soup

Adapted From Cooking Light

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• Oil for pan frying 
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 4 generous cups of broccoli florets
• 2 ½ cups milk
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 3 minutes or until tender. 
2. Add broth and broccoli. Bring broccoli mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 10 minutes.
3. Combine milk and flour, stirring until no lumps remain. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender until desired consistency.

P.S. The flower over the soup in the photo was drawn on with photoshop. It seemed awkwardly blank without something on top. A bit of decoration on top really helps with presentation if serving guests. 

 Love from Coconut Crumpet's Corner ♡