Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait Packs a Punch

By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Dairy Council and the Quaker Oats Center of Excellence and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

I love oatmeal. I eat oatmeal for breakfast normally about 5 out of 7 mornings a week. It’s my favorite breakfast. I change it up by adding different toppings, such as ground cinnamon, cocoa nibs, walnuts, dried plums, dried apricots, frozen blueberries, and other foods. So, I was excited to hear about a recipe contest featuring oatmeal and lowfat or nonfat dairy products, of which I am also a big fan.

Most people, in fact 99%, don’t meet the recommended daily requirement for whole grains; and 85% don’t meet the daily requirement for dairy. So, one easy way to help meet these requirements is to start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and milk or yogurt.

For this contest, I decided to create a recipe for oatmeal that was packed full of nutrients and that anyone would love to eat. In my recipe, I cook the oatmeal in fat free milk instead of water for added nutrition with a little bit of cinnamon. I then layer the cooked oatmeal with lowfat vanilla yogurt, fresh raspberries, and toasted almonds for a nutritious breakfast parfait. Serving it in a parfait glass instead of a regular bowl adds to the fun factor and eye appeal.

This parfait provides a powerhouse of nutrients as just one serving provides an excellent source of protein (22 grams), fiber (10 grams), calcium (54%), and vitamins D, C, and B-12. It is also fast and easy to make on a busy weekday morning.

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait Packs Nutrients

Here’s the recipe:

Powerhouse Oatmeal Parfait

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old fashioned or quick cooking oatmeal

1 cup fat free milk (can be lactose-free, if desired)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

6 ounces lowfat or fat free vanilla yogurt

1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

Cook oatmeal according to package directions, cooking in milk instead of water and omitting salt if listed. Stir in cinnamon. Place half of oatmeal in bottom of 12-ounce or larger parfait glass; press down with spoon to eliminate air pockets. Top with half of yogurt, then half of raspberries. Repeat layers one more time. Sprinkle top with almonds.

Makes 1 serving.

Note: Recipe can be doubled or tripled, if desired.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

391 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 10 g dietary fiber, 22 g protein, and 189 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins D, C B-12, and thiamin.

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Citrus Tea Infused Millet Cheese Tarts

Tea-Infused Millet Cheese Tarts

I’m a HUGE tea drinker. Have been for decades. It’s my preferred breakfast beverage and during the winter I drink it all day long.  I like green, black, white, herbal, all flavors. I haven’t, however, used tea in cooking applications except one time many years ago when I made brownies that used blackberry tea. They were amazing. So I was very excited when I found out that the theme for this month’s Recipe Redux is cooking with tea. Our task is to create a healthy recipe that is inspired by tea.

I decided to use one of my favorite teas, Good Earth Citrus Kiss. I made millet the usual way, except that I used a strong citrus-flavored tea in place of water or broth. It came out delicious. These cheese cups are easy to do and are great for summer party appetizers. Don’t have millet on hand? Just substitute brown rice or quinoa.

Here’s the recipe:

Tea-Infused Millet Cheese Cups

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup dry millet (uncooked)

2 cups strong tea made from 3 citrus or lemon flavored tea bags

1 lean Italian turkey sausage link (about 3.4 ounces), uncooked and casing removed

1/2 medium fennel bulb, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

Cheese Tarts:

Non-stick cooking spray

8 ounces 50% or 75% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

Equipment Needed:

baking sheets

parchment paper

mini muffin pan

Make Filling:

Toast dry millet in a non-stick 10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until millet just begins to turn brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add  2 cups of strong tea to toasted millet, reduce heat to medium and cover. Gradually reduce heat to simmer and let cook covered for about 20 minutes. One cup of dry millet yields about 4 cups of cooked millet. Only 1 cup of cooked millet is needed for this recipe. The rest can be used for another recipe or use.

Brown Italian sausage in large, 10-inch non-stick frying skillet over medium-high heat until completely browned on all sides, breaking it apart as it cooks. Reduce heat to medium. Add fennel and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp tender. Stir in cooked millet. Cook over medium heat for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat. Set aside.

Make Cheese Tarts: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick spray. The cheese cups will likely need to be baked in batches. The parchment paper can be reused until all the cheese cups have been baked.  With large holes on a box grater, shred cheese. Place cheese in 1 tablespoon piles on parchment paper lined baking sheet, leaving about inch between piles to allow for spreading. Flatten piles slightly with back of spoon. Bake 8 to 10 minutes on middle rack of oven until bubbly and slightly brown around edges. Don't over bake to prevent toughness. Remove baking sheet  from oven and let set for 1 minute. Then carefully lift each cheese circle and press in bottom of mini muffin pan. Let cool about 5 minutes before removing from muffin pan. Note: cheese cups can be made up to several days in advance, if desired. Keep at room temperature in airtight plastic container lined with paper towels to absorb moisture.

Assembly:

Using a tablespoon, scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling into each cheese tart. Garnish with feathery fennel fronds, if desired. Serve.

Makes 16 appetizers or 8 servings (2 appetizers each).

Nutrition Information per Serving using 75% reduced fat Cheddar cheese):  (Note: one serving is two cheese cups.)

111 calories, 3.8 g total fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 16.3 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 11.8 g protein, and 281 mg sodium.

Nutrition Information per Serving using 50% reduced fat Cheddar cheese):  (Note: one serving is two cheese cups.)

121 calories, 5.8 g total fat, 3.3 g saturated fat, 21.3 mg cholesterol, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 10.8 g protein, and 251 mg sodium.

Cost per Serving (2 Cheese Cups per Serving): $0.88

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices.

Millet browning in pan before tea is added

 Be sure to check out these other tea-inspired creations.

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