Simple Vegan Breakfast Oatmeal with the Works

Breakfast is usually a busy time of the day in most homes and my house is no exception. Fixing lunch, getting ready for work, feeding the cats and taking them for a stroll in the garden are some of the things that have to get done. When everything is done, I like to sit down with the family for breakfast. Oatmeal is my go to breakfast. It is the easiest breakfast to put together with a variety of ways to cook it.

Last year I posted my favorite oatmeal recipe. That was before I cut dairy out of my diet. Today I am posting my current favorite vegan oatmeal recipe. I had toyed with using water instead of milk for a long time but I have a problem with mushy texture so I was not sure it would work for me. If you do not like mushy food try this recipe.

Have fun with the toppings. Anything that enhances the flavor works. Here is are some ideas of what I like and use frequently.

You will need
1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 scant tsp. chia seeds
1 tsp. ground flax seeds (I buy them whole and grind enough for a week)
1 tsp. unsweetened dried coconut
1 tsp. brown sugar or maple syrup
1 banana (optional)
1 tbsp raisins (optional)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powder (optional)

Assemble all the ingredients. I have everything in a drawer for quick access in the morning.

Put the oatmeal in a microwave safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Cook it for 1 minute. This is the consistency I like. Cook with more or less water as per your taste. Adjust time if needed. Remember all microwave ovens are different. Start with 30 secs and go from there until you find the time that works for you.

Add all the toppings. Chop the fruit and add that to the bowl. Your bowl of oatmeal is ready. I like to eat it as soon as it is done. I do not like mushy texture. I add a little water if I am unable to eat it as soon as it is done.

Enjoy!

Mango Salsa

It is mango season and there are a dozen Haden mangoes in the house. They are very juicy and sweet. We have had mangoes in all forms over the last few days when I realized I have never posted the mango salsa. I decided to fix that right away and made this simple mango salsa. The mango was very juicy so I left the pieces big. For a different variety of mango I would have diced finely.

I used one mango so what you see in the picture is all I got. The amount of bell pepper you need is very small. I usually have a whole lot of fresh diced vegetables in the refrigerator. So I just pulled a really small quantity to add to this salsa. You could use more than one mango and increase the amount of bell pepper accordingly.

That never made it back to the bowl. It was all gone right after I took the picture. Mid morning snack for my daughter while she was on a break form studying for her summer classes.

You will need
1 mango, diced
1 tbsp diced red bell pepper
2 tbsp. onion, diced
1/2 serano pepper, deseeded and minced
4-5 sprigs cilantro, chopped
a pinch salt

Combine all the ingredients together and let it rest for a few minutes. Salsa is ready.

Enjoy!

This is my entry for week one, day one of BM #89 for the theme Condiments on the side. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#89.