RECIPE: Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom

I just love the Food Network.  And I love the show The Next Food Network Star.  Last season's winner was Aarti Sequeira.  She was my favorite from the very first episode.  She's different and has a unique point-of-view.  I just love her recipes too!  I'm most interested in using different spices to brighten up our everyday meals.  She shared a recipe a few weeks ago which used cardamom.  It's a floral scented spice and can be very strong and very expensive.  I went to Sevenanda and picked up a tiny bit for about $.45.  I figured I give it a try and see if I liked it.  Well, I love it.  Let me share my tweaked "pantry-friendly" version of the Aarti Party recipe.  It was so good!

Pumpkin Oatmeal with Cardamom (adapted from Aarti Party)

14 oz canned pumpkin puree (or about 2 cups)

2 cups water

2 cups vanilla almond milk, plus more for serving

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

chopped almonds

honey

In a large saucepan, whisk pumpkin puree, water, almond milk.  Bring to a boil.  Add cranberries, salt, pumpkin pie spices, cardamom and oatmeal.  Reduce heat and cook about 15 minutes.  Follow the directions on your oatmeal canister.  Stir frequently to avoid sticking on the bottom of the pot.

Serve with chopped almonds, a drizzle of honey and 1/4 cup almond milk.

This was so good!  I think she says there are 4 servings in the pot.  There is no way I could eat that much oatmeal!  I filled my bowl with about 1 cup of the oatmeal and couldn't even eat it all.  It's very filling.  I think it's pretty healthy.  I plugged this into sparkpeople and it came out to be 288.1 calories for 6 servings.  That's good in my book!  I divided the leftovers into 1 cup servings and stored them in the fridge.  I heated them up each morning in the microwave until warm and then drizzled with honey and milk.  Perfect make-ahead meal!  Super fast and healthy breakfast option.

Hope you try it and visit her blog, she seems like such a sweet girl. 

Enjoy!

This post has also been linked to:

• Mouthwatering Monday at Southern Fairytale 
• Meatless Mondays at My Sweet and Savory 
• Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays
• Hearth and Soul at Frugality and Crunchiness with Christy
• Tempt My Tummy Tuesday at Blessed with Grace
• At the Well this week
• Delicious Dish at It's a Blog Party
• Tasty Tuesday at 33 Shades of Green
• $5 Dollar Dinner Challenge
  
• Tasty Tuesday at Beauty and Bedlam 
• Tuesday at the Table at All the Small Stuff 
• Pantry Recipe Swap at Home and Pantry
• What's Cooking Wednesday at  The King's Court 4
• Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap
• Tasty Traditions at Coupon Cookin
• Recipe Swap Thursday at Prairie Story
• Family Food Fridays at Get Healthy Cheap