Oatmeal with Apples, Hazelnuts, and Flaxseeds

My evening was busy, so I thought I'd flip things around and do a breakfast recipe today - vegans need to get off to a hearty start just like everyone else!

This comes together easily, but not especially quick, so it's probably best suited for a weekend morning when you have more time.

Place two tablespoons hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and pour onto a paper towel. Rub the skins off through the towel. (Note: since I, too, am always a guinea pig with my recipes, this step didn't quite work for me. Some skins fell off instantly, while some were a bit more stubborn, and easier, I found, to rub away with my hands instead of the paper towels once they'd cooled a moment). Finely chop the hazelnuts and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups soy milk, 3/4 cup regular oats, 3/4 cup diced granny smith apple, 2 and a 1/2 tablespoons flax seed, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and a dash of salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat - make sure not to boil it at a higher temperature, or the milk will burn! Once it boils, stir in a 1/4 tsp. vanilla, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for five minutes until thick.

Top with the chopped hazelnuts, a tablespoon and a half slivered almonds and a tablespoon and a half brown sugar (use an organic variety to avoid the bone-char process).

A nifty note on flaxseed, since this is a great source of Omega-3's for vegans. I found a brand that came in single-serve envelopes, of about 2 1/2 tbsp. each, perfect for sprinkling over any variety of foods. Available from Carrington Farms: http://www.carringtonfarms.com/

This recipe yields three servings of 2/3 cup and 260 calories each.

Cost:
hazelnuts $6.99
soy milk $1.79
rolled oats $2.49
granny smith apple $1.38
flaxseed $7.99
slivered almonds $3.99

Finally, I've found a great, certified vegan wine that I want to share with everyone. I confess that wine is the one place I still cheat as a vegan. I won't drink the ones that I know for a fact use an un-vegan filtering method (i.e. Yellow Tail whites, tho oddly enough, Yellow Tail reds are okay...), but if I don't know how they filtered it, I ignore the fact.

This one though is certified vegan and organic and exceptionally crisp and refreshing. I've decided to dub it my "house wine". It's Guy Bossard's Muscadet from France. Tasting notes are crisp fruit flavors of apple and lemon with a slight spritz to it. It drinks great by itself as an apperitif, and would go wonderfully with flavors of basil, pesto, or risottos.