July 5, 2010

Oatmeal: Breakfast of Champs

I really really love oatmeal. In all forms, with all sorts of things added into it. This posting spot is my ode-to-oatmeal. Whenever I make a new sort of oatmeal, I'll post it here. Since making oatmeal is not exactly a groundbreaking culinary endeavor, I'll just share the add-ins in case they provide some yummy inspiration . Oatmeal is a great vehicle for add-ins, and anyone who has ever gone out for an ice cream sundae with me knows that I am a total sucker for add-ins, mix-ins, whatever you want to call them... I say the more the merrier, go wild, do what you like.  In this case, oatmeal is the start to a new day... what a great excuse to get powered up with some seriously yummy ingredients!

Mango Maple Oatmeal:


1/2 cup whole rolled oats, 1/2 t. salt, 1/2 cup chopped frozen mango, 1 T. cinnamon, 2 T. maple syrup.
Bring the oats and salt to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. After 2 minutes, add the frozen mango. Cook another 2 minutes. Pour into a bowl and top with cinnamon and maple syrup. 

Banana Flax Oatmeal:


If I don't fuel my day from the very start, I lose steam quickly. To avoid this, and to have about twenty minutes of bliss every morning as I enjoy every single bite of my breakfast, I make banana oatmeal.

To make it quickly, I use one-minute oats. One-minute oats are not instant oats, which leave me feeling sad and empty, nor are they whole rolled oats, which take a bit too long to cook in a time-crunch and in the microwave at work. I find that one-minute oats have a great, cohesive consistency, sticking together nicely while still resembling well-enough the oats they came from. By adding an over-ripe banana, which becomes even sweeter when hot, and a big dash of cinnamon, it feels like a dessert! The banana's potassium is a wonderful source of fuel. Cinnamon fights dips in blood sugar. Flax seed combats cancer-causing agents...

Banana Oatmeal:
1/2 cup one-minute oats
1 large, over-ripe sliced banana
1 cup hot water
2 T flax seeds, ground or whole
1 T cinnamon (less if you don't like as much as I do)

Microwave in a large bowl on high for two minutes, stirring at one minute and taking care that it does not bubble over.

And Strawberry Banana Oatmeal:


Add 1/2 a cup of quick cooking oats and hot water, plus a ripe, sliced banana. Microwave on high for 1 minute, then add sliced strawberries that are tossed in 1 T of granulated sugar. Microwave on high for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, watching closely as it will bubble over. Add cinnamon and enjoy!

And Raisin Walnut Cinnamon Oatmeal:


Add 1/8 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/8 cup of Organic Raisins to your dry oatmeal. Add water and microwave on high for 1.5 minutes. Stir in 1 T cinnamon and 1 T ground flax seed.

Peanut Butter & Raisin Oatmeal:


Tastes like a peanut butter raisin oatmeal cookie!


1/2 cup dry oatmeal, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup raisins, 2 T creamy peanut butter, 1 T cinnamon.
Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stir well!

1 comment:

  1. oh oatmeal. how I love it. here are other things I do to up the deliciousness quotient of my breakfast/snack/it's-almost-dinner-right? treat: make it with something other than water (mostly chai tea for me); toast the oats in the toaster oven; toast walnuts with the oats in the toaster oven. Use the microwave (3 min 30 sec and a big bowl and I've been fine at work). But mostly just agree with you: Oatmeal is the breakfast of champs.

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