Oatmeal can be a great way to start your day. It’s warm and filling. It’s cheap and quick. It’s healthy and whole. Sometimes our routines can become, well…routine. We need some new ideas to liven up an old staple, whether it’s steel-cut oats or rolled oats. Oatmeal is a blank canvas where you can create many mini works of art.
Check out these three ideas to breathe a little life into your oatmeal.
All of these recipes use rolled oats, which take about 15 minutes to cook. Bring about two parts water to a boil, then add 1 part oats. Simmer until the oats are cooked. Add a little more water if needed to keep the oats from drying out and becoming too thick.
Toasted Coconut, Cinnamon, Cranberries, Bananas, Sunflower Seeds
Start by toasting the coconut in the same pan you will use to make the oats. Once the coconut is toasted, remove most of the coconut before you add the water. Add two teaspoons of cinnamon (and maybe a pinch of nutmeg) to the cooking oats. Feel free to experiment with how much cinnamon you add. Throw the cranberries into the cooking oats about halfway through. After you transfer the oats to your bowl, top with the bananas, coconut, and sunflower seeds.
Mandarin Oranges, Pomegranate seeds, Black Pepper and Almonds
Slice the orange segments in half lengthwise and add them to the oats for the last minute of cooking with a tiny pinch of black pepper. Cut the almonds in half, or use pre-sliced almonds, and add them to the cooked oats in your bowl with the cleaned pomegranate seeds.
Stewed Apple, Pear, Coconut Flakes with Ginger and Walnuts
Stew the fruit and flakes together for a little while in a separate saucepan with a pinch of ginger powder. Add a tablespoon of coconut cream to the oats for a delicious boost of healthy fat. The walnuts can be toasted a bit or not at all.
I hope these ideas bring fresh flavour to your morning oatmeal!
