Ode to Oatmeal

Please forgive me. I lied. I said I would post on Tuesday, but that didn’t happen. Here is Friday and time for the second installment of favorite breakfasts. Oatmeal jumps into the spotlight. Thanks for your patience and understanding. Here it goes.

I lift the pot and take a whiff. Vanilla and cinnamon dance together. I stir in some ground flaxseed. I spoon the thick, speckled-beige mass into a bowl. A few wisps of steam escape. I smooth it out in the bowl and, depending on the day, add a sweetener: brown sugar, honey or maple syrup. Chopped nuts such as walnuts or almonds, top it off.

 

Oatmeal can be so much more than, just, oatmeal. Let your imagination run wild. It’s time to give oatmeal some personality, lifted from any perceived image of bland or boring to vibrant and desirable. With a creative mind and some extra ingredients, you can bring some excitement to oatmeal and reap healthful benefits. Think milk instead of water when cooking the oats. Ever considered adding dried figs and crystallized ginger? Or what about stirring in dried cranberries and poruing maple syrup atop the mixture? Spices provide an intriguing, distinct flavor. Stir in cinnamon, dried ginger, allspice, or nutmeg. A few years ago, applesauce and brown sugar were the go-to additions. Then I found dried fruit and quickly fell in love. I’ve added figs, apricots, dates, cranberries, apples and raisins. Dried fruit adds an appealing chewiness to the soft oats. If I’m using figs (like the Calimyrna found at Trader Joe’s or Henry’s) dates and apricots, I’ll generally chop six pieces (two of each fruit) for each serving. Add honey and slivered almonds, with some ground cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg to this one.

 

Let’s talk about milk versus water. Cooking oats in milk – in a stovetop pot – adds a richness you won’t find with water. For one serving, I’ll use ½ cup oats and 1 cup milk. Wait until the milk starts foaming and forming a film on its surface. It will start sizzling. Stir in the oats (regular, not quick-cooking) and turn to low. After a minute, the oats start to rise among a foam along the outer edges of the pot. Stir the mixture. Add in chopped fruit about a minute later. This will allow some time for the fruit to soften. Stir the mixture occasionally. Remove the pot once you hear, and see, larger bubbles popping. Cooking the oats takes about four to five minutes. Stir in ground flaxseed meal, vanilla and cinnamon into the cooked oatmeal in the pot. The scents alone are worth it. Once allowed to settle, the oats and flaxseed drink the milk. Transfer the oatmeal, a thick mush (almost like a sticky risotto), into a bowl and sweeten with brown sugar, maple syrup or honey. Then add some crunch with chopped nuts (I like walnuts or almonds). The receding heat from the oats gently turns the brown sugar into a syrup. The sugar slowly seeps and glazes  the softened oats, which maintain their texture.

 

I’ve even added pumpkin puree into oatmeal. Additions such as flaxseed meal, which looks like dark sawdust, and dried fruit boost nutrition. Flaxseed meal (I use whole-ground from Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods) contains generous amounts of fiber, lignans and omega-3 fats. Lignans, a natural antioxidant found in the family of plant estrogens, can maintain colon and breast health by binding circulating estrogens and other substances that might promote unchecked cell growth. Flaxseed, according to the package, has 75 times more lignans than any other plant food. Dried figs are highly nutritious. One-and-a-half ounces, or about four figs, contain vitamin B6, vitamin E, potassium, calcium, iron and antioxidant phytonutrients (from Fig Heaven by Marie Simmons). The sweet glaze from the honey coats the tender, chewy oats that are

So grab a bowl, find a comfortable chair and savor this hearty, healthy breakfast.