Oatmeal

We eat a lot of oatmeal.

Oatmeal is fun because you can do pretty much anything to it. Hit it with whatever liquid, protein, add-in, seasoning, or topping you fancy, and it will probably still taste pretty great. There are two typologies of the basic oatmeal:

OVERNIGHT OATS: Easy for breakfasts on the go, trendy college students, people who like pastel colors.

Combine: one part ROLLED, BRANNED, or QUICK OATS (steel cut will NOT “cook” overnight), two parts liquid (for a complete jarred overnight oat that will be satisfactorily filling, choose a milk (does not need to be dairy)), desired proportion of YOGURT, NUTS, FRUIT. Can add: nut butters, (coconut) cream, sweeteners.

Shake.

Put in fridge, leave for at least three hours. Can make several batches at once, it will keep for a few days, fermenting minimally.

COOKED OATMEAL:

Our favorite porridge is: oatmeal + yogurt + fruit + nuts. This concoction is significantly better when expressed in a local, ingredient conscious context. Meaning, high quality material makes for high quality porridge. In the past, I topped oatmeal exclusively with Driscoll’s berries (AKA the agribusiness industrial complex). Now I eat in-season fruits. I am happier. I have been enlightened to why some people boycott agricultural monopolies – eating local means usually better politics, is always better for the planet, and makes for a better breakfast. Bob’s Red Mill is a Good Brand of oatmeal. Their steel cut oats won the Golden Spurtle Championship, meaning they were the world’s BEST oatmeal. Their quick and rolled oats are also good, experiment with brands and find what kind makes you happiest.

Orange Creamsicle Oatmeal — Bob’s Red Mill Golden Spurtle Champion steel cut oats, topped with Fage, local Texan oranges (Texas citrus, a spring staple in the Lone Star state) and pecans.

Some other recipes of cooked oatmeal:

Edgar Allen Oatmeal: For dark nights and goth mornings.

1 Part oats, 2 parts liquid, 1 part SOFT (or SILKEN) TOFU. Cook. The soft tofu addition is a trick learned from a Finnish student living in Hong Kong. A popular Chinese dessert is a sweet soft tofu “pudding” called doufuhua – Julia experimented with mixing doufuhua and oats to up her morning porridge’s protein content. The results were delicious.
Stir vigorously to get lumps out. Add BLACK SESAME PASTE to taste. This comes in sweetened and unsweetened formats. Do not buy Black Tahini, they are not the same thing. You can find Black Sesame Paste online, or at Asian grocery stores. This will make your oatmeal black. If using the unsweetened version, you might want to add a sweetener.

Top with blackberries, or similar black fruit. Maybe chia seeds. Drink with black coffee. An additional variation is to add Red Bean Paste, also found at Asian grocery stores. This is sweet and yummy, but will make your creation brownish instead of pure darkness.

Red Bean Black Sesame Oatmeal: tastes like a Chinese dessert.

Carrot cake oatmeal:

1 Part oats, 2 parts liquid (I used water, would be good with various milks). Cook with shredded carrot, fresh or dried ginger, pinch of nutmeg, copious cinnamon.
Top with: walnuts or pecans, shredded coconut, more cinnamon, sweeten with maple syrup or brown sugar.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal: for people away from home on Thanksgiving.

Combine: OATS, CANNED PUMPKIN, SOFT TOFU (optional but makes it creamy and adds protein), GINGER/CINNAMON/NUTMEG, WALNUTS. Microwave or cook on stovetop. Top with MORE CINNAMON, VANILLA YOGURT. Sweeten with maple syrup, brown sugar, or honey – this wants to be sweetened. The pumpkin and cinnamon are sweetish, sure, but will not carry that pie like flavor.

For further recipe inspiration, check out the Build Your Bowl Chart. Send us your recipes! Don’t forget the oatmeal!