Oatmeal 2.0

I work in an office with many people, and I get to see what a lot of them eat for breakfast. One of the main things that I see is oatmeal. It is usually the instant packs of oatmeal which are cooked with boiling water, or in the microwave, and either eaten with fruit, or eaten plain. As a child I was not an oatmeal lover and it was not until last year I realized why…my oatmeal was just plain old BORING! I learned of this oatmeal recipe from one of my favourite nutritionistas Megan Telpner last year when I did a 9 day cleanse. I have used this recipe and morphed it into something I like to call Oatmeal 2.0. The toppings will change on a regular basis, but the base is pretty much the same. Do NOT use instant oats and make bigger batches so you have this tasty dish on hand for a few breakfasts. Don’t be afraid to play around with the dried fruits, seeds, and nuts used. Use what you have at home, and it will all come together.

Oatmeal 2.0 Recipe

Makes 2-4 servings

Time to prepare: 5 minutes

Time to cook: 5-10 minutes

Base

1 cup of grains (try any combination of oats, quinoa, lentils, buckwheat, millet, brown rice)

2½ cups of water

2 tbs ground flax or chia seeds

8 tbs dried fruit (I like goji berries for the antioxidants and dried cranberries)

1 tbs coconut oil (optional, but it is lovingly good for you)

1 tbs of cinnamon 

2-3 cardamom pods (take the spice out of the pod) (optional as it does have a distinct flavour)

¾ cup of fruit (if using frozen, cook fruit with oatmeal – if using fresh, see toppings below)

1 tbs almond butter (or your favourite nut butter)

Toppings for each serving

   **(all the toppings are optional, however to take it to the next level, I recommend keeping the fruit and nuts at a minimum)

½ - ¾ cup of your favourite fresh fruit (try any combination of banana, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.)

1 tbs pumpkin seeds (or your favourite nut)

1 tbs dried coconut flakes

1 tbs maca powder

1 tsp raw cacao powder

Drizzle of maple syrup or agave nectar

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in the ‘Base’ section of the recipe, with the exception of the almond butter, into a pot.
2. Bring water to a boil, then bring to a simmer, leaving uncovered. Stir occasionally so that the grain does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Simmer until you reach your desired consistency (I don’t like mine too watery, so I make sure that it looks fairly moist, but not swimming in liquid).
3. If it becomes too dry, add more water, if it is too wet, simmer until the water cooks away.
4. Once oatmeal is cooked to your preference, stir in almond butter and take off heat.
5. Dish out into your favourite bowl, and top with the suggested toppings above (mix maca and raw cacao powder in oatmeal if using - if not, you will cough it up like its going out of style).