Yes to Oatmeal

I'm not really a huge fan of oatmeal. Yes, I know, shame on me. I don't dislike it, but I don't love it either - there's something about the mushy, sloppy cereal texture I just don't dig. If given a choice I'll take steel cut oats anytime over rolled oats. Until recently, that is. Last December we were walking around a desolate Whole Foods market (gasp! Is there such a thing?!), and I grabbed a few of those little cardboard pamphlets with recipes on it; after all I could really use some ideas and inspiration. The one that really caught my attention had what it seemed like a great alternative for a morning cereal. The oatmeal, instead of cooked and mushy is soaked overnight in almond milk and a little lemon rind.



After trying this recipe I've become a fan of oatmeal, and I actually look forward to having it for breakfast. I usually make enough for only a couple of days - I get bored easily and need to have different fast and nourishing options for breakfast. The beauty of this recipe is that you can really customize it to your own taste and add any combination of fruit / sweetener / other that makes you happy. I use regular rolled oats (not quick or instant), and I use an old little toaster oven to roast the nuts while I mix the oatmeal with whichever other ingredients I choose to use that day.

So far, this is my favorite combination of ingredients, and it seems to somewhat reflect my ethnic background with a little from the Middle East, a lot from the Tropics, and just a touch of who I am now living in the North-East.

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup of unsweetened almond milk
1/2 teaspoon of lemon rind (or more if you like a little more bitter punch)

1 teaspoon of maple syrup
3 dried apricots
2 tbsps of shelled roasted pistachios
1 tbspn of unsweetened shredded coconut

The night before mix the oats, the almond milk and the lemon rind. Refrigerate until the morning.
While roasting the pistachios in the toaster oven, take half of the soaked oats, mix them with the maple syrup, chop the apricots, add them to the oatmeal and finally top with the roasted pistachios and the shredded coconut. Voilà!