I love oatmeal. I even loved it when I was in school and they made the kind that looked like thick, grey, wallpaper paste. Now, I make my own, and boy does it warm the cockles of my heart!
On the off chance you might wake up in a foul mood and need a little gustatory consolation, I shall now
The cast, in no particular order:
3/4 C Rolled Oats (hey, look, there's an actual measurement!!)
1 1/2 C Water, Milk, or both (Uh-oh, two measurements - the world may well end)
Butter (Ahh, that's better - no measuring)
Salt
Cinnamon
Vanilla
Brown Sugar
Dried Cherries
Dried Cranberries
Golden Raisins
A pot of sufficient size to hold all of the above, with lid
First, assemble your cast.
Aren't the brown sugar, cranberries, cherries, and raisins pretty? Sometimes I use dried blueberries, but I wasn't feeling them today.
Dump the water (I usually use water and milk, but I was almost out of milk today) into your pot along with butter (about 2 Tbsp, today), brown sugar (also around 2 Tbsp today), vanilla (uhh...some...I have no idea how much I used, but at least a tsp), and as much cinnamon as makes you happy. I use quite a bit.
Bring that mess to a boil over medium heat. Mmm...looks like something Mike Rowe would have to clean up. Mmm...Mike Rowe.
Once it's boiling add the oats, raisins, cranberries, and cherries. I measured the fruit by the handful - about half a handful of each, but I have big old man-hands. Give it a good stir and cover it up. Bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low. Check on it every few minutes - scorched oatmeal is one of the great tragedies of the culinary world.
Almost done - most of the liquid is soaked up. At this point, I turn it off and let it sit for a few minutes. Yes, it looks like a mess - trust me, it'll make your mouth happy. It might even still be good for you.
Mmm...doesn't that look yummy? OK, maybe it looks a little horrifying - oatmeal really isn't a pretty food, is it? Still...this is like having desert for breakfast. Some folks like to pour milk or cream over it and I've been known to do that myself, but not today.The amount I made with these ingredients will feed two people, or one very hungry person, quite nicely. I will have leftovers, as no one but me 'round here eats oatmeal. It reheats nicely in the microwave, or you can make a variation of Bannock with it...but that's another recipe.
With a start like this, the day has to be decent, right?
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6 comments:
Looks delicious!
Hey, I'm gonna add you to my blogroll. You're neat.
Oh god, that looks soooo good. My grandmother used to make the best avena (Spanish for a particular Oat), and I crave it every once in a while but no one makes it like she used to.
No one ever makes it like grandma did. I think they get a special recipe book when the first grandchild arrives and they join the grandma club.
I'll have to remember this. I make oatmeal nearly every day for myself, but I don't saute it.
Can I suggest a variation of your fruits? When you feel like something different, try dicing up some prunes. I substitute diced prunes wherever raisins are called for, because I'm not wild about raisins. I love cranberries in oatmeal (they're great with shredded wheat, too). I'll have to try your cherries, though -- mmmmmmm.
Heh...I didn't think about the pan in the picture. It's actually a pot, but the angle I shot it at DOES make it look like a saute. I'll try the prune trick sometime - I do like raisins, but a little variety never hurt.
I used to make oatmeal more often, but that's when I was single and didn't have to fix something else for my family. Dang picky eaters.
That does look good. I like using dried fruit, but the short person in the house is a purist.
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