Hot Breakfast

I know it’s cliche, but I love a bowl of steaming oatmeal on a cold morning. I am not talking about Quaker Oats instant oatmeal packets, which carry a thin essence of what a good, sturdy bowl of oats should be (along with a few unwanted extras, like sugar and guar gum—though to give credit where credit is due, Quaker also offers organic options with no additives at all). What I like is homemade oatmeal, complete with loads of chunky fresh fruits and nuts, done up in my favorite little bowl and served with a scalding hot cup of tea.

My favorite is ginger and pear oatmeal, but I’ll also go for apple and raisin, or plums, or frozen blueberries or raspberries. Any fruit, really. Yogurt is good on top, cream is better (though I’m still going without dairy, so it’s hemp milk or soy yogurt these days). And nuts: for crunch, for protein, for rich depth and flavor. I like toasted pecans the best, but walnuts are good too – whatever’s around. Sweeten it with honey or maple syrup – or, as I discovered recently, a bit of apple cider will give you sweetness and a blast of autumn, straight from the farmer’s market. This reminds me of college, when one of my friends ate raw oats with apple cider on them to avoid having to start the fire in the wood cookstove at his house (remember that, Chuck Mecho?). It wasn’t too bad – chewy and flavorful. But I like cooked better.

A great bowl of oatmeal doesn’t have to be a production: it’s as easy to make your own as it is to rip open a packet of (overpackaged) premade stuff and zap it up in the microwave. Don’t bother with instant oats – just go for the regular, rolled ones. They hold up better and stay a bit chewy, instead of turning to complete mush. You can get them from Quaker (in those great cylindrical boxes that, after they were empty, became toy drums when our kids were toddlers), but I buy mine in bulk at the Food Co-op.

This is so simple you probably don’t need a recipe, but here’s how I make my favorite

Ginger Pear Oatmeal

Pour some oats in a bowl, add good shake of cinnamon, a pinch of salt and some diced up ginger (maybe a tablespoon. I love this stuff, and it’s great for digestion). Add water to a half inch or so above the oats, and zap in the microwave for 2 minutes (more if all the water isn’t absorbed). Or, if you’re in a mood (which strikes me occasionally) that dictates avoiding the mysterious who-knows-what-it-might-do-to-our-bodies microwave, simmer the mixture in a small pan on the stove until it’s the consistency you like. It only takes a few minutes more – just be sure to stir it up or it’ll stick to the bottom of the pan.
When the oats are finished cooking, add cut up pear, maple syrup or apple cider, and toasted pecans. Top it with (optional) cream or yogurt.
Yum.