How to Cook Oatmeal the Right Way

After I gave you my recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes a couple people asked me how I prepare my oatmeal to begin with. Sorry, should have thought about that first. Before you have leftovers from making oatmeal you need to have... oatmeal. 

This is how I prepare my oatmeal. This recipe is super simple, nutritious and delicious. It is borrowed from Nourishing Traditions.

Basic Oatmeal

You Will Need:

1 cup organic oats

2 tbs acidic agent (e.g., yogurt, whey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, kombucha, etc)

2 cups filtered water (separated)

Place oatmeal in a small bowl. Mix in 1 cup warm filtered water and 2 tbs acidic agent (I typically use yogurt). Leave in a warm place overnight. 

The following morning, bring one cup water to a boil in small pan. Add in your pre-soaked oats. Cook over medium to low heat until all the water is absorbed (or to your preferred texture). Stir constantly to prevent burning. 

Enjoy!

Recipe: Oatmeal Pancakes (aka What to do with that Leftover Oatmeal)

Brian is working on a Christmas tree farm right now. (Translation: he works long, hard hours at his regular landscaping job only to get to the weekend where he works long hard hours cutting down trees. Translation: he needs high protein, filling breakfasts. Translation: oatmeal.)

He has been making himself soaked oatmeal in the mornings and mixing in peanut butter and maple syrup. Nothing gets him through until lunch quite like it. The consequence of this is that there ends up being leftover oatmeal. I am not a huge fan of eating reheated oatmeal. Microwaves scare me, and with my luck reheating oatmeal on the stove gives me a soggy breakfast at best. 

So I make this recipe for Oatmeal Pancakes (modified slightly from Nourishing Traditions) instead. I love it. Ironically, Brian doesn't. It is literally the one thing I make that he won't touch. (Translation: he's crazy.) They are delicious. Don't take his word for it. And, they're a great way to use up that little bit of oatmeal that otherwise would just get thrown out. 

Oatmeal Pancakes

You Will Need:

Approximately 1/2-3/4 cup leftover basic oatmeal (this is not an exact science)

1 egg (pastured preferred)

Butter
(Optional additions: banana, raisins, peanut or almond butter, etc.)

Makes 2 small cakes

To start, get out you leftover oatmeal and place in a bowl. Crack your egg into the bowl with the oatmeal.

Stir with a fork until thoroughly mixed.

Next, place a little pat of butter into your frying pan. Melt thoroughly.

Pour the "batter" into the frying pan. Cook over low heat until the edges of the pancakes begin to change colors.

Flip pancakes. Cook until browned on underside. (Make them as crispy as you would like. I sometimes flip mine again just to make sure they are nice and crunchy on the outside of both sides.)

Serve as you would any ol' pancake. I am partial to butter, yogurt and maple syrup, myself.

Experiment with different variations. Sometimes I add peanut butter, banana or raisins before I fry the cakes. You really can't go wrong. Enjoy!