vegansaurus!

Recipe Alert! Warmth in a Bowl: Baked Oatmeal!  »

It’s cold as a witch’s tit here in the Bay Area these days. So cold, in fact, that this hardened Canadian is wearing leg warmers OVER HER PANTS. That’s right; it’s chilly. I know it can be hard to drag one’s ass out of bed in the morning when it’s still dark and all you have to look forward to is a cold and maybe rainy slog to work (or whatever you do with your time), so I thought I’d share a little recipe that’s been making my mornings just a little more awesome. It’s called baked oatmeal, and you are WELCOME, friends.

In addition to being Canadian, I’m also a Scot, so I know from oatmeal, and this is the best I’ve ever had. PLUS, it’s dirt-ass cheap, and it’s quick, so you can throw it in your oven while you’re showering, and it’ll be just about done by the time you’re ready to eat it!

Adapted from the recipe over at Everybody Likes Sandwiches:

Mix together in a mixing bowl:

1. 1 cup oats (not the instant kind!)
2. 1/3 cup dried fruit (I like chopped dried apricots, but you could use anything—you could even use fresh or frozen fruit, just reduce the amount of liquid a little bit)
3. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
4. Pinches as desired of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom, and allspice
5. 2 Tbsp brown sugar (you could also sub maple syrup or agave)
6. 1 cup soy/almond/rice/hazelnut/whateverkindofveganmilkyoulike
7. 2/3 to 3/4 cups juice or water (I used a bit of OJ mixed with some water, but apple would probably be a good bet)
8. You can also add some shredded coconut or ground flax if you feel like it.

Pour that mixture into a casserole dish and bake at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. If you have some nuts handy, throw them in a baking dish and put them in the oven for the last 5 minutes of the oatmeal’s cooking time.

After the oatmeal is baked, pull it out of the oven and serve right away. Top with more non-dairy milk, sweetener, the nuts you roasted (chop ‘em first) or whatever your little heart desires! Personally, I like this with a bit of that coconut milk creamer and about 80 cups of coffee. Enjoy!

Images: Jordan Pattern