Jamie's Oatmeal with Banana & Cinnamon (+ Other Good Stuff) to Start Your Day Out Right

I'm still going "plant strong" this second week of the Engine 2 Challenge (28 days of eating what is essentially a vegan diet with a few modifications). I am trying my best to stick to the plan and succeeding so far, but the "no oil" component on top of everything else makes it a bit challenging to find an easy match in Jamie's Oliver's recipes. This is why I ended up with his Oatmeal with Bananas and Cinnamon for our Mum's the Word theme at I Heart Cooking Clubs. Maybe it's not the most exciting thing to make for mom, but mine actually does happen to like oatmeal, and this one is all gussied up with different flavors and ingredients.

I have never actually been a big fan of oatmeal (it's a texture thing), but I am learning to appreciate it and even like it--as long as I have plenty of stir-ins and toppings. In addition to the bananas and cinnamon in the title, Jamie's recipe has poppy seeds and toasted sliced almonds and I added vanilla and some golden raisins (tossed in while the oatmeal cooks so they plump up perfectly). Cooked in almond milk, it aligned perfectly with my eating plan and made a hearty, healthy breakfast.

My changes/additions are in red below.

Oatmeal with Banana & Cinnamon (& Other Good Stuff)
adapted from "Jamie's Food Revolution" pg 300-301
(Serves 4)

2 cups quick-cook oats (not instant)
3 cups milk or water (I used unsweetened almond milk)
sea salt
2 ripe bananas, finely sliced

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp poppy seeds
2-4 Tbsp maple syrup or runny honey, or to taste
a small handful of toasted sliced almonds or unsweetened shredded coconut

(1 tsp vanilla)

(1/4 cup golden raisins)

Place the oats and the milk or water in a saucepan with a small pinch of sea salt (and golden raisins) and put it on a medium heat. Bring to a steady simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring as often as you can to give you a smooth, creamy oatmeal. While it's blipping away in the pan, prepare the other ingredients. 1 or 2 minutes before the oatmeal is ready, add your flavoring. If you like your oatmeal runnier, simply stir in a splash more milk or water until you've got the consistency you're after.


Notes/Results: Nourishing and a good way to start the day--you can feel all the healthy ingredients giving you a boost. I liked the slight crunch from the poppy seeds and the creaminess of the bananas. I love golden raisins--they are a little treat when you get one in a bite and they fit well with Jamie's ingredients. I kept my oatmeal on the dry side (it works better for me texturally) ;-) All in all, pretty tasty and an incentive to try some of Jamie's other oatmeal flavor combinations.

You can check out what the other IHCC participants are cooking up for themselves or their "mums" by going to the post and following the links.

***Giveaway Update****

I am working with tight deadlines on a couple of projects this week and didn't get a chance to draw a winner for my giveaway of "The Kitchen Daughter" yet--but I promise to be back soon with the winner.