Better Breakfast Week 2016: Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Bananas and Almonds

C – I can’t eat plain oatmeal.

Please don’t make me try. I will be the slowest eater, if it’s ever served to me. I will hide it in a napkin to get rid of it. I can’t handle just mushy flavorless cooked oats.

I will only eat it if I am in survival mode and it’s the only thing I have to eat. I will eat plain mushy flavorless oatmeal.

I like oatmeal, but it has to be loaded with lots of things. My typical oatmeal consists of a little bit of oatmeal, a hint of sweetness or savory component, lots of stuff in it like fruits or vegetables, and seeds or nuts.

I love having different textures in my oatmeal. The mushy oatmeal really works well with crunchy nuts and crispy pears or apples.

I also have to have lots of flavors in my oatmeal. If it’s a savory oatmeal dish, I usually add onions and mushrooms.

In this oatmeal, I added brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. It’s pretty much a dessert for breakfast.

I am not sure if this is considered a diet food after adding all these ingredients into the oatmeal.

Better Breakfast Week 2016: Cranberry Pear Oatmeal with Bananas and Almonds
Recipe type: Mains
Author:
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 30 mins
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 2 cup water
  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
  • A pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup sliced almonds, divided
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 pears, 1 peeled and chopped, 1 with the skin on, sliced
  • 1 banana, sliced
Instructions
  1. Bring water to a boil in a sauce pan.
  2. Add rolled oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, dried cranberries, salt and the chopped pear.
  3. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the oats are softened and fully cooked. If you like your oatmeal thicker reduce the amount of water by ¼ cup. If you like a thinner oatmeal, add ¼ cup water at the beginning.
  4. Once the oats are cooked through, turn off the heat and add 3 tablespoons of sliced almonds and the vanilla into the oatmeal. Mix to combine.
  5. Place in serving bowls. Top with bananas, more almonds, the sliced pear and a dash of cinnamon.
  6. Serve.
  7. Enjoy!

 

You will get your fiber, but also lots of flavor. I like oatmeal when it’s like this.

I could eat oatmeal for almost every meal. Just not plain oatmeal.