You Can Do It Better: Oatmeal

This post is the first of my new You Can Do It Better series. Recipes presented under this title will attempt to prove that common store-bought items just can't beat the homemade versions (in flavor, quality or nutrition).

About one day a week I usually replace a standard dinner meal with a few small snack-like portions spread over the afternoon and early evening. This past Thursday was such a day, and sometime around eight o'clock I started to get hungry. One of my favorite adages from Michael Pollan's Food Rules, "If you're not hungry enough to eat an apple, then you're not hungry," came to mind. If my last apple hadn't fallen prey (to me) earlier that day, it would have surely been my first choice, so a snack was definitely warranted.

As I rummaged through the cabinets, I came across some forgotten packets of instant oatmeal—not exactly the flavorful, unprocessed snack I was looking for—but just as I was about to continue my search elsewhere, I thought, "Why don't I just make my own oatmeal?"

I try to keep old-fashioned oats around for various baking purposes, so a few flavorful ingredients later and I was good to go.* To compliment the nuttiness of the oats, I chopped some raw almonds. For some fruity sweetness I diced half a banana. Some soy milk (instead of water) seemed a perfect way to add creaminess and earthier flavor notes. For a little extra sweetness, I opted for a little dark brown sugar and real maple syrup. For a final touch, I went for the vanilla extract (just a little) for its richness and its tendency to magnify the flavors other sweet and nutty ingredients.

Banana and Almond Oatmeal
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
7/8 cup (just a little less than 1 cup) soy milk
1/4 cup banana, diced
12 almonds, chopped
1/2 tablespoon real maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Bring the soy milk to a low boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the oats, sugar, maple syrup and chopped almonds to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about four minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the diced banana and cook for one to two additional minutes. In order to retain as much of its flavor as possible, stir in the vanilla extract just before serving/eating.

FYI:
This dish contains about 400 calories, about 15 grams of protein, almost no saturated fat and is a solid source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. (These figures are based on on the individual ingredients' nutrition facts.)

The Results:
I don't think any prepackaged instant oatmeal can even come close to the rich, sweet, nutty flavor of this homemade version. Am I surprised? Not really. Many of my recent experiments have reaffirmed my faith in good, simple ingredients. Each element of the recipe served its purpose perfectly, and the flavors were incredible together. And the best part: the oats weren't just starchy mush—they had texture and body, along with great flavor. For even nuttier notes, you might consider lightly toasting the oats and/or the nuts before preparing this recipe. Also, other fresh and dried fruits could add more depth of flavor to this recipe—or change the flavor aesthetic altogether.

I plan to conduct some more experiments with other flavor/fruit combinations, which I will post here. I'm curious to see just how far I can go with the liquids in which I cook the oats. It should be interesting! Also, if you have any suggestions for future You Can Do It Better recipes, please send them to me! Coming soon: taco seasoning.

*Old-fashioned oats are less refined than instant oats. The closer the oat to its raw form, the earthier and nuttier the flavor. I'm going to be experimenting with steel-cut oats soon, which are much closer to the raw oat berry than common oatmeal. Think of steel cut oats like oaty, unrefined rice.