My basic oatmeal recipe

I've gotten some questions recently asking how I make my oatmeal so I figured it would be good to do an oatmeal post. If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that one of my all-time fave breakfasts is a hot bowl of creamy oats. I can never go too long without it. It's healthy, comforting, creamy, nutty, wholesome, rustic... and there's something about the ritual of cooking it that makes me happy. One might think that it's too much hassle to make a hot breakfast over a stove before work, but really, it usually only takes around 7 minutes. 10 minutes tops. It's also really filling- I eat breakfast around 8am and it sustains me til lunch time. So anyway, here's a general idea of what I do.

First, for those in Korea, if you're curious, I use this brand. Comida Oatmeal (꼬미다 오트밀). I order this stuff from this home baking site at 500g for 3,500won, but you can get it on Gmarket. It's reasonably priced compared to imported Quaker oats. I also tried using another Korean brand of oatmeal that is sold at Bangsan baking market, but I really didn't like the texture and it tasted old and rancid. Yuuuuck. So I have been a loyal fan of this Comida stuff.

It's a little different from Quaker-style rolled oats which are usually very flat and whole. These are slightly flattened and roughly broken into pieces, so you get a mix of creamy and chewy texture. I love it.

Anyway, onto the recipe. Hm... . I usually just estimate measurements, so in order to share a proper recipe I tried to measure things out for ya.

2 cups room temp water
1/3 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/3 cup rolled/broken oats
1 Tbs chia seeds
1/2 Tbs ground flax seeds

Optional add-ins:
fruit (1/2 chopped apple or 1/2 mashed banana)
sweetener: 1 Tbs molasses (or pinch of stevia)
spice: 1/4 tsp cinnamon
nuts, dried fruit, nut butter, pumpkin puree, cacao nibs...

In a pot over medium-high heat, begin to boil about 2 cup of room temperature water. Toss in the oats, chia seeds, flax seeds, soy milk, and mix. It's important to do this before the water is hot because then everything will just clump together. Bring it all to a boil, gradually stirring every now and then. While it is heating up, I always add a piece of fruit such as chopped apples or a mashed banana. I love including mashed banana because it adds to the creaminess. As it starts to boil, it will thicken and begin to bubble. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for a few more minutes, or until the apples (or whatever fruit you're using) are cooked through and the oats are soft. At this point, check the thickness and adjust to your preferences. Sometimes I want to keep it thick and goopey, but when I want a more watery oatmeal, I'll add an extra 1/2 cup of water. And now it's time for the best part: the add-ins, sweetener, and toppings. I always change it up by throwing in different dried fruits and/or nuts, nut butter, more ground flax seeds, smashed ginger snap cookies, or pumpkin puree. This is your chance to get creative!

Here are some oatmeal concoctions I've enjoyed~ If you need more inspiration, check out Kath's blog!