(Hello from the Minneapolis – St. Paul Airport!)
I still can’t believe I hated coconut my entire life. Now, I worship it! Coconut milk, coconut yogurt, coconut butter, coconut shreds…give me any or all and I’ll be a happy lady!
Friday morning, I paired it with lemon. The wonderful thing about being at my parents’ house is having access to all my mom’s extracts. She decorates cakes, so her cupboard hosts nearly a dozen different flavors, from mint to cherry. Normally, I use lemon juice for my oatmeal, but for this recipe, I was able to experiment with lemon extract. OH MY GOSH, I loved the result. It has such a bright flavor, like lemon zest instead of just the juice. In fact, I liked it so much that I had it again this morning. Encore, encore!
Like my Lemon Poppy Seed Oatmeal, this recipe includes a banana to make it creamy, sweet, and more nutritious. You won’t taste it (as long as you thoroughly mash it before you add it)!
Are there any foods that you hated as a child but love now? In addition to coconut, my other “change of heart” foods include beans, pumpkin, and kiwi.
What you'll need:
- 1 cup milk of choice, or water
- 1/2 cup regular rolled oats
- 1 ripe banana (or half)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, or 1 tsp lemon extract
- shredded coconut
- pinch of salt
How to make it:
- Bring milk (I use 1/2 c almond milk and 1/2 c water) to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add flax or chia seeds, do so now. I recommend chia.)
- Thoroughly mash banana and add to the saucepan.
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add lemon juice/extract and salt. Stir.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice and shredded coconut. You could also top with coconut (or coconut-flavored) yogurt.
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