Bubble tea (or “boba,” if you prefer) is the best. I sometimes feel like I judge people on whether or not they like bubble tea. Not in a “You don’t like boba = you suck at life” kind of way, but in a “You don’t like boba = I don’t understand you and we can’t be friends” kind of way. Like, I’m sure you’re a great person…but we just can’t be friends.
My favorite bubble tea place—despite all the wonderful teas I’ve had in NYC—is the Tea Garden in the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I’m serious. The best. You can actually taste the TEA, and it’s not just a sugar/juice-fest. They also have a ton of different flavors, and you can mix and match up to three flavors at one time. How is that NOT awesome?
You’re probably wondering how this is relevant to…well, anything. Once, I was there with my dear friend Christine. She lives in the area, so she gets to experience that wonderful place much more frequently than I do. As such, she’s more willing to experiment with unusual flavors. Thus, she always asks the workers for recommendations. The last time I was there, she took their advice and ordered the salted plum, and ohmygoditwasamazing.
Fast forward two years (ugh, time goes by so fast). I threw together a rather random recipe consisting of plum and maple syrup. I made two servings of it so I would have leftovers. The first round was kind of lame, so I knew I needed to switch it up for round two a couple days later. That’s when I remembered Christine’s bubble tea.
The salt. THE SALT! How magical it made that bowl of oatmeal! Did you know that salt could do that? Did you know that salt could transform a bowl of mediocre porridge into something fantastic? I’m a believer. Blindly follow my advice and see for yourself. 😉
What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 1/4 cup water (or more milk)
- 1/4 cup quick cook steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
- 1 plum
- 1/2 tsp maple syrup (or more if you prefer)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- Dice plum into small chunks.
How to make it:
- Bring milk and water to a boil, add oats, and reduce heat to medium. (If you'd like to add a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Add diced plum immediately.
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Stir. Taste-test for saltiness. Add a pinch or two more if you desire.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (pecans add a nice touch).
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