I was with a friend last weekend who asked me, “If they came up with a synthetic food–like a shake–that was proven to be safe and contained all the necessary nutrients for survival, would you eat it?”
Of course, I repeatedly argued that it couldn’t possibly be better or even on par with REAL food, which we were designed to eat and gain our nutrients from. Still, he responded each time, “But what if it were proven? Just pretend. Would you eat it?”
Finally, I said, “I think it would be great for feeding populations who are malnourished or food insecure, but I am neither of those things. I enjoy the process of chopping vegetables and cooking recipes and creating nourishing meals on my own. I feel spiritually fulfilled by it.”
That’s how I feel when I make recipes like this one. Whenever I make oatmeal with herbs, I feel so gourmet and fancy. Each of the three main flavors in this recipe blend together so beautifully. Once combined, they each become subtle and complement each other with perfect harmony.
I must warn you, though: this recipe is a little snobby. She refuses to be served in a plain ol’ cereal bowl. Be sophisticated and pull out your best china. 🙂
What you'll need:
- 3/4 cup milk of choice, or water
- 1/4 cup steel-cut oats (I use Country Choice Organic)
- large handful of blueberries
- juice of one lime (~2 tbsp)
- 5 basil leaves
- 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 a teaspoon of flax or chia seeds, do so now.)
- Add a few berries right away. (This turns the oatmeal blue, which I find appealing.)
- While the oatmeal is cooking, chop or chiffonade your basil leaves.
- Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add lime juice, basil, and salt. Stir.
- When you're pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, gently fold in the remaining blueberries.
- Transfer to a bowl. Add a splash of your milk of choice and any other additional toppings (more basil, lime zest, more blueberries, etc.).
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