Grapefruit Cardamom Oatmeal

What You’ll Need: 

• 2/3 cup milk of choice*
• 1/4 cup quick cook steel cut oats*
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 grapefruit
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cardamom
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp or more maple syrup (optional)

How to Make It: 

1. Bring liquid to a boil, add oats and chia seeds, and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally.
2. Cut grapefruit in half. Juice one half into the saucepan.
3. With the other half, trace a knife along the membranes of each segment to loosen. Then use a grapefruit spoon (or just a regular spoon) to scoop out the segments. Add to oatmeal (if desired, save a couple segments for topping). Stir.
4. Once more of the liquid has absorbed, add vanilla extract, cardamom, and salt. Taste. If too bitter, add maple syrup to taste.
5. When you’re pleased with the consistency of the oatmeal, transfer to a bowl. Enjoy as is, or top with whatever: nut butter, chocolate chips, coconut, nuts, etc.

FYI: 

* You can make this with rolled or quick oats by increasing the liquid to 3/4 cup and the oats to 1/2 cup.

Winter is known for starchy, heavy, and hearty root vegetables, so it’s easy to forget that winter is also the season of bright, juicy, punchy citrus. Every winter, I try to break up the monotony of sweet potato and pumpkin recipes (no offense, I LOVE YOU) with some grapefruit and orange recipes.

I love grapefruit. I’m a big fan of bitter flavors, so grapefruit gets a BIG thumbs up from me. For example, do you know what’s better than a mimosa? A grapefruit mimosa.

But to be honest, even if you think grapefruit is too bitter, something happens when you combine it with oats. It just works. I included an optional teaspoon of maple syrup in the recipe, but truthfully, I didn’t need it. I didn’t find the final porridge too sour, acidic, or bitter. It was refreshing, zingy, and pleasantly (and surprisingly) sweet.

I topped this recipe with Peanut Butter & Co’s Dark Chocolate Dreams (aka chocolate peanut butter). The sweetness of this nut butter is a great way to balance out the earthy, slightly bitter grapefruit oatmeal. I love the combo of chocolate and grapefruit! (Justin’s chocolate hazelnut butter would also work, or just add some chocolate chips!)

Love grapefruit? Try these similar recipes:

• Grapefruit Coconut Oatmeal
• Broiled Grapefruit and Banana Oatmeal
• Dark Chocolate Grapefruit Oatmeal