30 Days of Oatmeal: Apple Almond Cardamom

 If you haven't noticed, oatmeal is a major part of my life. Not only is it a comfort food that I enjoy in various forms (overnight, hot, and granola), but it is cheap, full of whole-grain carbohydrates and fiber, and helps lower cholesterol. I feel more satisfied, more energetic when I eat oatmeal, but I often don't because I get lazy. I don't want to get out a measuring cup, pour in the water, boil the porridge, etc. I just want to grab some ready made food and eat.

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions, I've decided to challenge myself to create 30 new varieties of oatmeal. I'm reminding myself that I'll have some duds along the way, that every bowl won't photograph stupendously, and that sometimes, I need to do things because they're good for me, not because that's what I want at the moment.

So without further ado, here's recipe #1: apple almond cardamom oatmeal.

This wasn't the best recipe, kind of bitter and unsatisfying, until I added the honey drizzle. The honey melded the almond, apple, and earthy cardamom into a delectable blend of sweetness. Mmm! More experimentation with cardamom in the future....

Ingredients:

1/2 c quick cooking oats
1 c water
1 apple, diced
1/4 t cardamom
1/4 t almond extract
Honey for topping

Directions:

1. Bring oats, apple, and water to a boil and reduce heat to medium.
2. When apples are tender and oats reach the desired consistency, stir in the cardamom and almond extract.
3. Transfer oatmeal to a bowl and drizzle with honey.