Why It Works
- Mashing among the cooked bananas and nuts into the oatmeal infuses it with taste.
- A dollop of peanut butter stirred in on the finish marries completely with the bananas.
They are saying breakfast is a very powerful meal of the day. I do not know if that is true or not, as a result of I nearly by no means eat it. Not as a result of I do not prefer it, and never as a result of I do not want it—more often than not, I am midway to fainting from low blood sugar earlier than I swallow my first mouthful of the day—however just because… really, I don’t know why. I actually ought to eat breakfast.
There was a brief interval after I did, again in faculty. I made a degree of consuming a hearty first meal of the day, day by day, and I felt like one million bucks for the few months it lasted (which, come to consider it, would assist the declare that breakfast is a very powerful meal). I had a microwave in my dorm room, and I might use it to cook dinner up a bowl of oatmeal from rolled oats. Then I might mash a banana into it and sprinkle some walnuts on high. It saved me working at the least till the early night, properly by two hours of translating the Aeneid in superior Latin and a pair extra discussing Foucault and hermaphroditism in medical anthropology. That is the facility of oatmeal for you.
Anyway, that is the place I bought the inspiration for this warming, high-energy breakfast, which, if I had been accountable, I might eat at the least, oh, I do not know, as soon as per week? It begins with that very same concept of oatmeal with bananas and walnuts and upgrades each aspect of it.
As an alternative of rolled oats, I switched to steel-cut for this model. They take a bit longer to cook dinner—about 20 to half-hour—however their nutty texture and taste are far, far superior.
Then, whereas the oats are cooking, I benefit from that point to do some extra with the bananas. As an alternative of simply mashing them into the oatmeal uncooked, I cook dinner them first with slightly butter and brown sugar till they’re evenly caramelized. It is a riff on bananas Foster, with out the booze and ice cream (although, if booze and ice cream are the way you wish to roll for breakfast, I will not cease you).
The walnuts go into the skillet with the caramelized bananas till they’re simply toasted and coated in a fragile sweet lacquer.
For a closing contact, l stir only a little bit of peanut butter into the oatmeal as a result of—peanut butter and bananas! It is all quite simple and apparent, actually.
Critical Eats / Vicky Wasik
To serve it, I add about half of the banana-walnut combination to the oatmeal and mash it in, then scoop it into bowls and put the rest on high as a garnish. Slightly grated orange zest helps get up all these browned, buttery, nutty flavors. And sure, you actually do have to get up… it is time for varsity.
January 2016
This Simple Banana Oatmeal Is Impressed By Our Favourite New Orleans Dessert
Prepare dinner Mode
(Hold display awake)
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6 cups (1.4 L) water
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1 1/2 cups steel-cut oats (9 ounces; 255 g)
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Kosher salt
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces; 57 g)
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1/4 cup darkish brown sugar (1 1/2 ounces; 40 g)
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4 medium ripe bananas (15 ounces; 425 g), peeled and sliced
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3/4 cup chopped walnuts (3 ounces; 75 g)
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2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut butter
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Orange zest, for garnish
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Floor cinnamon and nutmeg, for garnish
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In a medium saucepan, mix water and oats and produce to a simmer over medium-high warmth. Proceed to cook dinner, stirring often and adjusting warmth to take care of simmer, till oats are totally cooked and oatmeal has thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.
Critical Eats / Vicky Wasik
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In the meantime, in a medium skillet, soften butter over medium-high warmth till foamy. Stir in brown sugar till dissolved, decreasing warmth if it threatens to scorch. Stir in bananas and cook dinner till softened and barely caramelized, about 4 minutes. Stir in walnuts and cook dinner till coated in a shiny, sugary lacquer, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
Critical Eats / Vicky Wasik
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Stir peanut butter and half of banana-walnut combination into oatmeal, utilizing a wood spoon to crush bananas as you stir. Spoon oatmeal into bowls and high with remaining banana-walnut combination, grated orange zest, and a light-weight dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg. Serve straight away.
Critical Eats / Vicky Wasik
Particular Gear
Medium saucepan, medium skillet