Hungry Bear Oatmeal

 

I think I've mentioned before that I have a love-hate relationship with breakfast during the week.  Mornings are very busy, and I just don't want to take the time to make something appetizing.  So, that leaves me with unappetizing.  But today I was grizzly-bear-in-the-spring hungry, so I took 15 minutes to whip something up for myself.  I went to ohsheglows.com because she has a list of oatmeal ideas a mile long, but nothing was appealing to me.  Until I came across a sweet potato casserole dish.  I decided to nix a bunch of stuff, add a bunch of stuff, and make it on the stove top.  Because my tummy wasn't waiting another hour for a casserole to bake.  Hello?  So, this is what I concocted...

Sweet Potato Oatmeal with Yogurt and Apple Walnut Topping

The oatmeal:
1-1/2 cups almond milk
1 sm-med sweet potato, sliced/diced
1/2 cup oatmeal
2 tsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown rice syrup

The topping:
A drizzle of EVOO
1 peeled and thinly sliced Macintosh apple
Good dash of cinnamon
2 tsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts


Heat the almond milk in a saucepan.  Add the sweet potatoes and cook til tender, about 5 minutes, on low-medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile heat olive oil in a small saute pan, and add sliced apples.

Keep the heat on low.  Add the cinnamon, then a bit later the sugar and walnuts.  Stir occasionally til apples are tender.

Back at the saucepan, mix in oatmeal, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon.  A few minutes later add the chia seeds. 

When good and thickened, turn off the heat and add vanilla and brown rice syrup, and mix well.

I like different textures and temperatures in my oatmeal bowls.  It's really the only time I use yogurt, and I was so happy to discover almond yogurt (fruit-sweetened and plain!) last weekend at our co-op. 

So, in your (big) bowl, pour in the sweet potato oatmeal, top with 1/2 cup of yogurt, and then spoon the apple/walnut mixture over that. 

It came out delicious (and really could've/should've fed two hungry bears, but I nibbled on that bowl all morning til it was gone!)