Cherry Almond Oatmeal

Last day of vegan week! (Um, reporting 4 days late) Today I ate:

• Cherry-almond oatmeal
• Tamale casserole
• Spanish Veggie Soup**
• Apple
• Caraway Finn Crisp
• To drink: water, seltzer, coffee

 To recap, I feel positive about how well we did. But first, a segue. When I was 11, I decided to try vegetarianism for a month. I'm currently 28. I'm still a vegetarian. 1 week of veganism, however, did not give me the desire for a lifelong commitment to the lifestyle. My husband and I decided, though that we might try to do this once a month or so.

Alright, without further ado, a rather yummy breakfast recipe. This is modified from my go-to, Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. 

Cherry Almond Oatmeal 

• 2 C rolled oats (not instant)
• 4 C water
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 C raw, slivered almonds
• 3 Tbsp cherry pie filling, plus extra

1. In a pot with a tight-fitting lid, add the oats, water, and salt. Bring to a boil. Lower to medium-low heat and cook, stirring frequently for 5 mins.
2. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 5 mins until aromatic. 
3. Add the cherry filling to the oatmeal, and continue to stir frequently, for 5 mins. Add the almonds and continue stirring. 
4. Let cool for 2-3 mins, then serve immediately. Add extra nuts and cherry filling as desired.

  Kitchen Notes: I found 1 tsp of salt to be way too salty, I recommend reducing to 1/2 tsp, you can always add more toward the end. I used a cherry-almond compote that I bought on clearance at Art Mart in Urbana. See pic below:

Verdict? Being a child of the instant oatmeal--and I mean microwave instance oatmeal--generation, I didn't appreciate how wonderful the texture of slow-cooked oatmeal is. Creamy, velvety, buttery, all without dairy. I'm excited to make this again. As mentioned above, it was a bit salty. Dial down the salt.