Best-Ever Banana Oatmeal

The Three Bears ain’t got nothin’ on this porridge

My food philosophy – which I suspect is genetic – is ‘more is always better’. Breakfast is the least of all exceptions, and heaven help any poor soul who’s caught me on the rare occasion when I’ve missed the most important meal of the day. Beyond the daily routine of waking and eating this nutrition-packed oatmeal before work every day, it’s especially warm and filling after a cold night ‘car camping’… which is exactly what I did when I recorded this video. It doesn’t always have to be meat sizzling that gets you out of your sleeping bag in the morning, although that helps from time to time…

Method:

1. In a small pot over a low heat, combine the top five ingredients.
2. As water boils, stir well (the chia seeds have a habit of sticking together when left unattended).
3. While stirring, break apart pieces of banana so they can melt into the oats.
4. After 8-10 minutes, remove from heat. If you’re a peanut butter lover, go ahead and stir that through. If not, serve and top with chopped nuts and maple syrup or honey.
5. Wonder why you’ve never eaten this before.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats
• 2 cups water
• 1 ripe banana, sliced thinly
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1-2 tsp ground cinnamon
• Chopped almonds or walnuts
• And for you daredevils, the optional 1 tbsp peanut butter!

Serves: 2

TIP 1: Those unloved speckled bananas at the bottom of the fruit bowl have been waiting for this recipe. The riper they are, the sweeter and more creamy this breakfast becomes. Too fresh, and the starches don’t break down.

TIP 2: More people to feed? Allow half a cup of oats and one cup of water per serving and know that no-one will go hungry!