Let's Make. . . Fruit & Oatmeal Sundae

Now you might be grumbling about how this cannot be dinner. . .it might not be dinner to you, but it is my dinner more often than I care to admit. At work, we have family meal at 2pm. When I have the time to participate in family meal, I am usually left quite full for the rest of the day because they like to throw down the culinary gauntlet. At about 8pm, I get a little hungry. Since I get up so early everyday, eating a big meal is not an option and I don't like cold cereal. I have hated oatmeal all my life until I took it upon myself to figure out a way to prepare it so I could find it at least palatable. What I realized is that all I had been exposed to was either quick cooking oatmeal, which has no texture or gluey overcooked oatmeal reminiscent of wall paper paste. The way I cook it now leaves me with a drier (as in not pasty) but tender cereal with a slight al dente texture. I have quite the sweet tooth in the evening so this is my alternative to eating something bad for me - such as a bowl of ice cream. That's why I call it a sundae - you know, to psyche myself out. In the end, the contrast between the warm oatmeal, creamy greek yogurt and sweet fruit is completely satisfying.


Fruit & Oatmeal Psyche Out Sundae

3/4 cup thick-cut organic oatmeal (I get mine at The Food Mill)
1 1/2 cup vanilla soy, rice or almond milk
pinch of salt
1 4 oz. container Fage 2% Greek Yogurt
Fruit of choice - in the picture I have white nectarine, mariposa plum & blueberries
Honey or I really like raw dark agave - it has a lovely almost smoky element.

Combine the oatmeal, milk and salt in a saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer until all the bubbles have gone and the mixture looks somewhat dry, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat, set aside, covered, to steam and allow the oatmeal to absorb the extra liquid. Place hot cereal in a deep bowl, top with yogurt, drizzle with honey or agave and top with fruit.