Comfort on a Snowy Spring Morning

While this is usually the time of year that I prefer to rise and shine to fresh spring fruits and berries, yogurt, and lighter fare, the presence of chill and snow on this Canadian May Long weekend called for something different entirely. I can recall many memorable breakfasts from much warmer, or dare I say hotter versions of this holiday Monday. A balmy cowboy camping adventure in the Alberta deserts of Dorothy, Alberta, complete with wandering baby goats, french toast on the campfire, fireflies, garter snakes, and a blistering sun comes to mind. With that blistering sun hiding today, what better on a chilly holiday morning than the simple pleasure of a hot bowl of oatmeal with extra goodness in the form of banana, maple, warm cream, and sugar?

It starts with good quality steel cut oats, a fresh banana, real maple syrup, and a little time to tend to the stirring. I have been making a variations of this breakfast treat since discovering the recipe in Australian chef Bill Granger’s Bill’s Sydney Food cookbook, of Bill’s restaurant fame. As an aside, Sydney is one of my favorite gastronomical cities in the world, and Bill Granger’s cookbooks are the most used and loved on my plentiful cookbook shelf.

The surprise of adding thinly sliced bananas is they will literally melt into the oats and add a natural sweetness without adding a fruity texture. This mornings treat was simpler than Bill’s more elaborate version in an effort to not consume my sugar allotment for the day, but for brunch guests, or indulgent days, this can be made even better with the addition of warm buttered apples on top.

Banana Maple Oatmeal for Two

2 cups water

1/2 cup steel cut oats

pinch of salt

1 thinly sliced banana

1 tbsp maple syrup

1/2 cup of cream warmed

brown sugar to top

In a small pot bring water and salt to a boil. Gently add steel cut oats to boiling water, stirring to keep them from sticking to the bottom. Reduce heat to medium and simmer to thicken for 10 minutes. Stir in banana slices and cook to desired thickness stirring regularily, for another 10-15 minutes. Stir in maple syrup and serve with warm cream and brown sugar.

To add the yummy buttered apples, thinly slice apples and fry them in unsalted butter with a sprinkle of caster sugar, and turn when they are soft and golden.

Now go and enjoy the chilly morning with a hot cup of tea and a blanket, because you know what Michael Jackson says:  “A blanket’s a gift.”