Okay, you know you have it stashed in the cabinet over the sink. Not the joint you’ve saved from the last party but a box of instant oatmeal. You bought it last winter when you swore you were going to eat healthy. It worked its way to the back of the cabinet and you’ve forgotten about it. I know the feeling. I got a box of instant oatmeal and after the first bowl started having flashbacks to when my mother made oatmeal. A gray, kinda solid mass in a bowl. I smothered it in butter and salt and pepper. Along the way I worked in a restaurant in Hartford that had Sunday brunch. I had to make oatmeal, with apples driving my loathing farther into my soul. Okay, today I’m on Nutrisystem. They sent me the first order without my input. I got a bunch of oatmeal, with pancake mix. They both used skim milk and I made pancakes. For all of you out there here’s a recipe that works and tastes good.
You’re going to need:
1/2 C AP flour
1/2 C instant or quick cook oatmeal (if you have a variety pack mix them up)
! T white sugar (I use Stevia)
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T vegetable oil
3/4 C buttermilk (See below)
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t cinnamon
Okay, here’s the hard part, put everything into the food processor and blend. If you don’t have a processor big enough to do the job you can do it in two bowls. In one bowl mix the dry ingredients and in the other the wet. Combine with a whisk. A good idea is to do this the night before to allow the oatmeal to hydrate. Pour 1/4 cup portions on lightly greased griddle or non=stick skillet. When little holes appear in the cooking cakes flip them.
If you don’t have buttermilk, combine 1C milk with 1T lemon juice or white vinegar. The other option is to buy dry buttermilk. It has to be stored in the fridge and is useful for fried chicken.
Enjoy, now I go back to waiting on eggplant in the oven.
The Story That Grew 