It seems like I’ve gotten into a rut with breakfast. I have a few go-to standards – scrambled eggs, sometimes with yummy stuff mixed in, bacon, and toast. Pancakes and sausage. Oatmeal with an array of simple toppings and mix-ins. All delicious – especially since I finally found the perfect buttermilk pancakes, which I’ll tell you about later – but frankly, I’m bored.
So, on this holiday weekend, I wanted something a little different but easy to throw together. This is what I came up with: extra-creamy oatmeal topped, basically, with bananas Foster. It came together in about 20 minutes of the kind of work you can do with sleep-sand still in your eyes.
The recipe serves 2, but doubles or triples easily.
Vanilla Oatmeal Pudding with Fostered Bananas
Place 1 cup rolled oats (not quick oats) in a medium saucepan. Turn heat to medium and toast, tossing or stirring frequently, until the oats give off a warm, toasty smell. Pour in 1 cup water and 1 cup milk and stir. (This makes a very saucy oatmeal; if you like yours drier, reduce liquid by about 1/4 cup.) Add 1-2 tablespoons packed brown sugar, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover, and let rest while you prepare the bananas (at least 5 minutes).
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar until melted, then add 1 sliced banana. Saute for about 2 minutes until the banana softens, then stir in 1 tablespoon brandy (optional), and 2 tablespoons cream or half-and-half.
Pour the oatmeal into two bowls and top with the bananas. This is a little monochromatic, so you may want to top it with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a smattering of raisins, some toasted pecans – or all of the above – to pretty it up. The flavor, however, needs no embellishment.
Recipe adapted from a couple of different recipes in Jamison & Jamison’s A Real American Breakfast.
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