Out of the Frying Pan into the Yogurt!

Fiocchi d'Avena Arroste in Padella con Mela, Banana, Mandorle, Uvetta & Cannella

Pan-Roasted Oatmeal with Apple, Raisins, Almonds, Cinnamon & Banana

I was about to boil up my oatmeal this morning as usual, but obviously I didn't as you can see from the pictures- I suddenly changed my mind and decided to do something a little different with it instead. And that was a good thing! This made a nice fruity change, with the sweet and yet slightly tart apple in the oatmeal, giving it a tangy touch to make sure I woke up this morning! But with a little cinnamon and honey, the crispy almonds and the sweet raisins- the combination was really nice- especially together with fresh yogurt and banana!

I suppose this is a healthy version of a simple granola- a healthy and freshly prepared breakfast cereal, without and horrible artificial flavorings, excessive sugar or fat, or anything else except for some good natural food. And a good start to the day!

So, the way that I prepared the oatmeal, was to first grate an apple and to stir that together with the oatmeal, a pinch of salt, a good sprinkle of cinnamon and just a very little honey. If you add too much honey, it will become dark and bitter later when you heat the oatmeal up in the pan. I mixed it together well, squashed it down a little and then set it to one side for half an hour or so. After that time, the oatmeal had soaked up the juices from the apple and everything had become lightly moistened and the flavors nicely infused. 

I spooned the oatmeal-apple mix into a non-stick pan and began to "stir-fry" it- no fat of course- just simply heat was all it took- and constant movement! I kept the heat moderate, as what basically needed to happen, was for the moisture to evaporate back out of the oatmeal and apple, before it could begin to start browning and crisping up... this took around 5 minutes- so be prepared to stir!

Once the oatmeal was dried-out, I added a handful of both raisins and chopped almonds into the mix and kept stirring away! After a couple of minutes, the raisins became nice and plump from the heat and the almonds began to become brown- time to take the oatmeal out of the pan! But not for long! I took the pan off the heat and added just a little water and then a squeeze of honey, then stirred it together to thin the honey down- there was barely enough in the trying pan to cover the surface- just so you have an idea of how much! Then back into the pan the oatmeal went- just to give it a last, quick and very light glaze. On went the heat one last time for a minute- and then it was ready to serve!

I enjoyed mine with banana and yogurt- but you could add strawberries or any other fruit- or simply enjoy it with milk! An easy and yummy breakfast you are bound to enjoy- at least I hope so!