Quick Banana Bread Oatmeal

As you well know, this time of year I’m usually going full bore with the baked oatmeal, trading off between my favorites of blueberry ginger and orange cranberry. But since I don’t really have the energy to try and veganize my recipes, I’m going with something a bit more simple and straightforward. Tasty oatmeal made fresh in the microwave every morning, it is!

Yeah, so my banana was brown-ish. Sue me.

This has already become my new go-to breakfast recipe, and I’ve only eaten it twice so far. Cribbed from a recipe found in Shalane Flanagan’s Run Fast. Eat Slow.: Nourishing Recipes for Athletes, I’ve made a few tweaks based on personal preference and also calorie/macro needs. Increasing or decreasing the amount of oatmeal you make at one time is fairly easy if you need to adjust for your own numbers. But honestly, it’s breakfast. You should be packing yourself full of energy first-thing in the morning! (says the person who has to force herself to eat on race mornings…)

As always, I have a strong preference for steel-cut oats because I like my oatmeal to have texture. But you can make this with regular quick oats if you’re into that sort of wallpaper paste experience. I’m not judging you or anything, but. Y’know. *stares at you*

Zapping this with the banana already in the bowl may seem strange, but trust me, it’s a crucial part of the process. The banana cooks down really nicely and blends into the oatmeal, ensuring you get maximum banana bread goodness in every bite.

Quick Banana Bread Oatmeal

Mmmmmm…….banana bread……

serves 1

1/2 cup quick-cooking steel cut oats (Bob’s Red Mill for me)
1 medium-size banana
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons raisins

Place your dry ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl. Now, at this point it’s entirely up to you whether you want to add the raisins before cooking or after. It’s really a texture/hydration preference. You’re fine either way you go.

Slice the banana and add it to the bowl. Follow with 3/4 cup of water, and stir until everything seems relatively well combined.

Cover the bowl with a lid of some sort (I use these containersfrom Sistema) but leave it open for venting. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes. Once it’s done, stir, replace the cover, and let it sit for a couple more minutes. And voilá! You have yourself some seriously tasty oatmeal.