APPLE CASHEW OATMEAL

For a delicious and nutritious breakfast--or even a mid-afternoon snack--I love to cook up some oatmeal. I used to opt for large flake oats, but now I enjoy steel cut oats. No matter which oats you like, try to make sure they're not 'quick-cook'. While they will cook in just a few minutes, rather than the usual 20-25 minutes that it takes to cook large flake or steel cut oats, (the reason is...) they're stripped of valuable nutrients. It's the same difference between white and brown rice. Brown rice takes longer to cook than white, because the cooking process has to penetrate through that thick outer (but super healthy) coat that a brown rice grain has and a white rice grain has been robbed of.

Another reason why I love oatmeal is because it's versatile. It can be consumed sweet or savoury, with fruit, veggies, milk, yogurt, nuts, spices...the possibilities are endless. In fact, when I was a kid, my mom used to make what she would call 'beefy cereal'. Okay, it sounds sort of gross, but it was delicious! My mom would make a huge pot of oatmeal, add ground beef, and season with salt--so simple, but so yummy. Nowadays, I usually go for a sweet(er) oatmeal. I usually add some fruit, either soy milk or non-fat plain yogurt, and some nuts/cinnamon.

Here's a recipe for one of my favourites:

Apple Cashew Oatmeal

1 cup prepared oatmeal
1/2 apple, chopped
1/2 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1-2 tbsp. raw cashews halves
maple syrup, to taste
cinnamon, optional

1. Prepare oatmeal according to package--whether you're using large flake, steel cut, or quick-cook oats, the cooking process and time will vary.

2. To the prepared oatmeal, add apple. Drizzle with desired amount of maple syrup (you can also add the maple syrup directly into the pan when your oatmeal is cooking). Top with non-fat plain yogurt--or try this--and cashews. If desired, sprinkle with cinnamon and enjoy!

Makes 1 serving.

Other delicious ways to enjoy your oatmeal?

• banana, natural peanut butter, honey, ground flaxseed
• mango, kiwi, non-fat plain yogurt, agave nectar
• berries, soy milk, agave nectar, raw almonds
• canned pumpkin, soy milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, honey
• dried cranberries, apple, cinnamon, walnuts, honey
• pineapple, non-fat plain yogurt, unsweetened coconut, agave nectar