Build a better breakfast with twice-cooked oatmeal squares

Turn your boring breakfast bowl into a delicious, nutritious treat!

All fall and winter, I like to serve up piping hot bowls of oatmeal porridge several mornings a week. Not only are oats super nutritious, they’re also incredibly satisfying; your mother (or grandmother) wasn’t kidding when she said porridge was a ‘stick to your ribs’ kind of meal. I do, find, however, that no matter how many different spices I sprinkle into my oatmeal, or how many different kinds of fruit and nuts I scatter on top, porridge can start to get a little tedious. To break the monotony, I tried a new method of preparing and serving porridge, and it was a huge hit. With a buttery, crispy exterior that reminded me of fresh-from-the-oven oatmeal cookies and a warm, creamy interior, it was like a little porridge party in my mouth! This will be a great dish to serve up when you have overnight guests, because you can make the porridge a day or two ahead of time, then quickly fry it up the next morning. Don’t skip the maple cream – it’s amazing!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (250 mL) quick rolled oats (not instant or large flake)
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) salt
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon
• 1 2/3 cups (410 mL) water
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped apple
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons (30 mL) toasted coconut (optional but delicious)
• 3 tablespoons (45 mL) butter
• 1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
• 1/4 cup (60 mL) maple syrup
• fresh berries (garnish)

Method

• Line a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• Put oats, salt, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon in a medium saucepan. Add water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Once boiling, reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and stir in apple, walnuts and coconut. Note that the mixture will be thicker than regular oatmeal porridge; this is to help it hold its shape when you cook it the second time.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing top with a spatula.
• Put the pan the refrigerator for at least 6 hours; overnight or longer is better. Once the mixture has cooled (this will happen after about an hour), place a piece of plastic wrap over the top.
• To serve, lift the oatmeal out of the pan using the parchment paper as handles. Slice into four pieces.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the squares, carefully flipping once, until hot and nicely browned on both sides.
• While the oatmeal squares are frying, whisk together the whipping cream and maple syrup; set aside.
• Transfer hot oatmeal squares to serving plates; drizzle with maple cream and scatter fresh berries on top.

Serves 4.