Hearty Breakfast Oatmeal

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup Large Flake Oats
• Almonds
• Pecans
• 1 tbsp Roasted Flax Seed
• 1 tbsp Hemp Hearts
• Cranberries
• 0.5 Banana
• 1 cup Milk
• Cinnamon
• 1 Egg
• ON Vanilla Ice Cream Protein Powder

Method

Toast the nuts first — they'll release their oils and turn nutty rather than sitting raw and bland in your porridge. Two to three minutes in a dry pan over medium-high heat. You want them fragrant and just beginning to colour at the edges. Crush them roughly with the side of your knife or a rolling pin; don't powder them or you'll lose texture. Slice the banana into coins. These will soften into the oatmeal and add natural sweetness without needing added sugar.

Combine the large flake oats, crushed nuts, flax seed, hemp hearts, cranberries, and a pinch of cinnamon in a saucepan. Pour in the milk — use whole milk or a 1:1 split of milk and water if you want a lighter result. Set the heat to medium and stir frequently. This isn't a passive dish. The constant movement prevents the oats from sticking to the bottom and burning, and it distributes heat evenly so the flakes hydrate properly rather than clumping. After three to four minutes, the milk will begin to thicken visibly and the oats will soften. Add the banana slices now. They'll soften within a minute and distribute their sweetness throughout.

The mixture should still have noticeable liquid at this point — don't let it tighten up entirely or the egg will scramble into unpleasant flakes rather than cooking through evenly. Crack the egg directly into the pan and stir it in immediately. The heat will egg-cookery|cook the egg through the liquid in about 90 seconds; the constant movement keeps it fine and thread-like rather than curdled. This adds protein and a richer mouthfeel than porridge alone. Immediately off the heat, whisk in the vanilla protein powder — this is crucial. Hot but not actively boiling liquid will dissolve the powder cleanly without clumping.

The porridge-making|finished porridge should flow slightly when you tilt the bowl. If it's too thick, add a splash of warm milk. If it's too loose, let it sit for thirty seconds; residual heat will continue thickening it. Serve in a bowl and eat straightaway. This is best eaten warm, when the oats are fully tender but still have some bite.