Chai-Spice Oats with Nuts, Berries, and More

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Oatmeal, porridge, mush, Jane Eyre, Oliver Twist -- the memories and associations attached with the gelatinous, lumpy iterations of childhoold breakfasts compelled me to give it a wide berth for many years. Only after I switched my diet and lifestyle to 100% plant-based in 2011 did I rediscover the amazing potential of this protein-rich grain. With the right proportions of all-natural, whole food ingredients, lowly oatmeal is my go-to breakfast two to three times a week.

Here's how we do it, chai style:

Serves 2

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

3/4 cup water

3/4 cup vanilla Almond milk

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp dry cloves

1/4 tsp dry cardoman

1/8 tsp ground allspice

black pepper to taste

2 tbsp currants

1 medium banana peeled and sliced

3-4 medjool dates, seeded and chopped

1 small apple, cored and finely chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen berries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Combine all ingredients except apple, berries, and nuts in saucepan (1-2 qt. will do). Bring to boil while stirring constantly, reduce to low, cover, and let simmer three minutes. Stir in apple and nuts, cook two more minutes covered. Fold in berries. Divide into two bowls, top with 1/4 cup Vanilla Almond Milk and serve at once.

If I were a Dickens character, this is the porridge that would bring out my "Please, may I have some more,"