Cherry Pecan Oatmeal

Instructions

Bring milk to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in oats and bring back to a simmer. Adjust heat to around medium-low to keep mixture simmering.

Stir in pecans, cherries, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to mix well. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until the milk has been absorbed. Stir more frequently toward the end of the cooking time to keep the mixture from sticking to the pan.

Divide oatmeal into two or three cereal bowls. Serve with maple syrup.

You’ve Got Options

Rolled oats are used in this recipe; however, steel-cut oats are delicious, and they are more nutrient-rich than rolled oats because they have not been processed (rolled and steamed). If you are gluten sensitive, be sure to buy a brand that guarantees that the oats were not grown where wheat grows and that they were processed in a wheat-free plant.

Try quinoa, amaranth, spelt flakes, or brown rice in this classic breakfast dish. The amount of milk and grain and the method remain the same, but the cooking time may be longer for quinoa, and about 35 to 40 minutes for brown rice.

Any nut can be substituted for the pecans in this recipe.

Change it up and use blueberries, apricot pieces, cranberries, or other dried fruit in place of the cherries.

Serve with vegan yogurt or cold almond milk.

Makes 2 to 3 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups unflavored, unsweetened or vanilla nondairy milk

• 1 cup rolled oats (see options)

• ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans (see options)

• ¼ cup dried cherries (see options)

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

• Pure maple syrup, for serving

From “The Reducetarian Cookbook: 125 Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Plant-Based Recipes for Omnivores, Vegans, and Everyone In-Between” by Reducetarian Foundation (Center Street, $21.99). Recipe developed by Pat Crocker. Photo by Ashleigh Amoroso.