Coconut Chai Oatmeal with Pistachios

Happy Wednesday to you! I'm writing 30 minutes after eating this oatmeal recipe I'm about to share with you, so I'm pretty hyped about it. I'd love to blather on as I usually do, but I must return to productivity ASAP (the whole grad school thing requires a bit of productivity sometimes-lame! ;) ) so I'll make this short but sweet!

I saw a baklava oatmeal recipe on The Oatmeal Artist blog and thought the idea of pistachios+oatmeal was crazy brilliant. Many of the recipes on The Oatmeal Artist have some mashed banana in them to add a bit of sweetness, and I discovered it was perfect in this recipe as well (you don't taste the banana!); major props to her on all that oatmeal geniusness! I used this chai concentrate in the recipe, but if you're not feeling a whole batch, I would just stew one chai tea bag for 10 minutes to get it super strong and use that! Its all about alterations, right?

By the way, this is Rory's response to my attempted oatmeal photos near a window. Just slinking around my ankles meowing like a fool. What a weirdo.

Coconut Chai Oatmeal with Pistachios
serves 1

1/2 cup gluten free oats (I use Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup chai tea concentrate
1/4 cup coconut milk (I use Silk unsweetened)
1/2 cup water
1/3 of a banana, mashed up
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
10-15 pistachios, crushed up (or whole if you please!)
unsweetened shredded coconut for topping
more coconut milk for topping

Combine oats with the three liquids (chai, coconut milk and water) in a large bowl. Let sit for a few minutes so the oats soak up some of the liquid. Microwave for 2.5-3 minutes (depending on your microwave). Let sit 30 seconds, then take out and add the mashed banana, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix in well and microwave for 1 minute (or longer if you want them super thick). Let sit another minute. Pour into a smaller bowl (or eat out of the large one!) and add the pistachios and shredded coconut and stir. Add more coconut milk if you wish. Eat up!

This goes beautifully with a cup of coffee (but doesn't everything?), or you could stick with the chai theme and have a chai latte alongside. WHOA that would be awesome.

Any favorite oatmeal combinations you'd like to share? I'm always perusing for fun new ideas!

I'm outties; enjoy your day!

--KQ