Let this be the saddest hey y’all of the year.
I’ve been having a bit of an off week with my mind all over the place and my financial situation pretty dire, a given towards the end of January. Let’s face it, January is the worst month of the year, December’s ugly sister, 31 days of sadness. This song is and isn’t helping.
Whenever I start feeling like this, you know, questioning the meaning of life and my existence, I try and counteract the feelings of borderline self-loathing with things that will perk me right up, from the inside out. I’ve started running again, I’m not really drinking, I’ve quit smoking (hurrah!) and I’m eating clean. Well… kind of.
When I’m on a health kick I look at incorporating seasonal ingredients into my diet more so than usual, after all seasonal produce is not only fresher and tastier (strawberries, I rest my case), but it’s like, totally zen reconnecting with natural food cycles.
Blood oranges are right in season at the moment, and they are disguising themselves as oranges all about town. I realised that I hadn’t had a blood orange for a while, probably since it was last in season, and so the below was born. The almond milk makes these oats creamy and slightly sweet, and the roasted blood oranges add a fresh and tangy punch. This breakfast is my happy place right now.
Roasted Blood Orange Oatmeal
Serves 2
Ingredients
200g coarse oatmeal
750ml water
Pinch of salt
250ml almond milk
4 blood oranges
Coconut oil
1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
Unsalted pistachios
Pumpkin seeds
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°c (180°c FAN)
- Halve the blood oranges and remove the peel. Place on a baking tray and drizzle with a little coconut oil and a sprinkle of sugar. Roast for around 10-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile make the oatmeal. Add water and a pinch of salt to a pan and bring to the boil. Add the oats and stir, then bring up to the boil again. Reduce the heat to low and add the almond milk. Simmer the oatmeal stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes.
- Divide the oatmeal between two bowls, top with extra almond milk, the roasted blood oranges, chopped pistachios and pumpkin seeds.