When K. and I finally reached Pula, we ended out renting a private room from a kindly lady with a very cute little grand daughter. The apartment was overlooking the local market... which you see here in the picture.
Earlier I said I would share my oatmeal recipe with you, so here it is. It came from a booklet of recipes that came with some Tupperware microwave containers I got in the 1980's. The variants are my own, though.
I used to make this sometimes in Russia, although I didn't have a microwave, so I did it stovetop. Now I make packets of the dry ingredients and in the morning all I have to do it is add the water, nuke it, and I generally add milk (even though it already has powdered milk in it too).
PLUMP RAISIN PORRIDGE
Makes 1 serving
1/3 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 cup nonfat dry milk powder
3 tablespoons raisins
2 tablespoons chopped nuts
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup water
In 16-Ounce Casserole [caps in original] combine the oats, milk powder, raisins, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir. For make-ahead, seal and store up to 1 month.
To bake: Remove Seal. Stir in water. Bake, covered, at 350[degrees] for 20 minutes or till water is absorbed. (Or, bake immediately, covered, as directed above.) Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
To micro-cook: Remove Seal. Stir in water. Micro-cook, covered, on 100% power (HIGH) for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or till water is absorbed. (Or micro-cook immediately, covered on HIGH, as directed above.) Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes to finish cooking.
My notes & variations.
First of all, I add about 1/3 cup water, so it comes out thicker, and hence I add liquid milk after it's cooked.
I just microwave it 2 minutes and don't let it stand.
My variations are this:
Sweetener: I eventually decreased the brown sugar by half, and now I have a stevia plant, so I put about 2 tablespoons of steeped stevia water as part of the water before cooking.
Sometimes I use dried fruits other than raisins, or add other fruit on top of the raisins.
I've also used a variety of nuts, but I usually use walnuts, just because they're cheaper and I like them fine.
I've sometimes added 1/4 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa in with the dry ingredients, and since the stevia adds a taste that I'm not crazy about, I've upped it to 1/2 teaspoon cocoa.
I've also sometimes used coconut milk as part of the cooking water, usually 1-2 tablespoons.
I tried soy-based protein powder, but I definitely didn't like that at all. Maybe a whey-based protein powder would be better, or a flavor other than vanilla, which is what I tried.
I'm sure there are other possibilities, but these are just some that I've tried.
I hope you like it!
~ Meg
