Last week we started talking about how to cook without a recipe using oatmeal as the basis for discussion. This week I wanted to continue using oatmeal and illustrate how using combinations creates a totally different oatmeal. For this we are going to have dessert for breakfast, or Dark Side Oats, as my husband calls them. This is a delicious combination of chocolate, peanut butter, and a bit of milk to make a lovely balanced breakfast.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Ingredients
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 TBL cocoa powder (Bitterness)
- 1-3 TBL coconut sugar or brown sugar (Sweetness)
- 1/4 cup crunchy salted peanut butter (Saltiness)
- non-dairy milk for topping (Balance)
Instructions
- Bring water, vanilla and salt to a low boil over medium heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add oats and cocoa powder stirring to combine.
- Heat and cook stirring occasionally until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in peanut butter and brown sugar.
- Top with milk if using and serve immediately.
Discussion:
How I made decisions for this recipe:
I wanted a chocolate filled breakfast, but one that I could still call healthy without too much sugar. I also wanted something that balanced salty and sweet. I started with unsweetened chocolate which needs some sugar to balance it. This gave me bitterness and sweetness. I then wanted the salt factor and chose crunchy salted peanut butter. Crunchy peanut butter also gives the dish texture. Once all of these ingredients were combined the dish was delicious, but a bit dense. To lighten the dish I recommend serving cold milk over the top which will give balance to the finished product.
To recap, bitterness (chocolate) balanced with sweetness (sugar) balanced with salt (peanut butter), add texture (crunchy peanut butter), with a little lightness (milk). Done and done.
Happy Food Ninja 
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