Cooking recipes

Cocoa Oatmeal

For over 20 years Mr. Ferdzy and I ate oatmeal for breakfast almost every day. About a year ago I hit some kind of wall and just couldnt face it any more. Ive been eating cold cereal, mostly bran flakes, ever since although Mr. Ferdzy has kept on keeping on with the oatmeal. However, I can see a wall approaching with the cereal, too - after only a year or so. Maybe I will give the oatmeal another try. Breakfast cereal is really expensive for what it is, and its hard to find one that isnt loaded with sugar.

On that note, one of the things I used to do once every couple of weeks or so to liven up the oatmeal a little was to make cocoa oatmeal. Chocolate for breakfast; how decadent! Only, really, probably no worse than your average sugar-loaded breakfast cereal. Its just a little cocoa cooked with the oatmeal and with very finely chopped dates. The dates melt right into the oatmeal and provide just enough sweetness. Yummy!

This also works well in the microwave. By the way, the leaving of the oatmeal to sit, covered, for 5 minutes before serving it is the difference between ho-hum oatmeal and excellent oatmeal, at least in my opinion, whether it is plain or chocolated.

2 servings
15 minutes - 10 minutes prep time


8 - 12 dates, finely chopped
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
2 cups water

Finely chop the dates; really, very finely. They should dissolve in the cooking. Mix them with the oats, the cocoa and the salt in pot. Add the water, and stir well.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the oatmeal has thickened and looks pretty much done, cover it and turn off the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.




Last year at this time I made Spaghetti Squash Kugel.