How do you cope with stress?
Do you...
Do you...
Bite your nails?
Bark at the dog?
Lose your appetite?
Eat everything in sight?
Me?
I want comfort food.
I want comfort food.
So when I saw Food & Wine Magazine's recipe for Oatmeal Souffle,
I knew it was just what the doctor ordered.
Actually, the doctor probably would not want me to eat all of it,
which is exactly what I wanted to do when I tasted it.
Portion control is not one of my strong suits.
So, uh, yes, I've been a little stressed out lately.
Nothing terrible, thankfully, just...stuff.
In fact, it's all good...but "good" can be stressful, too.
What's making my head spin?
Thanks for asking :)
My fundraising gala is only a month away
and, yes, I'm a little...okay, a LOT freaked out about making enough money.
We're up to our eyeballs with pre-college stuff...
and yes, I am planning a college tour that can only be described as
Extreme Road Trip Meets Spring Break.
Junior Prom is just a week away, and, yes, I am here to testify that
getting a boy ready is not easier than getting a girl ready.
Girls want to go shopping, your honor.
"Why do I have to try this stuff on before prom?"
is my closing argument.
The tennis team forms, which are due today,
were just pulled out of someone's backpack,
and yes, they still need to be filled out by the doctor,
and be delivered to the school nurse before 3pm.
That's no reason to come unglued, is it?
Yes, it is hard work to crank out a blog post...
a good blog post...once or twice a week.
And yes, I feel guilty when I don't answer comments on a timely basis,
visit other blogs, and leave meaningful comments.
No worries -- four hours of sleep is more than enough.
But, enough about me.
We're talking stress-busting souffle here.
This recipe was really easy to make --
it came together in 30 minutes, plus another half-hour to bake.
The oatmeal mixture is ready when it is thickened and looks like,
well, like oatmeal (see photo below);
the egg whites are beaten to medium-stiff peaks
and gently folded into the oatmeal mixture (see photo below);
and the souffle should be a nice golden color when it's done
(mine isn't as pretty as the magazine pic, but it's not too shabby).
The recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of sugar,
which means that this is not an overly sweet souffle.
This is actually a good thing,
because then you can drown it in maple syrup :)
-- or use it sparingly -- your call.
Had I used turbinado sugar, as the recipe called for,
the sweetness factor may have been different.
I think of this souffle as a sophisticated take on a bowl of oatmeal,
and it is most definitely company-worthy.
I couldn't wait to dig in.
Yumcious.
OATMEAL SOUFFLE
Recipe from Food & Wine Magazine (affiliate link)
Serves 4
1 cup rolled oats
3 cups whole milk
2 tbsp. turbinado sugar (affiliate link) (I used granulated sugar)
Pinch of kosher salt
3 large eggs, separated
2 cups mixed raspberries and blueberries
1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)
Preheat oven to 350°
Butter a 2-quart baking dish (affiliate link)
In a large saucepan, combine the oats, milk, sugar and salt and bring to a simmer.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a porridge consistency, about 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat; let cool slightly.
Working quickly, stir the egg yolks into the oatmeal until well blended.
Fold in one cup of the berries and lemon zest.
In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the eggs whites at medium speed until medium-stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
Gently fold the egg whites into the oatmeal just until combined.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish and bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and puffed.
Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve hot with the remaining 1 cup of berries, and maple syrup, if desired.
Make ahead: The oatmeal can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated for three days. Rewarm with some milk to loosen the oatmeal to a porridge consistency before proceeding.
Heck yes, I'm stressed!
But like I always say, when life hands you oats,
make oatmeal souffle.
Or something like that.
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