The Food Desert Project - Dr. Barrilleaux's Nearly-instant Oatmeal Custard

Often, when I'm stuck for ideas for this project, I begin surfing the internet - and often find myself in some extremely exciting places!  Today's post is brought to you by Benchfly.com, where I discovered a cache of excellent egg and bean recipes that suit this project to a T - despite that the site is neither about cooking nor food, but "a resource dedicated to providing researchers with the current protocols to support their lives both in and out of the lab."  As an homage to my love of science and scientists, I arranged to cross-post recipes, and here is theirs, exactly as posted on Benchfly:

Dr. Barrilleaux's*  Nearly-instant Oatmeal Custard

•1 egg
•2 tbsp raisins or other dried fruit
•1/4 cup milk
•1/3 cup plain quick-cooking rolled oats
•1 tsp sugar or honey

Beat the egg thoroughly in a bowl with a fork. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Microwave until semisolid, about 1.5 minutes, stirring halfway through. If you have even a modicum of self-respect, you’ll never go back to the gloopy so-called oatmeal that comes in a packet.

It may be tempting to skip breakfast in favor of a few more minutes of sleep in the morning, but remember: good science happens with a clear mind and a full belly. 

Thank you, Benchfly!  Of course, I wouldn't be much of a food blogger if I didn't experiment a bit and make a few tweaks.  We discovered that Sparky prefers chopped dried apple, brown sugar, and a tiny bit of vanilla and cinnamon in his oatmeal custard (pictured;) it really is a delightful quick breakfast. The above tweaks are our personal preference; we'd love to hear your variations! 

Nutritional Information for 1 serving. 

* Dr. Bonnie Barrilleaux is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Davis, in the laboratory of Dr. Paul Knoepfler  She received a Ph.D. in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering from Tulane University. She has eaten nearly 2000 breakfasts as a graduate student, many of which involved sniffing a gallon of milk to decide if the expiration date was serious or just a suggestion. Her other favorite breakfast recipes can be found at BenchFly.com.