Fall is in the air—which unfortunately is a lot colder and a lot less romantic than it sounds. ‘Tis the season for midterms, sweaters, and cheesy autumn-themed 8tracks playlists. More importantly, however, ‘tis the season for comfort food. Gone are the days where you might wake up and, in a bout of health-filled inspiration, make a green juice or opt for a salad for lunch. Although the Tribune can’t help out with midterm preparations, students’ comfort food needs covered with this warming spiced apple oatmeal recipe.

If you’ve ventured anywhere near a farmer’s market this week, you’ve surely noted the abundance of local apples. Although it is still a challenge to figure out how to distinguish Gala from McIntosh and Spartan, this season has them all, and they’re equally delicious. For this recipe, the vendors behind the Macdonald Campus stall at the McGill Farmers Market recommended Gala apples for their sweetness, but any variety of local apples will do! At 25 cents per apple, there are no good reasons to say no.

This week’s recipe takes advantage of the proximity of the market to campus, but there’s still time for an apple-picking excursion in the coming weeks. In fact, the Tribune has compiled a list of Montreal’s best apple picking farms to make a weekend trip out of. 

This recipe is wholesome, sweet, and will give you the energy to ward off the cold until lunchtime.

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of rolled oats

1/2 cup of almond milk or whole milk

1/2 cup of water

A pinch of salt

A pinch of cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon of vanilla

1/8 teaspoon of ginger

1 teaspoon of hemp seeds

1 teaspoon of raisins

Maple syrup to sweeten 

1 peeled apple

Coconut yogurt or Greek yogurt

Directions: 

Mix the oats, milk, water and salt in a saucepan and warm over medium heat for one minute. Add in cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger.

Keep stirring the porridge for 3 to 5 minutes, or until desired consistency is reached.  Pour into a bowl and sprinkle with raisins, apple, and hemp seeds. Drizzle with maple syrup and then add the yogurt on top.