Two packets of instant oatmeal become crispy-edged pancakes with the apple and cinnamon notes playing savory rather than sweet. Cook them in butter until golden and serve with a fried egg on top or alongside bitter greens. The shelf makes dinner in less than twenty minutes.

Serves 2. 18 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 270 calories a serving, 6 g protein, 25 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. While it melts, stir the contents of 2 oatmeal packets into a bowl with 1/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt until you have a thick paste, then let it sit for one minute.
2. Drop 2 tablespoons of the oat mixture into the hot butter, flatten gently with a spatula into a thin cake about three inches across, and repeat with two more cakes. Cook without moving them until the edges are dark brown and crisp at the bottom, about four minutes.4 min
3. Flip each cake and cook the other side until brown and crisp, another three minutes, then push them to the side of the skillet.3 min
4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the empty side of the skillet and crack both eggs into it. Cook to your liking while the oat cakes stay warm, about three minutes for runny yolks.3 min
5. Slide the oat cakes and eggs onto a plate, season the eggs with salt and pepper, and serve at once.

Note Swap the eggs for a handful of bitter greens wilted in the skillet while the second side cooks. Leftover oat cakes keep in an airtight container for two days and reheat in a dry skillet until crisp. Serve with hot sauce, yogurt, or a simple salad on the side to stretch the meal.