Oats. An old fashioned food that many are first introduced to in childhood. A standard easy and fast breakfast food, these grains have started to gain a reputation for being bland and boring. This is unfortunate because oats are tremendously nutritious and provide high amounts of protein. Best of all oats are very cheap. Oats are low fat, high in fiber, and full of vitamins and minerals such as biotin, folic acid, thiamin, vitamin E, iron, and zinc. These grains are also high in calories and carbohydrates which supply sustained long term daily energy which is great for physically active individuals. With all this in mind oats are definitely worth reconsideration as a regular nutrition source.
What many don’t realize about oats is that they are very versatile. While these grains are usually accompanied by a sweetener like maple syrup or fruit preserves, oats can be eaten as a savory dinner dish.
A great appliance for making many oatmeal porridge dishes is the Instant Pot. It can cook oatmeal in less than 10 minutes by just pushing a button. This appliance makes cooking oats and many other foods very easy. Here are a couple of flavorful dinner recipes featuring oats as a base.
Oatmeal with Sauteed Mushrooms, Onion, and Thyme
A great lunch meal that can be enjoyed with a salad.
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup rolled old-fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional to taste
- 1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 to 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 3 to 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- Sea salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
- Bring water to a boil in a pot. Pour in oatmeal, reduce heat to a simmer, and cover. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, until oats have reached desired tenderness.
- Meanwhile pour oil into a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add onion and garlic and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and thyme sprigs and saute until mushrooms turn golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. (If the liquid dries too soon, add 1 teaspoon oil at a time.) Remove thyme sprigs.
- When oatmeal finishes cooking, remove from heat. Scoop into pan with vegetables and mix thoroughly. Transfer to serving bowls and add olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves.
Savory Curry Oats
Great dinner meal
Ingredients
Ingredients
Even more surprising is oats can be used to make a plant based milk. The same way that almond milk and soya milk is made oat milk can be made, simply use oats instead. Soak about 3 cups of oats overnight in water and combine in a blender with 4 cups water and blend until a relatively smooth solution is achieved then pour through a sieve or mesh to separate the desired oat milk. This can be used as an addition to cereals or granola or even pour it over a warm bowl of morning oatmeal to cool it off.
Another great way to eat oats is with the overnight oats method. This simple method has oats combined with several other favorite ingredients in a jar with different ingredients stacked upon each other as layers. With a medium sized glass mason jar pour in 2 cups of uncooked rolled oats. On top of that add preferred ingredients like fruit, berries, cinnamon, maple syrup, etc. Arrange ingredients by dry items at the bottom and wet items at the top. Once Jar is filled, place in a refrigerator to set overnight. By the morning the oats will have totally hydrated and absorbed the flavor of all the ingredients. Mix together and enjoy from the jar or pour into a bowl and eat.
And finally the simplest and quickest way to consume oats is to blend them into a smoothie. Try adding berries, bananas or any other favorite fruits to a blender with 2-3 cups of oats and blend until smooth and drink.
Hopefully this can change attitudes about oats and open up new possibilities for the humble grain. Enjoy low cost, easy to prepare, and highly nutritious oats at all meals and any time of day.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon ground curry powder, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
- 1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
- Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the garlic; when the garlic becomes aromatic, slowly stir in pepper, cumin, curry powder and chili powder. When spices begin to fry and become fragrant, stir in the bouillon cube and a little water.
- Increase heat to high and add the rest of the water and the soy sauce. Just before the mixture comes to a boil, stir in rice. Bring to a rolling boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
Rosemary Oatcakes
These are great paired with hummus or a pesto mix or even salsa
Ingredients
- tablespoons finely chopped rosemary
- 300g (10½ oz) plain oatmeal (ground oats)
- ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
- 175ml – 200ml (6 – 7 floz) approx filtered or spring water
- 50g (1¾oz) fine oat flour
- A dash of oil for oven tray
- Cookie cutter or sharp knife
- Oven tray
Directions:
- Finely chop a good handful or more of fresh rosemary leaves, until you have at least a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary.
- Heat oven to 425˚F
- Mix all dry ingredients together.
- Add 175ml (6 floz) of the water and mix thoroughly with the dry ingredients. Add the remaining 25ml of water a little at a time, until a dough-like ‘rollable’ ball is achieved (a good way to mix is to use the back of a spoon, with a pressing motion or mix with hands). When all necessary water is added, press firmly together with hands. If tempted to add more water to get dough to bind, make sure that it is really needed, otherwise the mix will be soggy. If too much water is added, just balance with the mixture with more oatmeal or oat flour.
- Split the dough into two and roll flat with a rolling pin out on a flour dusted surface until it is about an 8th of an inch thick.
- Cut cake pieces with cookie cutter and place onto an oiled oven tray. If a cookie cutter is not available, just cut into squares or triangles with a sharp knife.
- Place on oven tray and then bake in preheated oven between 20 and 25 minutes, until they begin to gently tan.
- Lift from tray and let them cool down on a cooling tray. They will naturally firm with a nice crunch texture. If a less crunchy texture is preferred remove from heat before they start to tan.
Even more surprising is oats can be used to make a plant based milk. The same way that almond milk and soya milk is made oat milk can be made, simply use oats instead. Soak about 3 cups of oats overnight in water and combine in a blender with 4 cups water and blend until a relatively smooth solution is achieved then pour through a sieve or mesh to separate the desired oat milk. This can be used as an addition to cereals or granola or even pour it over a warm bowl of morning oatmeal to cool it off.
Another great way to eat oats is with the overnight oats method. This simple method has oats combined with several other favorite ingredients in a jar with different ingredients stacked upon each other as layers. With a medium sized glass mason jar pour in 2 cups of uncooked rolled oats. On top of that add preferred ingredients like fruit, berries, cinnamon, maple syrup, etc. Arrange ingredients by dry items at the bottom and wet items at the top. Once Jar is filled, place in a refrigerator to set overnight. By the morning the oats will have totally hydrated and absorbed the flavor of all the ingredients. Mix together and enjoy from the jar or pour into a bowl and eat.
And finally the simplest and quickest way to consume oats is to blend them into a smoothie. Try adding berries, bananas or any other favorite fruits to a blender with 2-3 cups of oats and blend until smooth and drink.
Hopefully this can change attitudes about oats and open up new possibilities for the humble grain. Enjoy low cost, easy to prepare, and highly nutritious oats at all meals and any time of day.
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