Zucchini Cheese Fritters
April 27, 2020
Sweet Potato Chips
May 26, 2020Porridge or oatmeal is one of the most common breakfast dishes and for good reason. What better way to start the day than with a warm comforting bowl of oats with delicious toppings. Oatmeal can be made into a sweet or savoury dish.
C onsider adding a protein source and some fruit to your oatmeal to create a balanced meal. Some simple protein-rich toppings include nuts, nut butters, hemp hearts, chia seeds, yogurt, milk, and pumpkin seeds. You can even make a savoury oatmeal and incorporate eggs or cheese. Some sweet toppings include berries, pear, banana, dried cranberries, dried apricots, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, maple syrup, cacao nibs, and coconut flakes.
If you’re not a fan of oatmeal for breakfast, I’d encourage you to try some different flavour combinations to find one that you enjoy. Oats can also be incorporated into granola, pancakes, muffins, or baked oatmeal if the standard bowl of oatmeal is not your thing.
Stewed Apples or Caramelized Banana Peanut Butter Oatmeal
Ingredients
For the oatmeal
- ½ cup rolled oats (50g)
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- 1 tsp sweetener of your choice: maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar optional
- pinch salt
Stewed Apples Topping
- 1 tsp coconut oil or butter
- 1 apple chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Caramelized Banana Topping
- 1 tsp coconut oil or butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 banana sliced
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp cacao nibs
- 1 tbsp peanut butter
Instructions
For the oatmeal
- In a small pot, add the water, milk, sweetener and salt. Bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, add in the oats.
- Stir continuously until you've reached your desired consistency (typically for 2-3 minutes on low heat) and serve in a bowl.
- Choose which topping you would like to add to your oats: stewed apples or caramelized bananas
For the stewed apples topping
- In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the coconut oil and then add the apples.
- Cook the apples for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then add the cinnamon and maple syrup and cook for another 5 minutes until soft. Serve on the cooked oats.
For the caramelized bananas topping
- In a saucepan on medium heat, melt the coconut oil and add the maple syrup.
- Add the sliced banana and cook for about 2 minutes on either side until golden brown.
- Serve caramelized bananas, cinnamon, peanut butter, and cacao nibs on the cooked oatmeal.
Pumpkin Oatmeal with Caramelized Pecans
Ingredients
For the pumpkin mousse
- 1-2 dates
- ½ cup pumpkin puree canned
- ½ cup cream (10% M.F) or milk of your choice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cloves
For the oats
- ½ cup rolled oats (50g)
- ½ cup water
- pinch salt
For the caramelized pecans
- 8 pecan nuts whole
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
Instructions
- Soak the dates in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes.
- Blend the dates, pumpkin puree, cream, cinnamon and cloves in a blender. Set aside.
- In a small pot, bring the water to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and add in the oats. Stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Add in the pumpkin mousse and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring continuously. Set aside.
- In a skillet on medium heat, melt the butter and maple syrup. Add in the pecans.
- Cook pecans for 2-3 minutes, mixing continuously, until caramelized.
- Serve pumpkin oatmeal in a bowl and top with the caramelized pecans.
Did you know?
Oat groats are the whole oat grain that have been cleaned and have the outer husk removed. As these are the least processed form of the grain, they can take a long time to cook and so we often don’t use them in day-to-day cooking. Instead, we use steel cut oats, rolled oats, and instant oatmeal in our cooking. Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been cut up a few times using large blades, giving them a chewier texture and a longer cooking time. Rolled oats, also known as large flake or old-fashioned oats, have been rolled and flattened with large rollers. Quick-cooking rolled oats have been cut first and then rolled/flattened to make them faster to cook. Instant oats have been cut even smaller and flattened into tiny flakes to significantly decrease the cooking time.
Even though the different types of oats have been processed differently, they keep much of their nutritional value regardless of the type you choose. As you might imagine though, steel cut oats are more slowly digested and do not cause as quick of a spike in your blood sugar levels compared to instant oats. This can help keep your energy levels more stable throughout the morning and keep you feeling full for longer.
Oats are not only delicious and versatile, they are also packed with beneficial nutrients. The slower digesting carbohydrates are great for providing your body with energy throughout the morning. Oats are also a great source of fibre, more specifically beta-glucans. Beta-glucans are a type of soluble fibre which has been shown to lower cholesterol levels by trapping cholesterol in your intestine and carrying it out of your body.
Oats are relatively higher in protein compared to other grains: 17g in 100g! They contain essential vitamins and minerals for metabolism, such as manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin, iron and zinc, and are rich in antioxidants which may help to lower blood pressure. Oats are naturally gluten-free too, just be sure to choose oats that are certified gluten-free as they are often harvested and processed with other gluten-containing grains and are at risk of cross contamination.
Written by Sofya Borisenko and Liz Powell, RD
References:
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- Blue Flame Kitchen. Differences Between Different Kinds of Oats. Retrieved May 2, 2020, from https://www.atcoblueflamekitchen.com/en-ca/how-to/differences-between-different-oats.html
- Braaten JT, Wood PJ, Scott FW, Wolynetz MS, Lowe MK, Bradley-White P, Collins MW, 1994. Oat beta-glucan reduces blood cholesterol concentration in hypercholesterolemic subjects. Eur J Clin Nutr. 48(7):465-74.
- He J, Streiffer RH, Muntner P, Krousel-Wood MA, Whelton PK, 2004. Effect of dietary fiber intake on blood pressure: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. J Hypertens. 22(1):73-80.
- Klose C, Arendt EK, 2012. Proteins in oats; their synthesis and changes during germination: a review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 52(7):629-39.
- Nie L, Wise ML, Peterson DM, Meydani M, 2006. Avenanthramide, a polyphenol from oats, inhibits vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and enhances nitric oxide production. Atherosclerosis. 186(2):260-6.
- Rondaneli M., Opizzi A., Monteferrario F., 2009. The biological activity of beta-glucans. Minerva Med. 100(3): pp237-245.
