Tasty Bites: Best.Oats.Ever.

By Candy, RN (Steele the Day)

Oatmeal is one of my favorite breakfasts. It has that stick-to-your ribs character that gets you through the morning and is full of whole-grain goodness. In addition to the fiber, phosphorus, selenium, and manganese that oats provide, I like to “spike” mine with a few other healthy additions to boost the nutritional value. Therein lies the problem as I attempt to give you a recipe – I have never made them the same way twice, but the basic premise is the same: one part old-fashioned rolled oats to two parts liquid. Then get creative!

I almost always add the same three ingredients after the oats and liquid: ground flax seeds, chia seeds, and banana. Flax and chia seeds give you healthy plant-based Omega-3 and Omega-6 fats, as well as more fiber. The banana makes the oats sweet and provides potassium.

I add spices and extracts to complement the toppings I plan to add. Vanilla, almond, or orange extract, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice … endless possibilities.

Then there are the toppings. Oh, the toppings. Think ice cream and go from there. Fresh in-season or dried fruit (dried is also good cooked in with the oats as well as on top), chocolate chips, coconut, nut butters, jelly, or nuts. (Because in my kitchen, anything good is better with nuts). Drizzle with honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup. Again, the possibilities are infinite.

One last fun suggestion – do you have a couple of teaspoons of peanut or almond butter left in the bottom of a jar? Dump your oats right from the pan into the jar and stir it up a bit. Top with…anything. Yumm, right from the jar.

Blueberry Mango Oats

⅓ cup skim milk

⅓ cup water

⅓ cup old fashioned oats

½ banana

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Topping:

⅓ cup fresh blueberries

⅓ cup chopped fresh mango

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Drizzle of agave nectar

Basic cooking directions for oats: Rough chop the banana in a small saucepan. Add all other ingredients through salt. Cook over medium heat on stovetop for about 5 minutes, mashing down the banana as it cooks.

Top with remaining ingredients and eat!

Variations (from left to right):

Mixed berry oats with walnuts: These were some that I mistakenly put orange extract in the oats, and they were delicious!

Blackberry banana oats: I think I used soy milk in these. Top with fresh blackberries, almonds and agave.

Pumpkin oats: Add 1/3 cup canned pumpkin into cooking oats with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and fresh grated nutmeg. Top with walnuts and a dollop of pumpkin butter.

Oats with dried figs, apricots and cranberries: Chop up dried fruit, any dried fruit! Coconut also tastes wonderful with dried fruit.

Apple pie oats: Dice half an apple; mix with cinnamon, brown sugar, and fresh grated nutmeg. Microwave for a minute. Add mixture to cooking oatmeal and top with cinnamon and chopped pecans.

Cherry almond oats: Use almond milk and almond extract in oats mixture. Pit ½ cup red cherries. Heat in microwave for about 30 seconds, put on cooked oats, sprinkle with almonds and drizzle with honey.

Candy Steele is a registered nurse who has worked with cardiac patients for over thirty years. “Functional foods” have become her passion, and she enjoys sharing her love of cooking, a random life and a faithful Jesus with her friends at Steele (the Day). She is blessed with three grown children, a new daughter-in-law, and a kind and patient husband who only knows how to fix popcorn (but she’s OK with that).