Like I mentioned in my favourite Health Food Trends for 2016 blog, oats are getting a makeover!
For years, even I was guilty of snubbing oats. Boring, I thought. Been there, done that, I thought. I blame it on the fact that I was forced to eat them almost every day as a child and it was pretty lacklustre back then; a bit of butter and brown sugar and that was it. One heaping pile of beige mush.
But, these days, oats are anything but boring. There are scores of fancy oat bowls peppering Instagram and Pinterest. Foodies are getting more creative than ever with their oat bowl designs, including their favourite berries, super seeds, nut butters, and bee pollens. Overnight oats and baked oats are enjoying their time in the limelight too. And if that’s not enough, savoury oats are making a big splash. If you’re wondering where you can see all these creations, all you need to do is look up #oatmealporn. Seriously. It’s a thing.
In honour of the oat oggler in all of us, I whipped up this super-easy, savoury mushroom and thyme oat recipe for you in hopes of turning you on to the magic and versatility of oats.
Not only are oats a great source of soluble and insoluble fibre, which is great for blood sugar balance, cholesterol and gut health, they even have a good amount of protein up in there too! Not to mention they pack a hefty dose of magnesium, iron and manganese! All that AND they’re cheap and dead-easy to make. Win win win!
I was inspired to make this dish from ABachelorandHisGrill.com, but tweaked the recipe to my taste and substituted the smoked Gouda with goat feta, which is easier on digestion. You can use whatever kind of cheese floats your boat and is kind to your belly – just try to get organic of course…or omit the dairy all together (although I have to admit, the cheese really lends itself to the risotto-type vibe of this dish). BTW, I was further inspired to call this ris-OAT-o after my appearance on The Social. It really bears an uncanny resemblance to that traditional Italian rice dish, but without all that damn stirring!
Once you see how easy this savoury oat dish is, I’m confident you’ll be experimenting with your own savoury ingredients in no time! These oats go great with an egg on top, topped with nuts or seeds or served on a bed of greens! Like I said, versatile!
Here’s how it’s done:
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 cups water
- 1 small red onion (sliced or diced)
- 2 large cloves of garlic (sliced)
- 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme (pulled from stem)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms
- ½ cup organic goat cheese
- ½ tsp sea salt
- pepper to taste
- Bring water to boil
- Add oats and reduce to simmer. Simmer oats for about 20-30 minutes. Until the water is absorbed. Remove from heat and leave covered.
- Meanwhile, heat butter or oil on med/high heat and add onions. Stir-fry until softening then add mushrooms, garlic, and thyme and cook until mushrooms are tender and have released all their juice.
- Open pot of oats and add cheese and salt and fold/stir until well combined.
- Add cheesy oats to mushroom pan and mix until combine.
- Spoon into bowls and top with fresh springs of thyme and a few sprinkles of cheese.
You can enjoy this as a main meal with some added greens or use it as a side dish as you would any whole grain.
Enjoy!
KD
