Sweet Oats and Savory Oats
These dishes were originally part of the Summer “No Oven” Cooking Class where we learned to make plant-based dishes that did not require an oven. They are both wonderful year-round but it’s nice having a summer repertoire where an oven is not required.
I upped my oats game recently and am excited to share it with you. I used to eat the quick cooking oats (and still sometimes do), and there’s nothing wrong with that. But rolled oats provide more nutrition and are lower on the glycemic index (meaning they cause a slower increase in blood sugar). I also love the bigger rolled oats for the chewy texture. It only takes an extra few minutes in the pot.
Oats are an excellent whole grain, good for your heart (and cholesterol), immunity and skin. Oats are naturally gluten free. Some oats can be contaminated from neighboring fields by gluten, so if gluten free is imperative for you, find a brand that offers gluten free. (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill.) I was recently inspired to get creative with oats and am now sharing two oats recipes with you.
About the Sweet Oats Dish
A more traditional, “sweet” oats recipe that one might top with berries. This recipe offers a few creative twists (think Peanut Butter and Jelly). We add a secret ingredient to the oats to increase the nutritional value too.
About the Savory Oats Dish
I discovered savory oats and am moderately obsessed. Here’s that story:
On a recent trip to Maine, I stayed at a bed and breakfast. The owner, Kelly, was more than accommodating to dietary requests, specifically my plant-based diet. I told her that avocado toast would be sufficient, and her response was “I can do better than that.” All the breakfasts she served were excellent. My favorite, however, was savory oats. It kind of blew my mind it was so good, and I asked her for the recipe.
Well, she is such a good cook that she mostly winged it and didn’t have an actual recipe. She did give me some notes, and I was determined to recreate it so I could enjoy it at home.
In the past, I generally thought of oats as a sweet breakfast (with fruit, walnuts, etc.). But the savory oats are a nice change. And the more I researched it, the more I learned that many cultures eat some kind of a savory oat porridge for breakfast.
After I made it at home, I got excited about sharing it with you! Here’s my mash-up of Kelly’s winging it recipe and a few others I found online. I think it turned out great!
Enjoy either or both oats recipes!
You can gather the ingredients and cook along with me or watch the video and cook later.
Class Runs Approx. 60 minutes
Cost: $23.99
GOT A QUESTION OR INTERESTED IN 1:1 COACHING WITH ME?
Drop us a line at Diane (at) whatsplantbasedcooking (dot) com and we’ll be happy to help.