Confession: I hate oats. Given a chance, I would never touch the cereal that tastes like cardboard. I have tried making porridge, have tried adding fruits and nuts and honey and cinnamon and what-have-you. Still yucky… So why am I writing about it? And better yet, why is this post called “Genius Overnight Oats”? Coz this non-recipe is the best way that I have found to eat oats – a super-food that is heart-friendly, helps in reducing risk of Type II diabetes and helps you maintain your weight. It’s precisely for these reasons that I try to eat at least 2 oats-based breakfasts every week, but I have never really enjoyed them. That is until I received a newsletter from Food52 – a website that I totally recommend; super recipes and some delicious food photography. It’s choc-a-bloc with useful tips and meal ideas.
Their newsletter came with “How to make overnight oats without a recipe”, so I thought, well it’s worth a shot. It’s a no-cook recipe, or rather a non-recipe – very as-you-like-it kind of a thing. And I loved it! It’s made me a convert. I think my problem was the hot, cooked oats with its thick, gluggy consistency, which is quite off-putting. With overnight oats, that problem was resolved. It’s a great make-ahead breakfast, perfect for time-strapped folks – make it the night before and in the morning you can just grab and go!
Take about 100 gm oats
per person. Place in a bowl or a jar (with a lid, if you plan to carry it as an
on-the-go snack).
Throw in any seeds you
like – flaxseeds (alsi), watermelon seeds, sunflower, chia (sabja) etc. I use roasted
watermelon seeds and roasted flaxseeds from Godrej Nature’s Basket’s Healthy
Alternatives aisle.
Add nuts such as almonds, walnuts or dried cranberries, raisins, dates etc. Sprinkle some cinnamon or nutmeg powder.
Pour in enough milk to
soak the mix well. If you want a dairy-free version, use soymilk, almond milk
or even coconut milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
 |
| Soak it up |
In the morning, stir in
some honey or any other sweetener you like; maple syrup is good too. Sometimes
I skip the honey and add a spoonful of homemade peanut butter or some liquid jaggery from
i2cook. Don’t go overboard here – remember this is supposed to be a
healthful breakfast, not dessert!
 |
| The morning-after look! |
Top with fresh fruits
or granola and dig in. Thank me (and Food52) later!
How do you like your oats? Do you have a delicious recipe to share? I would love to hear, so leave me a comment below.
How do you like your oats? Do you have a delicious recipe to share? I would love to hear, so leave me a comment below.
You can read the
original Food52 post here.
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