Heart Heathy & Delicious

By Alex Chung

Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

Oats are incredibly nutritious and filled with tons of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are a delicious superfood and a good source of carbs & fiber. Oats can lower your cholesterol, help control your blood sugar, and help boost your immune system. These little grains can pack a healthy punch to your body.

I always have a big bag of rolled oats tucked in my pantry for the occasional breakfast oatmeal or for a healthy substitute in one of my baked goods. However, this week I’ve had a bowl of oatmeal everyday for breakfast and my energy levels have been consistent, my bad snacking habits have gone down a lot, and I feel full much longer. So for this week’s quarantine post it will be all about oats!

My Favorite Breakfast Oatmeal

As a kid, I hated oatmeal but since then I have figured out why. The texture of oatmeal is not my jam. I find it to be too chunky for my liking so every time I get a big bag of rolled oats from the store, I take out about 3 cups of it and blend it in a food processor just to break it up a bit. Then I store it in a large jar anytime I want to add oats to baked goods or make a hot and yummy bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

I listed my favorite toppings for my oatmeal, cocoa butter being my favorite one. But feel free to add whatever toppings you like. Go for some fresh berries, cocoa nibs, or some peanut butter. Maybe try an egg and veggies for a savory oatmeal!

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup rolled oats
  • ½ cup of water or milk
  • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, optional
  • 1 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional
  • 1 tablespoons coconut butter, optional
  • 1 tablespoons of crushed walnuts, optional
  • 1 teaspoon chia seeds, optional
  • ½ banana, optional

    Instructions:

    1. In a small pot combine ½ cup of rolled oats and ½ cup of water or milk. Cook on medium to low heat. As it starts to bubble continue stirring until the oats softened and become creamy. If you like your oatmeal on the sweeter side now would be the time to mix in your maple syrup.
    2. Transfer your oatmeal to your bowl and top with your favorite toppings. I added 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut butter, 1 tablespoon of crushed walnuts, 1 teaspoon chia seeds and ½ banana that was thinly sliced.

    Homemade Oat Milk

    I have never made oat milk before this but man do I need to start. No more paying up the wazoo for quality oat milk. This recipe is easy to make and interchangeable to make any kind of dairy free milk like almond, cashew, or hazelnut. Feel free to experiment with different blends of nuts, oats, and sweeteners. You can even add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for chocolate milk or a couple of berries (freeze dried or fresh will do) for some berry flavor milk. Strawberry flavored milk was actually my favorite growing up!

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup of rolled oats
    • 2 cups of water
    • 1 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
    • Pinch of salt, optional

      Instructions:

      1. In a high powered blender add in ½ cup of rolled oats and 2 cups of water. Blend for 4 -5 minutes or until smooth.
      2. Add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt and give one last blend.
      3. Pour the oat milk through some cheese cloth or an old but clean t-shirt you no longer want or a clean tea towel will do.
      4. Let this mixture seep through your cloth of choice and squeeze out any liquid. Do this step one more time for a smooth and creamy homemade oat milk.

        Note: If you are attempting to make flavored milk, add the ingredients of your choosing in step 2.

        Oat Muffins with Grape Jelly

        I love swirling in jelly or jam into some plain ole muffins. It adds a nice color and flavor. Plus, the liquid gets soaked into the batter as it cooks and really flavors your muffins all throughout. Feel free to add in any kind of jam, jelly, marmalade, or fresh fruit into these vegan muffins. They come out hot, bubbly, and so so so soft!

        Ingredients

        • ½ of a banana
        • ¼ cup of oat milk
        • 2 tablespoons of oil
        • ½ cup of all purpose flour
        • 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar
        • 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
        • Pinch of salt
        • 3 teaspoons of grape jelly
        • 1 tablespoons of oats

        Instructions:

        1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin pan.
        2. In a small bowl mash the banana until it’s fully broken down. Add in ¼ cup of oat milk, 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ cup of all purpose flour, 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder & a pinch of salt. Mix until all the dry ingredients have been absorbed.
        3. Spoon batter into muffin tin and add in 1 teaspoon of grape jelly. Swirl into the batter and then top with oats.
        4. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until the center bounces back when touched.

          Thanks for reading this week’s quarantine recipes! I hope you enjoyed them and give them a try. Stay tuned for more!

          4.0/5 for 3 reviews

          Heart Heathy & Delicious

          Ingredients:

          My Favorite Breakfast Oatmeal

          • ½ cup rolled oats
          • ½ cup of water or milk
          • 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, optional
          • 1 tablespoons chocolate chips, optional
          • 1 tablespoons coconut butter, optional
          • 1 tablespoons of crushed walnuts, optional
          • 1 teaspoon chia seeds, optional
          • ½ banana, optional


          Homemade Oat Milk

          • ½ cup of rolled oats
          • 2 cups of water
          • 1 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
          • Pinch of salt, optional

          Oat Muffins with Grape Jelly

          • ½ of a banana
          • ¼ cup of oat milk
          • 2 tablespoons of oil
          • ½ cup of all purpose flour
          • 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar
          • 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
          • Pinch of salt
          • 3 teaspoons of grape jelly
          • 1 tablespoons of oats

          Instructions:

          My Favorite Breakfast Oatmeal

          1. In a small pot combine ½ cup of rolled oats and ½ cup of water or milk. Cook on medium to low heat. As it starts to bubble continue stirring until the oats softened and become creamy. If you like your oatmeal on the sweeter side now would be the time to mix in your maple syrup.
          2. Transfer your oatmeal to your bowl and top with your favorite toppings. I added 1 tablespoon chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon coconut butter, 1 tablespoon of crushed walnuts, 1 teaspoon chia seeds and ½ banana that was thinly sliced.

          Homemade Oat Milk

          1. In a high powered blender add in ½ cup of rolled oats and 2 cups of water. Blend for 4 -5 minutes or until smooth.
          2. Add in 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a pinch of salt and give one last blend.
          3. Pour the oat milk through some cheese cloth or an old but clean t-shirt you no longer want or a clean tea towel will do.
          4. Let this mixture seep through your cloth of choice and squeeze out any liquid. Do this step one more time for a smooth and creamy homemade oat milk.

          Note: If you are attempting to make flavored milk, add the ingredients of your choosing in step 2.

          Oat Muffins with Grape Jelly

          1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a muffin pan.
          2. In a small bowl mash the banana until it’s fully broken down. Add in ¼ cup of oat milk, 2 tablespoons of oil, ½ cup of all purpose flour, 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar, 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder & a pinch of salt. Mix until all the dry ingredients have been absorbed.
          3. Spoon batter into muffin tin and add in 1 teaspoon of grape jelly. Swirl into the batter and then top with oats.
          4. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes or until the center bounces back when touched.


          By Alex Chung

          Senior Food Writer at Pro Home Cooks

          Published