Many of us are familiar with oats as a sweet breakfast meal. But have you tried savory oats before? I’ve prepared three variations of savory oats for you to try. The first one is vegan and is inspired by a Trinidadian dish called ‘doubles’; it includes curry chickpeas and a cucumber chutney. The second is a play of huevos rancheros with black beans, eggs and pico de gallo. The third variation includes chicken sausage, mushrooms and spinach.
Try any or all of these savory oats toppings and let me know what you think.
Prep Time: 10 minutes . Cook Time: 20-30 minutes . Yield: Serves 4
2-3 Cups Vegetable or Water
1 Cup Steel Cut Oats
1 Tsp Olive Oil
1 Clove Garlic, chopped
1/2 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add oats and garlic; toast for about 2 minutes until fragrant. Add stock and paprika. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until all the liquid is absorbed and oats are soft; stir occasionally. Top with your favorite savory toppings.
2. Divide into 4 equal portions.
Nutrition per serving: 202 Cals; 32g Carb; 4g Fat; 7g Protein; 3g Dietary Fiber
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
1 Cup Water
1 14 Oz Can Chickpeas
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
1/2 Tbsp Cumin
Salt, Black Pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste
Optional: Cucumber Chutney
1 Large Cucumber, finely chopped or grated
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
2 – 3 Sprigs Cilantro, chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1. Combine curry powder with about 2 tablespoons of water. Mix and set aside.
2. In skillet or saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and garlic; cook for a couple minutes. Stir in curry mixture and cook a couple minutes.
3. Add chickpeas, cumin, water, salt and pepper. Stir chickpeas and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 20 minutes adding more water if necessary.
4. While chickpeas are cooking, combine cucumber chutney ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
5. Top oats with curry chickpeas and cucumber chutney. Note: The chickpeas and oats can be distributed into containers then refrigerated or frozen to make a convenient grab-and-go breakfast. Add cucumber chutney after reheating.
Nutrition per serving: 156 Cals; 21g Carb; 4g Fat; 6g Protein; 8g Dietary Fiber
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
4 Eggs
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Can Black Beans
1/2 Cup Vegetable/Chicken Stock or water
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Medium Yellow Onion, chopped
1 Tsp Cumin
2 Cups Salsa or Pico de Gallo
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
Pico de Gallo
2 Tomatoes on the Vine, chopped
1/2 Cup White Onion, chopped
1 Jalapeno Pepper, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped
1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add stock/water, black beans, cumin, salt and black pepper. Cook for 5-10 minutes until beans are heated. Season with salt and pepper.
2. While beans are cooking, prepare pico de gallo by combining the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.
3. In a skillet, prepare eggs over easy or your preferred style.
4. Top oats with an egg, beans and pico de gallo. Note: The beans and oats can be distributed into containers stored in the fridge or freezer to make a convenient grab-and-go breakfast. Add the pico de gallo and avocado after reheating.
Nutrition per serving: 273 Cals; 46g Carb; 10g Fat; 20g Protein; 14g Dietary Fiber
Nutrition calculated using the MyFitnessPal Recipe Importer
8 Oz Baby Portobello Mushrooms, sliced
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Medium Onion, sliced
4 Fully cooked Chicken Sausage Links, sliced
1 Tomato, diced
4 Oz Spinach
Salt & Black Pepper to taste
1. In a skillet, heat half oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and cook until golden brown; remove skillet. Heat remaining oil in same skillet; add onions and garlic; cook for 5 minutes while stirring occasionally. At tomatoes and sausage and cook for about 5 minutes.
2. Return cooked mushrooms to skillet. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Top oats with mushrooms, spinach and sausage mix. Note: This topping and the oats can be distributed into containers refrigerated or frozen make a convenient grab-and-go breakfast.
