Oatmeal is Healthy And Versatile

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As we wind down the days of nippy (and rainy) weather to enter the balmy sunny days of spring and summer, I find myself eating creamy oatmeal for dinner. I toss 1 cup of dry 1-minute oatmeal flakes and water into a bowl and microwave it for 2 minutes. After the microwave cooks the oatmeal, I add 5 to 6 tablespoons of dry powdered milk to the mixture. Sometimes I also sprinkle in Stevia or honey and cinnamon, but often I don't. It's my favorite way to eat oatmeal. The dried powdered milk adds creaminess and light sweetness. Usually, several hours later I'll snack on hummus and saltines, slices of extra sharp cheddar, fruit, baby-cut carrots, peanut butter on crackers, or Misu soup with mixed vegetables. It varies. 

Oddly enough, I don't eat oatmeal for breakfast, but occasionally as a quick dinner. Oatmeal with milk is an easy-peasy comfort food, relatively filling, and a good sometimes meal without much preparation or cleanup. It contains a decent amount of protein and lowers bad cholesterol in the body. My mother was told by her doctor to eat a bowl of oatmeal several times a week to lower her cholesterol, which she followed and after a time her doctor was able to wean her off of Lipitor, a necessary cholesterol-lowering drug. Oatmeal is a good fiber-rich food to work into a diet.

People make the mistake of buying single packages of instant oats when 1-minute or 5-minute oatmeal flakes quickly cook in a microwave just like the more expensive less healthy instant oatmeal. Knockoff brands from Amazon Walmart or supermarkets are great too and cheap. You can then add healthy ingredients like berries or nuts to it if you wish.

Another way I use oatmeal is in most recipes that call for breadcrumbs. Oatmeal comes in a big size while breadcrumbs come in much smaller quantities. I don't tend to stock breadcrumbs.

Next, I'll have to make this YouTube influencer's savory oatmeal dinner. With chopped vegetables, milk, eggs, water, and grated parmesan cheese, it looks easy and scrumptious!

BAKED OATS (makes 6 slices)

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats (180g) 1/4 cup ground oats, or oat flour (25g) 1 tsp baking powder 1 cup milk, dairy or non-dairy (240ml) 1 cup water (240ml) 2 eggs 1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper 1 tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 cup grated melting cheese - gouda or cheddar cheese (50g) 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (20g) 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic 1 small zucchini (130g) 1/3 cup frozen peas (50g) 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (80g) NUTRITIONAL INFO (per slice): 223 calories, fat 7.9g, carb 27.3g, protein 11.4g Preparation: First, saute onions and garlic over medium heat for 3-4 minutes, then add sliced zucchini and frozen peas and cook for the next 3-4 minutes. Add rolled oats and toast for 5 minutes, to develop a lovely nutty flavor. While it's cooling down, prepare the wet mixture. In a bowl add, eggs, milk, water, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, grated gouda or cheddar cheese, and ground oats combined with baking powder, and mix it well. Now, add the vegetables and toasted oats and stir well together. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Grease your baking dish with some butter and pour the mixture in. Bake at 350F (180C) for 40 minutes. Let it cool for 10-15 minutes, then cut into 6 equal pieces and serve with spoonful of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of hot sauce.

Photo & recipe courtesy of How To Cook Smarter

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