The Oats Are In

Oh my goodness.

I researched.

 I cooked.

I learned, modified, and photographed.

I wrote. 

... and FINALLY I am ready to present to you: oatmeal.

It is a familar dish, simple and filling. Nearly everybody has their favorite way to eat it, and there are a gagillion recipes out there to sort through. Why? What is so special about oatmeal? 

Not only does oatmeal provide wonderful whole-grain goodness for you, it is a super versatile grain that almost begs to be experimented with. Just 1/4 cup of good, old-fashioned oats can take you in so many different and oh-so-satisfying directions. Here, I am giving you six recipes I put together to introduce you to the magical world of oats! My hope is that you get a small taste of the variety oats can bring to your breakfast, and that you are inspired to come up with some tasty creations of your own. Each title links to the photo how-to post. Explore, and enjoy!

Banana Bread Oatmeal

Baked Apple Spice Oatmeal

Garlic-Cheddar Oatmeal Patty with Poached Egg

Sweet Toasted Oats over Tropical Smoothie

Overnight Oats, Two Ways

Quick Mocha Oats

Quick Mocha Oatmeal

Running short on time in the morning? Want dessert for breakfast? This recipe is a good pick-me-up for a hair-frazzling sort of day! Or any day, really. Let's be honest. 

Oatmeal, instant coffe, hot chocolate mix, water. Done. It's that easy. 

Seriously though. All I did was zap 1/4 c of oatmeal with 1/2 c water in the microwave. After that was done I stirred in 1 tsp instant coffee with 2 tsp instant fat-free hot chocolate mix! 

OR if you have, say, one extra minute you could do it my preferred way. Brew yourself some morning joe, and use a 1/2 c of THAT in the microwave with your oatmeal instead of plain water. I just really prefer fresh coffee to instant mix!

Then, top with 2 tsp semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of hot chocolate mix. This variation gives the oatmeal a richer, more decadent flavor. If you're feeling extra special, you could even squirt a dollop of whipped cream on top. Mmm. I know you'll enjoy this quick, tasty treat!

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Provided nutritional info is for the version with fresh coffee and chocolate chips. Just because I get to choose and that one is my favorite.

Good for: breakfast, snack

Time to table: 3 min

Serving size: about 1/2 c of cooked oatmeal

WW PointsPlus® Value: 3

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Quick Mocha Oats

Makes one 1/2 cup serving

1/4 c uncooked oatmeal
1 tsp instant coffee OR 1/2 c fresh coffee
2 tsp instant fat-free hot cocoa OR 2 tsp semi-sweet chocolate chips


Version 1: Microwave oatmeal according to directions. Stir in instant coffee and instant hot cocoa. 
Version 2: Microwave oatmeal according to directions, using fresh coffee instead of water. Remove from microwave and add 2 tsp chocolate chips. 

Garlic-Cheddar Oatmeal Patty with Poached Egg

This may be one of my favorite ways to eat oatmeal. But then again, how does one choose? Oatmeal is delicious however you prepare it! Anyway, here is an example of a savory oatmeal dish... something you don't often come across. 

Behold! Fresh veggies from the farmers' market! Ahhhh... they look as though they were pulled from the garden right before we bought them. 

Don't worry, I DID wash them before chopping. Speaking of which, that's the first step. 

Chop up some pepper, onion, spinach, and two big garlic cloves. Yes, two. 

As you can see, there is a lot going on here! And I'm not just talking about the stove. Now, I'm going to ignore the mess in the background, and you can too. Ok? Ok. 

So here's what we're dealing with: we need to simmer the water for the poached egg, prepare 1/4 cup of uncooked oats, and sauté our veggies. Yes... it is quite a bit of multi-tasking... and I am really not the best at timing things so they all get done at the right time. Even so, everything turned out fine. Just do your best and laugh at yourself if necessary. 

By the way - I didn't use any oil for my veggies, and I let them cook until they were slightly charred. That's how I like 'em! 

Egg: in the process of poaching. More on this later. 

Combine the cooked oatmeal with your veggies, well-chopped spinach, and 2 tbsp shredded cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Stir over low heat until the spinach is wilted and the cheese is melted. It's best if your oatmeal is on the sticky side instead of being dry. This helps it mush together better.

Next, spray a measuring cup (or functional equivalent) with a wee bit of olive oil or cooking spray. Stick your oatmeal mixture in there and press it down. 

WHACK it upside-down on your cutting board and look! Ta-da! It's a pretty lil' patty!

Lightly brown each side of the oatmeal patty in a pan with some olive oil. This takes some serious TLC. Treat it like a crab cake... you need to be gentle, lest it fall apart. And we both know that would be unfortunate. 

When the patty is done, top it with your poached egg!

Wow. Do I hear your stomach rumbling? Oh, no... that would be mine. 

Pretty soon this....

turns into this...

which turns into this. 

The oatmeal patty has a nice, soft texture that goes really well with the poached egg. It's different than the usual toasted english muffin. And the flavor! Oh, the flavor! Garlic and cheddar make a yum-tastic combo.

Eating this dish really reminded me of breakfast in the Philippines, which is where I ate my first poached egg. The egg was served with a scoop of rice and a small side. Convinced that an undercooked egg could be nothing short of disgusting, I mashed everything together in a big, gooey pile and gulped it down. Turns out it really wasn't that bad, and I've even come to love my runny eggs. 

A trip down memory lane and a satisfied tummy make this recipe a hit in my book. How about yours? 

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Good for: breakfast, brunch

Time to table: 15 min

Serving Size: one patty, one egg

WW PointsPlus® value: 7

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Garlic-Cheddar Oatmeal Patty with Poached Egg

Makes one oatmeal patty and one poached egg

1 large egg
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 c uncooked oatmeal
1/4 c chopped onions
1/4 c chopped peppers
2 cloves garlic (diced)
1/2 c chopped spinach
2 tbsp shredded cheddar
1 tsp olive oil

Oatmeal Patty:
1. Chop up veggies into small pieces. Dice garlic. Sauté over medium heat until slightly browned.
2. Prepare 1/4 c uncooked oatmeal. Let oatmeal be moist, but not runny.
3. Combine oatmeal, cooked veggies, chopped spinach, and cheddar cheese, and cook over low heat until spinach is wilted and cheddar is melted.
4. Lightly spray measuring cup with oil or cooking spray. Press oatmeal mixture into a measuring cup. Whack cup upside-down to remove patty.
5. Add a little olive oil to pan and lightly brown both sides of oatmeal patty. Be sure to flip gently.

Poached Egg:
1. Crack fresh egg into small bowl or ramekin.
2. Fill non-stick pan with about 2 inches of water (enough to cover egg), lightly season with salt, and bring to a simmer.
3. Pour 2 tsp white vinegar into simmering water.
4. Use a spoon to gently swirl the water in a circular motion in the pan, and place the egg in the center of the slight whirlpool.
5. Cook for 3 minutes. Spoon water over egg to cook the top, if necessary.
6. Remove egg and gently blot with paper towel to remove excess moisture.

Place poached egg over browned oatmeal patty and enjoy!

Toasted Coconut Oats over Tropical Smoothie

These toasted oats are basically a skinny version of granola. They are light, sweet, and simple. If you don't use all of them on your smoothie, they would also go well with applesauce or yogurt!

Lightly toast one cup of oats in a non-stick pan over low to medium heat. Watch these carefully; they will taste burnt before they look it. 

Mix together your vanilla, brown sugar, and honey. Pile the oats in the middle of the pan, pour the wet ingredients over, and stir to combine. You'll need to stir it around kind of fast to make sure the mixture coats all of the oats evenly. 

And uh, that is kind of hard to do while holding a dSLR in one hand... but you probably don't have to worry about that. 

Next, add the coconut and walnuts. Toast these for just a couple of minutes. A good rule of thumb is when you can smell them, they are done!

I prepared my toasted oats the night before, let them cool, and stored them in a sealed container. The next morning, all I had to do was make the smoothie! 

Take your yummy tropical fruit and chop it up into big pieces. Skin on or off? That's up to you. If you read my fruit salad post, you know what I chose. :) 

Divide the chopped fruit into four equal portions. At this point, you could go ahead and make four smoothies OR put the other servings into plastic baggies to freeze for later. 

Combine one fourth of the fruit with 1/4 cup of yogurt. Hey! Waaaait a second... what's all that green stuff?! I like to throw a cup of spinach or kale into my smoothies. I don't think you can taste it, and it adds a nice punch of nutrition! Totally a win-win situation. 

If you're making this smoothie with frozen fruit, I would double the yogurt and gradually add a little milk (or almond milk, soy milk, water, fruit juice, etc) to achieve the consistency you want. That will mess with the points, but I wouldn't worry about it too much. Simply adjust accordingly. 

Why yes, I did use a tropical-looking plant as a prop in this picture. It was an act of inspiration, ok?

A sweet, simple smoothie with a satisfying crunch! Enjoy!

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Good for: breakfast, snack

Time to table: 10-15 min

Serving Size: A little more than 1 cup of smoothie and about 1/4 cup of toasted oats

WW PointsPlus® value: 5 (fresh fruit not counted towards points)

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Toasted Coconut Oats over Tropical Smoothie

Makes four smoothies with about 1/4 c of toasted oats each

Toasted Oats:
1 c. uncooked oats
1 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp honey
2 tb sweetened shredded coconut

Smoothie:
mango
banana
2 kiwis
pineapple
spinach or kale
1/4 c non-fat plain yogurt

1. Toast one cup of uncooked oats over low to medium heat for a few minutes. They should be lightly toasted, mind them carefully to make sure they do not burn.
2. Mix together vanilla, brown sugar, and honey. Pour over toasted oats and stir quickly to coat evenly.
3. Add coconut and walnuts. Toast until fragrant.
4. Chop all fruit into big chunks. Divide into four equal portions. You can freeze the portions you do not use.*
5. Place one-fourth of the fruit, one cup of greens, and 1/4 cup of yogurt in blender and blend until smooth.
6. Pour into glass, top with 1/4 cup of toasted oats and enjoy!
*For frozen smoothie, use 1/2 cup of yogurt and gradually add milk, water, or fruit juice to achieve your desired consistency.

Overnight Oats, Two Ways

In the midst of my oatmeal obsession, I found out about steel-cut oats. As I read up on them, I found myself wondering what they were and why people were so in love with them. Hmm. There was only one way to find out!

For this recipe, the process starts the evening before. Grab yourself some oats and a sealable container. I liked using a mason jar, but just use whatever you have that works.

Mix together your wet ingredients and pour them in the jar! It's seriously that simple. 

You could use milk, almond milk, soy milk... you know, whatever floats your boat! I actually added 2 tbsp of flavored (yes, caramel) coffee creamer to my almond milk. There's only one word I can use to describe the result: YUM. 

Give the oats a nice shake-a-shake to fully combine everything.

Nice! Now set that baby in the fridge and forget about it til morning. 

Now, here's what they looked like after soaking in the fridge for 10 hours. Pretty much the same, right? Yeah, that's what I thought too. I tried them just like this and didn't find myself scrambling to eat more... so I thought I'd jazz them up a little. 

I took half of the oats and warmed them up in the microwave for about 1 minute. This helped thicken them up, and who doesn't love hot oatmeal in their tummy? I then topped the oats with raisins and chopped walnuts. Not too shabby! (Actually... quite delicious!!) 

So I let the other half of the oats soak for another day, and the next morning they seemed to be doing much better. This time, I let them stay cold and topped them with blueberries, coconut, and honey. 

One jar of oatmeal... endless possibilities. Don't be afraid to experiment! 

So, why steel-cut oats? Their uniqueness comes from their texture. Compared to fluffy rolled oats, steel-cut oats are VERY chewy. I thought it was kinda weird at first but after these two bowls? Ohh mama... count me in. This is good stuff.

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Good for: breakfast

Prep Time: 5 min PLUS overnight

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

WW PointsPlus® value: 6

please note: this nutritional information is the best approximation I can provide

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Overnight Oats, Two Ways

Makes two 1/2 cup servings

1/2 cup oats

1 cup almond milk

2 tbsp flavored coffee creamer

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. The night before: combine all ingredients in a container, mix well, seal, and let refrigerate for 10-12 hours.
2. Microwave 1/2 c. oats for one minute and top with 1 tbsp raisins and 1 tsp chopped walnuts.
OR
2. Top 1/2 c. oats with fresh blueberries, 1 tbsp sweetened, shredded coconut, and a drizzle (about 1/2 tsp) of honey. 

Easy Banana Bread Oatmeal

I'm pretty sure EVERYONE has their own version of this classic, flavored oatmeal. Here is mine!

Ready? While you have 1/4 c oatmeal cooking on the stove, we're going to mix these all together. Plus brown sugar and vanilla (not pictured). Sorry 'bout that.

Ok! Commence mixing, mashing, smushing, stirring, etc. 

I like to leave mine a little chunky! Saves time and gives it a nice texture. Mmmm. Try not to eat this yet. 

When your oatmeal is done cooking, pop in your yogurt/banana mixture and combine. Leave over low heat, stirring occasionally. It takes about 2-3 minutes for this to get nice and warm. When it start to bubble, you know it's ready. 

Top with 2 tsp chopped walnuts and a few reserved banana slices! Easy peasy and delicious! This comfort food leave you with a warm, happy tummy... ahh. It's the simple pleasures in life that really get me.

Hey, love chocolate? Use 2 tsp semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of brown sugar.

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Good for: breakfast

Time to table: 8-10 min

Serving Size: about 1 cup

WW PointsPlus® Value: 8

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Easy Banana Bread Oatmeal

Makes one serving

1/4 c oatmeal

1/4 c fat-free plain yogurt

1 banana

a splash of vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon

dash nutmeg

two pinches of cloves

1 tbsp brown sugar (not packed)

2 tsp crushed walnuts

1. Prepare 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal on the stovetop.

2. While your oats are cooking, mash one banana into your 1/4 cup of yogurt. Save a few slices of banana for topping. 

3. Also mix in brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. 

4. When oatmeal is done, add in your yogurt mixture and stir to combine. Let warm over low heat for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Serve hot oatmeal with a topping of 2 tsp chopped walnuts and banana slices.

Baked Apple Spice Oatmeal

Another day, another way to make oatmeal. Warm, sweet, with apple and good old-fashioned fall spices. Mmm. This recipe is good for a morning when you have a little extra time on your hands. We're putting it in the oven, baby!

First, preheat to 350.

Find yourself a nice little bowl, chop your apples, assemble your dry ingredients (oatmeal, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger, walnuts), and take a pretty picture. I cut my apples pretty thin, and by the time they came out of the oven they were nice and soft. 

Add the wet ingredients (apples, raisins, brown sugar, almond milk, applesauce, vanilla, lemon juice), and stir! Make sure everything is combined well. Stick your bowl in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Check it occasionally towards the end to get it to your desired doneness. 

Place some fresh apple slices on top and you're done! The heat from the oatmeal will warm the apple slices a little. Yum. 

The inside of this baked oatmeal is wet and dense. And delicious. If you prefer a more cake-like texture, add an egg white and 1/4 tsp baking powder for one extra WW point. But I definitely like this method more!  

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Good for: breakfast

Time to table: 20-25 minutes

Serving size: one bowl (about 1 cup)

WW PointsPlus® Value: 5

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Baked Apple Spice Oatmeal

Makes one serving

Preheat: 350°F

1/4 c oats

1 tsp chopped walnuts 

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

dash nutmeg 

dash cardamom 

dash ginger

pinch cloves

2 tbsp applesauce

2 tbsp almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 c chopped apples
1 tbsp raisins

apple slices

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 

2. Chop up about 1/4 c thin-sliced apples.
3. Mix dry ingredients (oats through cloves on list) in medium-sized ramekin.
4. Add wet ingredients (applesauce through raisins) and stir to combine well. 

5. Place in oven for 15-20 minutes, checking occasionally towards the end.
6. Remove from oven and top with apple slices.
Happy eating!

Variation: for a fluffier consistency, add one egg white and 1/4 tsp baking powder.