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!