Summer is ‘almost’ upon us and this creates a small problem in our home….Breakfast solutions! We love our oatmeal and a swift creamy, wintry porridge bowl is the quintessential start to our day. Our favourite combination is the soaked steel cut with honey, flaked almonds and cinnamon. (Christmas in a bowl) but when the summer months hit, this just isn’t what we want to eat. But who wants to cut oats out of their diet as they are a staple and as I know how good they are for heart health, I have been desperately searching an alternative for months (years even). And I am proud to say I have finally done it! I have mastered not just one but a few varieties of hot and cold oatmeal breakfasts suitable for any season…..
Thanks to pinterest, I have been coming across some amazing recipes that incorporate yogurt and knowing how much my daughter loves her greek natural yoghurt, I have tried and tested out some samples and now have the measurements down to a T! Bear in mind, if you are doing the slow cook versions it will depend on your cooker as to how long to cook them for so to start wit, a bit of trial and error…though the cold versions should be A-ok!
For the summer oatmeal pots, all you do is mix it up and store in the fridge ready to grab as and when you want. They can be kept for up to a week depending on toppings. For the slow cooker version, the same applies and just reheat as and when you need it. (And for a really quirky twist for either version, how about adding cooked and cooled quinoa to really turn it super healthy and add substance!?)
‘Summer oatmeal yogurt pots’
Let me start by saying that I make this in one whole batch so it can be portioned out so if you want to make individual pots you will have to adjust quantity. This is also made with almond milk as I find it is naturally sweeter than regular, If you are adding cocoa to make a chocolatey porridge, use hazelnut milk instead to really turn it chocolatey!!! All toppings and sweeteners can vary according to your taste!
So, here goes:
BASE INGREDIENTS:
x1 cup of rolled natural oats (not instant)
x2 cups of almond milk (or alternative)
x1 cup of natural Greek yogurt
X1 tbsp honey or agave
x1 tbsp flaxseeds and or pumpkin seeds
NOW FOR THE FUN PART:
Once you have mixed all your base ingredients together, you can add whatever fruit, jams or extras you desire. If you are individually potting the oatmeal so that you can do different flavours (super fun) then you can leave enough space on the top of each pot to place fruit over the ready mixed yogurt oats.
Example:
Cocoa banana oats: take the base ingredients and mix with x1-2 tbsps of raw cocoa, a few drops of vanilla escense and then place sliced banana on top. NB: Banana doesn’t last so long so best to eat this variety on the day.
Blueberry and walnut oats: Take the base ingredients and mix with a few drops of almond extract and blueberries and then scatter crushed walnuts and blueberries over the top.
Pineapple and mango oats: Take the base ingredients and mix with a few drops of lime juice and add canned of fresh chopped mango and pineapple and scatter more of both on top.
You can really add whatever topping you like…mix it up but how incredible the combination with the natural yogurt is! It really is a great breakfast idea for the warmer months!!! Hope you enjoy it!
NOW, for a slow cooker version that can be stored and re-heated as and when you want or eaten cold….
PEACH COBBLER OATMEAL!
For this to work well, you really need a slow cooker or an hob that is low enough to not require constant supervision!
x1 cup of rolled oats
x1 cup of almond milk (naturally sweetens)
x1 cup of regular low fat milk (makes it creamier)
x2 tbsp light brown sugar or agave
x1 tbsp ground cinnamon
x2 tbsp flaked almonds
x1 cup of tinned peaches chopped and in juices.
Mix the oats, milk, cinnamon and sugar  and flaked almonds together and cook for 4 hours on a low heat. Once cooked, add the peaches in their juice and mix. This is now ready to eat or store in fridge until you need it and simply reheat. Do not add more milk to the mix when reheated until after you have heated to adjust substance.
SO GOOD!!!
I hope you enjoy these versions and that they may make a fun solution to your summer breakfasts! (And winter ones)…Get creative! Oats are so good for you and can be mixed with some seriously exciting and nutritious added extras making it the PERFECT start to the day! and get your kids involved because they will LOVE these crazy fun versions too!
Today marks the day where my mother in law and sister in law are coming to land at our house for a whole month before they relocate down south (eeeeek full house!) and my sister in law Zara (AKA Zarbie) is a vegetarian, SMOOTHIE FREAK with a very VERY heavy addiction to fruit and she has just purchased a new juicer for herself and my lordy how great are her smoothies and juices. Yesterdays was a pineapple, mango and lime juice smoothie and was by far the best I had ever tasted so next up….Get ready for some smoothie posts that will give you some great tips and ingredients for this summer!
Happy weekend everyone and thanks for reading! x
Fortis Health 