I want to talk about overnight oats.
By eating oats every other day, I’ve lowered my cholesterol amazingly. And don’t get me started about the fiber!
But once I got into the habit, I began using more and more ingredients, and it became a really fancy dish.
Grains.
Instant oats might turn to mush overnight. (that’s a joke) Or not. I like the extra toothiness, so I used Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. But only 1/4 cup . The other 1/4 cup I use Steel Cut Oats. Overnight the steel cut oats give up all their crunchiness, but still have a chewy bite.
Along the way I’ve occasionally thrown in Rolled Rye or Barley. I don’t notice any flavor differences. The Barley is supposed to be better with the cholesterol than the Oats!
Now I throw in a handful of Quinoa Flakes. Maybe it’s really Rolled Quinoa. They’re complete protein, so they gotta be good for you right?
Seeds.
I throw in a handful each of Sunflower Seeds and Pumpkin Seeds. Sometimes they’re roasted or raw. If one of them is covered in Tamari then I’m getting a little salt in my diet too.
There’s a yellow package of Hemphearts, Milled Flaxseed, and Chia that I throw in a 1/4 cup of to round things out. The Flax has Omegas. The Chia makes everything gel even if you use too much fluid.
And I throw in a handful of Walnuts, mostly for more Omegas.
I’m going to lose a bunch of you here. I drop a handful of Red Lentils into the bowl. Yes, I know that brown lentils taste like dirt. Don’t worry, though, because the red ones don’t. The protein from these pulses or legumes combines with the grain proteins to become Complete Protein. So now you don’t have to eat bacon in the morning for your protein. Don’t use green lentils because their flavor is too bright. I haven’t tried black ones yet.
I’ve tried Sesame Seeds too. I can take ’em or leave ’em.
Fruits.
I get these Organic Raisins and they are so flavorful. Much better than the box with the FruitMaid on it. I also grab a handful of Dried Cranberries. I’d like to find some that didn’t have added sugar, but those are too expensive. Finally, I carefully place five or six dried Tart Cherries. I’d use more, but they’re far to expensive. Just a taste every now and then will do.
Spices.
I put ground Cayenne Pepper into everything. I also shake a bunch of cinnamon, because it’s good for you. But my secret ingredient is Trinidadian Curry Powder by Chief Brand. It makes everythign good. And then I pour in a dollop of vanilla extract because that makes everything better.
Liquids.
First I pour a round of unflavored Kefir. This isn’t really enough to make the oats moist. So I add several gurgles of Oatmilk (which seems redundant) or one of Good Kharma’s Flax or Plant milks, unflavored and unsweetened, and with Pea Protein if possible. You can get the kind that needs refridgeration, or that doesn’t. Flax has those magic Omegas, doesn’t require lots of water to grow like Almonds, and makes a perfectly fine milk. I don’t know why anybody uses any other kind really. It’s great!
My cabinet had several containers of Instant Dry Milk that were approaching expiry. I’ve been adding 1/8 cup into my bowl lately, and it adds an extra layer of sweetness or somehting. Once I’ve used these old containers all up though, I may not keep up the practice.
All these ingreadients go into an insulated bowl with a l lid that I bought at my local Indian Food Market. I give them a good stir and leave the whole mess on the table overnight.
That’s right, I don’t put my overnight oats in the fridge. And it hasn’t killed me yet. In fact, after more than a year, I don’t recall having any stomach troubles associated with this. I’m thinking that the cultures in the Kefir are winning out over any intruders. Not that I notice any extra tanginess. I’ll let you know if I end up having difficulties with this though.
.25 Cup Rolled Oats
.25 Cup Steel Cut Oats
Quinoa
Rye Flakes or Pearled Barley ?
Sunflower Seeds
Pumplin Seeds
Walnuts
.25 Cup Hemp Hearts/Ground Flax/Chia Seeds
Red Lentils
Sesame Seeds ?
Raisins
Dried Cranberries
Dried Tart Cherries
Cayenne Pepper
Cinnamon
Chief Curry Powder of Trinidad
Kefir
Good Karma Flax Milk, Plain, Unsweetened
.125 Cup Instant Milk Powder ?
