When The Dish Ran Away With The Spoon!

Now that the chillier weather has arrived I have moved back to having oats again at breakfast time. Over the years I have tried countless variations of porridge and breakfast oats – basic and posh (see here) but have been looking for something with a high protein count to kick-start my usual

autumn readjustment after the lazy, hazy days of summer when I loosened the belt a little.

I’m not quite ready for a steaming bowl full of piping hot porridge as yet so I’m making the transgression from fruit salad to hot oats with an in-between overnight oats dish. It can be prepared well ahead so you’re ready to eat and go quickly in the morning (or even take it with you if prepared in a screw-topped or clipped storage/mason jar).

So this is my new go-to breakfast dish for autumn, oats again but this time boosted with vanilla protein powder, raspberries and optional chia seeds. I’ve also tinkered with using nut milks instead of the usual semi-skimmed and then experimented with loads of toppings that I enjoy including fruit, nuts and seeds. The amount of milk I have used isn’t huge and produces a thick mixture – if you prefer something more runny or clacker for your stage post-surgery or just taste then add more as liked.

It’s a winner and has a wonderful pink tinge or glow which sets me up for the day. In fact I love it so much you could say the dish runs away with the spoon!

OVERNIGHT BERRY OAT BOWL

Ingredients

METRIC/US

100 ml/generous ½ cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk if you prefer)

50 g/½ cup raspberries

40 g/½ cup rolled porridge oats

1 tsp chia seeds (optional)

1 small 10 g/ 2 tsp scoop vanilla protein powder (I used Protein World Slender Blend)

fresh fruit, chopped nuts and seeds to top as liked

extra milk to serve if liked

Method

Mix the milk with the raspberries in a blender until well combined.
Stir in the oats, chia seeds if used and protein powder. Place in a bowl or mason jar with a lid and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, top with chosen fruits, nuts and seeds and an extra splash of milk if you like or need oats with a softer consistency.

SERVES 1

WLS PORTION: ½-1

V suitable for Vegetarians

CALORIES PER PORTION (without chia seeds and toppings): 205

PROTEIN: 12.6g

CARBOHYDRATE: 27.1g

FAT: 5g

Image courtesy of http://www.proteinworld.com/recipes