Make the Most of Oats

For stamina to keep you up with all the delightful demands of December—chilly weather, snow, winter colds, Christmas shopping, the planning, the parties to give and to go to—we need to feed our bodies and minds well. A good breakfast fuels us for these high energy expenditure days.

You can hardly beat oats for a breakfast ingredient that stays with you for the whole morning, gradually releasing the energy you need. For a quick breakfast, choose granola topped with yogurt and a generous sprinkle of raisins, dried sour cherries, which helps combat arthritis, or fresh or frozen blueberries for brain food.
Here are a couple of choices for a hot breakfast featuring oats:

     Oat Porridge
      Per serving:
¼ cup steel-cut oats
2 Tablespoons dried sour cherries or blueberries
1 cup boiling water
Dash salt

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Enjoy with milk of your choice.  (I like coconut milk or almond milk.)
To save time in the morning:
Overnight Oat Porridge: Put above  ingredients in a small saucepan. Cover. Let rest overnight. In the morning, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cook covered on medium low for 9 minutes. Stir. Serve with milk or yogurt plus fruit.

 
Almond & Oat Pancakes
Makes about a dozen 3-inch cakes
1 cup almond meal
½ cup sorghum flour
½ cup oat bran
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs, separated
½ teaspoon vanilla
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup+2 Tablespoons almond milk or coconut milk

Stir dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg yolk with vanilla, oil, and milk. Stir into dry ingredients. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into mixture in bowl. Heat griddle or skillet and lightly oil. Ladle pancake batter by tablespoonfuls onto hot surface. When bubbles form and break, turn cakes. When they stop steaming they are done. Toothpick-test to make sure. Serve with a fruit compote for topping, or with yogurt and applesauce or fruit purée.

Nutri-tip: Oats are an excellent source of soluable fiber, which lowers cholesterol, reduces blood pressure, stops inflammation, and guards against diabetes. Other sources: barley, beans, peas, lentils, nuts & seeds, citrus fruits, apples, bananas, pears, strawberries, blueberries, carrots.