Favorite Food

Oat-standing

Dear Dad,

What’s your favorite food?

A group function last week started with an ice-breaker—”what is your favorite food.” The question went around the circle as the participants toiled with question balancing trade off’s in their head. When it got to me there was no thinking to be done because when it comes to my favorite food it’s not particularly close…

Oats.

To you, and other family and friends this isn’t too surprising. I think my passion for oats is quite apparent. They’re so yummy. They can be eaten hot, cold, morning, night, flavored with peanut butter, cacao, vanilla, honey, or maple syrup, topped with fruits, nuts, seeds, baked into granola, used to thicken smoothies, or slipped into cookies. The options are endless.

My go-to-favorite oat dish is a traditional oatmeal made with chia seeds, ground flax, cinnamon, and mix-ins of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, and walnuts. On the weekends I make it on the stove top, during the week I use the microwave. The key is to keep it covered for at least 5 minutes after cooking = extra fluffy.

I’ve even been known to have a savory oatmeal for dinner from time to time. Oats, vegetable broth, garlic, peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, peppers, & black beans. I was scared too before trying it. Now, if I’ve missed a few days of breakfast oatmeal, fear not, I’ll have it for dinner.

Some weekend mornings, if I’m going for a long bike ride or on hot summer days in general, a chilled meal feels more refreshing so I will rely on “over-night oats.” Just add your oats to a jar, mix in some nuts, frozen fruit, maybe a diced up date or two, stir it up and let the concoction soak over night in the refrigerator. In the morning chop a banana on top and maybe a scoop of nut-butter and you’re good to go with delicious long lasting energy.

Lately, I’ve been on a granola kick! I’m always looking for nutritious snacks to keep around, especially during periods of high physical activity, and right now granola is filling that need. Throw oats, almond flour, and maple syrup into a mixing bowl, in a 4:2:1 ratio, add in toppings (pumpkin seeds, walnuts, peanuts, & cashews are my favorite) cinnamon to taste (to me cinnamon is like the breakfast version of dinner’s garlic…can there ever be enough?), spread it on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes at 325F, mix it around, then cook for another 15 minutes. When you take it out of the oven let it sit (though, who am I kidding, I snack on this delicious combination at all stages of the baking process) and it will harden into delicious granola. Eat it by the handful, sprinkled on chia pudding, yogurt, or even with some milk as cereal. Sometimes I’ll eat granola on top of oatmeal. Oats on oats. I’m not kidding. I love them.

Do you have a food that you’re passionate about? Try oats.

With Love,

JSR