Oats Eaten A Different Way.

Turning breakfast into supper.

Oats, makes you think of a hot bowl of porridge or perhaps a muesli bowl of sorts. Yes, that is what we have all been raised on but recently, I discovered oat's versatility. Firstly, here in Austria they sell oats before they've been rolled ( groats I think they call them ) and I love eating them. They sort of taste nutty and are nice and crunchy.

If I have them for breakfast than I soak them overnight and add them to my muesli bowl, but I have found another great way to include them in our day. We usually have either wholewheat pasta or brown rice accompanying our mains. Curries, stews and stir-fries to name a few. Well, the other day I ran out of rice and came across my groats. Honestly, I thought they were the rice as the light must have played tricks on me! So, one cup of groats, two cups of water and a dash of salt and simmer away they did.

Now, I do try and casually slip new food creations onto Bob's plate without him knowing, but this time there was no mistaking that it wasn't rice. But, we both thought it tasted oh so nice. Often I get so set in my cooking ways that I forget to try new things. This oat-rice is great on so many levels. It tastes nuttier than plain rice, it is cheaper and it is ambrosia for our gut bacteria. Plus, any leftovers can be tossed into a salad, used in a stir-fry or as filler for veggie burgers.

Try it sometime and if you like it, branch out a bit further and use rye grain, buckwheat , wheat or barley instead of rice. Your gut will love you...

Biggi