Breakfast is the final frontier on our foodscape. So far, it has resisted any form of real innovation. The breakfast we eat today is almost identical to the breakfast eaten over the past fifty years: eggs, toast, coffee, juice, cereal. For better or worse, we like to play it safe with our first meal of the day.
Enter the next big food revolution: Savoury dishes are making their way, ever so slowly, onto our breakfast plates. I've been called a quack for preferring dinner leftovers at breakfast for years now, but it seems I'm not alone. In many parts of the world, fish and hot peppers are more likely breakfast partners than french toast and maple syrup. A nice melding of these two approaches is emerging with Savoury Oatmeal.
Oatmeal - the real deal, that is, steel cut oats - is packed with fibre, B vitamins, and minerals, making it one of our most nutritious foods. The twist here is that instead of adding sweeteners to the mix, we spice it up with non-traditional options, such as roasted vegetables, salsa, eggs, and legumes. Savoury oatmeal packs a huge good-for-you punch, offering much more than a traditional breakfast ever could, and opening up new possibilities in the process. Who would have believed we could combine okra and shiitake mushrooms with oatmeal? Give it a chance and you'll find the result is delicious - and wonder why we didn't try this sooner.
Here's the recipe for one of my favourites in this new trend. For more great ideas, check out 20 all-star savoury oatmeal suggestions from EatThis,NotThat. These dishes work equally well for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Go ahead. Be brave. Kick your oats up a notch, and become a breakfast trailblazer in the process.
Power Bowl
1/2 cup steel cut oats (easiest to soak the night before, otherwise follow the directions on the label and cook about 1/2 hour)
1/2 avocado
handful of black beans, precooked or canned
handful of fresh cilantro, diced
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, grated
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
hot sauce to taste
Simply stack all your ingredients on top of the oatmeal for a Mexican breakfast fiesta!
Bon appetit!!
