Hot Cereal Oats Flex Chia Berries

Here is the healthy and delicious way to start your work day. Easy, in a microwave, cooking, great, good for you ingredients and, finally, pure deliciousness!

Blog's Category: Effortless, Healthy, Kid's Favorite, Perfect Breakfast, Vegan, Vegetarian

Lately, I'm all into super healthy, healing style of eating. I just read the book of Michael Greger "How Not To Die" (would not be my choice of title for this book, but anyway..) It is all about plant based diet, its benefits, backed up by scientific facts. Well, you may say, I'm influenced. Maybe. Aren't we all? After all it is my way of being influenced - by science ;) In addition to not eating any kind of meat for the last 12 years, I'm quitting dairy and sugar now. I'm still going to enjoy good fish and occasionally eggs, but will try to cut its consumption perhaps in a half. In no way I'm talking you into doing the same, as it is very personal decision. I just love sharing recipe which is, in my opinion, is brilliant, in all dimensions :)

This hot cereal recipe fits nicely into my current style of eating. And delicious! It is overnight type of cooking, which is really convenient way to make a breakfast for a person working in an office environment. Couple ingredients, such as flex seeds and cinnamon (I'm not huge fan of) are here just for health benefits, others - for health and taste or texture. There is a several ways to tailor this recipe to suit your taste buds - see below my suggestions.

Weekday Hot Cereal with Oats, Flex, Chia and Berries

For 1 serving:

• 4 tbsp rolled oats 
• 2 tsp ground flex seeds
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• few drops of vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt (I used French Grey salt)
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of milk of your choice (I used my frozen coconut milk leftovers)
• 1/3 cup of fresh blueberries (or other berry)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)

- Start the night before. Place a kettle to boil one cup of water. Whilst, in a microwavable bowl (preferably with a lid), mix first 6 ingredients, pour one cup of boiling water*, cover with a saucer and leave on a counter overnight.

- In a morning, add milk, berries and maple syrup, cover with a lid and grab it to work. At work, take off lid, pop it in a microwave for 2 minutes. Take out, stir, and return to microwave for 1 more minute. You will retrieve a pure beauty - pudding-like hot cereal with a creeks-and-rivers of blueberry juice from a popped berries. Let it cool down a little bit and then enjoy, either stirred into purple pudding, half-stirred (the way I like it) or just dig into "map" with  red rivers and colorful; islands :)



Notes:

* It's not necessary to use boiling water. You can use just cold tap water. But I personally like my oats completely cooked, soft and fluffy. Next morning, after finishing it up in a microwave, they will be exactly like that, soft and fluffy, pudding-like!

- Blueberries are really good for you! But if you like other berries or, maybe, prefer nuts instead, go for it!

- Do not put too much maple syrup in it. Remember, sugar, in any form, is not your best friend ;) 

- I used coconut milk here. When I open a can of coconut milk, usually, I don't use all of it. I pour it in one or two zip bags and freeze it. It is a very convenient way to deal with coconut milk which does not last long when just left in a fridge. Also always look at ingredients on a can, less - better.



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IN PICTURES

 I make two bowls - for hubby and for myself :)

 Living, covered, on a counter overnight.

 Packing for work. My frozen coconut 'nuggets' and blueberries are in. It is going to be my breakfast today.

Texture is awesome!

One of the variation I cooked the other day - without coconut milk. In addition to blueberries, I added diced strawberries. I caught it in a microwave just in time before it spilled over the edges :) It tastes differently. There is more acidity and it is less mellow because more berries and no coconut milk to counter the acidity. I, guess, I would prefer the original recipe, but if you fan of strong berry taste and its sourness, then it's yours.  Sometimes I completely replace blueberries with strawberries in the recipe above - it is very delicious too!