My daughter and I recently undertook a somewhat (read: extremely) nutty diet that involved eating different foods on different days of the week for a month in order to re-set your metabolism. None of those foods contained wheat or sugar or caffeine or, well, a lot of other things.
I’ve never been much of a low-carb kind of gal, and honestly, I didn’t last so long on this regime (though I can’t really knock it because a.) my daughter and I are both eating a LOT less sugar these days, and b.) my pants are fitting quite a bit better than they were a month ago). But the one saving grace throughout the entire eight days I managed to follow the plan was oatmeal. Steel-cut oats, to be more specific. We used them in smoothies, ate them with fresh summer peaches for breakfast–my options were sometimes so limited that I ate a bowl for lunch as well.
In the midst of this (for me) Herculean task, Kathy Hester‘s OATrageous Oatmeals landed on my desk. After having maybe one two many bowls of very plain oatmeal, I was ready for some inspiration. And, wow, I got it. This curry-cashew version is just one of several savory granolas in the book (sun-dried tomato and kalamata olive was going to be my next batch until it got edged out by a bourbon-scented pecan rendition). Oatmeal: It’s not just for breakfast anymore.
There are soups and biscuits, stir fries and tacos, truffles and teas–and of course many, innovative variations on your morning oats. Meyer lemon baked steel cut oats? That could definitely make the 6 a.m. alarm a little less painful.
— Fran
OATrageous Oatmeals
Delicious & Surprising Plant-Based Dishes from This Humble, Heart-Healthy Grain
by Kathy Hester
Photography by Kate Lewis
- 2 tablespoons (14 g) ground flaxseed mixed with 4 tablespoons (59 ml) warm water
- 1 cup (92 g) rolled oats (*make sure oats are marked gluten-free)
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil (**replace oil with 1 tablespoon [15 g] ground flaxseed mixed with 2 tablespoons [30 ml] warm water in addition to the amount above)
- 1⁄3 cup (55 g) golden raisins
- 1⁄3 cup (26 g) finely shredded coconut
- 1⁄3 cup (43 g) minced cashews nuts
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground mustard
- salt, to taste
- Preheat oven to 350F (177C) and either oil a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Add all ingredients but the salt to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix well, then add salt to taste. Pour the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet and press thin. You should have one large, flat piece about ¼ to 1⁄8-inch thin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are browned and the middle is no longer wet.
- Let cool on cookie sheet and break it up into large or small chunks with your hands. Use to top salads or plain yogurt, or just eat by the handful for a snack!
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