This Savory Oatmeal Is The Perfect Grounding, Cleansing Breakfast
Seven years ago, Rip Esselstyn wrote the New York Times best-seller The Engine 2 Diet. Esselstyn, a firefighter at the time, created the diet for his fellow firefighters to help them manage cholesterol—and by the end of the program, everyone at the firehouse had lost weight (some as many as 20 pounds!), lowered their cholesterol, and improved their overall health. His new cookbook, written with his sister, Jane, follows the same plant-based food philosophy but with comfort-food favorites that stick to the ribs while nourishing the body. These savory breakfast oats are the perfect food to get back into clean eating after a holiday binge. They’re filling enough to be truly satisfying, with rich, umami flavors that put the kibosh on sugar cravings.
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Savory Breakfast Oats
Serves 1
Initially, this savory breakfast may seem "too new" or too different. Believe me when I tell you, we felt the same way. But then we tried it. Wow, does it grow on you! The nutritional yeast creates a wonderful creaminess. On a cold day, this warms you through and through. And you have the benefit of getting your greens at breakfast. Once I accidentally used farro instead of oats (our grain cupboard is crowded!), and it was fantastic!
Ingredients
- ½ cup steel-cut oats (or farro if you want to repeat my "experiment")
- 1¾ cups water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 cups chopped stemmed kale or greens of choice
- ½ cup sliced mushrooms (we love using shiitake, but any kind is delicious)
- 3 to 4 sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce or hot sauce of choice, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds or flaxseed meal
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Method
- In a saucepan, combine the oats, water, nutritional yeast, kale, mushrooms, tomatoes (reserving some for garnish if you like), turmeric, and hot sauce. Bring just to a boil, watching carefully and stirring to prevent burning. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes; not all water will be absorbed when it is removed from the stove, but it thickens as it cools.
- Sprinkle with sun-dried tomatoes, chia seeds, or flaxseed meal and feel the goodness.
Based on excerpts from The Engine 2 Cookbook by Rip Esselstyn and Jane Esselstyn, with the permission of Grand Central Life & Style. Copyright © 2017.
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Liz Moody is an author, blogger and recipe developer living in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated with a creative writing and psychology degree from The University of California, Berkeley. Moody has written two cookbooks: Healthier Together: Recipes for Two—Nourish Your Body, Nourish Your Relationships and Glow Pops: Super-Easy Superfood Recipes to Help You Look and Feel Your Best. She also hosts the Healthier Together Podcast, where she chats with notable chefs, nutritionists, and best-selling authors about their paths to success. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Food & Wine & Women’s Health.