If you like to have oatmeal in the morning but hate the time it takes to cook the regular stuff and don’t want to sacrifice nutrients and fiber by resorting to instant, try this recipe. It takes minutes to prepare and is ready to eat when you’re ready to start a long day. I like this served cold, it’s a refreshing change from the usual piping hot bowl of oats, and it literally requires nothing more than grabbing the bowl out of the fridge, finding a spoon and sitting down to eat. You can heat it up if you like, but I urge you to at least take a few bites cold; it might take getting used to but nothing is easier.
Did you know: Lemons zest can be used in many dishes from sweet to savory. It adds brightness when used as a garnish for cooked vegetables and adds sweet lemon flavor to cookies, cakes and muffins. Don’t be tempted to buy jarred lemon peel in the spice section of your supermarket; it’s dried granular lemon peel that doesn’t come close to matching that of a fresh lemon. The best way to zest a lemon is with a microplane, but if you don’t have one, you can use the small holes of a box grater.
Ingredients:
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup milk of your choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest
Directions:
Put all the ingredients into a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge. Let it sit for 8 hours or overnight so the oats can absorb the milk. Serve this with fresh fruit such as berries, peaches or bananas for a healthy high fiber breakfast that will keep you full for hours.
(makes 4 servings)
