Oats were pretty clear-cut in Mom’s kitchen. They were simmered in water ‘til thick and dowsed with brown sugar and milk, or used as a baking ingredient.
No one was making “overnight oats” in those days. Overnight oats do have a predecessor, called Swiss Bircher muesli. However, this recipe called for a fraction of the oats used today. Several tablespoons of oats were soaked in water overnight, squeezed dry and joined by considerably larger amounts of grated fresh apple, chopped nuts and condensed milk at breakfast time. I believe I tried this once, but didn’t find it to be near as internationally delicious as it seemed it should be.
No one is making overnight oats in my kitchen now either, despite their apparent popularity. Cold sodden oats are simply not part of my breakfast routine. I find them to be a bit on the slimy side after their protracted overnight soak… At the same time, I’m certainly not sitting down to a bowl of steaming hot oatmeal given that it’s hot enough to melt cacti here in the desert summer. Thankfully, a terrific recipe developer and cookbook writer named Maria Speck has solved my summer oats problem in her book, Ancient Grains for Modern Meals. (https://mariaspeck.com)
While she calls it muesli, it’s not the Swiss overnight cereal; it’s more of a template than a true recipe. Rolled oats are combined with dried fruit, seeds, nuts and spices in a dry mix, and stored in the pantry. To prepare, the oat mix is combined with an equal amount of milk, then microwaved for about 45 seconds. The dish sits for a few minutes to soften the oats. This makes a delicious room temperature bowl of oats that retains its texture and “chew.” The oats provide a blank canvas for bursts of flavor and texture from the fruit, nuts and spices, and the possible combinations are endless, sweetened and spiced just to the cook’s taste.
The one that sits in my cupboard most frequently includes pecans, tart dried cherries, coconut and bits of shaved dark chocolate, spiced with cinnamon and cardamom. The mixture is sweetened with little nuggets of diced dates rolled in a mixture of brown sugar and almond meal. The morsels of chocolate delightfully melt into hidden pockets of the cereal. (Only one of Ms. Speck’s combinations includes chocolate, but it seems to sneak into all of mine. Truly a mystery.) I add a sprinkle of flax meal and hemp seed after heating for fiber and additional protein, then top it with fresh berries and/or sliced stone fruit and extra pecans.
It’s a delicious breakfast bowl that is quick, remarkably easy and satisfying on hot summer mornings. Not too hot, not too cold… it’s just right.
Summer Bowl of Oats
Ingredients
Cereal:
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
- 3 tbsp shaved dark chocolate, or mini-chips
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 3 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp almond flour
To Prepare
- milk of choice (I use almond milk)
- vanilla (optional)
Toppings:
- flax meal
- hemp seeds
- sliced berries or stone fruit
- chopped nuts
Instructions
Cereal:
- Combine the oats, nuts, coconut, chocolate, salt and spices in a large mixing bowl. Pit and dice the dates. Combine the brown sugar and almond flour, then sprinkle over the dates. Rub the flour and sugar mixture into the dates to coat and separate the pieces. Stir this mix into the oats, and combine well. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature.
To Prepare individual servings:
- Measure out ½ cup of the oat mix into a cereal bowl. Pour ½ cup milk over the cereal, adding a few drop of vanilla extract if desired. Microwave individual servings for approximately 45 seconds. Remove and allow to sit for several minutes to thicken. Sprinkle each bowl with 1 teaspoon each flax meal and hemp seeds, then top liberally with fresh fruit of your choice and chopped nuts.
This sounds so good. Do you have any tips on dicing dates? I used them often but can’t seem to get a small enough dice. They stick to my knife a lot.
This is why I roll them in the sugar/almond meal mix. It separates the pieces and lets them disperse evenly through the oats. You could just use almond meal if the dates alone provide enough sweetness for your taste.
Sounds lovely!