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Overnight Oatmeal

June 17, 2018

Recipe adopted from Michael Greger's The How Not To Die Cookbook[Recipe makes (2) servings].

I think it's fair to say that breakfast routines differ significantly from person to person.  Some are content just with a coffee.  Some people enjoy a variety of fresh fruit.  While others prefer a filling hot breakfast consisting of tofu scramble, hash browns, and tempeh bacon.

If you're like us, we tend to go through phases that are usually related to the seasons.  In the winter, there's nothing better than a hot bowl of oatmeal or warm maple scones straight from the oven.  But during the summer (especially during record-breaking days like today), we avoid the oven at all costs.  Fruit smoothies and avocado toast are staples in our home.  But we recently added overnight oatmeal to our summer lineup as well, after reading Michael Greger's new cookbook.  Once you have the date syrup made (which is technically enough to use for 24 individual servings of overnight oatmeal...although it can obviously be used in any other recipe to replace sugar), the oatmeal takes under a minute to prep.

That's it!  Wake up the next morning and you already have nutrient-packed breakfast waiting for you.

INGREDIENTS:

Date syrup (makes 1-1/2 cups):
175 grams (~1 cup) pitted dates
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Oatmeal:
1-3/4 cups plant-based milk (of your choosing)
2 tablespoons date syrup (see above)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup fresh fruit (of your choosing)

DIRECTIONS:

For the date syrup, add the dates and hot water to a heat-proof bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.  After they've softened, add the dates, water, and lemon juice to a high-speed blender and blend until smooth, roughly 1 minute.  Cool, and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

For the overnight oatmeal, add the milk, date syrup, vanilla extract, ground flaxseeds, chia seeds, and ground cinnamon to a medium bowl, and whisk until the date syrup is dissolved.  Stir in the oats, cover, and keep in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, stir in the fresh fruit, and plate into two bowls.  Top with additional fruit, granola, and/or a light drizzle of maple syrup.

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