By Natalie
Many see oatmeal as a strictly breakfast and/or sweet dish. But there are many ways to use it that are savoury, for breakfast, lunch or even dinner!
Make enough large flake plain oatmeal for 2 servings. Make the oatmeal as per the usual instructions except add a dash of salt or some bouillon to the cooking water. This begins to produce an oatmeal that is savoury and most definitely not a typical sweet oatmeal.
In another pan heat approx 2 TB olive oil and a 1/2 tsp sesame oil to medium high.
Add 2 garlic cloves that have been thinly sliced, salt and pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp chili flakes, and 1 sliced green onion.
Sizzle until fragrant and slightly golden and remove from heat. Add a bit of water, 1 tsp rice vinegar, a dash of cider vinegar, a dash of soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon or lime. Transfer to a small heat proof dish and set aside.
Fry 2 eggs in the same pan making sure the yolk is still runny. If you prefer poached or soft boiled these are a perfect match as well. Or if you have a cast iron pan the eggs will turn out a bit crisper around the edges.
Portion the oatmeal into shallow soup bowls. Top with egg, scatter chopped scallions over and spoon the spicy sauce over. I like to add a sprinkling of sesame seeds at this point as well. Serve at once.
This is an easily adaptable recipe. If you just use the oatmeal as a grain there are innumerable mixtures and combos that can be made. Savoury veg with a dollop of yogurt, mushrooms sauteed in soy and sesame oil with eggplant, or maybe spinach and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Leafy greens sauteed with some balsamic vinegar are also tasty with the oatmeal base.
See also: Spicy Seaweed Soup
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