I am a major fan of lazy cooking lately. With so many of us in the house, it’s a lot easier to slam a bunch of things into a pan and let them slow cook, versus making five different dishes, for example. This one is even better since it’s no-cook, and other than needing a blender to DIY the almond milk (which you can skip in favor of any other type of milk), the only thing that gets dirty is the chopping board and the jar you’re storing it in. So, here’s the overnight oatmeal recipe (totally customizable).
I started to work on this recipe after having some amazing cold porridge at Pedaler’s Fork, a fantastic little restaurant/bike shop/coffeeshop in SoCal. Highly recommend!
Ingredients:
Need:
- Rolled oats
- Chia seeds
- Sliced almonds (or whatever type of milk you prefer)
- Maple syrup (or other sweetener)
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
Optional:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Dried cranberries
- Coconut flakes
- Hemp protein powder
Step One: Make almond milk by simply blending almonds, a bit of vanilla extract, and water in a blender. Don’t strain, since the extra bits of almonds are awesome!
Step 2: Combine the dry ingredients (I use hemp protein powder to make it a better recovery meal for post-ride, and the chia seeds are great for making it more pudding-like since it’s served cold). Shake so it’s all mixed up.
Step 3: Add in the extras (in this case, apples, bananas and a few dried cranberries I had around)
Step 4: I mix the maple syrup and a little more vanilla extract into the almond milk, then pour it over to fill almost to the top, and then shake and stir it up.
Pop it in the fridge (see what I mean about a whole lot of people with a whole lot of food in a small kitchen?) and let sit at least 12 hours. It’s my new favorite post-ride snack, since it packs in some quality carbs and protein, and tastes freaking awesome. If it’s chilly post-ride, warm it up in the microwave; if you’re sweaty, eat it cold. I might try a variation with cooked rice instead of oatmeal with a tropical theme (almond milk, coconut and pineapple) for a more summer-y taste down the road, but the sky is the limit!
