Joe J. – Savory Oats, Lentils, & Greens for Breakfast or Anytime

This takes me just 10 to 15 minutes to prepare for cooking, and if the recipe is doubled, there are enough hearty, savory breakfasts for 4-5 days!

When I first tried Ann’s Warrior Oats in Jane & Ann Esselstyn’s delightful cookbook, Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior, I enjoyed it so much, and I also thought I would try adding some other ingredients.

As a result, my recipe is quite different from the original, such as changing the type of oats – I use whole oat groats instead of steel-cut oats - as well as adding lentils, and other ingredients.

I use an Instant Pot, but this can also be cooked on the stove.

Ingredients:

½ cup whole oat groats

½ cup brown, green, or black lentils

½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced, or dried mushrooms, soaked in water and sliced (see comments below)

1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 cups of chopped greens (I used chopped kale for this batch; see comments below)

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

½ teaspoon ground turmeric

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce or 1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and membrane removed, chopped

3 cups water

Optional to add when serving:

Ground flaxseed

Chopped green onions

Hot sauce

Balsamic vinegar

Instructions:

Add everything to a 3 quart or 6 quart Instant Pot, give it a quick stir, and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes, with natural release. If doubling the recipe, use a 6 quart Instant Pot.

Serve with optional ground flax seed, chopped green onions, hot sauce, and balsamic vinegar.

For cooking on a stove, use a 3 quart or larger Dutch oven or other pot, add a bit more liquid, bring to a boil, and simmer covered by about 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure mixture doesn’t stick on the bottom.

Comments:

Mushrooms: Any kind of mushroom is great, either fresh or dried and soaked in water. If you’d like, use the mushroom soaking liquid in place of some of the added water.

Greens: Kale is great, of course, and I otherwise use chopped green cabbage for my “go to” green. Collard greens, Swiss chard, bok choy – all are great. If you’d like to use fresh spinach, wait to add when you open the Instant Pot and stir them in.

Hot sauce or fresh chile: I use either a fresh jalapeno, seeded and membrane removed and chopped, or a hot sauce such as Tabasco (low sodium) or SOS-free Sriracha sauce by Well Your World.