Today being a Saturday and a day where my kitchen is closed, I felt lazy to whip up a ‘proper’ lunch. Our 2 older girls have followed their grand-aunt to the shopping mall. Since it’s just Cass and me, I decided to cook a fuss-free savory meat-free oatmeal porridge.  This used to be my mum’s healthy instant meal for me too when I was growing up and I loved this comfort food.

My meat-free savoury oatmeal porridge ingredients:
5 tablespoons of oats. I used organic instant oats. If you like it thicker, add more oats. I like mine thin.
1 egg
A pinch of salt
A few shakes of ground pepper
A few shakes of organic soy sauce
A few shakes of Japanese flavored seaweed mix
A few shakes of sesame seed oil

Directions:
Boil water in saucepan
Add in oats and stir. Be sure you are at the stove to watch the flame as the oats mixture will bubble up and spew up foam from the pot if the flame is too big.
Add in egg and stir well
Add seasoning.

I like mine with a piece of spicy fu yue or fermented tofu to give it an extra kick!

This fuss-free and no-frills  savory oatmeal porridge requires only 10 mins of prep time. If you like it to be more ‘fanciful’, you can throw in some minced meat, salted duck’s eggs, chopped carrots, scallions, fish slices or anything of your choice. It would be even tastier if you fry some garlic or onions to flavor this bowl of oats porridge.

10 Reasons Why I Love Oatmeal:

1. Low calorie food; stops cravings.
A cup is only 130 calories! It also stays in your stomach longer, making you feel full longer. You will have less hunger and cravings.

2. Provides high levels of fiber, low levels of fat, and high levels of protein.
It’s on the short list for the highest protein levels of any grain.

3. Stabilizes blood sugar and reduces risk of diabetes (type 2)

4. Removes your bad cholesterol (without affecting your good cholesterol).
Many studies have shown that the unique fiber in oatmeal called beta-glucan, has beneficial effects on cholesterol levels

5. Gluten-free safe.

6. Contains lignans which protect against heart disease and cancer.
Oatmeal, like many whole grains, contains plant lignans, which are converted by intestinal flora into mammalian lignans. One lignan, called enterolactone, is thought to protect against breast and other hormone-dependent cancers as well as heart disease.

7. Contains unique antioxidants beneficial for heart disease.
A study at Tufts University shows that the unique antioxidants in oatmeal called called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

8. Protects against heart failure.
A Harvard study on 21,000 participants over 19 years found that men who enjoyed a daily morning bowl of whole grain (but not refined) cereal had a 29 percent lower risk of heart failure.

9. Enhances immune response to disease. The unique fiber in oatmeal called beta-gluten also has been shown to help neutrophils travel to the site of an infection more quickly and it also enhances their ability to eliminate the bacteria they find there

10. It tastes good!
All oats whether in flakes or groats form have gone through a heat process which gives them their rich nutty flavor. This keeps them from spoiling. They have also been hulled. This process does not strip away all the bran and germ allowing them to retain a concentrated source of fiber and nutrients .