cutie pie cook: jenn's cooking blog: savory oatmeal w/ spinach & poached egg

When people think of oatmeal, they picture the classic Quaker oats and its sweet variety of flavors. I'm pretty sure I've tried all of those yummy flavors while growing up, but as an adult, I've realized that they're way too sugary.

My mom eats her oatmeal with salt instead of sugar and that is something that I've adopted as well. One of my favorite combinations for savory oatmeal is with some spinach and a poached egg. It's super nourishing for breakfast and it keeps me full till lunch with no cravings in sight.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 Tbsp. vinegar
1 large egg

1/2 cup old-fashion oats (or steel cut oats)
2/3 cup water (or chicken broth for more flavor)
pinch - 1/2 tsp salt (salt to taste)

1/4 cup frozen spinach (or fresh - steamed)
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper

(optional) 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
(optional) parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1.) Add two inches of water w/ vinegar to a saucepan and bring to a light simmer on low to medium heat. The vinegar helps the egg white coagulate. It does change the flavor a bit, but I don't mind it. I think it complements the extra virgin olive oil.

2.) When you start seeing a tiny bubbles, gently slide egg into the water. Cook for about 4-5 minutes.
Make sure the egg is completely covered and submerged in the water. If not, gently add some hot tap water to the saucepan.

3.) While you're waiting for the egg to poach, prepare your oats and spinach. Combine oats and water and a pinch of salt in a deep bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Yes a deeper bowl is required for the oats to expand without spilling over. If you're using steel cut oats, you will need to increase the water and cook time. Also, if you're using chicken broth instead of water, you can leave out the pinch of salt.

4.) Defrost the spinach in microwave for 1 minute. If it is still cold to the touch, microwave for 10-15 seconds. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pinch of pepper.

5.) The egg should be poached by now and can be removed from the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Assemble all the ingredients to your liking and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. A sprinkling of parmesan doesn't hurt either. I removed the feathery, uncoagulated parts of the egg for more appealing blog photos. I don't do that in real life.