Hello you lovely people! Here you’ll find another recipe twist for your morning oats (or zoats, if you’re a courgette addict like myself!) – I’m sharing my two favourite variations of overnight zoats, using cacao powder for a chocolate-y vibe, or a turmeric twist for a morning immunity boost! In this post I’m also sharing my secret tip for the best version of overnight zoats you’ll ever make – it’s all in the morning re-heating people! You’ll see what I mean in the method below, trust me.

If you want to, check my recent recipe post for ‘Immune-Boosting Cacao & Chia Overnight Oats’ for the basics on why the fitness/foodie world has gone mad for turmeric recently – there actually isn’t really much in the way of an evidence-base for the much touted health benefits of turmeric, in terms of actual human studies. Saying that, I absolutely love adding a sprinkle of turmeric and ginger to my daily oats, and they’re two of my favourite spices to use in cooking. I’m a firm believer in the power of food as medicine, but I also always want to know the real science and truth behind a lot of the BS that gets floated around social media. Check out this link for a really good insight into some of the claims on turmeric – I found it really helpful, hopefully you will too – https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/turmeric-tasty-in-curry-questionable-as-medicine/.

So! Nerdy rant over. Let’s get to the recipe!

Recipe – Two Ways 

The Cacao Way 

Ingredients

• 1/3 courgette, grated
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp whole chia seeds
• 50g porridge oats (I use Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets)
• 180ml milk of your choice or water
• Toppings/Essentials: Berries, 1 tbsp nut butter

The Turmeric Way 

Ingredients

• 1/3 courgette, grated
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp whole chia seeds
• 50g porridge oats (I use Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets)
• 180ml milk of your choice or water
• Toppings/Essentials: Berries, 1 tbsp nut butter

Method – For Both Ways!

1. This is reaaaally simple – place your grated courgette, oats, chia seeds and spices (either cacao powder & cinnamon or ground turmeric & ginger) into a tupperware box.
2. Mix  it all together with a spoon so the chia seeds and oats are coated in the spices.
3. Add your milk/water and stir until the dry ingredients are fully soaked in the liquid. If you feel it’s still a little dry, add a dash more.
4. Seal the jar or lunchbox and place in the fridge to chill and soak overnight.
5. Now for my secret tip for the creamiest overnight zoats! The KEY is to first, re-heat your soaked chia zoats the next day, for 2 minutes in a microwave on full power.
6. Then, add your toppings and place the chia zoats back into the microwave for another  1 minute 30 seconds. This is the timing that works for my microwave – you want the chia zoats to rise while cooking and soak up the liquid until just a tiny bit is left!
7. The toppings I’ve included above are fresh berries and nut butter (my favourites) – other great options are sliced banana coins, mixed nuts and/or chocolate chips if you’re feeling decadent! The key bit about heating WITH the toppings is that the nut butter and berries melt into the zoats – it is FAB. Trust me. Try it once and you’ll never look back!

Enjoy guys! I am a self-confessed zoats addict, so feel free to try this recipe without the courgette if you prefer! It’s a great make-ahead breakfast either way, especially if you have a microwave in work! Tag me if you try these zoats out – @theirishbalance on Instagram!

Ciara 🙂 x