We had our families over to celebrate Father’s Day this weekend. It was quite the feast. Healthy, however. Lean (venison) burgers, pasta salad, grilled veggie skewers, and a fruit salad. So good.
My mother-in-law and sister-in-law are also health-conscious and we tend to gravitate towards the same foods. While I offered up a quiche for breakfast, I also offered up some of this not-so-attractive Coconut and Fruit Cold Oat Breakfast Salad.
Why is it called that? Because I could come up with nothing better. Any suggestions?!
When I was in Austin for BlogHer Food, the Hilton served up a breakfast dish very similar to this. It had the oats, the melon, the seeds, the coconut (I think…), and it was in this rich, milky liquid. I tried a small portion, fell in love and swooned over it with my foodie friends, and insisted on asking the staff what was in this masterpiece.
The employee started listing off the ingredients — most of which I had pin-pointed.
“What’s the liquid in the mixture?” I asked.
“Heavy cream,” she responded.
OF COURSE it was heavy cream. Duh, Nicole. What doesn’t taste good with heavy cream poured all over it?
I left on a mission to recreate the dish at home. Sans the heavy cream. Was it as good? It was close. Darn that heavy cream trumping all ingredients in its class.
This was simple, fresh, quick, and perfect for a weekday breakfast…or weekend breakfast with guests who like to live on the adventurous and healthy side with me. Just, don’t judge this one based on its looks, okay? 😉
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Coconut and Fruit Cold Oat Breakfast Salad
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 (13.66 oz) can lite coconut milk
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw pepitas
3 cups unsweetened coconut or almond milk
3 cups cantaloupe and honeydew, diced
Directions:
Combine oats, coconut milk, honey, and vanilla extract in a large bowl; stir well.
Add the next 6 ingredients, through the coconut or almond milk and stir well. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, stir in melon.
Yield: 6 servings (scant 1 cup each)
Nutrition Information (per serving): 432 calories; 17.3 g. fat; 0 mg. cholesterol; 114 mg. sodium; 62.3 g. carbohydrate; 8.3 g. fiber; 8.5 g. protein; 28.7 g. sugar
Result: This mildly sweet start to the day is packed with good-for-you nutrition, fiber, and healthy fats. While higher in carbohydrate than I normally aim for, the fiber content is so high and the macronutrient balance good. Oats and fruit are high in carbohydrates is all. The portion size is generous and the flavor is rich of coconut and nuts/seeds. The melon adds a fun, light flavor and texture. Consider using more melon, or apples even, to make this stretch. Enjoy!
[/print_this]The weekend went soooooooooo fast. Bummer.
Be well,
Heavy cream, like bacon, makes everything better. I can only imagine how it would taste with oats. Yum! I like your swap though, I’ve been into coconut milk lately (now that I know I can have it!). Sounds delicious (and looks gorgeous!).
Counting down the days until your book arrives!!!
That looks delicious and similar to something called Swiss Oatmeal that I found at Corner Bakery Cafes.
The difference is in the liquid, the Cafe version uses yogurt. Varying versions of yogurt and oatmeal are a summer go-to breakfast for me.
thanks,
-sue
looks very similar to muesli, which i had on for the first time on a cruise. it doesn’t look like much, but it is *delicious*!
Of course it was heavy cream – gah! No wonder. Yours looks good, although that really tops the scales for carbs for one meal for me, unless I just ate meat for my next meal to even it all out!
I am with you on the weekends going by too fast – what gives?!
This looks fabulous!!! I am always looking for new ways to eat oatmeal in summer. Perfect!!
Heck yeah. I am liking this version way better. The use of coconut milk in place of the heavy cream is genius. This one for sure is a much better option than the one they served. I miss being there… even with the drama 🙂
Looks delicious! It’s annoying how the best-tasting breakfasts always hide an unhealthy ingredient… We LOVE the blueberry coffee cake from Hobee’s (a California-based restaurant), but I’m almost 100% positive that it tastes so good because of sour cream. I want to try baking my own healthified version with Greek yogurt instead!
Nicole . this sounds great . I’ve been eating raw oats , w/cold milk , honey , a splash of vanilla , topped w/whatever berries . fruit or nuts all my life , ( coming up on 60 … ) .. I will try it your way . Thanks for sharing . 🙂
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Thank you, Dale! Hope you enjoy it!!
An afterthought to the previous post … Oats are penny-pinchers godsend also , the 42 ouncers go a LOT further than a box of cereal , you don’t need a name brand ~Aldis sells it for $1.99 … 🙂