This recipe packs hearty whole grains and delicious vegetables together into an easy-to-make side dish that goes great with any meal. It goes particularly well with another diabetes-friendly fan favorite, beans and greens. To get that recipe, just log onto pittsburghfoodbank.org/RecipeRainbow and search for collard greens.
Savory Oatmeal Pilaf
Serving size: a bit more than 1 cup
1 1/2 cups diced onion
6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 bell pepper, diced
2 cups tomatoes, chopped
2 cups quick oats or rolled oats
3 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp dried herbs (oregano, basil, rosemary and/or thyme)
2 Tbl canola oil or other oil
Black pepper to taste
1. Heat a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. When it is hot, add the oil, onion, black pepper and a pinch of salt.
2. Cook the onion for 10-12 minutes or until browned, stirring once or twice a minute—more often if they are browning too quickly.
3. When the onions are dark, add the garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes or until brown.
4. Add the bell pepper. Cook 7-10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
5. Add tomatoes and dried herbs. Cook 5 minutes, stirring once.
6. Add water and bring to a boil. Stir in oats and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until water has been absorbed and the oats are soft.
Nutritional information per serving—calories: 280, total fat: 10g, saturated fat: 1g, trans fat: 0, cholesterol: 0mg, sodium: 310mg, total carbohydrate: 41g, dietary fiber: 7g, sugars: 5g, protein: 7g