As soon as I think of pesto, the first thing that comes to my mind is sandwiches 😀 I love a good pesto sandwich! Recently I got a jar of pesto from the store and was thinking of some creative ways to use it. And while the thinking was happening, the jar was just sitting on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks! That happens to me quite often! Sometimes when I am shopping for groceries I end up buying something thinking that I am going to use it and then it lies around for a while. A long time ago I hated oats. I still don’t like plain oat meal for breakfast 😀 So back then I would plan to eat healthy and buy a big box of oats but it would just end up sitting on the counter for months and I would never use it! But eventually I did fall in love with oats. Slowly over time. I think most of you can guess that by the number of oats recipes I have up here on the blog! Check out
So this week I had a mid week crisis – I was bored of eating the same kind of food and really wanted to have something different. And the oats pesto stir fry was thus created! It is amazing how a little bit of flavor can transform oats. What I love most about oats is the chewiness. So in a stir fry like this, I just use the old fashioned rolled oats. I gave it a quick wash to soften it slightly and then add it to the sautéed veggies in pesto sauce! The whole thing takes about 10 minutes maximum and there is hardly any cooking involved – my idea of a perfect weeknight dinner or a nice hot breakfast. This stays well in the refrigerator for 2 or 3 days also!
Ingredients
- 300 grams of mixed veggies (I used a bag of wok stir fry that included shredded cabbage and carrots)
- 1 medium sized onion
- 1 1/2 cup oats
- 2-3 tbsp pesto (I used store bought one – feel free to use your favorite recipe for this!)
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp oil
- Red chilli flakes (optional – for added heat)
Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 10 min
Servings: 2-3
Method
- Chop the veggies including onions as you would for a stir fry. (I like to shred/cut long strips).
- Take the oats in a bowl and rinse it in cold water. Let all the water drain. Allow the rinsed oats to sit for a while till you cook the veggies.
- Take a large saucepan. Heat 1 tsp oil in it. Add the onions and saute well till they become translucent.
- Add the other veggies to the pan and saute for a few minutes on high heat. Sprinkle some salt and pepper.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the pesto. Mix well. Then add the washed and rinsed oats and give everything a good mix and let the oats warm up for a min or 2.
- Adjust salt and add chilli flakes if you want. Turn off the heat. Serve hot!
Healthy and yummy..love the addition of pesto
Thank you! Ya gives a makeover for the oats !