vanilla + turmeric overnight oats

Another shade of breakfast: yellow.

Ever since my husband tore his meniscus in his knee four years ago, he has been constantly looking for ways to include more anti-inflammatory foods into his diet. Turmeric fits the bill. Because it is loaded with antioxidants it is said to be great for inflammation and immunity. He is now to the point where he eats it raw; about a teaspoon of fresh turmeric grated up and mixed with a little coconut oil and black pepper. Black pepper and fatty acids are said to compliment the bio availability of turmeric; making it more accessible for our bodies to absorb. If you were really crazy here you could add black pepper and coconut oil to your overnight oats, but I'm just not that crazy yet. To learn more, check out turmeric for health.

vanilla + turmeric overnight oats

• 2-3 inch piece of turmeric root (I used the amount in the picture below)
• 2 cups of almond milk or milk of your choice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

 

toppings:

• fresh fruit (bananas)
• shredded coconut
• cacao nibs 

Blend the pieces of turmeric root with almond milk and vanilla. I don't even peel the turmeric most of the time because the skin is very thin and delicate and will blend up into nothing (much thinner than the skin on ginger root). I realize that a lot of places don't have access to fresh turmeric root. Living in Hawaii, we are able to buy local turmeric for a very decent price at the local farmers market. If you are trying this with powdered turmeric I have a few pieces of advice. First; powdered turmeric tends to be a little more bitter, it somehow loses the natural sweetness found in the fresh root. I would recommend adding a little sweetener if you are using powdered turmeric-- a tablespoon of maple syrup should do the trick. Second; powdered turmeric is much more concentrated so you don't need nearly as much. I would start with 1/2 teaspoon and go up from there.

Once you have blended the turmeric milk pour over the oats and chia seeds in a mixing bowl. Stir to combine. Portion out into jars, this makes two larger portions or three small jelly jar portions. Lid the jars and place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning, transfer oatmeal into a bowl and serve with desired toppings.