Tony Polito, you may recall, is a self-described “health nut.” A Boston chef and food consultant, Polito has been working with the sister of one of my colleagues. He’s been showing her how to eat healthier, delicious meals. When we last checked, the sister had shed 25 pounds in 10 weeks.
Polito likes to use fresh, raw foods and high-quality ingredients. We previously featured his banana-blueberry fruit shake. It’s not your typical fruit smoothie. It combines bananas and blueberries – as well as intriguing ingredients such as extra virgin olive oil, hemp bliss and a handful of cacao beans.
Polito applies that creativity to his recipe for oatmeal. He starts with steel-cut oats, the inner portion of the oat kernel that’s been cut into two or three pieces. They’re not flat like oatmeal.
“They are high in B vitamins, calcium, protein, and fiber. Great food to have during the winter!” Polito told us.
He cooks the oats in a rice cooker for about 35 minutes. A rice cooker, he explained, gives the oats more “bite” and “texture.” That helps slow down the time needed to digest the oats. “It keeps you full longer,” said Polito, reducing the likelihood you’ll snack.
Polito finishes the oats with a dash of cayenne pepper and nutmeg, as well as a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
“Instead of using sugar, mix in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil after the oats have cooled,” said Polito, explaining the oats should be “cool to the lip.”
And if you need more ideas for way to use olive oil with your breakfast, check out a previous blog I wrote on the topic. And expect to hear soon about using EVOO to make granola.
Bon appétit,
Claude S. Weiller
Vice President of Sales & Marketing
California Olive Ranch
