Pantry hacks: Instant oats

Sage-roasted baby carrots with hazelnut and oat crumble

Serves: 4

Time: 40 mins

Preheat the oven to 180˚C. Place 350g baby carrots in a roasting tray and sprinkle with a handful torn fresh sage leaves. Dot with butter and drizzle with a little olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste and roast in the oven until the carrots are sweet and tender, about 30 minutes. While the carrots are cooking, make the crumble topping by combining 60g cake flour, a pinch salt, 60g brown sugar, 30g instant oats, 60g melted butter and 50g roughly chopped hazelnuts in a bowl. Stir well, tip the crumble mixture into a small roasting tray and pop the tray into the oven alongside the tray of carrots. Roast until the crumble is golden and crunchy, about 30 minutes. To serve, arrange the carrots on a serving platter, sprinkle over pieces of the oat crumble and 100g crumbled goat’s cheese.

Warm oats with sautéed mushrooms, onion, thyme and Parmesan

Serves: 3

Time: 30 mins

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a glug of olive oil. Fry a ½ peeled and finely diced onion, 10 minutes, before adding 350g sliced mushrooms of your choice, 5ml (1 tsp) minced garlic, a small handful fresh rosemary leaves and a small handful torn fresh sage leaves. Sauté the mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown, about 10 minutes, and set aside until needed. Prepare 2 servings of instant oats according to packaging instructions and stir in 100ml fresh cream, a few knobs butter and 100g grated Parmesan. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste (think risotto, instead of sweet breakfast oats). To serve, spoon the warm savoury oats into warmed bowls, top with the sautéed mushrooms and scatter with a little more grated Parmesan.

Pan-seared oat slabs with honeyed strawberries

Serves: 4

Time: 20 mins + 1 hr, to firm up

Line a small, flat dish with baking paper. Prepare 4 servings instant oats according to packaging instructions. Stir in some sugar to taste, a pinch salt and a few knobs butter. Allow the oats to cool, about 20 minutes, and spread the prepared oats on the lined dish to a thickness of about 3cm. Place in the fridge to firm up, 1 hour or overnight (you should be able to cut the oats into slabs). While the oats firm up, add 3 handfuls hulled (stems removed) and halved strawberries, 5ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence and 45ml (3 tbsp) honey to a frying pan over medium heat. Cook, about 5 minutes, or until the strawberries are tender. Set aside until needed. Remove the oats from the fridge and divide into 4 roughly square slabs. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat and add a big knob butter. Once the pan is hot, carefully add the slabs of oats, in batches if necessary. Allow to fry to form a golden crust on the outside and warm through, about 2 – 3 minutes per side. Serve the slabs topped with the honeyed strawberries.