I said I had a recipe for you... well this is barely a recipe, more a technique, but it has been a game-changer for me and it's now the only way I like to eat my oats ever since I returned from Lanzarote.

Oat groats! Have you tried them, or like me had you been put off by the fact they take so much longer to cook than regular oats?

I'll admit that I have had a bag sitting in my cupboard for over a year (do they go off?!?) and hadn't got round to using them simply because I was more familiar with regular rolled porridge oats.

Whilst on holiday, I noticed that my host, Daniel, was wrapping a saucepan in a towel! Well, I was intrigued to say the least and he explained that every evening he brings a large pan of oat groats to the boil and then turns off the heat and wraps the pan in a thick towel overnight.... by the morning the oats are fluffy and ready for everyone to eat.

It's 'overnight oat groats' - Genius!

Here are the oat groats in their raw form pre-soaking.

This is what I ate for breakfast every morning when I stayed with him, alongside various fruit and nut toppings

Some holiday oat bowls... it's all about the toppings...

I knew immediately I wanted to replicate this breakfast technique as soon as I got home, and though I love the towel wrapping idea I figured there must be an easier option to keep on the kitchen worktop.

Enter the food flask!

Any flask might do but a food flask is definitely best since it is shallow and wide instead of tall and narrow like a drinks flask is. I imagine a slow cooker or rice cooker would also work well but I haven't tried this method.

I made enough for two portions and kept the second portion in the fridge for the following day.

The wonderful thing about this recipe is that it saves so much time. It takes less overall time and effort than regular porridge oats, with all the unprocessed nutritional value of oat groats. Winner!

Recipe: Easiest ever oat groat porridge

Serves 2

Ingredients

approx. 1/2 heaped cup raw oat groats
approx. 2 cups boiling water
non-dairy milk (only needed when ready to serve)

Method:

Rinse the oat groats to remove any dust or husk and add them to a food flask (or similar container that will retain heat for a few hours). Add boiling water to the top and briefly stir through the oats. Twist the lid on the food flask and let sit overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours). In the morning they should be fluffy and ready to serve warm or cold.

To serve, drain the oats* and either serve cold with non-dairy milk to your desired texture or warm on the stove or in a microwave for a couple of minutes with non-dairy milk plus a little vanilla or cinnamon. You can add a touch of sweetener if you like, then pile into a bowl with toppings of choice.

* Like other grains, the outside layers of raw oat groats contain phytic acid which may inhibit the absorption of some minerals. After soaking the water now contains the phytates that have been released through soaking, so it is best to drain and rinse the oats prior to serving.