As a member of the gluten-free, dairy-free crew (not willingly), it has been VERY difficult to find foods (in particular breakfast and desserts) that I can eat. Sure, gluten-friendly and vegan options are becoming increasingly popular; therefore, more accessible -- but, throw in the fact that I'm also allergic to nuts, avocados, and pretty much any other substitution you can think of ... I'm always having trouble finding something to eat. Not to mention, anything that isn't made of processed white flour is $30000; so, there's also that.
Truth be told, I had almost given up on basically eating entirely because, I mean who can honestly afford an $8 bag of flour the size of a snack-sized ziplock bag.
Then I discovered the glorious oat.
Well, more like RE-discovered. The thing is, oats aren't new to me. Since as early as I can remember, I've eaten oatmeal for breakfast -- at least every once in a while; but, every time I ate it I generally had the same reaction --- "meh". Actually, come to think of it, I think most people I've encountered have expressed the same feeling. Its like, anytime I've ever mentioned eating oats to anybody, the general consensus has always been "meh" -- no one actually hates it, but no one really loves it either.
Sure, oatmeal cookies are good and a bowl of oatmeal is ooookaayyy (if you can get over the snot-like texture); but if given the opportunity to inhale a chocolate chip cookie from subway (cause they are hands-down the BEST cookies in existence -- don't @ me), or eat an omelet with a side of bacon (turkey, veggie or pork) and home fries, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone that would choose oats as their go-to option.
Until now...
I have officially been converted.
Turns out, you can buy that same $3 bag of oats and do practically anything with it! Just grind it up in your blender until it's fine and there you go! Instant gluten-free flour (at a fraction of the cost).
Once you substitute the white flour in your favourite recipe for the same ratio (1:1) of oat flour, you'll be on your way to OAT HEAVEN.
So, if you're like me and you've had struggles finding a simple (and cheap) gluten-free alternative OR if you're just super curious now, grab your bag of oats (because we alllll have it in the back of our cupboards collecting dust) and turn that meh into a yeah!
Here at #thechampagneseries we're all about sharing; so, I've included the first recipe I ever tried using oat flour (featured in our Insta-worthy Brunch article)!
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