Amy is trying to decide if she likes oatmeal or not. We would like to help her out. Here's her question:
Everyone seems to say that oatmeal is a powerhouse of health. I have a problem though — I don't know if I like it. What's a foolproof prep plan/recipe so I can try it and decide for sure. It looks yummy and warm and perfect for these frigid times.
Amy, yes, oatmeal is indeed a powerhouse of fiber, nutrition, and yummy nourishment. We like it year-round, although it is very comforting in the colder months. We do not think, however, that you should eat something purely because it is "good for you;" it's no fun to eat things just for health, and it won't lead to better health long-term. No, you should eat things because they are delicious, and oatmeal is fortunately one of those foods that is both nutritious and delicious — when prepared well.
There are a few key things about oatmeal that you should know.
1. Buy steel cut oats.
The oat is a little piece of grain, right? The oats you find in Quaker boxed oats or in the usual oatmeal are rolled oats. These are flattened heads of grain. The oat is toasted, then rolled flat by huge machines. This flattened, flaked oat can be cooked much more quickly and easily. Rolled oats (pictured above on the left) are the most common sort of oats you can find. They could be called quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats. Instant oats are rolled oats that have been pre-cooked so they can be made into a porridge extremely quickly with boiling water.
Steel cut oats (pictured above on the right), one the other hand, are not flattened. The original oat grain (called a groat) is chopped roughly into smaller pieces, leaving the hull and kernel intact.
These steel cut oats have the same amount of fiber and nutrients as the rolled oats, but their real merit is in their texture and taste. Oatmeal from rolled oats has a tendency to get mushy and gluey, and instant oatmeal even more so. But steel-cut oats retain their pearly individual structure in a creamy porridge — like an oat risotto. They are delicious with great texture, even when reheated.
2. Start your oatmeal at night.
Steel cut oats, however, do take much longer to cook than rolled oats. Half an hour is the usual cooking time, compared to just five minutes for rolled oats. But fortunately steel cut oats are just as good reheated as when they're fresh. (Very different from rolled oats in this respect!) It's best made at night, or at least started before bed.
3. Dress up your oatmeal with milk, sugar, and dried fruit.
We love adding all sorts of texture and taste to our oatmeal. Some favorite mix-ins: vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, unsweetened coconut, chopped pecans or walnuts, raisins (plumped up in a little juice or booze), stewed prunes, dried cranberries or dates.
The method
OK, here now is a basic recipe for making foolproof steel cut oats quickly and easily.
Before you go to bed, heat a sliver of butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. When the butter foams, add 1 cup of steel cut oats. Cook and stir for a couple minutes, or until they smell toasty. Add 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat and cover.
In the morning, remove the lid and bring the oatmeal back to a gentle simmer. Once it's heated through, it's ready to eat! You can also add coconut, dried fruit, sugar, honey, or maple syrup while it's simmering. Serve with milk, butter, or whatever other decadent thing you prefer. We also really like to serve ours with stewed fruit, like in the photo above, where the oatmeal is topped with stewed quince.
Pack up any leftovers in the refrigerator, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop for breakfast on the following mornings.
Any more tips for Amy?
More on oatmeal:
• Good Question: What's the Deal With Oatmeal?
• What's For Breakfast? Irish Oatmeal
• National Oatmeal Day: Steel-Cut Oats
• Breakfast for Lunch: Steel-Cut Oats with Dates, Coconut, Cinnamon and Pecans
• Recipe: Overnight Oatmeal with Apricots and Buttermilk
(Images: Faith Durand)
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Try Savory Oatmeal!
Prepare steelcut oats in the method described above, but to finish--instead of adding sweet stuff, I add savory things.
This morning I stirred in an egg (a-la egg drop soup) some grated cheddar and some pulled pork I had in the fridge. Salt and Pepper and it's almost like breakfast risotto.
I mix in a spoonful of peanut butter and maple syrup.
add a little milk/soymilk/rice milk, some honey, toasted walnuts, a sauted banana (DELICIOUS) and some dried fruit- I prefer dried cherries.
If you are not doing the overnight cooking method, another convenient way to prepare steel cut oatmeal is in the oven. Use the same 1 cup steel cut oats, 4 cups of boiling water, pinch of salt, and a bit of butter if desired, all in an oven-proof container (such as a brownie pan, sauce pan, etc.), then cover with foil and place in a 325 degree oven for 45-60 minutes - no stirring required. This is also a great way to cook brown rice (the only difference being the quantity of water).
I don't know - I am actually a fan of the quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant). A nice, quick breakfast. Half a cup of oats, cup of water, pinch of salt. 3 minutes in the microwave. Stir in a teaspoon or so of brown sugar and a handful of raisins. May not be gourmet, but yum!
Trader Joe's quick cooking steel cut oats are incredible!! I always cook them stovetop (microwave method always spills out and makes a mess!) in a mixture of milk and water and they are the best quick breakfast. Maybe something is lost in the "quick cooking" aspect, but to me they are still amazing and the hour of cooking time it saves is invaluable.
Dried cherries are a must! and honey or lemon curd :o)
Dumb question regarding the overnight method: why doesn't leaving out a warm pot of food overnight (without heat source) become a breeding ground for bacteria?
Neilw - maybe. But I'd say if you leave something like oats on the stove in a 60-70 degree house overnight you're probably not in much danger. (Don't try this with, say, mayo) And bringing it back to a simmer for a minute or two in the morning should kill whatever remains. Unless you work in a hospital and leave your scrubs on the kitchen floor all night you're not likely to have many dangerous bacteria in your kitchen that a minute of boiling couldn't kill.
I cook before bed and leave stuff on the stove top to cool all night all the time. But I only do this with stuff I have to reheat later in order to eat.
Meusli--Rolled oats with milk left to sit in the fridge overnight will make a good breakfast with dried fruits and nuts. Eat it cold in the morning. Google Swiss Oatmeal for recipes.
I wonder if the pot could be put in the refrigerator to make the overnight method a bit safer. (Though all the Asian families I know leave rice out and eat it the next day for lunch).
m_j_s - I like old fashioned rolled oats too. The key is not to cook them in too much water (just under twice as much water as oats by volume) or for too long. (just a few minutes) I like them still chewy, with banana chips, blueberries (frozen during the local season and added just at the end of cooking) honey, and slivered almonds.
I have steel cut oats most mornings. I just get up and start the oats going first thing in the morning and then they cook away and are done by the time I'm done with my shower and dressing and such. Usually I'll stir the oats 2 or 3 times as it cooks.
I usually do 1 1/2 C water, 1 t cinnamon, and 1/2 C oats initially, then about 15 minutes in I'll throw in a handful of dried tart cherries, then at the end I'll finish it with a glug of maple syrup and about 1/4 to 1/2 c milk, to thin it out a bit.
Something else to try sometime are whole oat groats. They take probably 40 minutes to cook and taste a lot like the steel cut variety. But they're a bit more chewy, just as nutty, and really filling. (I cook them basically the same way as I do with steel cut oats.)
the heading on this post inspired me to ask a question I have been unable to find an answer to so far... Is there a foolproof way to make decent mayo at home.... i dont quite like the taste of store bought mayo and would love to be able to make my own chicken salad sandwiches... i know liking mayo is thought to be quite infra-dig these days.. but there is something quite nostalgic and reassuring about its familiar taste.. i have tried all recipes... beating by hand and blender , cold ingredients and all at room temperature.. and my results have been quite patchy... i want to know if anybody has and ABSOLUTELY idiot proof failsafe way to make mayo at home????
I make a batch of steel cut oatmeal almost weekly. My preference is for Alton Brown's recipe - overnight oatmeal in the crock pot.
I recently did a post about this very topic:
http://pmf1852.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/notes-on-a-recipe-abs-overnight-oatmeal/
I buy the Bob's Red Mill Scottish oatmeal--not quite so chewy--and they cut in smaller portions so they cook up much faster (15-20 minutes). You cook the oats in water and oversee them for about five minutes, jump in the shower and by the time you're our and toweled off it's time to eat the oats.
I put a smidge of real maple syrup on the oatmeal along with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Much better than the instant store-bought stuff.
When I'm in a pinch I eat the new high-fiber maple and brown sugar oatmeal from Quaker while at work at my desk.
Favorite oatmeal addition - peanut butter, banana and a few chocolate chps. Super delicious for special weekend days.
We buy organic steel cut oats and cook them in large batches. I cook them in half water and half milk using the package instructions.
Bring liquid to a boil. Add oats and a pinch of salt. Stir. Cook over low heat for 25 minutes with lid off. Stir on occasion. If you like a thicker oatmeal, let it stand for a few minutes.
To up the health profile even more I usually make a second kind of cooked cereal, like Arrowhead Mills 4 or 7 grain hot cereal. This cooks in about ten minutes. When both are done, mix.
Oatmeal freezes well. You can freeze in an adult portion size but because the toddler eats it every morning, we freeze in ice cube trays. He takes t, we take 3. It heats in less than a minute.
I like some type of fruit added and a bit of yogurt.
That looks so yummy. I don't really like cooked oatmeal either, but I think I would like it with steel cut oats.
i have made it in my rice cooker during a shower with success. mine are rolled but thicker than the 1-minute rolled (they are more like 7-minute or so)...but they do come out fluffy!
Be sure to try both rolled oats (I prefer 5-minute to 1-minute) and steelcut. If you decide you prefer the mushy texture of rolled oats, be sure to try the overnight soak for an even thicker and softer texture: per serving, add a half cup of oats to 1 cup boiling water, cover and let stand until morning, then simmer 5 minutes and let stand covered a minute or two longer. My favorite toppings are whole milk yogurt with or without a tablespoon of maple syrup. My grandfather’s favorites were golden syrup and stewed prunes.
easy oatmeal for one in 5 minutes (or less)
combine in a microwave safe bowl of appropriate size:
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (not quick or instant)
1/2 cup water
dried fruit if desired
pinch of salt (optional)
microwave on high 2 minutes. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk, and sweetener of choice or not.
Enjoy.
works like a charm every time.
I make steamed oats. For one serving I bring 1/3 c. water to a boil. Dump in 1/3 c. old fashioned oats. Swirl to coat the oats w/water and take it off the heat. Then I take a shower so I don't know how long it really takes to absorb the water. But when I'm done, the oatmeal is cooked and it isn't mushy or gluey. After mixing it w/ fruit... it separates into individual grains.
I was a rolled oats person for years until a few months ago when I finally tried the overnight/Alton Brown steel cut recipe. Now, I am a convert and never going back. I use a 4:1 ratio of liquid to oats with half of that liquid usually being milk, a pinch of salt and whatever dried fruits, nuts, flaxseed that I feel like adding. Instead of putting the slow cooker on low I use a "keep warm" setting and it will be finished cooking by the time I wake up and am ready to start my day.
I eat Bob's Red Mill Oat BRAN. I'm not sure what the difference is between the bran and the -meal. It's kind of cream-of-wheat-like in texture but cooks quickly in the microwave, which is a big plus for me because it means I can make it at work. For toppings, I'm a savory oatmeal gal. If I'm being super simple I use salt and pepper. Otherwise some parm or goat chevre.
I never liked oatmeal but I had always tried the instant oatmeal with the flavor packets. Steel cut oats with blueberries and dried cranberries have become my new favorite breakfast.
I like old-fashioned rolled oats, but I do not like gluey. The trick is to NOT stir it. Just let it cook. One method we use is to combine 1/2 c oats, 1/2 c water, 1/2 c milk, and a peeled, chopped apple, and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
steel cut oats are recommended by cardiologists, because they cause less inflammation (cellular) than rolled oats--they apparently do not raise blood sugar as rapidly, and are thus better for your health than rolled ones. if true, it's a distinction worth noting.
I have a cookbook for baby food that has a recipe for oatmeal and grapes. For the baby, the steel cut oats get blended to create more of an oat flour, and the grapes are pureed and added at the end. After making it for my daughter, I decided to try the grown-up version: halved grapes stirred into my oatmeal (unblended, of course) — delicious.
Anything is good in oatmeal. Growing up, my favourite was always molasses. But now, I'm more into fruit. Never really tried savoury though. Dawnie's post has inspired me though...
Just to inject a bit of balance here, hats off to one and all who love oatmeal. I have tried every recipe, every technique, every add-in (sweet and savory), and I still feel about oatmeal (rolled and steel cut) the way I do about bananas: I occasionally eat it/them because I know the health benefits, but it's like taking meds in the morning. I'm a crunch girl, and I much prefer plain old shredded wheat (no sugar coating) with soy milk or regular lactose-free cow's milk (1%). Apologies, if they are in order.
...This looks so delicious. I always thought rolled oats were different than quick-cooking, though.
In any case, I think I might have to definitely get some steel-cut in the future!
I grew up with rolled oats and pound for pound it's the better price. But after being bombarded by articles and TV shows singing the praises of steel-cut, I decided to give it a try. I wasn't a fan so gave the canister away. I tried them again over the holidays at a friends house thinking maybe I didn't cook them right but no, still don't like them that much.
Everyone is right about cooking the rolled oats. The key is not using so much water. I like to add dried fruit to mine toward the end of cooking then finish it off with dried fruit. For me, evaporated milk is essential and won't eat oatmeal without it.
I make my "thick cut rolled oats" every morning like Carla from Top Chef New York. Get the water boiling first, then add oats - they'll cook up like a grain instead of mush. I add dried cranberries when the water is about halfway absorbed. The cranberries plump up and are delicious (craisins are too sweetened for me, I like the bulk-bin variety better). Alternatively, I dump the cooked oatmeal on some chopped up apple and cinnamon in a container and let the apples steam a little on my way to work.
aww... I like rolled oats! old fashioned for me-- never quick or instant. I like to substitue about a third of the water with milk (it's all you need to make it creamy while not adding too much fat). my favorite (albeit unhealthy) topping is brown sugar-- I just love how it gets all melty. and sometimes some walnuts.
most people I know who 'don't like oatmeal' overcook it terribly. but then again, some people just prefer something crunchy in the morning. I find that oatmeal, however, is *much* more filling that cereal and keeps me happier until lunch.
hooray! We love steel-cut oats and have been wanting to eat more of them--and less breakfast cereal, but with two little ones it's been hard to find time to get them cooked in the morning. I tried this last night and I'm a convert.
My favorite toppings are chopped toasted walnuts (in the toaster oven @ 325-6mins.) mixed with butter while warm then stirred together with cinnamon, brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Also bananas caramelized in a skillet are becoming a favorite.
Thanks Faith!
I have been making steel cut in a rice cooker with pretty good results. Do NOT set it to cook, just leave it on warm all night. The other thing I have been doing lately is to mix steel cut oats with the multi grain cereal from Trader Joe's. For this (per serving), I put 1/8 cup steel cut oats in the rice cooker with a cup of water. In the morning I add 1/4 cup of the multi-grain and then ignore it for a little longer. It is best if I leave it for another hour or so (which I only do if I am being good and go to the gym) but is ok if you just wait about ten minutes. And with this method, I could swear it smells like it has raisins when you open the lid and I rarely add anything to it.
I eat both steel cut and rolled, and liek them about equally, for different reasons.
Rolled oats: 1/3 c oats, 2/3 c water, big dollop of (Trader Joe's Valencia with flaxseed) peanut butter. Cook them together until the pb dissolves and the whole mixture thickens. Dump it in a bowl, and add jelly, and a tiny bit of sugar to taste.
Steel cut: The overnight method in the main body of the post, and I add dried fruit before boiling. That way it's plump and 'stewed' in the morning when I simmer it.
Depending on what kind of textures she likes she might prefer the rolled oats - steel cut are not better - just different
I prefer the rolled oats a they give a lovely bowl of mush - I add slightly more milk than oats as I don't like it to be swimming in liquid - and then a knob of butter and a squeeze of golden syrup - delicious!
Just curious who has actually seen WHOLE oats?
There are NO hulls on those steel cut oats pictured. The hull (aka husk) is nasty hard and undigestible and usually removed, think husk on an ear of corn. Oats are rolled to improve your body's ability to digest the good stuff inside, so I don't see how this could possibly be a draw back. During this dehulling process the groat (hull-less oat) is often broken...these are turned into your steel cut oats. Old-fashioned rolled oats are only made from the whole oats being the ones that did not break. The groats must be heated to stabilize them or they will go rancid in around 4 days. Frankly I'd rather eat the rolled oats than the steel cut oats which were exposed to spoiling sooner from breakage.
BTW I learned this living on a farm, and through several animal nutrition courses lol so I know my grains, lol.
For the overnight oats, should i take the pot off the heat after cutting off the burner or leave the pot there after cutting off?