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Let's Talk Oats!

It seems that every time I go to the doctor now the topic of heart health comes up. Maybe it's because I am getting older...maybe it's because I am over weight...maybe it's because my blood pressure is slightly higher than it needs to be...or maybe it's because my cholesterol, while not bad, isn't all that great. I'm a big guy...like 6'3" 325 pounds big. I joke that I can play the offensive line for any college football team and some NFL ones. I have a very large frame (I can here y'all making big bone jokes already), so I carry my weight better than others. But inevitably my doctor says I should be eating more oats...specifically oatmeal. This isn't an issue normally because I like oatmeal. But when you start cooking oatmeal I have learned that the less time it takes to cook the oats...it's probably not as good for you.

I don't usually go for the instant stuff, because I know there is a lot of sugar in those packets and it really doesn't have the soluble fiber that you need. So it is basically all bad carbs. I wish I had the time to cook the real stuff, but man, that takes 45 minutes to an hour depending on what kind of oats you are preparing. So more often than not I go for the quick cook...oats that take about seven to 10 minutes to cook. I have had almost every kind of oatmeal there is (except straight up groats...haven't had them yet) and it seems I am partial to Steel Cut oats.

I am creating this thread to be all things oats! Let's here your favorite recipe...see your favorite concoction. Let's find out the many ways we can eat oatmeal to make our hearts (or at least mine) healthier. I am looking for quick solutions, or elaborate meals. I am looking for common uses, or the unusual ways to use oatmeal. Let's go to it guys and gals...let's eat oatmeal!
 
My wife makes some killer crockpot oatmeal. Puts it on the night before and in the morning I fill my container, throw in some fresh bananas and apples and it always tastes delicious. usually starts doing this in the fall and winter. I will need to ask her for the recipe and get it posted here.
 
So one of the things my wife suggested was Summer Porridge. Basically you put uncooked oatmeal in a mason jar with a little mile and some yogurt. Some people put chia seeds or flax seeds (if i have to have either one I am partial to chia seeds) in it also. You can add vanilla or cocoa (but not a lot obviously) and then some fruit. Put a top on it and leave it in the fridge overnight (or at least three hours). Next morning you have a mealy ready to go. Depending on your proportions, the mason jar of goodness can be anywhere in the neighbor hood of 350 to 400 calories. You can use a little honey if you need things a tad sweeter, but with fruit and yogurt i find it is usually sweet enough. If you are looking for actual recipes here is one I found. Word of caution...you really need to use old fashion oats on this one...I tried steel cut once I think I made a mortar mixture for masonry work.


Summer Porridge or Refrigerator Oatmeal


Ingredients:
⅓ cup uncooked old fashioned dry oats
⅓-1/2 cup milk (1/2 cup will make a thinner mixture)
¼ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsps. berry jam, honey, or maple syrup
⅓ cup fruit (i.e. sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana, peaches, mango, etc.)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp. chia seeds (optional)

Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a small covered container and place in the refrigerator overnight. Mixture will be ready to eat in the morning. No cooking needed.

$No Cook Oatmeal.jpg
 
My wife makes some killer crockpot oatmeal. Puts it on the night before and in the morning I fill my container, throw in some fresh bananas and apples and it always tastes delicious. usually starts doing this in the fall and winter. I will need to ask her for the recipe and get it posted here.

Thanks Chad!
 
So one of the things my wife suggested was Summer Porridge. Basically you put uncooked oatmeal in a mason jar with a little mile and some yogurt. Some people put chia seeds or flax seeds (if i have to have either one I am partial to chia seeds) in it also. You can add vanilla or cocoa (but not a lot obviously) and then some fruit. Put a top on it and leave it in the fridge overnight (or at least three hours). Next morning you have a mealy ready to go. Depending on your proportions, the mason jar of goodness can be anywhere in the neighbor hood of 350 to 400 calories. You can use a little honey if you need things a tad sweeter, but with fruit and yogurt i find it is usually sweet enough. If you are looking for actual recipes here is one I found. Word of caution...you really need to use old fashion oats on this one...I tried steel cut once I think I made a mortar mixture for masonry work.


Summer Porridge or Refrigerator Oatmeal


Ingredients:
⅓ cup uncooked old fashioned dry oats
⅓-1/2 cup milk (1/2 cup will make a thinner mixture)
¼ cup low-fat Greek yogurt
2 tsps. berry jam, honey, or maple syrup
⅓ cup fruit (i.e. sliced strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, banana, peaches, mango, etc.)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
1 tsp. chia seeds (optional)

Instructions:
Mix all the ingredients together and pour into a small covered container and place in the refrigerator overnight. Mixture will be ready to eat in the morning. No cooking needed.

View attachment 680232
That looks delicious!

This message brought to you by Chad's phone.... most likely with typos
 
I like my oatmeal with fresh fruit.
Any fruit will do.

We just use quick oats and throw in the fruit at the table.
I think I'm going to have oats for breakfast tomorrow!
 
Quick cook oats are just oats that have been cut into small pieces before being rolled. There shouldn't be a load of junk in them that would make them any less nutritional then old fashioned rolled oats, they're just smaller pieces so they absorb liquids quicker then the whole pieces.

Quick oats are not what is contained in the packets of instant sugar sold as breakfast oatmeal.

dave
 
Quick cook oats are just oats that have been cut into small pieces before being rolled. There shouldn't be a load of junk in them that would make them any less nutritional then old fashioned rolled oats, they're just smaller pieces so they absorb liquids quicker then the whole pieces.

Quick oats are not what is contained in the packets of instant sugar sold as breakfast oatmeal.

dave

I don't have a problem with the quick cook oats. It's the instant ones that have pretty much nothing or very little redeeming qualities to them. Though the quick cook oats are steamed some what to speed up the process of cooking. Every time you cook something (boiled, steamed, simmered, etc) you break down the proteins and carbohydrates making them a little less nutritional. But there isn't a terrible amount of difference between the Full on cooked oats and the quick cook as far as I can tell.
 
I love oatmeal, but I'll admit it's Quaker and packaged! My whole life, everything, depends on such a very limited amount of time, I just sort of do what I can with everything. Though it makes life a lot easier, I'm starting to hate that more than 60% of all my meals are on the road.
 
The old-fashioned oats I buy only take about 7 minutes to cook and have one ingredient - oats. I like to add cinnamon and nutmeg (or pumpkin pie spice) to them while they cook. Once they are done and transferred to my bowl I add a scoop of Greek yogurt (the plain stuff) and some honey and stir it all up. You can also add raisins, dates, etc.

If you are pressed for time do a search for overnight oats and you'll get a plethora of recipes.
 
While the Crockpot oatmeal sounds like the way to go for those of us who spend too long drinking coffee and surfing this shaving in the morning before work, I wold definitely need to get a much smaller Crockpot.. mine is one of the big Morphy ovals; used to capacity, it would probably would make enough oatmeal to feed either the 101st Airborne or 8 teenage boys (if I add fruit)....

Lookin' forward to the recipe, [MENTION=87630]cvargo[/MENTION].. and that fridge batch looks great, Mr. [MENTION=93173]dangerousdon[/MENTION]...
 

musicman1951

three-tu-tu, three-tu-tu
I've been eating Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats for breakfast for a couple of months now. They seem to take about 7 minutes to cook.

I like it with blueberries, but lately here's my favorite:

A pat of butter
Cinnamon
Raisins
1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
Chopped walnuts
A teaspoon of almond butter


With the almond butter I think you need a bit more water left in the pan after cooking. I put the ingredients in the bowl while the oatmeal cooks.
 
I've been eating Bob's Red Mill Rolled Oats for breakfast for a couple of months now. They seem to take about 7 minutes to cook.

I like it with blueberries, but lately here's my favorite:

A pat of butter
Cinnamon
Raisins
1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
Chopped walnuts
A teaspoon of almond butter


With the almond butter I think you need a bit more water left in the pan after cooking. I put the ingredients in the bowl while the oatmeal cooks.

That sounds absolutely delightful!!!!
 

TexLaw

Fussy Evil Genius
I love my steel cut oats. While they do take some time, you can cook a large batch in advance and reheat them. Obviously, it's not quite the same as having them fresh off the stove, but they aren't bad at all. Just make a big ol' batch (maybe a little looser than you normally would--a little more water), and store them in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat them and stir in some milk or buttermilk (yum) or even some more water (if you are really watching out for calories). It'll take a little stirring and working (and maybe a little mashing), but it'll be quicker than making quick oats. Yogurt is tasty in steel cut oats, but it probably won't thin them out well enough for you in this case.

Yep. It'll look like some wacky mass of gelatinous mortar, but what makes it that way is all that soluble fiber you are interested in.

I encourage you to see how little you can add to the steel cut oats. Learn to appreciate their nutty flavor. I like mine with a little honey and cinnamon--maybe a little nutmeg instead of or in addition to the cinnamon. Even a little black pepper can be good. A bit of yogurt or buttermilk is good when I'm in the mood. I certainly will add some raisins or nuts or fruit or cocoa or other doo-dads from time to time, but only for a change of pace. Plain porridge is pretty dull, I admit, but it's also good to retrain our palates away from needing everything sweet and fruity.
 
I love my steel cut oats. While they do take some time, you can cook a large batch in advance and reheat them. Obviously, it's not quite the same as having them fresh off the stove, but they aren't bad at all. Just make a big ol' batch (maybe a little looser than you normally would--a little more water), and store them in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat them and stir in some milk or buttermilk (yum) or even some more water (if you are really watching out for calories). It'll take a little stirring and working (and maybe a little mashing), but it'll be quicker than making quick oats. Yogurt is tasty in steel cut oats, but it probably won't thin them out well enough for you in this case.

Yep. It'll look like some wacky mass of gelatinous mortar, but what makes it that way is all that soluble fiber you are interested in.

I encourage you to see how little you can add to the steel cut oats. Learn to appreciate their nutty flavor. I like mine with a little honey and cinnamon--maybe a little nutmeg instead of or in addition to the cinnamon. Even a little black pepper can be good. A bit of yogurt or buttermilk is good when I'm in the mood. I certainly will add some raisins or nuts or fruit or cocoa or other doo-dads from time to time, but only for a change of pace. Plain porridge is pretty dull, I admit, but it's also good to retrain our palates away from needing everything sweet and fruity.

Some solid points there Doak...Thanks!
 
I love steel-cut oats. And Amazon today tossed over my transom a brand-new electric rice cooker. Hmmm. Does anyone have any experience - proportions, time, etc., - for cooking plain oats in a rice cooker?
 
I love steel-cut oats. And Amazon today tossed over my transom a brand-new electric rice cooker. Hmmm. Does anyone have any experience - proportions, time, etc., - for cooking plain oats in a rice cooker?

No, but now you have me pulling my rice cooker out!
 
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