Oatmeal: From yuck to yum!!

Here is a great idea from our guest blogger, Jim: 

I never liked Oatmeal. As a kid I remember my Grandma or Aunts trying to convince me to like it by covering it with sugar. My Dad would try to get me to like it by putting maple syrup on it. Sleepovers at friends houses would run up the risks of being served instant oatmeal. To me, it just seemed like yesterdays cereal, warmed up a bit with some raisins thrown in. 

From College on I never had to deal with oatmeal. Might sit across from someone in the cafeteria shoveling warm paste into their mouth, but that was about it. As soon as I was out of the dorms, and to this day, regardless of who I lived with, I was the cook, chef or primary destroyer of food goods in all households and oatmeal was not in my arsenal. 

About 15 years ago I read a fitness and health book written by a guy named Bill Phillips. In his book he talked a lot whole grains and unprocessed (or less processed) foods. I was struck by the idea that forcing my body to work harder by digesting whole grains I could almost get some free exercise by just eating. Oatmeal was at the top of his list of healthy whole grains. 

To be clear, he was talking about WHOLE OLD FASHIONED OATS. Not the packages with sugar and malt in them, and not even 1-minute oat, which he explained were whole oats that had been further pressed and perforated or cut down into smaller pieces to make them absorb liquid quicker. That secondary processing did make them cook quicker, but it also was robbing your body of the chance to get that extra 'exercise' of breaking them down. 

It struck me that the less I cooked them, the more my body would have to work to digest them, and this is how I came up with the way I cook oatmeal. Steeping instead of boiling yields a light fluffy oatmeal instead of soup or paste. I love it because it is very quick and easy to do before school, requires no planning as you can always come up with a variation based on what you have in your kitchen, and my girls will eat it a few times a week with no protest. 

1.5-2.5 cups liquid * 

3 cups whole old fashioned oats (eyeball this. after a few tries you will figure out how many oats to add so all the liquid is absorbed.  you need a lot less liquid than you think.  if there is too much liquid left, you can strain it out)

pinch salt 

unsalted nuts (optional) 

raisins (optional) 

sugar (optional) 

* water is the most healthy choice, but produces a finished product too bland for me so I use milk (skim or vanilla soy) or 1 cup juice (apple, cranberry.)   Liquid combos that work: water and cranberry or apple, soy milk and cranberry or just milk.  Don't try cow milk and juice...train wreck!

Take a big saucepot and put it on high heat. Add all 3 cups of liquid and pinch of salt bring to boil uncovered. As soon as the liquid starts to boil add the oats and stir for 30 seconds or until all oats are wet, then cut the heat and cover with a tight lid. 

Let oatmeat steep for 5 minutes (covered) then fluff with fork and serve. For my girls I garnish with what they call a "sugar spoon" which is a teaspoon pressed into the top of their oatmeal filled with sugar. 

Variations: 

When adding spices I add them right after I add the liquid to the saucepot. Raisins or other dried fruit I add right after the oats, just before I kill the heat and cover the pot. Nuts I add right at the end of the steep (the cover and let steep for additional minute or two.) 

Apple Pie - Use apple juice as your juice, add cinnamon with the salt and add an apple finely diced when you add the oats. 

Gingerbread - Use cranberry as your juice and add nutmeg, clove, all spice, cinnamon and ginger with the salt. (you can really amp this one up by replacing 1 cup of liquid with coffee or expresso. Being a complete cheapskate I use the coffee left over from the prior day. 

Cranberry - Use cranberry as your juice and add dried cranberries (or Craisins) with the oats and pecans at the end.

 

I can't wait to try this!