Ok, I'm a believer now...

jennifermaria

jennifermaria

Cathlete
For years, I've been reading about steel cut oats on this forum and didn't really get the appeal of it--every time I had made it, it would come out just ok, and I preferred the texture and taste of regular old-fashioned oats. Then last week, my friend told me to put salt in the milk when I made it, and that it would make a world of difference. I didn't really believe her, but I thought I'd give it a try.

Much to my surprise, it really did make a difference! I always knew salt brought out the flavor in foods, so I shouldn't have been so surprised--after all, that's the reason we put salt in baked goods, too--but wow! Now I can see why everyone loves and prefers steel cut oats! And I don't mind taking the time to make a big batch on Sundays to have enough for the week...

Btw, I had to add my own twist to it, just to see if I could make it even better than it was after my salt discovery. I usually put a little orange zest, almond extract, and cinnamon in my rolled oats, so I decided to do the same thing with my steel cut oats, and mmm, it made it taste just like rice pudding! The milk (I used skim) came out all thick and creamy after being on the stove for so long, and the orange zest, almond extract, and cinnamon (I used a cinnamon stick so it could really impart a flavor) made it oh so good. Plus, because it was cooking in milk for so long, there was a hint of sweetness to it already, so I may not even need to add much sugar when I have it. Not so when I make the rolled oats in the microwave--I don't think it has enough time to absorb the sweetness from the milk. Nice little trick I learned :).

I can't wait to have it for breakfast tomorrow!
 
Isn't it amazing how sometimes just a touch of salt (Celtic sea salt, Himalayan salt or Hawaian pink salt are my choices!) can change things around?

jennifermaria said:
I usually put a little orange zest, almond extract, and cinnamon in my rolled oats, so I decided to do the same thing with my steel cut oats, and mmm, it made it taste just like rice pudding!
Click to expand...

That sounds DELISH!

I may try that in my chia cereal (to make a batch, mix 1 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup hemp seeds, and a bit more than a 1/2 cup of germinated buckwheat and a bit of salt---again, the magic salt, LOL!--in a Mason jar, shake to mix. For one serving, use 2 heaping TBsp of the mix in 4 Tbsp liquid, stir to mix well, let sit 10 minutes, stir again, then let sit 10 more minutes. I usually add organic dried wild blueberries...yummers!)
 
The almond extract came about because I LOOOOOVE marzipan, so I love anything with a hint of almond :).

Ok, full confession: I get a little fancy with my oatmeal :). Not only do I put in the things I mentioned above, but I also put in... drumroll, please... cocoa powder! Unsweetened cocoa powder :). The chocolate, almond extract, cinnamon, and orange zest produce a heavenly combo in my mouth. And do I stop there? Nope. I also put in a teaspoon of sucanat (whose wonderful molasses flavor just makes the chocolate even more chocolate-y), berries, and the piece de resistance, natural peanut butter.

I have this for breakfast 5-6 days out of the week. I can't seem to get sick of it ;).
 
Jennifer...shut up! Cocoa powder, too? I love that! You have made an art of oatmeal. OK...I'm a culinary illiterate. How does one do orange zest?

:)Jonezie
 
Jennifer, you are a woman after my own heart :) I also love my steel cut oats - admittedly, I make them in a rice/porridge cooker, so it's fast.

Rather than cook with milk, I use water (in the cooker) and then add plain nonfat yogurt afterwards. I've found that crumbled walnuts and pecans are wonderful. Put them in the cooker, they'll be a little softer. Add them in afterwards for a crunchy taste. Berries are great - I also enjoy things like apricot halves and plums. I've found that it works best to add strawberries and raspberries after cooking, but blueberries and stone fruits hold up just fine in the cooker. Normally I put in at least three kinds of fruits, counting raisins :) Spices I like include the cinnamon you're using, but also ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Vanilla is very nice. No salt in mine, or sweeteners.

It is really wonderful to wake up to a house that smells like Christmas, and a breakfast that looks and tastes like a decadent dessert! I even bought fancy looking dessert-bowls to serve it in. We have some variation of this six or seven days a week.

Once I used some peanut butter and liked that ... but haven't tried almond extract or cocoa or orange zest ... hmmm ....
 
Jonezie: I zest oranges with the microplane zester--it works really well! I've tried with regular graters, but I can never seem to get the zest to come off without pressing hard into the grater. Makes a mess.

Man, all this talk of fancy oatmeal has me wanting to eat a bowl right now, rather than wait until tomorrow morning LOL!
 
Ok ladies...where do you find steel cut oats that don't have sugar added? Trader Joe's has the brown sugar version only (at least mine does). And what makes the steel cut oats superior to Quaker? I've never used the steel cut.

:)
 
I just find the taste so much richer with steel cut - the oatmeal does not turn to mush ... it reminds me of when I switched from minute rice to brown rice (which also goes in the rice cooker).

Mine, I get in bulk via Amazon, believe it or not :) Honeyville Farms, McCanns, Country Choice and Red Mill all make a good product. I've had mixed luck with Quaker from supermarkets, probably because it had been on the shelf too long.

I've heard that you can get organic from many food coops; we just don't have one handy around here.
 
I get mine at Trader Joe's actually. They have several brands that are just plain steel cut oats: McCann's, Country Corner, and their own brand, which is a quick-cook version (I know, a bit of an oxy moron, but it takes 10 min on the stove top instead of 30 min).

I use the quick-cook kind and make it on the stove top, though I may attempt making it in the slow cooker again, now that I've discovered the "salt secret" LOL.

And steel cut oats, when done right (i.e. not the way I'd been making it before, apparently LOL), are chewier, which I like. I really can't stand the mushy texture of instant--it makes me gag--and rolled oats (i.e. old-fashioned) are a huge improvement, but steel cut edges it.
 
Last edited:
kathryn said:
Isn't it amazing how sometimes just a touch of salt (Celtic sea salt, Himalayan salt or Hawaian pink salt are my choices!) can change things around?



That sounds DELISH!

I may try that in my chia cereal (to make a batch, mix 1 cup chia seeds, 1/2 cup hemp seeds, and a bit more than a 1/2 cup of germinated buckwheat and a bit of salt---again, the magic salt, LOL!--in a Mason jar, shake to mix. For one serving, use 2 heaping TBsp of the mix in 4 Tbsp liquid, stir to mix well, let sit 10 minutes, stir again, then let sit 10 more minutes. I usually add organic dried wild blueberries...yummers!)
Click to expand...

How do you germinate the buckwheat? And what kind of buckwheat are you starting with, the groats?

Thanks

Alisha
 
Okay, now I'm officially intrigued. Like you, I don't like the texture of steel-cut oats mostly because it tastes like that paste we used to make in kindergarten a zilliion years ago.

So, my question is, how do you get the oatmeal to still be yummy when warmed up and not turn into a gelantanous blob? When I have tried to warm up oatmeal even when adding additional milk it still gets all globby.

Thanks!
Pam
 
jennifermaria said:
The almond extract came about because I LOOOOOVE marzipan, so I love anything with a hint of almond :).

Ok, full confession: I get a little fancy with my oatmeal :). Not only do I put in the things I mentioned above, but I also put in... drumroll, please... cocoa powder! Unsweetened cocoa powder :). The chocolate, almond extract, cinnamon, and orange zest produce a heavenly combo in my mouth. And do I stop there? Nope. I also put in a teaspoon of sucanat (whose wonderful molasses flavor just makes the chocolate even more chocolate-y), berries, and the piece de resistance, natural peanut butter.

I have this for breakfast 5-6 days out of the week. I can't seem to get sick of it ;).
Click to expand...

I am so copying you!!!!!!!
 
pjlippert said:
Okay, now I'm officially intrigued. Like you, I don't like the texture of steel-cut oats mostly because it tastes like that paste we used to make in kindergarten a zilliion years ago.

So, my question is, how do you get the oatmeal to still be yummy when warmed up and not turn into a gelantanous blob? When I have tried to warm up oatmeal even when adding additional milk it still gets all globby.

Thanks!
Pam
Click to expand...

That was my problem with it too!! I had to experiment with how much milk to add to the "paste" (LOL) before I stick it in the microwave. It took me a while to figure out just how much milk to add back: too much, and it becomes all soupy; too little and it's still a blob. I add about a tablespoon or two of milk to 3/4 cup of the cooked oatmeal. I've had fairly consistent results from that.

I'll be honest, though--nothing beats freshly cooked steel cut oats. That's still the best way to eat them, but there's just no way I have 30 min in the morning to make them. Trader Joe's quick cut steel cut oats are microwavable (and they take 5 min in the microwave) but you need a really deep bowl to prevent spillage, and none of my bowls are deep enough, so that's not really an option for me either. If I'm going to go the microwave route, I just use rolled oats.
 
Last edited:
I invested in a high end Zojirushi rice (and porridge) cooker two years ago and never looked back. Sure, they are pricey - even on sale - but it takes me less than TEN MINUTES to throw all these decadent ingredients in my cooker and add water. Usually closer to five, since I have them all handy. It wipes clean in a few swipes, or a trip through the dishwasher. You can set two timers (I have one for the usual dinner time and one for breakfast), plus the keep-warm function lasts for hours if you misjudge. It has settings for various kinds of rice, and porridge, so all you do is set the menu plus the time you want things to be ready - no need to calculate cooking time. Perfect oatmeal or rice every time. Never gooey. I've let it stand three hours before, no problem. I use my cooker twice a day, most days a week. Rice and porridge takes around an hour to cook, so you do need to think ahead; but you do not have to stand over it.

This gives me perfect oatmeal every morning, and brown rice as often as I like. Brown rice is even easier, as all you have to do is add water (you can spice up the brown rice too, of course). The cooker even does gaba, though I haven't tried that yet.

This is EASY :D:D:D:D:D:D:D

Also BTW, I tried the trick with unsweetened cocoa powder and a few shavings off of an orange to make orange zest.
My word!!!!! And I thought I had the ultimate breakfast before!!!! Thanks, Jennifer :)
 
Last edited:
Shadowpup said:
Also BTW, I tried the trick with unsweetened cocoa powder and a few shavings off of an orange to make orange zest.
My word!!!!! And I thought I had the ultimate breakfast before!!!! Thanks, Jennifer :)
Click to expand...

Woohoo, so glad you liked it! Isn't it delish? :)

Darn, I just got a rice cooker (that was pretty expensive already :)), but it's only got settings for white rice, brown rice, and keep warm. Not sure which setting I'd use for the steel cut oats, so I'll have to use the slow cooker for that...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top