Speedy, Chewey Oatmeal

[LindaW]

I recently found a great tip for preparing a great bowl of oatmeal fast. I love the ease of preparation, plus I also think the texture is superior to regular "Cooked" oatmeal. Please give it a try and let me know your thoughts.
All I do is measure out 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of Old Fashioned Oatmeal into a bowl while I bring a kettle of water to a boil. When the water boils, add it to the bowl, covering the oatmeal. Let stand for about 5-10 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Then pop the bowl of oatmeal into the microwave on high for 40 seconds. Enjoy.
I usually cut up some dried fruit: Apricots, candied ginger and cherries on top of the oatmeal before I add the water. After microwaving, I stir in a bit of non-fat half and half (what a great invention that stuff is!)and then top with nonfat milk. I think it's a great breakfast and no pan to wash!

[Saralee]

Yum, that sounds tasty. I'll have to try that tomorrow morning.

My experimentation has found that cooking oatmeal along with the milk or water (vs. adding it to the boiling liquid)makes the oatmeal much creamier. I'm not sure why, maybe because the oatmeal has longer to soak up the moisture. hmm...

[karole]

for years i have been putting 1/2 cup oats in a cereal bowl add a certain amount of water
i don't measure it--go by looks -- then microwave on high for 3 minutes. oatmeal does not always require the same amount of time--depends on where it is grown--sometimes is harder than other years. you just have to make sure your bowl is deep enough so it doesn't run over. is this more than you wanted to know? i think so.

[GayeC]

Originally posted by LindaW:
I recently found a great tip for preparing a great bowl of oatmeal fast.

This sounds very promising! I love "cooked" oatmeal (as opposed to instant) but don't often have time to make it before work. I will definitely give your method a try tomorrow.

[doggerham]

I love good oatmeal, and I think the best recipe I've ever found is the one from Cook's Illustrated. If you've ever perused that magazine, you know they are the most anal retentive crowd, but I enjoy reading about their experiments. They go through a fairly in depth discussion of how oats are processed, and I now only use the real thing - steel cut oats.

Now this recipe is NOT quick, but I make it the night before, dump it in tupper and then scoop out and nuke what I want. If anyone is interested, I will post the recipe tonight.

Amy

[Curleytop]

I place 4 ounces of water into a sml saucepan, add a pinch of salt, bring to a boil. Add 1/4 cup oldfashioned oats, bring to a boil again, and cook for 5 minutes.
I usually add a few raisins, or craisins and a little maple syrup!

[Karen from VA]

Just to add a little more nutrition, I lightly grind a tablespoon of flaxseed (in a coffee grinder used just for spices, etc.)and stir it into my cooked oatmeal. (If it is cooked with the oatmeal, it produces an unappealing slimy texure). The flaxseed gives the oatmeal a nice nutty flavor. The reason I grind it is that I heard/read (right or wrong) that whole flaxseed just passes right through your body without releasing it's nutrients. This is okay if one is just looking for added fiber, but I figure I might as well get full benefit from it.

Karen