the quest for the perfect easy bowl of oatmeal

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Originally Posted by Aint Doody

Easiest--uncooked with walnuts and blueberries (fresh or frozen) and fat-free vanilla yogurt. Sticks with you, but it's not exactly a warm breakfast.

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Yours isn't warm...mine isn't oatmeal....

But I really love Grape Nuts in Dannon Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt - delish!!

we use "original" quaker oats and they are always a big hit. we like to add dried fruit or fresh fruit and chopped nuts to it.

We add milk and brown sugar, DH must have cinnamon.

It never really seems to take that long to cook, while it's cooking I'm cleaning up other messes in the kitchen anyway.
Bmccasland, thanks for doing the experiment. Crock pot cooking of oats seems like way too much work for me!

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Originally Posted by mimitabby

we use "original" quaker oats and they are always a big hit. we like to add dried fruit or fresh fruit and chopped nuts to it.

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I use Safeway's version of oats labeled "old fashioned". Same as Quaker "original" I'm sure. I have some hand made deep bowls, so I put together 1/2 c. oats, 1 c. water, a pinch of salt, and dried fruit du jour. Usually cranberries or blueberries. Zap in the microwave for 2 1/2 minutes on high, then let it sit covered for 3-5 minutes. Add brown sugar or honey. Yummy. And no pot to clean :D. But the bowl has to be deep enough so that the oatmeal won't boil over.

In the summer I put it together the night before using vanilla soy milk rather than water. Refrigerate and eat it cold and uncooked in the morning.

Getting hungry. Must find lunch.

I use Quaker 1-Minute oats. Boil water for tea. Put oatmeal in a bowl with the raisins and walnuts and brown sugar. Pour my cup and then poor water over the oatmeal until it looks right. Stir and eat. No messy pot.

But just *today* I heard someone talking about Irish oatmeal on XM, so I bought some and I'm going to try them tomorrow.

Karen

If I'm in a hurry I use instant. Slice up a banana, put it in the bowl, dump the instant over the banana and add boiling water. Top with a little soy milk and I'm good to go.

If I"m not in a hurry though, I prefer steel cut.

Don't know what it is about my grocery stores, but I can't find anything but quaker or store brand. I really wanna try some steel cut, but can't find it. Give me some brand names please? Maybe I can call some whole food stores and check it out. Unfortunately our whole food stores + $$$$ :o

BTW..I'm baack! Fisrt post in ages!

Barb, I live in Wal-Mart land (the real one--near Bentonville, AR), so no one within 30 miles has steel cut oats (although Wal-Mart's organic and "not found in Arkansas" selection is growing--I can get cous-cous, now, but not capers in my local Wal-Mart). But I happened to be in funky Fayetteville when I found steel cut oats--in the little health food boutique section of the grocery store closest to the only food co-op in the area.

What I'm trying to say is, try the health food store, or the regular store closest to the health food store! ;)

Karen

I'm in the mood for oatmeal. Usually buy the Quick Oats, don't eat the instant anymore. I finally found Steel Cut Oats at a local health food store, going to make some in the crock pot this weekend.

Didn't read all the replies - sorry, but just wanted to add a variation of your plan. 1/4 steel cut oats, 1 cup boiling water into thermos. Put on lid, sit on counter overnight. Still warm in the morning although I nuke it for 20-30 seconds to warm it up more. The thermos will have a slimy coating inside but no dried on oatmeal and it cleans up with hot water and soap, no scrubbing.

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Originally Posted by bmccasland

Not too long ago was a thread about cooking oatmeal. Me, being a biologist and all, had to contuct a scientific experiment.... This was in the name of science afterall.
The oats - steel cut, what else?
Methods of cooking: traditional simmer on the stove, crockpot (and I have to get those liners for my non-removal crock), and boil/let sit.

Simmer on the stove - you have to stir it, otherwise it burns which is Not Good. Stir - labor intensive. Low simmer and ignore - burned.

Crock pot - follow the recipe, add dried fruit to satisfaction, cook on low overnight. Result: creamy oats, really soft fruit. I happen to like the nutty texture of steel oats, and this did get somewhat creamy. But not like rolled oats. If you're cooking for a family - this would be my method of choice. Hot oats for all in the morning, little fuss.

Bring to boil, cover, and let sit overnight. I really like this one. Of course the oats are cold in the morning, so you have to portion out and reheat in the microwave. I put in dried fruit when I brought the whole thing to a boil, and the fruit didn't get real soft. Also the pot is easier to clean than if I did the simmer and stir method.

Preferred method after this highly scientific experiment: bring to boil, cover, and sit overnight.

Bonne Appetite!

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I'm another microwaver: 1/2 cup oats, 3/4 cup water, 45 seconds in the microwave, stir, add raisins, another 45 seconds in the microwave. Add milk, cream, sweetener, whatever and it's a good breakfast that sticks with me for hours. I cover the bowl with a small plate to keep things from going all over.

Has anybody tried the fuzzy logic rice cooker? I've heard it works well, but haven't seen the specifics...

CA

We're big oatmeal fans. :)

Alton Brown had an oatmeal episode of Goods Eats some time back. I believe that he explained that "steel cut" are chopped, uncooked oats, "old-fashioned, long cooking" oats are rolled (squished) oats that have been steam-cooked to an extent and "instant" are rolled oats that have been steam-cooked completely.

Alton's "Overnight Oatmeal" recipe is our absolute favorite:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/a...ipe/index.html

We use whatever dried fruits we feel like using but I think our favorite combo is half raisins, half dried cranberries. We use fat-free half & half and sometimes add a few tablespoons of flax seed that I grind in our never-used-for-coffee grinder.

I make this recipe several times every week. The leftovers keep very well for a couple of days. A little zap in the microwave to warm it up is all it takes.

I have found, however, that our old (30-year-old) wedding gift crock pot works the best. Our newer crock pots, I swear, are hotter than the old one and tend to scorch any low-liquid food I make in it. The old one makes a perfect batch which is ready to eat in the morning. Since finding this recipe I've used our old crockpot more than in all the years that we've had the thing! :)

Steel cut in the fuzzy rice cooker is great!
But daily, I go for old fashioned rolled, cold, stirred into yogurt with whatever fruit is handy.


And by the way, since I started eating oats/yogurt, I could be a statistic on those evangelical, "lower your cholesterol" ads!

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Originally Posted by CA_in_NC

Has anybody tried the fuzzy logic rice cooker? I've heard it works well, but haven't seen the specifics...

CA

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I have one of these and I've been wondering how well it would work for oatmeal. I'll have to try it out. Though, I have used it to cook dried beans that weren't soaked and it worked fabulously.

I never knew steel cut oatmeal could be so easy! It's one of those things I rarely make (and only on the weekends) because it takes 30 min or so. Somehow despite owning practically every other kitchen appliance (even obscure ones like a food mill and an ice cream maker), I don't have a slow cooker! I will have to get one so I can wake up to some oatmeal too :)

I'm enjoying all the things that I've learned from TE!