the quest for the perfect easy bowl of oatmeal

[TahoeDirtGirl]

I switch bfast around alot and one of the things I like to do is take the oatmeal (steelcut or old fashioned or even scottish) and add skim milk to it and refrigerate. I also add in whatever else I would of if I was cooking it, brown sugar, berries, nuts, etc. I leave it in there over night and then microwave it. The micro way is okay but sometimes I put it in a pot and refrigerate overnight and put the pot, lid and all, on the stove while I"m getting ready. Either way you put it in the fridge, put a cover on it or the fridge is going to suck the moisture out of it. Just a warning, it's pretty soft and creamy, some people don't like that.

[OakLeaf]

Nobody has trouble with cleanup of your rice cooker?

Oats get so foamy and gummy on the stovetop - and when rice is foamy (seems to be worst with short grain regular brown rice) it's a real PITA to clean my Zojirushi cooker.

I tried barley in the cooker once and it sent foam all over my kitchen counters, the inside and outside of the cooker top, it was ugly.

So I've been afraid to try anything but plain rice.

[Blueberry]

I haven't had any cleaning problems - white rice, brown rice, quinoa, soup, risotto, and pretty much everything else you can think of. I'm usually cooking for 2 - maybe I don't fill it up enough to have a problem?

CA

[Tuckervill]

While I'm waiting for the water in the tea kettle to heat, I put old-fashioned oats in a bowl with raisins and walnuts and a hint of brown sugar, and pour hot water over it from the tea kettle. While my tea steeps, I eat the oatmeal, and then the I drink my tea. This is an every single morning ritual. I don't care that the oatmeal is not cooked to a creamy mush. I think it's better chewy.

I started doing it this way when a friend gave me some oatmeal mix for xmas. It had powdered milk in it, too. She has a big family and keeps this homemade mix (oats, raisins, walnuts, powdered milk, brown sugar) in a container on the counter for the kids to make when they want. I don't put the powdered milk in it because I don't need it, and I mix it by the bowl. When I travel, though, I do mix up a big container and take my electric tea kettle with me.

Karen

[roadie gal]

Another nuker here...

1/2 cup rolled oats in 1 cup water. Microwave for 2 1/2 minutes. I usually add 1 tsp of nutritional yeast and about 1 tbsp of honey.

[OakLeaf]

Old fashioned oats can cook in the microwave too, you just have to use a large enough bowl that it won't boil over. Six to six and a half minutes at 50% power (it will boil over if you use full power).

No sugar, sometimes raisins or other fruit, a big dollop of peanut butter.

[surgtech1956]

Haven't tried any dried fruit in my oatmeal yet, we do have some dried cherries I'm going to try. Sometimes I will put just a little peanut butter in my oatmeal, I love peanut butter.

[jobob]

After much experimentation LeeBob & I have come up with our never fail method.

Get the largest pyrex bowl your microwave can hold, to prevent those messy boil-overs.

Mix 1/2 c. steel cut oats with 2 c. water in the bowl.

Microwave on high for 9:99 (depending on the power of your microwave)

Stir

Microwave on high for 6:66 (depending on the power of your microwave)

Stir. Let sit a bit*.

Spoon into 2 bowls, add a pinch of salt and some combination of milk, sugar, splenda, a pat of butter, brown sugar, cinammon, whatever, to taste.

This makes fairly chewy oatmeal.

*If you want it a less chewy consistency, let it sit for 1/2 hour or more, or even overnight (covered of course), then add a bit of milk and nuke it for 3-4 minutes.

[tzvia]

Skimmed over some of these posts. It sounds like some people can handle oats. I sure can't. Instead, I just pop some 50/50 cous cous 'n water with a little butter into the microwave for 2.5 minutes. Add a little honey and a dash (or more) cinnamon and some strawberries or blueberries, and I have a nice hot breakfast that doesn't make me feel like I swallowed a leaky gas canister. And my loved ones can actually sit in the same room with me. Another substitute is good old fashioned Farina. Love the stuff, as long as I've got my lactose pills as I like a little milk in mine. Either that, or my loved ones have to sit in another room again .

Too bad I can't stand rice based hot cereals as I could handle them in a gastric sense but I just don't like em. If I could find something that could take the bloat out of oats that would be great, as I actually like oatmeal, but it doesn't like me.

[Sarabeth]

Watch me in my kitchen. A How to video on the way I love my oatmeal.

I just uploaded a video of myself making my super bowl of oatmeal that I stuffed with good things. I have oatmeal I bet 364 days a year!!

It's on my blog today and on YouTube:
Blog post: Too healthy Oatmeal
Posting other videos of me cooking stuff on BicycleGirlCooks Watch for more new videos of me in the kitchen!

[Red Rock]

I was wondering if anyone has used bulgar wheat in their hot cereals? I had some tonight with cinnamon, lightly cooked veggies and chicken pieces. As I was eating this, it occured to me to ask.

I was thinking of perhaps something like this:

1 cup oats-steel or old fashioned
1/2 cup barley
1/2 cup bulgar
plus whatever else you might want to add.

This is a lot for one serving. I was thinking ratios here. Mix it all together then take whatever amount you want to cook with and go from there.

Would this work? To much of anything?
Thankyou for your help and suggestions.
Red Rock