Recipe of the Week: Oatmeal Variations
I am a creature of habit. Every morning, I eat roughly the same thing–a huge bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice. You might recall that I ate a huge breakfast while pregnant. I still do, but I don’t have two eggs everyday anymore. Oatmeal is one of the few things I can eat for breakfast and not feel faint within a few hours.
The basic oatmeal recipe is simple. This makes the equivalent of two packets of oatmeal, so you can adjust the measurements as needed. I like my oatmeal thick and sweet. You may like yours more watery and will want to add more milk.
Basic Oatmeal:
generous 1/2 cup of quick oats
generous spoonful or two of milled flax seed
spoonful or two of honey
about 1/8 cup of walnut pieces
generous 3/4 cup of milk
Stir together and microwave on high for about 2 minutes. Enjoy.
Variations:
Fruity oatmeal
Add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries before cooking. Half a banana is also tasty.
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal
Add a quarter of a coarsely chopped, peeled apple and a dash of cinnamon before cooking.
Tropical Delight Oatmeal
Add a handful of unsweetened raw coconut flakes and half a banana, chopped before cooking. The banana gets nice and mushy and the coconut adds a wonderful flavor. This one is so tasty that I have to limit myself to eating it at just breakfast.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal (I make this when I have leftover canned pumpkin)
Add a spoonful or two of pureed pumpkin along with a dash of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger before cooking.
Enjoy!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:11 am
My favorite is adding peanut butter and honey. I generally save it for campouts but a few weeks ago when I ran out of milk I ate it for several breakfasts…and snacks…
October 9th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I frequent your site thru Lynsey Kramers…I’m just changing over to more natural products and healthier eatting.
ANYWAYS….whats the big difference with the quick oat and old fashioned? All the books I’ve been reading on eatting better say to stay away from the quick variety…whats your input?
October 9th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Carrie, it is my understanding that rolled (or old fashioned) oats and quick oats are the same thing, the quick ones have just been cut into smaller pieces before the rolling process. They are nutritionally the same, but the rolled oats tend to have more flavor to them which is why cookbooks call for the rolled kind. Instant oats, on the other hand, are cooked more before being flattened and are the least nutritious.
I would rather use steel cut oats or even oat groats, but I just don’t have time in the morning with getting everyone ready and trying to get myself fed, too. I’ve been looking into cooking oat groats like this, it sounds interesting: http://thedeliberateagrarian.blogspot.com/2008/09/vacuum-bottle-cooking-cheap-wholesome.html