Cooking oatmeal for breakfast is easy
Creamy delicious oatmeal in easy steps
I make a bowl of oatmeal like this everyday for breakfast. Research has shown that oats contains a soluble fiber that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Cooking raw oatmeal is actually faster than you think. I like my oatmeal gooey and creamy. The following is my pictorial recipe for basic oatmeal.
Ingredients
This recipe is for 1 serving
1/2 cup of Old Fashioned quick cooking Quaker Oats
1 cup of water
pinch of salt
sugar or sweetener of choice
1 egg
fruit topping (optional)
step 1: measure out 1/2 cup of dry oatmeal
I keep a plastic 1/4 measuring cup in my canister of oatmeal so I take two scoops without thinking about it.
step 2 : Add 1 cup of water
Starting with cold water first will result in creamier oatmeal. Add a pinch of salt. You may use milk instead for calcium. But watch the pot carefully as milk burns easily.
step 3: Cook on the stovetop on high heat
Oatmeal flakes will absorb the water and expand. Leave it until it bubbles.
step 4: Lower the heat to medium when oatmeal turn bubbly
Stir the pot and let it cook 2 minutes more.
step 5: Crack an egg into the oatmeal
Adding an egg is the secret to creamy texture. The egg also add protein to my breakfast. You may choose to leave out the yolk and just use egg white, but I haven't tried that before.
step 6: Stir egg into oatmeal until creamy
At this point I turn off the stove and let the residual heat to cook the egg.
step 7: Season with sweetener of choice.
I add a teaspoon of sugar to sweeten the oatmeal. Add cinnamon now if you plan on making cinnamon raisin oatmeal.
NOTE: in my effort to cut down white sugar, I've been using honey as a sweetener instead. The result still tastes great. I also stir in ripen bananas slices or diced apple chunks and its natural sugar helps flavor the oatmeal.
step 8: Remove oatmeal from stove
Oatmeal should be rich and thick, not watery or soupy.
step 9: Serve in a large bowl
You can serve the oatmeal as is or add fruit toppings. My all time favorite is banana slices.
So you've master cooking instant oatmeal
Graduate to cooking steel cut oatmeal
Steel cut oats is simply whole oat groats that have been sliced into smaller pieces (rather than rolled). It is whole grain, and it is a rich in soluble fiber and vitamins. Since steel cut oats is not as heavily processed as roll oats, it requires a little longer time to cook. It tastes a bit nuttier and the texture is a bit chewier with a great mouth feel. If you are ready to try steel cut oatmeal, I'd suggest trying Honeyville's steel cut oats.
