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Savory Oatmeal


dockhl

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I've been thinking of making a savory oatmeal, kind of like a risotto, but would love some input on how to keep it from getting mushy and what the best flavor combinations might be.

McCann's has a recipe for an Oatmeal Pilaf that looks pretty good. I love their steel cut oats for breakfast so, why not?

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We eat savory oats all of the time. I add steel cut oats to soups, as if they're barley, too. I think that you really want to only use steel cut oats for savory dishes. Otherwise you will probably end up with a block of mush! When I'm really feeling low and need some comfort food, I make a pilaf of oats with some browned butter, salt and toasted pine nuts. I serve it with steamed spinach. Yum. I think that you can use oats just like any other grain, if you feel like it. We use them inplace of rice sometimes, or in place of pasta. Why not?

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We eat savory oats all of the time. I add steel cut oats to soups, as if they're barley, too. I think that you really want to only use steel cut oats for savory dishes. Otherwise you will probably end up with a block of mush!

I agree. Steel cut oats are closer in texture to brown rice than they are to oatmeal. I'll bet they'd work real well in a risotto.

SB (thinking about an oat/wild rice "hotdish") :wink:

Edited by srhcb (log)
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Yes, indeed ! I wasn't planning on trying to make a risotto with rolled oats................blecch ! :wacko:

The only steel cut oats I've seen are McCann's. Never seen them in bulk. I bought some Thick and Rough Oatmeal from Silver Palate that I thought would be but, no.

Guess I'll need to replenish my McCann's. (I think Trader joe's has it for a good price !)

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Skirlie is a traditional Scottish accompaniment to birds and meat. Basically it's onions softened in the fat of your choice (beef suet is ideal, but any fat will do), then combined with oatmeal, salt and pepper, perhaps a little stock. One skirlie recipe I've seen calls for two cups each of oatmeal and finely chopped onion, four ounces each of suet and "good dripping", salt and pepper. The absorption of the fats over the course of five or eight minutes of cooking is sufficient -- no liquids needed.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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Skirlie is a traditional Scottish accompaniment to birds and meat. Basically it's onions softened in the fat of your choice (beef suet is ideal, but any fat will do), then combined with oatmeal, salt and pepper, perhaps a little stock. One skirlie recipe I've seen calls for two cups each of oatmeal and finely chopped onion, four ounces each of suet and "good dripping", salt and pepper. The absorption of the fats over the course of five or eight minutes of cooking is sufficient -- no liquids needed.

Yum !

:wub:

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I buy Country Choice Steel cut oatmeal. It comjes in a 30 ounce paper canister, and it's not dear at all! Much less expensive than McCann's. Here's a link to their website: Oh My Holy Oats! I get the oats at Foodtown, so they shouldn't be so very rare, or hard to find. They're organic and delicious!

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I buy Country Choice Steel cut oatmeal. It comjes in a 30 ounce paper canister, and it's not dear at all! Much less expensive than McCann's. Here's a link to their website: Oh My Holy Oats! I get the oats at Foodtown, so they shouldn't be so very rare, or hard to find. They're organic and delicious!

thanks, Rebecca, looks like my local Vons carries it.

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I have a recipe for an oats pilaf made with Quaker Oats. They don't get mushy because they are first coated with egg and sauteed before liquid is added, which makes for a very interesting texture.

Marcia.

Don't forget what happened to the man who suddenly got everything he wanted...he lived happily ever after. -- Willy Wonka

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My grandma used to make savory oatmeal for us for breakfast It was a quick subsitute for Chinese porridge. Because she made it for us before school, she often used quick oat to cut down on the cooking time. She would put the oat in cold water and then put in on the stove. When it came to a boil, she would put in either seasoned (soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and oil) ground or sliced beef (again, for the quick cooking time) and continue to cook for a few more minutes. It's still my favorite type of oatmeal till this day.

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I have a recipe for an oats pilaf made with Quaker Oats. They don't get mushy because they are first coated with egg and sauteed before liquid is added, which makes for a very interesting texture.

Marcia.

That's like the Eastern European recipe for "kasha and bowties" which you make with buckwheat groats which are sauteed with egg until they dry out...I guess the egg is what keeps them separated. Then you mix in browned diced onion and cooked bowtie pasta.

"Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast" - Oscar Wilde

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That's like the Eastern European recipe for "kasha and bowties" which you make with buckwheat groats which are sauteed with egg until they dry out...I guess the egg is what keeps them separated. Then you mix in browned diced onion and cooked bowtie pasta.

In kasha, you can use a little bit of oil to coat the groats to their roasty toasty state; or just roll them around in a hot pan 'til they're toasted - the egg and/or oil isn't absolutely necessary, though I find it's better with either than none.

Bob Libkind aka "rlibkind"

Robert's Market Report

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I fry chicken livers, dredged in flour, until they have a bit of a crunchy coating, nicely browned (preferably fried in bacon drippings) then sliced or chopped.

I stir the liver and a bit of the fat into cooked coarse Scottish or steel-cut oats, along with some chopped scallions or even some grilled or carmelized onions.

If some is left over, no problem, I form it into patties and fry them (also in bacon drippings) and serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream on top.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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I fry chicken livers, dredged in flour, until they have a bit of a crunchy coating, nicely browned (preferably fried in bacon drippings) then sliced or chopped. 

I stir the liver and a bit of the fat into cooked coarse Scottish or steel-cut oats, along with some chopped scallions or even some grilled or carmelized onions. 

If some is left over, no problem, I form it into patties and fry them (also in bacon drippings) and serve piping hot with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Oh, man ! I am not a sweet breakfast kind o' gal...........these are GREAT suggestions !

Keep 'em coming. And thanks :)

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dockhl,

seems you have experienced steel cut oats, and other oat shapes and sizes, but for your original idea, and for general eating, oat groats are great! They are the whole oat and I do not understand why they are so hard to find. We have them here in one of our bulk stores, organic to boot. They look like medium brown color of med-long grain rice but with more tapered ends. Worth looking for.

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The old New York Times Bread and Soup cookbook had the following recipe for "Mexican Oatmeal Soup." Why--how--Mexican, I can't say, but it was marked as one of the most requested recipes, so I tried it and loved it. I have to say, my husband never could get past the idea of oatmeal soup, so I haven't made this in ages. I think I probably cut down on the butter when I made it, and I am sure I used canned tomatoes. I would probably add some jalapeno pepper if I made it now.

Mexican Oatmeal Soup

1 1/3 cups rolled oats

8 tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

3 large cloves of garlic, chopped or crushed

2 large tomatoes, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

salt

Toast the oats in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the oats are lightly browned. Remove the oats from the skillet. Add butter to skillet; sweat the onion and garlic. Add the oats; stir to coat with butter and saute them a little. Then add tomatoes and broth. Simmer about 10 minutes over medium heat. Salt to taste.

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After three years of eating oatmeal at breakfast, I decided to experiment a little bit; since then I've made baconmeal, eggmeal, chickenbrothmeal, cheesemeal, porkmeal, chilimeal, and the generically-named and inoffensive-tasting 'meatmeal.'

Of the above, I think eggs were the worst. I don't know if there's a nice way to combine eggs and oatmeal, but if there is, I can more or less guarantee you it will involve cooking them separately.

Cheesemeal, oddly enough, has been the best. I don't think it works well with hard cheeses like parmesan, or really soft cheeses like ricotta, but it's awesome with a good, melty, tangy cheese. Slices of heavily processed cheese product actually work out well; they impart a nice creaminess and taste vaguely of salt and cheese. A good queso blanco with some salt might work even better.

Chilimeal, or oatmeal combined with chili, is basically totally inoffensive and unspectacular; it tastes like watered-down chili.

There are a few key lessons that I've learned about savory oatmeal:

1) Oatmeal is all about texture. It may sound like an interesting idea to have pieces of meat floating around in it, but generally it doesn't turn out that well.

2) Oatmeal is going to slightly dilute the flavor of whatever you put into it.

It should be noted that all of my experiments were done with whole rolled (as opposed to steel-cut or instant) oats, which were boiled.

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Yes, indeed ! I wasn't planning on trying to make a risotto with rolled oats................blecch !  :wacko:

The only steel cut oats I've seen are McCann's. Never seen them in bulk. I bought some Thick and Rough Oatmeal from Silver Palate that I thought would be but, no.

Guess I'll need to replenish my McCann's. (I think Trader joe's has it for a good price !)

Bob's Red Mill has steel cut oats here and groats here. . You can order direct or find them at natural food stores and some supermarkets.

Ilene

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I have a recipe for an oats pilaf made with Quaker Oats. They don't get mushy because they are first coated with egg and sauteed before liquid is added, which makes for a very interesting texture.

Marcia.

I think you may have the same recipe that I have. It is iin a booklet that I got from Quaker in the 60's. I prefer Old-fashioned oats rather than the quick cooking type.

As I recall, we liked it so I don't know why I haven't made it recently.

Edited by BarbaraY (log)
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  • 1 year later...

Don't know how soon your meal is, but I copied down a recipe out of the NYTimes for an oatmeal- infused vodka. Haven't started it yet, but the idea is a hoot. Here's the gist:

Oats and Honey Vodka

Adapted from Blue Hill at Stone Barns

1 liter premium vodka

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup mild honey

Combine the vodka and oats in a glass jar with a tight lid. Put in a cool, dark place for 3 days, shaking thoroughly once each day. After 3 days, strain the vodka through cheesecloth and discard the oats. Let the residue settle for about 15 minutes; strain again. Repeat 5 or 6 times, using fresh cheesecloth each time, until the vodka is milky but not chalky (whatever that means). Add the honey and mix well.

Smoother after 1 week in the refrigerator; best consumed within a month.

Shake well before using. Serve over ice, if desired, garnished with a cinnamon stick.

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oat groats are great!

How true, how true. Sadly, oat groats are thought of only as horse food by too many people.

Try oat groat pilaf and you will be hooked. There used to be a recipe for it on the back of the package sold usually in health food stores (I think it is from Eden Foods).

The other wonderful thing about eating oat groats, especially in the morning, is that you will not be hungry for a long, long time. They are extremely nutritious.

Oat groat sprouts are also very tasty and easy to make at home. They are good on sandwiches and on salads.

KBJ

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