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Oatmeal... not just your breakfast cereal anymoreby Lisa
Vine Does the
mention of oatmeal conjure images of a mother, in a cozy kitchen
cajoling her
children to eat the breakfast oatmeal: It’ll stick to your ribs?” Why
would I
want to eat something that would stick to my ribs? It isn’t a terribly
attractive image — clomping off to school with blobs of gummy oatmeal
stuck to my
body. Nonetheless,
Mom was right, figuratively. Those little gooey flakes of oatmeal, made
from
the seeds of the oat plant (avena sativa), have the potential to
help us
for some time: They contain valuable nutrients; protein, soluble fiber,
which
is responsible for the gumminess; and gamma linoleic acid (GLA.) Because it
is soft, the nutritious outer covering of bran around the endosperm
does not
have to be removed. Whole grain oats contain seven B vitamins, vitamin
E, and
minerals such as iron and calcium. The hull-less oat kernel — the groat
— has the
highest protein content of any cereal. One ounce of oats has twice the
protein
of wheat or corn flakes. One cup of cooked whole grain oatmeal provides
about
13% of one’s daily requirement of protein. The protein
in oats differs from the protein found in other cereals. Oat is the
only cereal
to contain a legume-like protein called globulin, which is nearly
equivalent in
quality to soy protein. Other grains have a prolamine protein more
commonly known
as gluten. The absence of gluten in oats means that oat flour, however
nutritious it is, cannot be used alone for yeast bread. The most
newsworthy benefits of oats, are the soluble fiber and the GLA — a
fatty acid
that helps lower cholesterol levels in the body. So far, so
good. But how do we bring oats out of the breakfast menu, or are we all
eating
many daily bowls of oatmeal? Fortunately, oats are available at the
Co-op in a
variety of forms, including the most familiar rolled oats, but also
other
variations. In Bulk you can find quick oats, rolled oats, thick rolled
oats,
organic rolled oats, organic thick rolled oats, whole oats (groats),
steel cut
oats and oat flour. A week
before writing this article, I overheard a conversation in the Bulk
aisle
between two women: one extolled the virtues of a risotto recipe that
used steel
cut oats instead of rice. I should have pulled her aside. (And don’t
forget
dessert: My husband’s idea of eating healthy is to have oatmeal cookies
instead
of brownies.) I recommend steel cut oats cooked with dill or caraway
seeds as a
rice alternative. Summary
of Oats Rolled
Oats: Steamed
groats (the whole grain of the oat, outer hard husk removed, and then
steamed
to prevent them from going rancid) that are then flattened… to varying
thicknesses.
Cooking times vary, according to the thickness of the flakes. Whole
Oats (Groats) Steel
Cut Oats: Groats
(the whole grain of the oat, outer hard husk removed, and then toasted)
cut
into two or three pieces; these take longer to cook than rolled oats. Oat
Flour: This is
a good addition to gluten-containing flours such as wheat; substitute
one part
oat flour for every five parts of wheat flour when making a yeast bread. References
Deborah
Madison, Vegetarian
Cooking for Everyone; “Oats,” World Book Encyclopedia; www.karenskitchen.com Basic
Cooking Instructions Rolled
oats: Bring
2 cups
of water to a boil; add 1 cup of rolled oats; simmer for 5 minutes. Whole
oats (Groats): Bring
2 cups of water to a boil; add 1 cup of oat groats. Lower heat and
simmer for
45 minutes. Steel
cut oats: Bring
to a boil 3 cups of water and 1 cup of steel cut oats. Boil for 5
minutes, then
turn off the heat. Cover the pan and let them sit another 10 minutes. (www.karenskitchen.com) Oatmeal
Pancakes (from
Deborah Madison, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone) 1½ cup
rolled oats (you can use steel cut oats, but they need to soak
longer—overnight) Stir the
oats and buttermilk together and let sit for 20 minutes, if you’re
using rolled
oats; steel cut oats need to sit overnight. Meanwhile, heat the griddle
and
beat the eggs with the maple sugar and oil. After 20 minutes, if you’re
using
rolled oats, stir in the oats and buttermilk mixture. Combine the dry
ingredients and add them to the oat mixture as well. Drop ¼ cup
batter onto the
hot griddle and cook over a medium-low heat. This batter has a lot of
moisture
and needs to cook slowly. These are
good also with berries mixed into the batter, or added on the side. Oatmeal
Bread (from
Judith and Evan Jones, Knead It, Punch It, Bake It! The Ultimate
Breadmaking
Book for Parents and Kids) 2 cups
rolled oats Put the
oats into a large mixing bowl and pour the boiling water over them.
Stir in the
butter, dry milk, molasses or syrup, and salt. Let stand until cool.
Dissolve
the yeast in the warm water. Add this to the cooled oatmeal mixture.
Stir in
the whole wheat flour and about 2 cups of the white flour until the
dough becomes
difficult to stir. Turn the
dough out onto a floured surface and gradually add white flour while
kneading.
Sprinkle the raisins over the dough and knead them in evenly. Place the
dough
into a greased bowl; cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place
until the
dough doubles in size (1½ hours). After the dough has doubled in
size, punch it
down and form it into two loaf shapes. Place them into greased loaf
pans. Cover
and let rise a second time for 45 minutes. Bake in a pre-heated oven
for 45
minutes. |
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