And the Secret Ingredient Is....Oatmeal!
Monday, September 6, 2010 Did anyone check out the new Iron Chef episode on Food Network the other night? Christopher Kostow vs. Cat Cora. It was battle oatmeal! Who woulda thunk that you could come up with 4+ courses for a 5-star dinner using little old oatmeal as the forefront of all of them. Of course, with the variety of different kinds you can buy nowadays--from Irish steel cut to Scottish to oat bran to regular old-fashioned--it does sound feasible to an extent.
From Left to Right: Multigrain Oats, Steel Cut, Oat Bran, Old-Fashioned Rolled
Now, I have to admit...and this may come as shock to several other bloggers, who are known to love their oatmeal to the max, I didn't actually like oatmeal at all until this past year during my senior year at college. I'm referring to oatmeal cooked on the stove, not oats in general, which I have always loved. Despite having never really given it a chance, I had written it off as just not for me. I preferred cold cereal or, to be honest, eggs or just a nice Ezekiel English Muffin (if you haven't had this brand, you must try it!).
But this episode seriously made me reconsider all the awesome things that you can make with oats, here are just a few example dishes from last night:
- Squid Ink Risotto (made with steel cut oats) with Oat Flour Encrusted Calamari
- Oat encrusted pork tenderloin
- Oat pappardelle pasta with ragu
- Oat and Goat Milk Cake
- Roasted Squab with Oatmeal
The pasta caught my eye in particular—even if the judges said that the oat taste was lost on the dish.
And on that note, I’ll leave you with my favorite and quite traditional oat muesli recipe. It is similar to the idea of overnight oats, but with my own twist.
Manic Monday Muesli
1/2 cup traditional rolled oats
1/4 cup multigrain oats (or you could substitute more regular!)
handful of Zante currants
1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon wheat germ or ground flax
pinch of salt
Directions: Mix together the night before in container or morning of; add milk, let sit for 5-10 minutes and enjoy! It’s that simple.
I love to pack this when I’m traveling—especially on planes—since I can stick the dry mixture in a disposable container and not have to worry about it getting confiscated at security lines. I then head over to the local coffee shop (usually Starbucks) where I get my coffee and add free milk from their stations! Quite sneaky of me…I know.
Looking for more oatmeal recipes? Check out these fabulous recipes using oatmeal (just to name a few):
- Kath Eats—Whipped Banana Oatmeal (the recipe that made me enjoy oatmeal)
- Edible Perspective—Scottish Oat Perfection
- Oh She Glows—Banana Soft Serve Overnight Oats
- (Never Home) Maker—Nutella Pear Oatmeal
So even though I use oats in loads of baking recipes or just eat in the form of oatmeal in the mornings on quite a regular basis…in the spirit of Iron Chef, I’ve decided to challenge myself to a similar oatmeal challenge. I must find a way to use it in a way that’s new and creative.
Whose with me?
- What’s your favorite way to eat oatmeal? Feel free to leave a link with your own recipe or a fellow bloggers!
- What creative dish would you like me to attempt to make using oats? Share your ideas!
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Reader Comments (9)
Get ready for this... I am not a huge oats fan. It just doesn't do it for breakfast. I actually enjoy it more for lunch. But I need more protein and substance for breakfast!
Thanks for the shout, lady! Oats are THE BEST! This morning, I mixed some steel cut oats with apples, cinnamon, cloves, and -- SWEET POTATO. Crazy good. <3
Alex-- Hehe, don't worry about it! I enjoy oats at all times of the day, sometimes I prefer eggs if I'm trying to add more protein. Or I'll eat some of the muesli with another small bowl of fresh fruit and greek yogurt! It helps a lot
Ashley-- No problem, girl. That sounds awesome, please tell me you'll be posting that recipe up soon! I've done pumpkin, but haven't gotten around to sweet potato yet. Yumm
Oh no!! I can't believe I missed this episode! Oats are my favorite grains ever, and actually...I'm eating oats right now while reading this! hahaha!
Haha! Maybe they'll do a repeat sometime this week? Oats are definitely one of my favorites too. Quinoa is up there as well!
My two favourite ways to eat oatmeal/porridge: Banana Brulee Porridge (http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2008/11/26/two-for-one) and Cocoa Banana Almond/Hazelnut Porridge (http://britchickruns.wordpress.com/2010/04/11/old-favouriteschicken-burgers-q-a/). :D
Thanks for the links! These look great :)
Yay- I love Iron Chef :) Can't wait for the Next Iron Chef in October... I'm so frickin addicted to the Food Network haha.
Haha, me too. My other favorite shows are Giada, Ina, and Bobby Flay's Throw Down. It's probably a good thing that I can't smell all the food they make!