Wednesday, January 2, 2013

My Top 10 Ways to Use Oats and Oatmeal...and LOVE it!


Wednesday is Grain Surgery 101 and  Grain Surgery™ Recipes!
Today is Wednesday. It is the start of a new year for all of us and with it comes some resolutions to love ourselves more, eat better, and reach some goals.  Today is Oat day! 
I was already addicted to oatmeal long before I came out with the Oat-Standing Oat Class (I'll be teaching that one again this Saturday (see the upcoming class information, but today with the opening of a new year and the start of a lot of people wanting to focus on health, I thought I'd share my top 10 ways to use oats along with some awesome health benefits of the versatile grain!
Versagrain.com mentions these health benefits for eating oats:

  •  Soluble Fiber
    One of the best benefits of oatmeal (or any whole oat food) is that it lowers cholesterol by removing LDL (bad cholesterol) while maintaining HDL (good cholesterol).
  •  Insoluble fiber
    Absorbs water which helps to speed the transit of food through the bowels which helps to reduce the risk of some bowel related cancers (i.e. colon cancer).
  • Beta Glucan
    A bio-defense modifier which means it will boost your immune system.
  • Vitamins and Minerals
    Additional benefits of oatmeal include Iron, Zinc, Selenium, and Vitamin E.
  • Phytochemicals
    Plant chemicals that have shown promise in fighting and preventing cancer. For example, the phytoestrogens (lignans) found in oats help to fight hormone related diseases like breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer. 

Here are my top 10:
1.
 How to Make Rolled Oats from Oat Groats (Tutorial) 
The shelf life of oats is greatly extended when you roll your own oats and many have no idea how to do so at home. This is a great tutorial!
2.

I like my oats hearty and full of texture. This is the tutorial on how to make them less like "wallpaper-glue" and more like a delicious taste sensation. 
3.
  Homemade Gourmet Instant Oatmeal Packets Tutorial
This just speaks for itself, but wait until you try the gourmet flavors you can make at home and still save money by going all-natural. You'll be excited!
4.
Hearty and Comforting Oatmeal...Soup
I was personally shocked to see how simple, comforting and delightful oats could be when made into a savory soup. It sounds a little funky, but once you try it, you'll agree. It is simple and classic. 
5.
These are delightful and a wonderful variation from the normal oatmeal cookie. I'm a fan.
6.
Teff, Chia Seed and Oatmeal No Bake Cookies
Those delicious no-bake cookies take on a whole new healthy twist when you add the powerful punch of vitamins and minerals from Teff and Chia!
7.
Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (No sugar added)
A naturally sweetened low glycemic cookie that satisfies that chocolate craving while still keeping the blood sugar levels even. It's a great recipe and one that I adapted from one of my readers!
8.
 Lemon, vanilla,  and rum flavors dance around naturally sweet pears and spices. It is a really outstanding flavor combination for oats. Really.
9.
Caramelized Onion,White Cheddar,Lemon, and Dill Risotto
I love the creamy texture of Risotto-style grains and steel cut oats make a remarkable savory side dish or vegetarian main course in this recipe. You'll be amazing what adding some shrimp or chicken will do to the flavor as well. 
10.
This is a remarkably moist, light and tasty bread with a texture and chew of whole grain that will make you very happy. Other benefit...it's been great for lower glycemic bread!
There you go! Use more oats in your life!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

2 comments:

Charlotte Moore said...

Do you cook your oat bread with the lid on? What happens if it needs to rise higher???

Chef Tess said...

Charlotte, the crock I bake the bread in is the size of a turkey roaster but made of stoneware. The bread won't raise bigger than that. I promise.