By Andrea Dunn
Pease Porridge (children’s lyrics)
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold,
Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old;
Some like it hot, some like it cold,
Some like it in the pot, nine days old.
Oatmeal ranks #8 for popular breakfast foods on www.dailypress.com How does it rank at your breakfast table? Oats are a whole grain (you can find brands that are certified gluten-free, if needed) and versatile at the table – just like the old children’s song goes “some like it hot, some like it cold”.
Instant, one-minute, old fashioned and steel-cut oats grace the grocery store shelves. The individual packaged/instant versions come flavored and with sugar and salt, some even come with added dried fruit. Oats can be cooked in a pot on the stove or in the microwave (make sure you have a big enough microwavable container so it doesn’t bubble up and spill over. Who wants to clean a microwave at 6am?). Crockpots make it easy to cook the steel-cut oats overnight while you sleep. But keep it in the pot for nine days? I don’t think so. Oatmeal that dries out on a pot sticks like concrete. Soak your pot and bowl in the sink if you aren’t washing or rinsing them right away.
Cold oatmeal? Hot oatmeal, step aside- overnight oats is moving in! A quick search shows hundreds of results for overnight oats recipes. Die-hard hot oatmeal fans will have a hard time with this concept – and the texture. If you like your oatmeal creamy – don’t try the overnight oats. The texture is chewy – and raw uncooked oats have a different taste than the cooked. For those that like parfaits – you will like the cold oats.
Most overnight oats recipes start with old fashioned (rolled) oats and add milk or another liquid (start out with the same measurement of each for example 1/3 cup oats and 1/3 cup milk, you can always add more liquid if needed). Stir in fruit (1/2 cup berries or other cut up fruit), 1-2 tablespoons nuts and/or seeds and ¼ teaspoon or more spices (cinnamon, ginger, or my favorite – pumpkin pie spice with extra ginger sprinkled on top). Place all the ingredients in a mug, mason jar or bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator and you’ll have a delicious breakfast waiting for you when you wake up (without dirtying a pan). No more running out the door without breakfast. No more costly fast food drive-thru stops that make you late for work.
Oats are inexpensive, easy to find in the cereal section shelves and have been around for centuries. They are a good source of fiber (4 grams per ½ cup dry), low in fat (3 grams) and are sodium-free (if you don’t choose the instant packets).
So add some whole grains to tomorrow’s breakfast – hot or cold, you win!
