Oats are the little grain that could. Its always in the pantry waiting patiently for you to use it up. Usually just for cookies but never for regular food. Until now! I thought you could get a little more acquainted with oats.
Oats are packed with protein, B vitamins, calcium, iron and beta-glucan, an especially heart-healthful form of fiber that has been shown to lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels. Did you know there are 4 different type's of oats? Here's the low down..
Oats Groats-Whole oats that have been toasted, hulled, and cleaned. In addition to being cooked as a hot cereal, groats can be used to make chewy grain dish similar in texture to spelt or farrow.
Steel-Cut/Pinhead/Irish/Scottish Oats-Toasted oat goats that have been broken into three to four pieces.
Rolled/Old-Fashioned Oats-Groats that are steamed and rolled flat for quicker cooking. Rolled oats or quick-cooking oats work best in baked goods. For oatmeal that's both creamy and chewy, look for thick-cut rolled oats.
Quick-Cooking Oats-Oat groats that have been broken into pieces then rolled flat so that they will cook in four to five minutes. The tender choice for baked gooks.
Instant Oats-Thin, precooked rolled oats that need only be rehydrated with hot liquid.
1 cup of oatmeal contain:
166 calories
6 g protein
4 g fiber
1mg manganese
13 mcg selenium
63 magnesium
Are oats gluten-free?
Although raw, unprocessed oats contain no gluten, many oat products are cross-contaminated with wheat gluten at some time during the processing. If gluten is an issue for you, buy oats with "gluten free" on the label, which indicates oats were processed in facilities where they have not come into contact with wheat or wheat products.
I eat many types of oatmeal several times a week for breakfast. My favorite way is super easy to make.
Cook as usual. Add 1 tsp of brown sugar, pinch of cinnamon, tiny tab of butter (makes it creamy) and handful of slivered almonds. Oh so yummy! Keeps me full till lunch. My twins love it and eat every bit of it. Their favorite right now is a Bobs Red Mill 5 grain cereal mix. Its more chunky and they like the texture.
Wanna try something different? Oat meatloaf!
Oat Meatloaf
2 cups old-fashion oats divided
2 cloves of garlic minced divided
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 tbsp Italian seasoning mix
1 15oz can of chopped tomatoes
8oz of ground meat. Turkey/beef/chicken which ever you choose
3/4 tsp vinegar
3/4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups prepared marinara sauce
Preheat oven 350 degree's F
1. Brown ground meat until done and set aside.
2. Coat your pan with olive oil. Bring 1/2 cup oats, 1tsp garlic, bay leaf and 1 cup water to boil in saucepan. Reduce heat on medium low cover and cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat once thickened. Remove the bay leaf and set aside.
3. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, and saute 3-5 minutes. Add Italian Spices and remaining 1 tsp garlic, and saute 1 minute. Add chopped tomatoes and juice. Crumble meat into mixture and stir in vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
4. Transfer meat mixture to food processor or blender, add cooked oatmeal, and blend until combined. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups oats and baking powder, and pulse until combined.
5. Spread oat mixture in prepared loaf pan. Spray top with olive oil and pour marinara sauce over top. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until top begins to brown and marinara sauce is hot and bubbly.
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