Oatmeal Recipes

The Best Oatmeal Recipes From LoveToKnow

Here are 16 great time-tested recipes you can cook today!

Unless you’ve taken up residency on Jupiter, you probably have heard how important fiber is as part of our dietary intake. Oats are invaluable sources of soluble and insoluble fiber, which aids in digestion by slowing the process down. Oats have more vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and protein than other cereals. Adding oats to your eating plan also lowers cholesterol, which leads to a reduced risk of acquiring heart disease. Good news for those leading the low carb lifestyle, oats are low on the glycemic index, which means blood glucose levels also remain low.

Oats arrived in this country with the Scottish in the 17th century, being used mostly as livestock feed. In 1901, three prominent oat millers joined forces and created the Quaker Oats company, offering consumers a higher quality product than oats sold at general stores. Eating grains conjures up an image of stringy and tasteless fodder. Think past healthy eating as boring and consider all you can do with oats. Also try to think past oatmeal as primarily a breakfast food. Baking with oats is a delicious and healthy way to take advantage of its fiber while indulging in a sweet treat. Before embarking on your baking quest, here are some facts about the different types of oatmeal.

• Oat Groats- chewy texture; can be rolled or pounded to reduce cooking coking time
• Rolled- oat groats that are steamed and pressed with a roller rather than dried (old fashioned cooking oats)
• Quick-Cooking Oats- thinly rolled oats cut into smaller pieces to reduce cooking time
• Instant Oats- oatmeal that has been pre-cooked and dried; not interchangeable with rolled or quick-cooking oats in recipes.
• Oat Flour- ground oats that are gluten free; prolongs shelf life of baked goods
• Oat Bran- outer coating of the oat grain; high in fiber.
• Steel Cut/Scottish- unrolled oats cut into 2-3 pieces; chewy texture.

You can make oat flour by processing rolled oats until finely ground, and sifting out any large particles. Due to its low gluten content, oat flour must be combined with all purpose flour when baking leavened bread for it to rise properly. Adding cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom will enhance the flavor. In apple or peach crisps, substitute oatmeal for the flour for a shot of fiber and a nuttier taste. Oatmeal combined with graham cracker crumbs make a tasty base for bars and cheesecakes. Baking with oatmeal offers many lowfat advantages as well. Do your heart and your waistline a favor by using oatmeal in your next baked good recipe.