Photo: Coach's OatsAfter reading about steel cut oats on several blogs (mostly chez Sean), I decided that I had to try them out.
Steel cut oats are unrolled oats that are cut into 2-3 pieces. They are the least refined oats in the oat family and thus require much longer cooking time than the quick Quaker oats that many of us grew up on. Even after cooking for about 1/2 hour, the oats remained slightly crunchy, which I personally find extremely tasty. Some people describe them as having a nutty flavour--again, something I love. I cooked the oats with a handful of yellow raisins and found that sweetener was not at all necessary.
Nutritionist Leslie Beck has an excellent article on oats, including steel cut oats, here. She recommends a 1 to 4 ratio of oats to water, though I found that a 1 to 2.5 ratio worked just fine. I bought my oats at a bulk food store. They were in a plastic bag, so there was no brand name. I suppose if you buy them in a box, they'll come with cooking instructions for that particular brand. You'll also pay more, just for the name. I boiled the water first and then added it to the oats. You've got to stir fairly often, otherwise they will stick to the pot. If you're in a hurry in the morning, make your oats the night before and heat them up in the microwave. They'll be just as tasty.
Steel cut oats are a great source of dietary fibre and also have protein and calcium. They are low on the glycemic index too.
Here's the steel cut oats website. Amazing, there's a website for everything.
Enjoy!
I love porridge (made with oats) in the mornings when it's cold. As well as using yellow raisins like you did, I sometimes add in a small amount of nuts - a bit of protein too!
ReplyDeleteI use Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Steel Cut Oats---they're really good. My kids call them "horse oats" because it's what they feed race horses, we believe, and you've never noticed a fat race horse have you?
ReplyDeleteI don't eat them everyday, but some people swear by their weight loss assisting properties!!
Happy Oats!
My best always,
Sean
I recently tried steel cut outs. I love them! :)
ReplyDeleteI like porridge - it makes me want to move to Canada!
ReplyDeleteJust so I can say I ate some porridge.
Sad, but true.
I must look for them in Holland and Barret next time I go. I've never heard of them before but I love porridge
ReplyDeleteHi, first time visitor. I've never tried steel cut oats because I can't find them. I would think that they would be next to the oatmeal and cream of wheat, but I couldn't find them.
ReplyDeleteIt's so great to see people eating there oats! Have you tried Coach's Oats? Our oats have the texture and taste like steel cut oats, but cook in 3 to 5 minutes on the stove or in the microwave! Our oats are completely unique and processed in a patented new way. Please let us know if you have any questions. Keep eating your oatmeal!
ReplyDeleteHi Wendy. I didn't know what these were until reading this post. I couldn't understand why Sean was taking so long cooking some oats! All is clear now!
ReplyDeleteI'm not into anything which takes such a long time to battle into submission. It's all burning power when normal porridge in the microwave only takes 3 mins. On the other hand, the nice representative from Coaches Oats says their's only take 3-5 mins. So maybe it's a runner after all ...
Bearfriend xx