How to cook oatmeal

Oatmeal is considered one of the most useful types of breakfast. She energizes for a long time, forcing us to forget about the feeling of hunger and numerous snacks before lunch. When cooked properly, it goes delicious, and its use becomes a pleasant process, which is necessary for a good start to the day. Most people who care about health, know how to cook porridge, and cook it regularly. Modern food industry produces oatmeal of different fineness of grinding, which allows you to make dishes from it quickly, without spending a lot of effort on it. Oatmeal porridge can be prepared in water or milk, sweet and without added sugar, with fresh or dried fruits, with vegetables and even with meat. Everyone will be able to choose a variant of this useful dish, taking into account their gastronomic preferences.

Cooking Features

The oatmeal, which we most often see on the shelves of stores, are not oatmeal, although they are made from it. Groats are not flattened, they are harder and need long cooking. Cereal invented to do it in order to reduce the time of preparation of a tasty and healthy breakfast. However, porridge from whole grains, according to nutritionists, remains the most useful. Therefore, the modern housewife does not hurt to learn how to cook porridge from cereals, and from different kinds of flakes. For this, she needs to know a few important points.

In addition to whole oatmeal, oatmeal of different grinding is on sale. In our country, adopted a specific classification. The largest grinding oatmeal is called “Hercules”, referring us to the exploits of the mythical character Hercules, who became famous for his strength. More finely ground oatmeal is called “Extra 1”, “Extra 2” and “Extra 3”. The higher the number in the marking of cereals, the finer its grinding. Recently, oatmeal has appeared even smaller and more tender, not requiring cooking at all: it is enough to pour boiling water on them and wait a few minutes. This significantly saves time on preparing breakfast, but reduces its value to the body.
Sometimes it happens that cooked oatmeal is bitter. Sometimes the problem is the quality of water, but more often the cause is improper or too long storage of cereals. Fresh oatmeal has a milky, sometimes creamy shade, and it smells pleasantly like oatmeal. If their color and smell confuse you, it is better to refuse to make porridge from them.
Hercules croup requires advance preparation. First, it is thoroughly washed, grinding the grains with hands, then soaked in cool water for 2 hours. Then it will take 40 minutes to boil porridge on the water, and an hour on milk. If you cook porridge from oatmeal without soaking it, it will take about two hours. Almost no housewife has such an hour in the mornings, which is why oatmeal “Hercules” or “Extra” is used more often for cooking porridge.
Oatmeal of any grinding should not be washed or even recommended before use, especially when it comes to finely ground flakes.
Cooking time oatmeal made of flakes depends on how coarse their grinding is. From “Hercules” porridge cooked 20 minutes, from the flakes “Extra 1” - 15 minutes. Flakes “Extra 2” require 10 minutes of cooking. Porridge cereal “Extra 3” will be ready in 5 minutes. Porridge cooks on water a little faster than milk, but this difference is insignificant.
To keep porridge from burning, it is recommended to boil it in an enameled double-bottomed saucepan. If there is no such dish in the house, you can use a pan with a non-stick coating. Successful goes oatmeal in a slow cooker.
When cooking oatmeal porridge in a slow cooker, it is recommended to use the “Milk porridge” program. If the unit does not have such a function, you can use any program designed for preparing meals from cereals. It may be called “Rice”, “Pilaf”, “Buckwheat” or otherwise. This program is used to make whole oatmeal porridge.
The cooking time for oatmeal in a slow cooker is 10-30 minutes, if it is boiled from flakes, 40-60 minutes - if it is cooked from whole grains.
So that when cooking porridge in a slow cooker, the milk does not run off, the bowl of the slow cooker is smeared with butter around the middle of its height. It turns out the border that the milk when boiling can not overcome.

Oatmeal porridge is often supplemented with fresh and dried fruit, even if it is cooked in sugar-free water. Especially well it goes with bananas, apples and raisins. You can also add nuts and chocolate to porridge. The creamy taste of the dish will help give butter. Delicious is oatmeal with pumpkin, vegetable roasting. Sometimes it is cooked with stew or boiled meat. Changing supplements, you can get a dish with unique organoleptic qualities. This allows you to significantly diversify the family menu, making breakfast with different tastes for oatmeal.

Proportions of cereals and liquids

The result of cooking porridge often depends on the correct ratio of grain and liquid.

For cooking oatmeal from whole grains per 100 g of the main product, it is recommended to take 400-500 ml of water or 600-800 ml of milk. If a mixture of milk and water is used, then take 0, 5-0, 6 liters of liquid per 100 g of cereals. The more liquid, the longer you have to cook porridge and the thinner it will turn out.
When cooking oatmeal from flakes of any grinding in water, in a glass of oatmeal, take 1, 5 glasses of water to get a thick porridge, or 2 glasses to make a viscous.
When boiling milk cereal from cereal to get a viscous cereal, 2 cups of milk are taken into a glass of cereal. Viscous porridge will be released if you take 1 part more milk. The third glass of milk is usually added not immediately, but after the porridge begins to thicken. For a 150-gram serving of oatmeal, take a quarter cup of cereal and three quarters of a cup of milk.
For children, sometimes they cook a milk porridge made from oatmeal. Then 4 glasses of milk are added to a glass of cereal.
The proportions of cereals and liquids when cooking oatmeal in a slow cooker will be the same as when cooked in a saucepan.

In a glass with a capacity of 250 ml is placed 95 g of flakes “Hercules”, in a glass with a capacity of 200 ml - only 80 g.

The energy value of oatmeal boiled in water without sugar and other additives is only 90 kcal. Unsweet milk porridge of oatmeal has an energy value of about 105 kcal. Sugar, fruits, butter and other ingredients can increase the calorie content of oatmeal to 200 kcal or even more, so be careful with these supplements, especially if you are on a diet.

Important! Oatmeal is called the product of youth and beauty. It contains a significant amount of antioxidants that help resist the damaging effects of free radicals, and biotin, necessary for a good skin and hair condition.

Also in oats there are a lot of substances that help to improve the condition of the heart and blood vessels.

Oatmeal, from which porridge is usually cooked, helps to gently cleanse the intestines.

The complex of vitamins and minerals contained in hercules flakes, helps to keep the body in good shape, has tonic properties.

However, experts do not recommend eating oatmeal every day, especially for children and the elderly, as there are substances in the oats that interfere with the absorption of calcium, which can adversely affect health. Oatmeal is given to children only from 8-10 months and no more than 1-2 times a week.

Oatmeal from whole grains on water

Composition:

oatmeal (whole) - 100 g;
water - 0, 5 l;
salt - 2 g;
butter or vegetable oil, sugar - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Rinse the cereal to clean water, put it in a saucepan, cover with water. Leave for 2 hours.
Rinse the cereal, return to the pan, cover with clean water.
Bring the water to a boil, boil the oatmeal for 40 minutes, periodically removing the adhesive film from the surface.
Add butter, sugar and salt, mix.
Sweat the porridge on low heat for 5 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from porridge from the heat, wrap it and leave for another 20-30 minutes.

Porridge cooked in whole oatmeal water is considered the most useful. That it is recommended to those who diets.

Hercules porridge on water

Composition:

oat flakes “Hercules” - 40 g;
water - 0, 2 l;
salt - a pinch;
sugar (optional) - 5-10 g;
butter (optional) - 20 g.

Method of preparation:

Boil water, add sugar and salt to it. Stir until dissolved.
Sprinkle oatmeal flakes, mix. Boil, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
Add the butter, mix the porridge. Remove pan from heat.
Wrap a pot of porridge with a towel and leave for 10-15 minutes to make it ready.

Oatmeal on water can be cooked without sugar. Butter is allowed to replace vegetable. Often, healthy food supporters oatmeal with flaxseed oil. When heated, this product becomes of little use, so it is added to the already prepared porridge, laid out in plates. Sugar in the cereal can be replaced with honey. It is also desirable to add it to the already prepared dish, so that it retains the maximum of useful properties.

Oatmeal cereal with milk

Composition:

oatmeal - 40 g;
milk - 0, 3 l;
sugar - 10 g;
salt - a pinch;
water - 20 ml;
butter - 25 g.

Method of preparation:

At the bottom of the pan, pour a spoonful of cold water - it is necessary that the milk does not burn.
Add a glass of milk. Bring it to a boil.
Pour sugar and salt into boiling milk, stir.
Add oatmeal. Boil the porridge until it starts to thicken.
Add the remaining milk, mix. Cook the porridge a couple of minutes, stir, remove from heat.
Add butter to the porridge, mix.
Cover the pot, wrap, leave for 10-15 minutes. During this time, porridge will thicken a little more and acquire an optimal consistency.

Porridge cooked from oatmeal on milk turns out to be tender and tasty. She likes both adults and children.

Oatmeal cereal with milk and water

Composition:

oatmeal - 80 g;
water - 0, 4 l;
milk - 0, 2 l;
salt - a pinch;
sugar - 20 g;
butter (optional) - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Boil water, add sugar and salt to it.
While stirring the water, add a pre-measured amount of flakes into it.
Cook for 3-5 minutes (depending on the grinding of the flakes).
Add milk, mix. Boil until cooked.

Spreading the porridge on plates, put a slice of butter in each of them, this will make the dish more tasty by strengthening the creamy notes.

Milk porridge from oat flakes in a slow cooker

Composition:

oat-flakes - 95 g;
milk - 0, 75 l;
salt - a pinch;
sugar - 20 g;
butter - 30 g.

Method of preparation:

Pour flakes, salt and sugar into the multicooker bowl.
With butter in the middle of the height of the bowl of the slow cooker, draw a line - this will be the limit that milk cannot overcome when boiling. Put the remaining oil on the flakes.
Pour milk into the multicooker container, mix.
Turn on the unit by activating the “Milk porridge” program. If it is not available, run the program “Kasha”, “Krupa”, “Rice” or similar. Set the timer for 10 minutes, if you have the finest grinding oatmeal, 20 minutes - if the flakes are “Extra 2” or “Extra 1”. When cooking cereal “Hercules” cereal, set the cooking time for 30 minutes.

After completing the program, leave the porridge in heating mode for another 10 minutes, then it will become much more tasty.

Whole grain oatmeal with vegetables in a slow cooker

Composition:

whole oatmeal - 100 g;
water or broth - 0, 5 l;
onions - 100 g;
carrots - 100 g;
refined vegetable oil - 40 ml;
salt, spices - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Rinse the cereal, soak for 2 hours in cool water.
Free onions from the husk, cut into small cubes.
Scrape carrots, wash, dry with a napkin, chop on a grater with large holes.
Pour oil into the multicooker bowl, put the onion and carrot into it.
Turn on the device by activating the “Frying” program. If there is no such program for your multicooker model, activate the “Baking” program.
After 10 minutes, turn off the device. Pour prepared cereal into the bowl. Add salt and spices, mix.
Fill with water. Start the device in the mode of cooking cereals for 40 minutes.
Stir the porridge. Leave it for another half an hour in heating mode.

Whole oats porridge can also be cooked with a stew, then it will be even tastier. A stew is added 40 minutes after cooking porridge in the main mode and continue to cook it for another 20 minutes. In the heating mode, then it is not necessary to simmer porridge.

Hercules porridge with fresh berries

Composition:

oat-flakes (wholemeal) - 95 g;
water - 0, 5 l;
fresh berries - 100 g;
sugar (optional) - 10-20 g;
salt - a pinch.

Method of preparation:

Mix the flakes of Hercules with salt and sugar. Put in pan.
Boil water, pour oatmeal flakes, mix.
Put the pan on the fire. Cook porridge on low heat for 15 minutes.
Sort through, wash the berries. They can also be dented, but this is not necessary.
Put the berries or mashed potatoes in a pan with porridge, mix. Boil 5-7 minutes until cooked porridge.

Porridge can be boiled with frozen berries, but then sugar must be added, as frozen berries usually turn out to be much more sour than fresh ones.

Oatmeal with milk and raisins

Composition:

oatmeal “Extra” - 100 g;
water - 0, 25 l;
milk - 0, 5 l;
raisins - 100 g.

Method of preparation:

Pour boiling water over raisins, after 5 minutes drain the water, wring out the raisins.
Dilute milk with water, bring to a boil.
Pour oat flakes, mix.
Cook porridge for 5 minutes.
Add steamed raisins and cook porridge until cooked.

The raisins can be replaced with other dried fruits, after steaming them and cutting them into pieces. Then in porridge it does not hurt to add a little sugar, because raisins are sweeter than prunes and dried apricots.

Porridge from oats is healthy and tasty. It can be cooked from whole grains or oatmeal. People on a diet prefer to cook porridge on the water. Babies prefer milk oatmeal. Often this dish is complemented with fresh and dried berries, fruits, less often - meat or vegetables. All options of the dish are good in their own way and are worthy of taking a place in the diet of a health-conscious person.