spicing up oatmeal

[kengr]

Ok, I sort of "inherited" a lot of oatmeal.

It's not bad and cooks quickly in the microwave. But it's kinda bland.

I got some raisins and they improve it some. But it could be better.

So, any suggested "additives" (before or after cooking). Keep in mind that sugar is not a good idea. And Splenda ain't cheap.

ETA: Just dug thru the cupboard and found the following items I may try adding, but I'd like input: ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground mace

Comments

[polydad.livejournal.com]

Grated cheese, frozen chopped spinach, and salsa is my favorite combination with oatmeal.

best,

Joel

[janetmiles.livejournal.com]

Huh. I don't know that I ever thought of treating oatmeal as a savory. I may try that.

[polydad.livejournal.com]

If you're *expecting* the taste of maple syrup, it tastes horrible. Think of polenta with cheese, and it tastes great.

best,

Joel

[kengr]

Ok, you are now *officially* weird.

[polydad.livejournal.com]

Do I get a badge?

amusedly,

Joel

[kengr]

Hmmm, wonder where I'd pin it... <eg>

[xander-opal.livejournal.com]

A hint of butter is good, as are mixing in chopped nuts and seeds. A touch of jam, jelly, or other preserves is also quite good, a little bit goes a long way. A tiny amount of fruit juice would also add a hint of flavor, but that's definitely starting to go the way of high sugar content.
I don't know about the ginger or mace, but the cinnamon is definitely good.

[griffen.livejournal.com]

Nutmeg is too. I make steel-cut oats with nutmeg and cinnamon (and raisins) cooked right into them for the girls, and they scarf it down.

[kengr]

Don't have nutmeg. I do have a small jar of ground ginger and *huge* jars of cinnamon and mace.

[kengr]

Jam/Jelly are things I don't keep around due to temptation. (Yes, I try to keep some chocolate, but that's an *addiction* :-)

Fruit juices and I tend to not get along. Plus, they are expensive, especially given that I'd either have to get them in the *teeny* cans or deal with them going bad before I finished them :-(

Nuts? Meh. If I want them I tend to eat them straight.

Seeds? Don't think so. Besides, I'm alergis to sunflower seeds, which are the most common sort.

[sashajwolf.livejournal.com]

First of all, try adding a pinch of salt before cooking, even if you're ultimately making a sweet-ish version. One pinch shouldn't make it actually taste salty, but does improve the overall texture.

Secondly, ginger and cinnamon should work. Mace doesn't feel right to me, but YMMV. I like bananas, and I know people who like strawberries and apples. I can also imagine citrus fruits working, especially mandarins. Some people also find that replacing some of the milk with cream improves it for them.

[acelightning.livejournal.com]

[argonel.livejournal.com]

I'll chime in that cinnamon is very good. Another item that I like to throw in is dried cranberries. I can only find sweetened ones though, so I don't know where that sits in terms of sugar content. they do add a nice color and tartness to the oatmeal though.

[kengr]

Alas, I thought about cranberries but they are $$$$$. The best deal I saw on the shelf cost ten times what the raisins did.

[kindredsgirl.livejournal.com]

bananas!

(apples are good too, and you can cook them with the oatmeal.)

[ziactrice.livejournal.com]

Always add a bit of salt - I like very little, but some is better than none.

Here are my favorite adders:

1) raisins
2) chopped dates
3) prunes (also chopped into small bits)
4) peanut butter (really good, but small amounts better than large)
5) hot cocoa mix (1/2 a packet, usually)
6) one hard candy - flavor of your choice, but butterscotch is a lot better than peppermint.
7) 1/2 it with another grain - soak them overnight beforehand. Other grains that are good - quinoa, brown rice, barley, and even popcorn. (yes, soaked popcorn - I admit, I'm weird)
8) any nut in the world. Peanuts are good. Walnuts are good. Cashews are out of this world.
9) peas, carrots, or other frozen veggies, with some butter.
10) fry the oatmeal in fat, add some eggs and fish - very good Scot breakfast - I like salmon, but canned sardines would also work and it'd be a hella cheap breakfast
11) sub for arborio rice in a risotto dish, or go halsies. Very good! and cheaper
12) combine with any canned soup. Spicy ones are better than creamy ones, but almost all are better over cooked oatmeal, like vegetables are good over a bed of rice. I particularly love chili this way, or hot dogs and chili this way, since I don't care for white bread buns that just get soggy and don't taste nearly as good to me

More?

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

Cinnamon?

You could also use oatmeal to make a batter for meat. Like KFC, only with oatmeal.

OOOh, and if you have fruit juice you could use fruit juice instead of water to cook it in, then it would be fruity.

Also, you could dice an apple into it.

[fayanora.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, and you could always make oatmeal bread or oatmeal pancakes.

[aliceslalaland.livejournal.com]

Cloves that can be removed... sugar free vanilla... fruits in general....

[badriya.livejournal.com]

You don't have to cook it as oats are the basis for Muesli.
What about making cookies?

http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/22901/bircher-muesli.html

http://www.greenfootsteps.com/muesli-recipe.html
You could leave out the seeds.

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1710,147184-243203,00.html