Feel your oats, rolled or cut

Posted by Emily Myers on November 5, 2014

Chef Dan Kratz demonstration at Hilton Garden Inn

Chef Dan Kratz demonstrated the art of cooking oats today at the Women In Business meeting. Thirty women and one brave man gathered for the monthly meeting. Not intimidated by a room full of women, Dave Golder said he goes where good food is. And good food there was at the breakfast buffet in the Hilton Garden Inn.

Kratz explained that the fewer ingredients the better. In rolled oats and steel cut oats, there is one ingredient. The difference is in the preparation. Rolled oats are exactly that, rolled flat. Steel cut oats are chopped giving them the appearance of chopped grains of rice.

Nutritionally both preparations are equivalent although cut oats have slightly less sugar. Cut oats take longer to cook, but Quaker Oats now has a pre-cooked product which requires less cooking time.

Fruits make good sweeteners for oatmeal. Adding fruit when cooking oatmeal reduces the need to add sugar. Premixed instant oatmeal packages have preservatives and artificial ingredients. The chef recommended using only pure oats whether they be cut or rolled.

In a hand out from the Whole Grains Council, the benefits of oats were listed; they reduce asthma risk in children, increase appetite-control hormones, improve immune system defenses, reduce the use of laxatives, lower bad cholesterol, and help control blood pressure.

Kratz demonstrated the preparation of a Banana Nut Oatmeal recipe from Food and Health Communications.

Ingredients

1 cup of water

½ cup old-fashioned oats

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 banana, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon chopped pecans

½ cup skim milk

Directions:

Bring water, oats, and cinnamon to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly until oatmeal reaches desired consistency.

Remove from heat. Stir in chopped bananas, cover and let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with chopped pecans and skim milk.

Women In Business is a group within the Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl Kuhn, Chamber President, opened the meeting for the members and guests to introduce themselves. Jane Cropper from the Hilton Garden Inn welcomed the Chamber to its facility and said that their restaurant is now open every day for breakfast and dinner.

The Chamber is supporting the “Shop Small” initiative for holiday shopping. Members received a canvas shopping bag from American Express, organizers of the “Small Business Saturday.” The event is designed to encourage people to shop at small, locally owned businesses on Saturday November 29.

The meeting concluded with members sampling the cereal.

About Emily Myers

Emily Myers has lived and worked in Chadds Ford for over thirty five years. She founded the parent company of Chadds Ford Live, Decision Design Research, Inc., in 1982. ChaddsFordLive.com represents the confluence of Myers' long time, deep involvement in technology and community. Myers was a founding member of the Chadds Ford Business Association and currently serves on its board of directors. Her hobbies include bridge, golf, photography and Tai Chi. She lives with her husband, Jim Lebedda, in Chadds Ford Township.