Do you know that millions of Britons start their day with oatmeal? This is a very nutritious and healthy porridge. And unlike other cereals, it does not harm the figure at all!
But is oatmeal not boring if it is eaten for breakfast every morning? Not at all. After all, there are many variations of it: oatmeal with apples, berries, dried fruits, water, milk, cream, kefir, fermented baked milk, honey, bananas and other goodies. And if you also use different spices and spices, then the number of recipes will increase at times.
This article considers only a small fraction of the opportunities that open before you if there are oatmeal and apples in the house. In order for the porridge to come out not only edible, but also tasty, you should know some of the nuances of its preparation.
There are no special tricks here. The process of making porridge is so elementary that it can be entrusted to at least a younger student.
The benefits of oatmeal
It is enough to look at the British, who are full of health, to understand: this porridge is worth it, and more often. After all, oatmeal expels the spleen, which is inspired by the weather of Misty Albion.
In addition to improving the emotional state, cereals stimulate the brain, remove excess salt and bad cholesterol. Porridge improves bowel function, protects the mucous membrane of the stomach, removes toxins. Anyone who wants to lose weight should eat oatmeal more often.
But do not forget about the dangers of such porridge. Flakes flush beneficial calcium from the body. Therefore, a special diet has been developed: oatmeal + cottage cheese + apples. A fermented milk product saturates the body with calcium, flakes normalize the intestines, and fruits give vitamins.
Oatmeal is good for both children and the elderly with a delicate stomach. Such porridge is well absorbed by the body.
Food for those who really want to lose weight
Maybe oatmeal with apples on the water is not the most delicious option, but certainly the most low-calorie one. Let's start with the fruit first.
- We cut one large or two small apples into thin slices, simultaneously pulling out the seeds and fruit boxes.
- Pour half a liter of water into a saucepan. We put on the fire.
- When the liquid boils, add a pinch of salt and half a glass of oatmeal.
- Stir and reduce the heat a little. Let’s wait until it boils again.
- Cook for 20 minutes (regular cereal) or five - Hercules instant cooking.
- When the porridge becomes soft, put apples in a saucepan. Some people like to feel the crunch of fresh fruit in oatmeal. In this case, immediately turn off the fire. Do you want the apples to boil and become soft, as in a compote? Then let the porridge cook for another 5-7 minutes.
- After turning off the fire, wrap the saucepan with a towel. After ten minutes, we spread the porridge on the plates. As a sweetener, it is permissible to add a teaspoon of honey.
Oatmeal with apples in water and milk
If you are not a fan of weight loss, then you can afford a slight relaxation in the diet. Milk will add a few calories to the dish, but it will also eliminate the harmful side effect of oatmeal - leaching of calcium from the body.
The process of making such porridge is slightly different from the previous one. Pour half a cup of oatmeal in a saucepan, a tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. Spread a small piece of butter on top.
Fill with 400 milliliters of water. We put the dishes on a small fire. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the flakes absorb all the liquid. Slowly we breed porridge with milk to the desired density. Fill the prepared apples.
Another way to cook porridge
There are a lot of recipes for oatmeal with an apple in milk. The easiest way is similar to cooking semolina porridge. That is, you bring the milk to a boil while stirring. Here you need to be alert so that it does not "run away."
After boiling, make the flame minimal and pour oatmeal into a saucepan. Knead thoroughly so that there are no lumps left. Add sugar, salt. At this stage, stir the porridge almost continuously, trying not to burn it.
Milk with apples is in poor contact. Therefore, if you want to achieve soft fruit, fry them in a pan. But if you like crispy apples in porridge, pour them in right away.
Stir and continue cooking for about five minutes. Do not rush to spread porridge on plates. Let her rest in a saucepan under the lid. It should be remembered that sweet milk tends to burn. Therefore, we put the minimum amount of sugar. You can sweeten the porridge to taste already in the plate.
Oatmeal with spices
Apples are known to blend in wonderfully with cinnamon. This duo is often the basis of many desserts, especially Christmas ones. To make oatmeal with apple and cinnamon, you can use both water and milk, or a mixture of both liquids in different proportions. Consider the last option for such a mess.
- We put water (170 milliliters) on the stove.
- At the same time, boil 160 ml of milk in another saucepan.
- Wash apples, cut into small cubes. You can clean them, but so you, along with the peel, will remove many useful substances.
- Pour oatmeal (40 grams) into boiling water. We immediately pour hot milk there.
- Mix a spoonful of sugar with a pinch of ground cinnamon. We’ll introduce it into the porridge. Do not forget to salt.
- Add apples at the very end of cooking. It should be said that cinnamon should not be limited to one. You can add all those spices that are traditionally used for making mulled wine.
Cold porridge with kefir without cooking
It is known that oatmeal swells and softens in any liquid. Even if you do not cook these grains, they will still become edible. Another thing is that it will take more time.
Indeed, from boiling water, and even more so from cooking, the process of swelling of the flakes is accelerated. Three products - kefir, oatmeal, apple - are included in many diets.
You can, of course, use them individually. That is, in the morning eat oatmeal on the water, eat an apple for lunch, and drink a glass of yogurt before bedtime. But life will seem more pleasant if you combine all three components in one porridge.
To do this, pour half a glass of cereal with kefir (about 300 milliliters) and leave it overnight at room temperature. In the morning we add the grated apple, a pinch of salt, honey. A similar porridge can be made on other dairy products - sour milk or fermented baked milk.
Is it possible to make porridge from oatmeal, cottage cheese and apples?
We have already mentioned that cereals should be combined with foods that have calcium. Most of this substance contains cottage cheese. But is it possible to make porridge with him? Sure!
On portioned bowls spread the cottage cheese. It is better to take farm, fatty, tender, not very sour. At the rate of one to two, add Hercules instant cooking. Pour boiling water so that the water covers the cereal. We cover the bowls so that their contents are steamed well.
Meanwhile, apples can be tackled. You can take one small fruit per serving of porridge. Cut the pulp of apples into small cubes or three. When the flakes swell, we introduce fruit into the porridge, sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar, mix and enjoy a tasty and healthy dessert.
Porridge with fruit
Just as cinnamon can be supplemented with cardamom, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, apples should not be the only ingredients in oatmeal. They can be combined with other fruits. Here are a few ideas on how to enrich and improve the taste of oatmeal with apple:
- banana,
- raisins,
- dates
- figs
- peaches
- apricots
- Fresh grapes
- any sweet berries
- dried apricots,
- prunes
- pear,
- nuts.
It should be remembered that dried fruits must be soaked in hot water before swelling. If you put sweet fruits (dates, for example) in porridge, then you should not add sugar or honey.
All fruits should be finely chopped. By the way, the apples themselves can be baked separately in the oven. Then they are added to the finished porridge.
Cooking porridge with kitchen helpers
In a slow cooker or microwave, oatmeal with apples is no worse than in a saucepan. To cook porridge in a microwave oven, you need to do the following:
- Pour 45 grams of cereal into a suitable dish and pour half a glass of water into it.
- Stir and add 170 ml of milk.
- Add a handful of steamed raisins and grated apple. This container should be covered with a plate or cling film.
- Turn on the microwave at a power of 600 watts. Set the timer for four minutes.
It is just as easy and simple to make oatmeal in a slow cooker. Pour 200 ml of apple juice and twice as much milk into the bowl of the unit. Add two tablespoons of sugar.
In the "Multipovar" mode, set the temperature to 160 degrees. Bring the liquid to a boil. Pour 150 grams of oatmeal. Cook for five minutes.
Add two grated apples, a handful of steamed raisins, half a teaspoon of cinnamon and 70 milliliters of cream. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.