Leftover Oatmeal Quickbread
I'm tired of throwing away leftover oatmeal. I've been tired of throwing it away for a long time. Especially when there are still blueberries in the pot. I know it's cheap. I still don't like to throw it away. (Don't get me wrong, I would rather have leftover oatmeal than children asking for more breakfast.) I've been known to put it in a bowl in the refrigerator and, if I remember, mix it in with the next day's breakfast. I've been known to feed it to the chickens. I think I'm better known for leaving it in a bowl on the counter and waiting for just the right moment to take it out to the chickens. You know, that moment when it's not raining, the rest of the dishes are done, school is over for the day, the laundry is folded, and no children are waiting for a glue stick.
And it's not just oatmeal. We add frozen blueberries, cinnamon, vanilla extract or lemon extract, almond butter, etc. I like my oatmeal to taste like an oatmeal cookie or muffin. Mmmmm! I like to sprinkle the brown sugar on the top and eat it before it melts so the sugar granules crunch in my teeth. I also like to add a dash of sea salt to the top. This seems to satisfy my sweet & salty craving for the day and keeps my mind off of that Chocolove Dark Chocolate Almonds and Sea Salt bar in the cabinet I'm avoiding with the idea it was contributing to Koala's tummy pains.
Every once in a while, I have searched for a "leftover oatmeal bread" or "cooked oatmeal bread" recipe. But I didn't want a yeast bread. I wanted a quick bread. I finally found this one(http://www.food.com/recipe/leftover-cooked-oatmeal-muffins-318283). Then I changed it to my liking:
1/2 cup oil (I use La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 eggs
1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal (we are currently enjoying Bob's Red Mill thick rolled oats, available at Cash & Carry)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill, 25# bag from WinCo)
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
I love to dump these ingredients into our bread machine, set it for the quick bread cycle and walk away. If I do this soon enough after breakfast, then by the time we're done with Language Arts and each child has asked for a snack at least twice, I am finally ready to say, "Yes, have some warm oatmeal bread!"
I have successfully baked one and a half times this recipe in the bread machine. I have also mixed a double batch with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, dumped it into two bread pans, and baked it in the oven. If you're in a bit of a hurry, you could use muffin tins to speed up the baking time.
P.S. It's a good recipe in which to hide over-ripe bananas. And I suppose other goodies could be added, e.g. flax seed, chia seed, bran, etc. Oh, I'll have to try some of those now that I've thought of it...maybe I'll add some extra oats to the pot in the morning.
And it's not just oatmeal. We add frozen blueberries, cinnamon, vanilla extract or lemon extract, almond butter, etc. I like my oatmeal to taste like an oatmeal cookie or muffin. Mmmmm! I like to sprinkle the brown sugar on the top and eat it before it melts so the sugar granules crunch in my teeth. I also like to add a dash of sea salt to the top. This seems to satisfy my sweet & salty craving for the day and keeps my mind off of that Chocolove Dark Chocolate Almonds and Sea Salt bar in the cabinet I'm avoiding with the idea it was contributing to Koala's tummy pains.
Every once in a while, I have searched for a "leftover oatmeal bread" or "cooked oatmeal bread" recipe. But I didn't want a yeast bread. I wanted a quick bread. I finally found this one(http://www.food.com/recipe/leftover-cooked-oatmeal-muffins-318283). Then I changed it to my liking:
1/2 cup oil (I use La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
2 eggs
1 cup leftover cooked oatmeal (we are currently enjoying Bob's Red Mill thick rolled oats, available at Cash & Carry)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (Bob's Red Mill, 25# bag from WinCo)
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
I love to dump these ingredients into our bread machine, set it for the quick bread cycle and walk away. If I do this soon enough after breakfast, then by the time we're done with Language Arts and each child has asked for a snack at least twice, I am finally ready to say, "Yes, have some warm oatmeal bread!"
I have successfully baked one and a half times this recipe in the bread machine. I have also mixed a double batch with a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, dumped it into two bread pans, and baked it in the oven. If you're in a bit of a hurry, you could use muffin tins to speed up the baking time.
P.S. It's a good recipe in which to hide over-ripe bananas. And I suppose other goodies could be added, e.g. flax seed, chia seed, bran, etc. Oh, I'll have to try some of those now that I've thought of it...maybe I'll add some extra oats to the pot in the morning.