Oat groats - looking for (sweet) breakfast & dessert ideas

[Mawrter]

I've tried a few savory, dinner-y recipes and I LOATHE them... that oaty taste just says "sweet" to me. It was like trying to enjoy kale & sausage with corn flakes, or granola - bleah! I even cooked them in broth - truly a horrible waste of good ingredients. I just thought it was a more neutral-tasting grain. How do you do your for a dessert or as a breakfast cereal? TIA!

[paulj]

for breakfast with good brown sugar and cream.

I don't cook them often enough to need much more than that.

[Non Cognomina]

Are you toasting the groats before you cook them in liquid? I've found it makes a big difference in the flavor of the finished dish. I have had success with making groat "pilaf" by toasting the groats in a hot pan for 2-5 minutes, adding some fresh rosemary towards the end. Then add a little olive oil or butter and some crushed garlic and cook for another minute. Add enough liquid (I like beef stock, but chicken stock or water will work--add some salt if you use water) to cover the groats. BTAB then cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 15 minutes. It's delicious if you drizzle a little toasted sesame oil and top with grilled portobellos.

Leftover groat pilaf is tasty stirred into beef stew, or makes a nice salad mixed with diced cucumber, red onion, dried currants, and dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, rice vinegar and fresh herbs.

[greygarious]

Idon't know what oat groats look like. If they are similar to pinhead/steelcut oatmeal, I can tell you that I have used that latter in place of half or all of the oatmeal in oatmeal cookies. Crunchier, crumblier texture but great flavor.

[goodhealthgourmet]

groats are the whole oat kernels that only have the outermost hull removed. steel-cut oats are made by cutting groats into 2 or 3 pieces.

[greygarious]

Thanks - in that case, Mawrter might want to try chopping the groats a little in a food processor and then using them in cookies, where they have good flavor and would easily be mistaken for ground nuts.

[goodhealthgourmet]

in terms of flavorings, there are tons of ideas in various threads on the Home Cooking board for oats & oatmeal - you can use those same suggestions and just modify the cooking time to accommodate the groats...

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/322089
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/424534
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/365838