Oats, groats, and folks

Many folks are trying to incorporate whole grains into their diet.  Often times novices will make a rice dish because they are comfortable with recipes like Spanish rice, rice pilaf, etc.  Yet brown rice takes a long time to cook and not everyone likes it (because it often comes out chewy).  

In order to make brown rice more palatable, it should be prepared like a dry bean - rinsed and soaked in cold water for 8 hours before cooking.  Cook one part water to one part grain.  Bring to a boil and simmer for an hour.  The trouble with brown rice is, it requires planning ahead. 

To make a rice dish that is tender, loaded with fiber, lowers cholesterol, and does not need soaking - meet oat groats!  Oats that are not rolled or cut are called oat groats. They absorb water easily, making for short cooking time.

Oat groats uncut or rolled, do not produce the gluey texture of oatmeal that I always hated as a kid (Yuck!).  I have substituted oat groats for rice for years and guests never suspect it is anything but rice.  The texture is slightly different than rice but not noticeably in rice dishes and definitely better than chewy brown rice.