Jan 19 2009
Kefir Oats
As we have been making kefir, there have been a few times that I let it sit just a little too long, and it fully separated into curds & whey. Not one to be wasteful, I have been looking for ways to use this whey in cooking. One way is to add it to the sourdough starter in place of water. It adds some great nutrients and a bit more tang. These are good things. But where else can it be used?
Oats.
Yes, you can make a tasty sweet-tart oatmeal using kefir whey and honey.
Oh, and it’s best if you start the night before. Soaking, that is.
The basics:
- 3-5 cups whey, kefir, buttermilk or a combination of the three
- 1 cup pin head oats (often called Irish oats)
- 1 small handful dried cranberries, cherries, raisins… dried fruit.
- raw honey
- brown sugar or turbinato sugar (or both if you feel like it)
In a deep, heavy-bottomed pan combine the whey and oats. Toss in the dried fruit and stir gently. Let this sit overnight and soak.
In the morning, turn the heat on to medium low and let it slowly cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Obviously this only works on mornings that you have extra time.
When it has cooked down to the consistency you prefer, stir in some honey and brown sugar. Let that warm through and serve!
Some options:
- cinnamon
- vanilla
- maple syrup
- butter
- cream
You get the idea. If you want to add spices, add them the night before to let their flavor really meld. I think some cloves and cardamom pods would be a really nice addition too – but that could just be the mood I’m in today. 
This will keep and re-heat nicely, so make enough on your day off to last throughout the week, and you have a delicious, nutrient-filled breakfast all week long!
I will warn you though, if you don’t like tangy foods, you won’t like this much. It definitely had a sweet-tart flavor to it, due to the oats fermenting slightly in the whey overnight. Add in the cranberries and the tartness is more pronounced. I love it, my hubby wasn’t quite as fond of it, but ate it just fine. One of my kids loves it, the other hated it. but then, she only likes instant oatmeal to begin with. But then, I never much liked oatmeal before either – too bland.
This is based on a recipe I found over at KefirCheese.com – she has more great ways to use kefir in your cooking! Go take a look.
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