COVER ME IN CHEESE AND ROLL ME OVER (Gourmet & Speciality Foods in general)

Member Name: indigojade

Product:	Gourmet & Speciality Foods in general
Date:	30/12/01 (199 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to prepare, delicious healthy alternative to bread

Disadvantages: difficult to come by in some areas

On a chill snowy evening there is nothing better than snuggling up in front of the fire with your family and a plate of oatcakes.

Now some of you may well be wondering what exactly an oatcake is, I always thought they sounded disgusting, that was until and elderly Aunt placed in front of me a huge sweet pile of them. Oatcakes are not to be confused with a hard Scottish biscuity type thing, or a Stoke City fanzine, but something that very closely resembles a pancake, in that they are flat, round and similarly coloured. The taste however is subtle but very very pleasing, and they lend themselves to savoury snacks as well as sweet ones.

They are made with strong white flour, oatmeal, yeast, salt, sugar, milk and water - the exact quantities are unknown and are kept a closely guarded secret by those who are in the 'know'. There are various 'recipes' to be found on the net, although the ones I have tried don?t even come close.

Apparently oatcakes are recommended by some hospital dietitians, as they are low in fat and high in fibre. So a great way of adding some fibre to your diet, especially with children. Oatcakes can be used instead of bread in the diet, or as an alternative.


~~Some ideas for serving oatcakes~~

On cold days I generally take oatcakes to work as an alternative to cold sandwiches.

Simply add the filling of your choice, cheese and onion, cheese and mushroom, cheese and black pudding; roll it up in similar fashion to rolling a pancake up. Place on a plate in the microwave and heat for around 30 seconds, or until the cheese has melted - and eat!

~Alternatively~

Grill one side of the oatcake, turn over and top with your choice in similar fashion to a pizza, I like to use cheese and bacon, but also serve with bacon and egg and mushrooms.

You can also have beans and oatcake this, is a firm favourite with James and many of his friends
when they come for lunch, called bean mice by James!
Take oatcake per person and cut them into quarters. Lay the quarters on the plate, flat, then place a teaspoon of beans into the centre of the quarters. Roll the oatcakes up and shape into 'cone' shapes on the plate - thus forming the 'mouse' body. Use beans to make eyes on the mice, place remaining beans in the centre of the plate and heat in the microwave for a few seconds to warm the oatcakes. It may sound a little bit fiddly, but watch the plate empty!

My personal favourite recipe: Take one oatcake per person, lightly grill on one side. Take several large, homemade if possible, pickled onions and slice them. It doesn?t matter how large the slices are, slice according to your tastes, lay the slices on the ungrilled side of the oatcake. Slice the mushrooms also and lay them on top of the pickled onions. Lay slices of strong tasting cheese on top of the onion and mushroom, then place back under the grill until the cheese has melted. Once you have melted the cheese, smear marmite over the cheese according to your taste. Roll (if you can) the oatcake up and tuck in! There are several variations you can use; another favourite of mine is black pudding, pickled onions and cheese.


As well as being a lovely savoury snack, oatcakes are great for desserts. Simply sprinkle some brown sugar on the surface of the oatcake, slice a banana lengthwise and place on the oatcake, sprinkle with some grated chocolate and roll it up and place under the grill or in the microwave for a few seconds.


Obtaining oatcakes outside Staffordshire used to be a nightmare, they only seemed to be available during winter months and from specialised delicatessens, at a hefty price! Now Tesco?s bless their boots are stocking them in packs of 6 for 49p or you can buy them online, from www.high-lane-oatcakes.co.uk priced at £3.80 for a pack of 6! I think I will stick to buying them from Tesco
9;s!

The oatcakes come in a cellophane packet and once opened need to be eaten within 24 hours. Oatcakes do freeze well and only take a couple of hours to defrost, at room temperature.

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