Super Food Number Four.

Becca's Super Food Number Four: Oats.

Oats are wonderful sources of insoluble fiber (which is slower to digest and stabilizes blood sugar). Oats are also shown to reduce cholesterol (I studied this a lot during my undergraduate degree).

Most people love oatmeal, but what exactly is it? I present you with Oats 101:

Oatmeal is actually a type of oats that have been moistened into a porridge-like consistency. No one actually eats oats because oats are covered with a tough inedible husk. When the husk is removed, the oats are called oat groats. Steel cut oats are oat groats that have been chopped into smaller pieces. Rolled oats are oat groats that have been steamed and rolled flat. Instant oats (the ones that just require hot water to cook) are rolled oats that have been steamed more, chopped smaller, and rolled flatter. The latter only require hot water to "cook" because they are partially cooked. Lastly, oat flour is made of rolled oats that have been ground into a flour.

Here is a recipe that is perfect for oat lovers and for Hallowe'en.

Black and Orange Oat Squares

Base: 3/4 cup of rolled oats
3/4 cup of oat flour
1/4 cup of nut butter of choice (I used almond)
1/4 cup of liquid sweetener (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, or agave)
1/4 cup of carob or cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons milk or water (to moisten the base if too dry)

Filling: 1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup liquid sweetener (maple syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, or agave)

Topping: 2 Tablespoons of carob or chocolate chips

Mix all base ingredients and press into a greased 8X8 baking pan. Mix all filling ingredients and spread over the base. Sprinkle with the chips. Bake at 350F for approximately 25 minutes. Makes 16 squares.