Turn your regular oatmeal breakfast into a heartier, nuttier experience with steel-cut oats.
Steel-cut oats are, as the name decries, cut rather than flattened. Because of that it takes longer to digest, making us feel fuller for a longer period.
While still maintaining the incredible health benefits, such as lowering your glycemic index and your cholesterol, steel-cut oats offer a nuttier alternative to the rolled oats most people know.
While steel-cut oats take a little longer to cook, this recipe can be made well in advance and heated up in the morning with a little added milk. Your own instant oats!
- 1 tbs butter
- 1/2 c steel-cut oats
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 cup milk (organic or hormone free)
- 1tbs brown sugar
- 1/4 c dried cherries
- 1/4 c roasted almonds
Directions:
- In a non-stick sauce pan melt the butter and saute the oats over medium heat for around 2 minutes. Keep the oats moving, you don't want them to burn.
- When you begin to smell the nuttiness of the oats add the water and the milk. Give them a stir and then add the brown sugar. Turn the heat down to medium-low or low.
- Let them simmer for 10 minutes, or so, stirring occaisionally. If your liquid reduces considerably in this time your heat may be too high. It's an easy fix, though: just add a bit more water.
- After about 10 minute check the moisture level and add the cherries. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Stir more often.
- The oats are finished when you bite down on them and they seem to pop open in your mouth. When they are done, remove from heat and add the almonds.
- Serve with extra milk and sugar to taste.
Explanations
- Butter: sauteing the oats really opens up their nuttiness to the flavor pallet. If you are concerned about the butter, you can toast them in an oil-free pan. But this will happen very fast, so keep an eye on the oats or they will burn.
- Steel-Cut Oats: You may find "Steel-Cut Oats" in bags or cans for around $7.00. If money is no object, go for it. However, you should also be able to find them bulk in most supermarkets for around $2.00 - $5.00 a pound, depending on your market. That is a huge savings. And if you like them, buying bulk only makes sense.
- Dried Cherries: Most dried cherries availalble in supermarket bulk have been sweetened with cane syrup, which works great for this recipe. The sweetness of the cherries means you can cut down on the more refined brown sugar. But it really comes down to your taste. Dried cranberries and blueberries and great as are dried currants, the original fruit paird with oats in the old days.
- Dry Roasted Almonds: The almonds are an excellent addition because they add both texture and taste variety. Use dry roasted almonds, as they will add the salt that this recipe needs to really make the taste come alive. If you don't use almonds, toss in a little dash of salt.
- Extra: Steel-cut oats are the tofu of breakfast food. Really, whatever flavor profile you want to throw at them they take. Maple syrup is a great sweetner alternative. Any fruit you want to add also works. If you want some decadence, add some chocolate chips or coconut or malted milk powder. It's a canvas waiting only for your creativity.
The copyright of the article Steel-Cut Oatmeal in Breakfast Recipes is owned by Jason Alberty. Permission to republish Steel-Cut Oatmeal in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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