Rolled oats are indispensible for granola, baking, and quick bowls of oatmeal on weekday mornings. But a bowl of creamy rolled oatmeal always gives me a craving for the much nuttier steel cut oatmeal.
The appeal of steel cut oats, also known as Irish or pinhead oats, lies in the texture. They have a bit of chew and a springiness between your teeth, unlike the mushiness of rolled oats.
Steel cut oats need about 30 minutes of simmering, which might be more time than you can spare when you're trying to beat the school bus to the corner. Fortunately, steel cuts oats reheat beautifully in the microwave.
Make a big batch on day one; store the leftovers in the fridge. Reheat a single portion with a bit of milk in the microwave. You get all the chewy texture plus creamy oat flavor.
As with many meals in a bowl, toppings make all the difference. My go-to toppings are toasted walnuts, maple syrup, and dried cherries. But most anything goes -- cinnamon, raisins, brown sugar, chopped apples or peaches, butter, cream, vanilla, and so on. I'd love to know what you're favorite toppings are.
Steel Cut Oatmeal
I use McCann's Steel Cut Oatmeal and follow their instructions for "Irish Porridge," described below. There are certainly other brands out there; just look for "steel cut oats" somewhere on the label.
4 cups water
1 cup steel cut oats
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Bring the water to boil in a medium sauce pan. Add the oats and salt and stir well. Reduce heat to low, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy one serving of oatmeal with the topping of your choice. I recommend a bit of maple syrup with chopped toasted walnuts and dried cherries.
Store the leftover oatmeal in the fridge in a sealed container. To reheat, scoop out one serving to microwaveable container, add 2 to 4 Tablespoons milk, and reheat (covered) in the microwave for about 1 1/2 minutes or so, until piping hot. Stir well, garnish as desired, and enjoy.
Recipe makes 4 generous (1 cup) servings.
Nutrition facts for 1 cup oatmeal (plain): 150 calories, 5 g protein, 2.5 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 148 mg sodium, 4 g fiber
Nutrition facts for 1 cup oatmeal with 1 Tbsp maple syrup, 2 Tbsp walnuts, and 1.5 Tbsp dried cherries: 343 calories, 8 g protein, 12 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 152 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
Here are some links to other recipes for steel cut oats you might enjoy.
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2 comments:
I eat steel cut oats every morning during the work week. I cook it the night before so I can just grab it and go in the morning. I like to peel and cut up a Fuji apple, put it in a 1/2 cup of water with some cinnamon, throw in a 1/4 cup of the oats, and cook for 20 minutes. I put it in the fridge at night and in the morning add some rice milk and almonds (sometimes flax and sunflower seeds). I sometimes enjoy it cold this way. It smells fantastic. Tastes great. And of course keeps me full alot longer.
Thanks for the tip O.G. I'll give it a try with apple and cinnamon next time. I'm game for anything that might evoke sensations of apple pie for breakfast.
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