Overnight Steel Cut Oats c/o Healthy Living Blog

Steel cut oats are the holy grail of breakfast food, but to achieve optimal texture and taste, they require about 45 minutes of cooking time…time most of us don't have in the morning. To solve this problem, cooks (like Mark Bittman) have developed recipes for "overnight" oatmeal reducing am cook time to a scant 10 minutes. This recipe from Jeanette's Healthy Living blog delivers a nutrient and flavor packed meal for everyone in the family, and although Bittman's version is pretty good, Jeanette's has a few extra ingredients that speak to me. 

Steel Cut Oatmeal with Dried Fruit

Cooking the oats with dried fruit adds natural sweetness.  Topping the oatmeal with Blueberry Compote adds flavor and sweetness.  Extra cooked oats can be refrigerated or frozen.

1 cup steel-cut oats 

2 cups water

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup dried fruit (try cranberries, blueberries, raisins, or a mixture)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8  teaspoon ground cardamon

pinch of ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon maple syrup

¼ cup almond milk, optional

toasted sliced almonds or walnuts 

Soak oats overnight in water to cover.  Rinse and drain oats the next morning.  Combine oats, water and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cover, lower the heat and add the dried fruit, cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until creamy.  Add more water as needed to reach desired consistency.  Stir in maple syrup and serve with almond milk, if desired, toasted almonds and Blueberry Compote.

Note: Quick-cooking steel-cut oats are now available that do not require pre-soaking; they take about 5-7 minutes to cook. 

Blueberry Compote

One bag (10 ounces) frozen blueberries

1 teaspoon fresh orange or lemon juice

1 teaspoon orange or lemon zest

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

dash of cinnamon