Throughout March, we’re talking about grains. Today, we are going to focus on one of America’s more popular grains, oats.
Oats are a superfood of sorts. You can use them for breakfast, to make cookies, and as filler in your favorite meatloaf. I’ve even cooked steel cut oats in a risotto style with mushroom broth for a yummy alternative to dinner. Studies show that oats can lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, help you lose weight, help control Type 2 diabetes, etc., etc. It’s like there’s nothing they can’t do.
Oats can be a bit dangerous, too, though. With oats being a little bland in and of themselves, it’s easy to want to add flavor (i.e. sugar) to them. Once you do that, you pretty much negate all of the health benefits that oats offer.
So…what to do?
Well, to start, you can choose steel cut oats. Steel cut oats are just the groat of the oatmeal plant, removed from the husk, and cut into small pieces. Rolled oats, commonly called old-fashioned oats, are steamed, and rolled thin and dried. Quick cooking oats are rolled thinner and instant oats are rolled thinner still, often breaking apart in the process.
Since steel cut oats have not been processed as much, they are slightly healthier than their faster cooking counterparts. Also, because more of the oat and bran are intact, they carry a nuttier flavor, lessening your need to add flavor (again, we’re talking sugar, right?) to your bowl.
The down side to steel cut oats is that they take much longer to cook. Rather than the 2-3 minutes that it takes for quick cooking oats, steel cut oats can take 25-30 minutes! That may not seem like a particularly long time, but try fitting 25-30 minutes into an already hectic morning schedule trying to get three kids out to the bus. That 25-30 minutes can seem like a lifetime. It just ain’t happenin’!
If, however, you have about 2 minutes and a slow cooker, you are in luck! You can sleep peacefully, knowing that breakfast will be ready when you wake up. It’s a simply ratio: 4 cups of liquid, 1 cup of steel cut oats. Mix together with a pinch of salt and you’re all set. That’s it! You can use all water, but I like to add a little milk to make it creamier.
Once you get up, the sky’s the limit. The kids wanted brown sugar and maple syrup (we just added a little bit…they’ll burn it off! Way less than that sugary cereal stuff, though). I went a little healthier with some unsweetened coconut, a sliced strawberry, and a drizzle of honey. If I need something a little more savory, I’ll happily top it off with an over-medium egg, some crumbled bacon, and maybe even some sauteed mushrooms.
YUM!
What healthy toppings would you add to your oatmeal? How do you feel about grains? What are your favorites? Do you shy away from them? We’ll be discussing grains through March on This Cookin’ Dad. Make sure that you leave a comment and share your story.
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 2 cups 2% milk
- 6 cups water
- 2 tsp salt
- Combine all ingredients into a slow cooker fitted with a slow cooker liner or prepared with 2 tbsp butter.
- Set slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
- Serve with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!
Steel cut oats are SO good! I agree, though, the amount of time to prepare them does put me off sometimes. I love this recipe for cooking overnight. I’ll have to try that out! Thanks for sharing at the Inspire Me Mondays Link-Up!
They are really great for a breakfast potluck. I mean, seriously, who wants to wake up early and get to work making a breakfast that has to travel?