Allright, what the heck are steel-cut oats? And why would you care? I'll share with you just why I love these so darn much. I sometimes forget about them, then rediscover them a couple weeks later. It's like Christmas all over again.
Let's begin by examining what steel-cut oats exactly are.
If you've ever been to a specialty bird seed store (everyone, right?) you've seen oats in a bin for sale by the pound. They don't look like oatmeal. It's the unflattened, whole kernel. So, imagine a piece of oatmeal not flattened. They're kinda small and roundish. The key here is, they're minimally processed. The light, airy outer "hull" is removed and the rest is left alone.
Steel cut oats are essentially rough-cut oats. The hull is removed then the grains are roughly cut and packaged. That's it. The oat grain itself is kept largely intact, therefore it's one of the most fiber-rich ways to consume the oat. There's no flattening or squashing the grain, therefore the part that's really good for you in the oat isn't destroyed or compromised. You're left with a high-fiber, slightly nutty tasting product.
Plus, this is the easiest breakfast in the world. Did I mention delicious!?
The night before, I usually put about 1/2 cup of steel cut oats into a bowl. I add about a cup of liquid (usually light vanilla soymilk), and then generally some dried fruit of some sort. My favorite addition by far are the Trader Joe's dried wild blueberries. You can use raisins (goldens are my favorite) or crasins too. (By putting the dried fruit in during the early stage, the fruit will absorb some of the liquid you put in and will become all plump and juicy.) Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and into the refrigerator.
The next day, it's softened enough that it makes a nice hearty breakfast, either warmed on the stovetop or chilled straight from the fridge. If you prefer it softer, leave it sit for more than 24 hours in the fridge.
You can add a bit of honey or sugar as desired to taste.
Other dreamy delicious additions to consider:
Pecan bits
Almond bits
Bananas
Honey
Chocolate almond milk (if you haven't tried it, yer missin' out!)
Dried blueberries
Dried cherries
Golden raisins
craisins
To buy, the easiest option is the stuff made by Quaker in the oatmeal section. Otherwise, I saw it today in the bulk bins at Gordy's on Lake Wissota for $1.19 a pound, they probably have it downtown Chippewa Falls too. By buying in bulk out of the bins, you can buy as much or as little as you want.
Let me know what you think of the steel cut oats!
Let's begin by examining what steel-cut oats exactly are.
If you've ever been to a specialty bird seed store (everyone, right?) you've seen oats in a bin for sale by the pound. They don't look like oatmeal. It's the unflattened, whole kernel. So, imagine a piece of oatmeal not flattened. They're kinda small and roundish. The key here is, they're minimally processed. The light, airy outer "hull" is removed and the rest is left alone.
Steel cut oats are essentially rough-cut oats. The hull is removed then the grains are roughly cut and packaged. That's it. The oat grain itself is kept largely intact, therefore it's one of the most fiber-rich ways to consume the oat. There's no flattening or squashing the grain, therefore the part that's really good for you in the oat isn't destroyed or compromised. You're left with a high-fiber, slightly nutty tasting product.
Plus, this is the easiest breakfast in the world. Did I mention delicious!?
The night before, I usually put about 1/2 cup of steel cut oats into a bowl. I add about a cup of liquid (usually light vanilla soymilk), and then generally some dried fruit of some sort. My favorite addition by far are the Trader Joe's dried wild blueberries. You can use raisins (goldens are my favorite) or crasins too. (By putting the dried fruit in during the early stage, the fruit will absorb some of the liquid you put in and will become all plump and juicy.) Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and into the refrigerator.
The next day, it's softened enough that it makes a nice hearty breakfast, either warmed on the stovetop or chilled straight from the fridge. If you prefer it softer, leave it sit for more than 24 hours in the fridge.
You can add a bit of honey or sugar as desired to taste.
Other dreamy delicious additions to consider:
Pecan bits
Almond bits
Bananas
Honey
Chocolate almond milk (if you haven't tried it, yer missin' out!)
Dried blueberries
Dried cherries
Golden raisins
craisins
To buy, the easiest option is the stuff made by Quaker in the oatmeal section. Otherwise, I saw it today in the bulk bins at Gordy's on Lake Wissota for $1.19 a pound, they probably have it downtown Chippewa Falls too. By buying in bulk out of the bins, you can buy as much or as little as you want.
Let me know what you think of the steel cut oats!
mmmmm that sounds good, I need to remember to try this
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