Steel Cut Oats

My personal go to breakfast meal is steel cut oats (a type of oatmeal). You can find these at numerous stores, including the bulk section. My favorite is McCann's Irish Oatmeal. It comes in tins you can use after.

The following is from the Mccann's website:

Why Steel-cut Oats?

Steel-Cut Oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into two or three pieces using steel discs. Golden in colour and resembling mini rice particles, they are as nature intended – nothing added and nothing taken out.

How are they different from Rolled Oats?

Rolled oats are flake oats that have been steamed, rolled, re-steamed and toasted. Due to all of this additional processing they have lost some of their natural taste, goodness and texture.

Steel cut oats take a bit longer to cook than regular oatmeal but I think you'll agree it's worth it. The finished result is much creamier and heartier, unique crunch much different than the packaged stuff!

The recipe below includes my suggested toppings but be adventurous--try bananas, brown sugar, raisins or other dried fruit. With all the various choices, you can have a different breakfast almost every day. 

Steel Cut Oats with Cranberries and Walnuts

4 C water

1 C steel cut oats

1 tsp just ground flax seed*

handful walnuts

handful dried cranberries

1 tsp real maple syrup

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add steel cut oats. Once it begins to thicken turn down the heat to low. Allow to cook about 20 - 30 minutes, until water is absorbed.

Serve and top with suggested toppings or your own.

You can save leftover oatmeal in the refrigerator and microwave it the next day at 30 seconds to one minute with a bit a fat free milk. When you remove it, stir quickly and enjoy.  It is not as good as the first day but great when you are in a big hurry!

* Note--Flax seed is loaded with healthy omegas but flax seed goes bad quickly after ground. If you don't have time to grind flax seeds (I use a coffee grinder.), add extra walnuts--also lots of healthy omegas!