SERVES 1
Steel-cut oats are the healthiest type of oats because they are the least processed and less likely to spike your blood sugar than would rolled oats or instant oats. They do require a longer cooking time than rolled oats, but it is easy to get around this by letting them soak overnight. You can either soak them and heat them up in the morning to serve them warm, or you can eat them cold, which makes for an easy, portable breakfast.
Warm Version
⅓ cup steel-cut oats per serving
⅔ cup (or up to 1 cup) water or milk of choice per serving
1. Put ⅓ cup oats per person in a saucepan.
2. Add ⅔ cup water per person, i.e., a 2 to 1 ratio of oats to water. (Note that if you prefer softer oats, you can increase the liquid to a 3 to 1 ratio, but this will also slightly increase the cooking time the next day).
3. To accelerate the soaking process, you can bring the oats to a boil, remove them from the heat, cover them, and allow them to sit overnight.
4. Otherwise, just add the liquid and let them soak overnight. If using water or plant-based milk, this can stay on the stovetop overnight. If using cow’s milk, put the pot in the refrigerator.
5. In the morning, simply put the pot on the stove and heat through to serve. (If you used a 3 to 1 ratio of liquid to oats, you will need to simmer them for a few minutes.)
6. The oats can be naturally sweetened by adding one chopped date per person (or a sprinkle of raisins) before heating, smashing the dates with a fork for even sweetness. Or you can simply top the oats with fresh fruit such as blueberries or banana, a simple fruit compote (see Simple Fruit Compotes), or other toppings like nuts, cinnamon, or cream.
Cold Version
⅓ cup steel-cut oats per serving
½ to ⅔ cup water or milk of choice per serving
Optional flavors and sweeteners:
cinnamon, grated apple, raisins, chopped dates or other dried fruit, berries, nut butter, or nuts/seeds of choice
1. Using jars or other portable containers, put ⅓ cup of steel-cut oats in each, followed by ½ to ⅔ cup water or milk of choice. (Choose the amount of liquid based on how milky you like your oats.)
2. Stir in flavorings of choice, close the jars, and store them in the refrigerator overnight (or up to 3 days). These make an easy grab-and-go breakfast. Alternatively, you can make one big container and serve it into bowls the morning of for eating at home.
Note: The texture of the oats will remain fairly firm, which may take a bit of getting used to. If you prefer softer oats, you can substitute Scottish oats (steel-cut oats ground down to a finer grain) or use regular rolled oats.
NUTRITION FACTS PER SERVING: Calories 220 Total Fat 2.5g Protein 7g Total Carbohydrate 42g Dietary Fiber 6g Total Sugars 1g Added Sugars 0g
*Note: recipe analyzed using ⅓ cup oats prepared with water.