weekend oatmeal
I used to hate oatmeal. It was bland and mushy, and cold cereal with milk was fine by me. In college, John insisted that oatmeal was delicious if you put fruit and nuts and honey all over it. I tried many bites of his breakfast of choice, but I still hated it.
Then, at the age of 25, a revelation: steel-cut oats. Unlike the rolled (or gasp, instant) oats of my experiences past, this stuff is chewy, like little grains of rice. Sure, they take awhile to cook, but that’s why they’ve become a cool-weather weekend ritual. We patiently stir our oats and brew some coffee while we slowly wake up.
In short, oats are really good for you. They’re a whole grain, so the vitamins and fiber from the bran and germ are all there. The fiber in whole grains helps you stay full longer than, say, white bread would. Oatmeal can also help some people lower their LDL (“bad” cholesterol) levels; the soluble fiber in oatmeal (the gummy gelatinous stuff that forms a film around the edges of the pot) binds to cholesterol and reduces the amount that is absorbed by the intestines.
And finally, steel cut oats are just whole oat grains (groats) that have been cut into a few pieces, while rolled oats are groats that have been flattened out to reduce their cooking time.
3/4 cup steel-cut oats
2 1/2 cups water
dash of salt
1/2 cup milk
Toast oats in a pot, over medium heat. Add water and salt, and bring to a boil, partially covering with a lid. Once it’s boiling, remove the lid and stir frequently, until oats are cooked through but still a little chewy. This should take about 20 to 25 minutes. Add milk and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes.
1 1/2 apples or pears (or both), diced
small dab of butter
dash of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Heat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter, fruit, cinnamon, and sugar. Stir to coat. Cook, covered, until soft (about 15-20 minutes).
Top oatmeal with cinnamon apples and/or pears, walnuts, real maple syrup, and brown sugar.
Update
Something I liked so much that I’m moving it out of the comments section. Ashwin writes:
“I get up in the morning, I make myself a bowl of instant oatmeal, and then I don’t do anything for an hour, which makes me wonder why I need the instant oatmeal. I could get the regular oatmeal and feel productive.” - the other Mitch in the kitchen, Mr. Hedberg.
