Wednesday, December 2, 2009

recipe review: steel cut oats


Ok this isn't so much a recipe review as it is a rave. I was never much of an oatmeal fan, but forced myself to come around for the nutritional value and ease of preparation. In grad school, I used to use those flavored instant oatmeal packets...after getting married we eliminated the extra sugar and purchased plain instant oatmeal in bulk. Inspired by various food blogs, I started adding mix-ins - dried fruit, nuts, granola, nut butters, maple syrup, protein powders, etc. Nothing else keeps me satiated for as long a time as a decent-sized bowl of oatmeal.

I actually saw a rerun of Good Eats about oatmeal, in which Alton Brown likened instant oatmeal to something he wouldn't even feed a horse! I was mortified...were there really better options? Enter steel cut oats.

I bought a small container from Trader Joe's. Although the directions are daunting (it takes about 30-45 minutes total cooking time), they were actually super easy to make. I estimated that for a workweek's worth of breakfast for the two of us, I'd need to cook about 3 cups of steel cut oats. The ratio of water:oats is 4:1. Just bring the appropriate amount of water to a boil, slowly add the corresponding amount of steel cut oats, continuously stir for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens, and then simmer for an additional 30 minutes (I came back every 5 minutes or so to stir...this helped anything sticking to the bottom of the pot and ensured even cooking). I also added a generous pinch of kosher salt (to the boiling water), and a large pat of butter.

To make breakfast prep even easier, we bought disposable/reusable Ziploc containers. They are the perfect size for oatmeal! I ended up with just over 2/3 cups of cooked oatmeal distributed in 10 containers.

I used to argue that there was nothing easier than instant oatmeal, but I was wrong...reheating pre-cooked steel cut oats are even easier. Just add a splash or two of milk, mix-ins of your choice, and nuke for about a minute and a half (stirring halfway through). And the taste? Wonderfully nutty and textured...they almost pop in your mouth. SO good.

Steel cut oats have more soluble fiber and less calories when compared to the same amount of instant oats. There are many ways to cook them (slow cooker, stovetop, in the oven)...even overnight for those that don't want to stir on and off for 45 minutes. I might be making oatmeal cookies and apple crisps for months to try and use the remainder of our bulk-sized instant oatmeal, because I'm not sure we can ever go back after trying the steel cut version!

Links!
* NYT Bitten Blog: Piece on steel-cut oats (the comments are especially useful)
* Comparison and reviews of various oatmeal types and brands
* KERF: Amazing inspiration for oatmeal mix-ins

3 comments:

  1. Have you also considered quinoa for breakfast ? Its super easy to prepare and very healthy too. I like alternate between oats & quinoa every week.

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  2. I'm intrigued...we've only ever had quinoa for dinner! Do you prepare it as more of a savory breakfast, or do you enjoy them the same way you would oatmeal?

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  3. I eat it the same way as I do oatmeal by adding milk, nut or sunflower seed butter, granola, etc...

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