| Ever since I turned my family on to steel cut oats, | | | | sold in cans or packages. The two whole-foods type |
| they can't get enough of them. This includes one child | | | | markets in my community also sell steel cut oats |
| who always made faces whenever I tried to serve | | | | from their bulk bins, which saves a little money over |
| him regular oatmeal made from rolled oats. | | | | the pre-packaged ones. |
| A steaming bowl of steel cut oatmeal, served with | | | | The basic recipe for steel cut oats is to bring 4 cups |
| raisins or fresh fruit such as blueberries or | | | | of water to a boil in a saucepan, slowly stir in the |
| strawberries, makes a hearty breakfast any day of | | | | oats and heat on high until the oatmeal begins to |
| the week. Steel cut oats are especially welcome on a | | | | thicken (about 4 to 6 minutes). Then reduce the |
| cold, rainy day. For me, there's nothing better at such | | | | heat, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for about |
| a time than curling up with a good book and my | | | | half an hour. Serve with the aforementioned fresh |
| oatmeal while listening to the rain drip and splatter | | | | fruit, or add a little milk, honey or brown sugar. It's all |
| against the windows. | | | | good! |
| Steel cut oats are the inner part of the oat grain, | | | | If you want to reduce the preparation time for |
| known as the groat. The groats are cut in two or | | | | those busy mornings when everyone is trying to get |
| three pieces in such a way as to enhance the | | | | out the door, here's a way to do it. The night |
| naturally nutty flavor. They are golden-colored and | | | | before, boil 4 cups of water in a saucepan or pot. |
| shaped roughly like small grains of rice. Some other | | | | Turn off the heat, stir in a cup of oats, cover the |
| names for them are Irish oats, Scotch oats, coarse | | | | pan or pot, and let sit overnight. In the morning you'll |
| cut oats, and pinhead oats. | | | | just need to cook the oatmeal over low heat for 10 |
| Besides being deliciously chewy, steel cut oats are | | | | minutes or so. |
| highly nutritious. They're especially high in the B | | | | Yes, if you really must, you can microwave steel cut |
| vitamins. They also provide protein, calcium and fiber | | | | oats. The consistency will be noticeably different, but |
| to your diet. An interesting fact about oatmeal is that | | | | many people prefer it cooked this way. Try it and |
| it is the only food with naturally occurring GLA, or | | | | decide for yourself. |
| gamma linolenic acid. GLA is an essential fatty acid. | | | | This microwaving method works pretty well: Mix a |
| The one drawback to steel cut oats, and it's a minor | | | | half cup of oats with 2 cups of water in a large bowl. |
| one in my opinion, is that they require a longer | | | | Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Place in the |
| cooking time than regular oatmeal. I rather like this | | | | microwave and zap for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove |
| aspect of them. It means that to enjoy them, you | | | | from the microwave, stir the oatmeal, then return |
| have to slow down and step out of the hurry-hurry | | | | and zap it for another 4 to 6 minutes. Due to the |
| modern world for a while. And what's wrong with | | | | variances in microwave power, you may need to |
| being forced to take such a break now and then? | | | | experiment to find the right cooking times for your |
| Steel cut oats are available in most supermarkets, | | | | particular oven. |