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