There are a zillion good reasons to cook your family steel cut oats for breakfast! A few: Steel cut oats are less processed than regular oatmeal. They are hearty, filling, and delicious. They are super good for you. And if you buy them in bulk, they are cheap! (If you buy them in the little can at the grocery store, they are like gold.)
Here’s how I do it.
1. The night before, soak 2 c. steel cut oats in 2 quarts water and 2 T. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. This breaks down the phytic acid (an anti-nutrient found in grains and legumes), making the nutrients more easily absorbed and the oats easier to digest. It also cuts the cooking time by a bit. This step isn’t essential, so if you forget to soak the oats it’s not the end of the world. I try to do this though.
2. In the morning…drain oats into a strainer and rinse very well to get rid of any sour taste from the vinegar or lemon juice. Put them in a pot with 6 cups water.
If you did not soak the oats, use 8 cups water.
3. Cook over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until oatmeal is thick and oats are tender. You’ll want to stir it quite a bit at the end, to prevent sticking.
Let it cool a little. Serve with raisins, honey, butter, milk, nuts, fruit, or whatever you like with oatmeal. Yummy!!!
(I also like to add 2 chopped apples at the beginning. Then when the oatmeal is done, I stir in some cinnamon and honey. That’s the kids’ favorite!)
