02 May 2008

Slow Oats for Breakfast



When I found out a recent blood test (not fasting, mind you) discovered an elevated cholesterol level, I went on the offensive. Breaking out the slow-cooker, I made enough steel-cut oatmeal for 8 breakfasts.

The pink color in the slow cooker above isn't a trick of the light, it's due to the Trader Joe's freeze-dried strawberries I added to the mixture. Actually, I added a lot of stuff to this oatmeal: almond milk, extra oat bran, flax meal, hazelnuts and more. To sweeten it a bit, I added some agave nectar. That really made a difference -- since then, I've made different versions with other dried fruit, but without the agave, and it's just not as good.

But it's still crunchy from the nuts; chewy from the oats; sweet and tangy from the fruit; and chock full of healthy, cholesterol-lowering goodness.

Here's my recipe:

Deb's Slow Oats

Makes 8 portions.

Ingredients:

4 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup steel-cut oats
1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries (or any dried fruit)
1/4 cup museli (chose one with lots of nuts, seeds and dried fruit)
1/4 cup toasted hazelnuts chopped coarsely
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup water

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker. Stir well.
2. Turn the cooker on high and leave it for 2 hours.
3. Spoon into 8 containers and heat for breakfast when desired.

I added a little water to the chilled oatmeal each day to loosen it up.

By the way, I had blood drawn today and will find out next week what my number should be. I'll certainly post it here.

What do you put in your oatmeal?

3 comments:

sarah marie said...

This sounds really amazing. I love the idea of having crunchy nuts for a contrast of textures. You have a great blog!

I actually blend oatmeal in my breakfast smoothies. Sounds weird, but I love it. Frozen fruit, plain nonfat yogurt (practically the only kind of dairy I eat), OJ, flaxseed, and several spoons of cooked oatmeal... yum! Sometimes I also throw in spinach. :)

Laura said...

When I've tried making them in my crock pot, I end up with some burned stuff...I think my crock pot thermostat must be a little off! Here's a link to how I make mine.

http://tenthingsfarm.blogspot.com/2008/10/steel-cut-oats-our-version.html

We love agave nectar in ours too! I've done peanut butter and agave for a 'PBJ' flavor, and it's really yummy (even for supper!)

Sometimes I make the oats with applesauce and cinnamon too...and a little chopped fresh apple. I think the possibilities are endless!

Deb Schiff said...

The burning happened to me once or twice, but I guess I needed to add more liquid. I'm actually make some right now in the slow cooker!