Breakfast Triumph
Internet, I have exciting news! I made delicious oatmeal this morning! No, seriously, this is big. Oatmeal is one of those things that I LOVE to eat in restaurants but that never comes out like anything I want to eat at home.
For instance, at The Omelettry in Austin their oatmeal is creamy while still having a substantial texture and it is so sugary and spicy with cinnamon. At my house in Denton oatmeal is bland is strangely gummy and completely devoid of flavor no matter how much sugar I put in it.
But not today! I started with steel cut oats and toasted them in a sauce pan with a little butter. Then I added boiling water and let it sit about 25 minutes avoiding my impulse to stir. Then I stirred in some milk and half and half to ensure it would be creamy. The result is pretty much an oatmeal version of risotto. Sticky and creamy but there is still something to bite down on because the steel cut oat really hold their texture.
Topped with a little brown sugar (okay, a lot of brown sugar) and some cinnamon and I know what I'll be eating for breakfast all week.
Sam's Awesome Steel Cut Oats
3 c water
1 c steel cut oats
1 tbsp butter
1/2 c skim milk
1/4 c half and half
pinch of salt
brown sugar and cinnamon to taste
1.) In a smallish saucepan melt the butter and then stir in the oat. Keep them moving for about two minutes to toast them. They should start to smell really nutty without smoking.
2.) Then add BOILING water to the pan. Now leave it alone, simmering, for about 25 minutes.
3.) Stir in the half and half and milk (and a little salt). Cook at the same simmer for 10 minutes, more for less creamy oatmeal.
It's ready! Slop some in a bowl, top with sugar and cinnamon and enjoy! Watch it with the sugar though, the half and half combined with too much sugar can be lethally sweet.
If you're liking the texture, may I suggest whole oat groats? You start them the night before and they're ready by morning.
Trader Joe's sells microwaveable steel-cut oatmeal portioned into frozen hockey-pucks. I had one for breakfast this morning. Keeps me safe from hippy recidivism, since I get all the benefits of whole food goodness with none of the drawbacks of preparing my own food from scratch.
You've come a long way, Samster. I remember when we used to dip chicken nuggets in coffee sauce for breakfast, with a side of ketchup cracklins.