Best Breakfast: Steel Cut Oats

One of my very favorite weekend breakfasts is a steaming bowl of steel cut oats, piled high with sauteed fruit and chopped walnuts and a sprinkle of cinnamon and maple syrup. It feels like a serious indulgence to me, but if I’m conscious about how I prepare it, it’s actually really healthy too! How can you beat good for you and tasty too?

Typically I make steel cut oats just for myself, after a nice long spin class when I have time to prepare then and I’m feeling happily exhausted and ready to eat! Usually what I include depends partly on what I have around, and partly on incorporating the “usual’s” — dried cranberries/raisins, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground flax seed and chopped fresh fruit.

Some past favorites have included a delicious attempt at “Banana’s Foster” which included chopped toasted walnuts, sauteed fresh banana, cinnamon, a bit of brown sugar, and a drop of rum extract. SO good. But most usually I saute some apples with cinnamon and brown sugar, and load up my oats with the fruit, flax, some chopped nuts, a splash of milk and a swirl of maple syrup or honey. No matter how you dress it, a bowl of steel cut oats is hard to beat.

Foolproof Steel Cut Oats, for 1

• 1/4 cup steel cut oats
• 1 1/4 cups water
• Toppings: walnuts, almonds, pecans, dried cranberries, raisins, fresh fruit, cinnamon, ground flax, milk/soymilk, maple syrup, honey, peanut butter

1.) Mix oats and water in a pan over medium heat, and bring to a boil.

2.) Once the mixture has come to a boil, stir frequently, until the oats have soaked up most of the water and the oats are creamy and smooth, 10-15 minutes (cook more or less depending on the texture you like.)

3.) Top with desired ingredients, and enjoy right away!