Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats

My kitchen hiatus continues; I still have no energy for making food. My condition persists in perplexing my doctor. At our last appointment he told me he wrote the textbook chapter on fat malabsorption, yet he cannot figure out why I’m not absorbing fat. Great. For this reason, he has decided to bring in another specialist, all the way from Colorado, to meet with me at our next appointment. Apparently this guy is one the top GI specialists in the country and has helped my doctor in the past with difficult-to-diagnose cases. Let’s hope he can figure out my issue.

Since I haven’t been doing much cooking, I thought I would post about my favorite breakfast—steel cut oats. I love the chewy texture of steel cut oats, I just don’t like the long, 30 minute cooking time. I noticed that Trader Joe’s had quick cook steel cut oats, ready in only 8 minutes. I bought them and ever since haven’t turned back. After being spoiled with an 8 minute cook time, there was no way I could go back to 30 minutes. I know you could make a big batch and reheat throughout the week, but I like to make mine fresh every morning. For these quick cook oats I cook mine in the microwave. I microwave the water for 2 minutes, pour it over the oats, nuke it for 3 minutes, stir, then heat for 2 minutes more. While it’s cooking I usually put away the clean dishes. If you make it in the microwave, make sure to use a large bowl, with tall sides, if you don’t want to be cleaning oatmeal out of your microwave (I may or may not have learned that the hard way). I use a small serving bowl. I have made them on the stove, but I find the microwave more convenient.

I add brown sugar, maple syrup, ground flaxseed meal, cinnamon and walnuts. I stir in heavy cream or half-n-half to get a nice, smooth consistency. Normally, I would just use skim milk, but my nutritionist has me sneaking fat into my diet, hoping some of it will get absorbed. Sometimes I add fruit, bananas, blueberries, strawberries. If I’m using frozen berries I pour a handful into a strainer and let them thaw while the oats cook. Other times I add shredded coconut to get in more fat. Usually, it’s too much food for me to eat at once, so I eat what I can, let it digest, then rewarm and eat the rest later. I love when healthy food is easy, quick, and inexpensive. If you are a fan of steel cut oats, give these a try sometime.