Steel-Cut Oatmeal With Fruit

I've tried steel-cut oatmeal several times and would like to have more of it. It takes longer to prepare than ordinary oatmeal, but can be prepared the night before and re-heated the next day. Below is a recipe from Martha Rose Shulman of New York Times.

Photo from New York Times

Steel-cut oatmeal is my new favorite hot breakfast. It has more texture than rolled or flaked oats and really sticks to your ribs. But this tasty cereal takes about 25 to 30 minutes to cook — not what you need when you’re trying to get out the door. So I make a batch that will last a few days; it keeps well in the refrigerator, and you can reheat small portions gently atop the stove or in the microwave. You can also freeze this oatmeal in ice cube trays, an idea I got from oncology nutritionist Maria C. Romano. She contributed the recipe from which this one is adapted to the “Eat Healthy, Shop Smart” community farmers’ market program at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

2 cups water

2 cups low-fat milk

1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup steel-cut oats

1 teaspoon unsalted butter (optional)

2 to 4 tablespoons dried fruit, such as raisins, chopped dried apricots, dried cranberries

1 to 2 teaspoons maple syrup, agave syrup, honey or brown sugar (more to taste)

Fresh fruit (such as diced apples and pears, optional)

1. Combine the water, milk and salt in a large, heavy saucepan, and bring to a boil. Slowly add the oats, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter, dried fruit and sweetener. Cover, and continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often to prevent the cereal from sticking to the bottom of the pan, until the oats are soft and the mixture is creamy. Serve, with added fruit stirred in if desired, or refrigerate and reheat as desired. Or freeze as follows:

2. Line ice cube trays with plastic wrap. Fill each cube with oatmeal, cover with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen solid, remove the cubes from the ice tray and freeze in a plastic bag. For each portion, thaw three or four cubes in a microwave on the defrost setting. Add additional warm milk if desired.

Yield: Four servings.

Advance preparation: Cooked steel-cut oats will keep for five days in the refrigerator and can be reheated atop the stove or in the microwave.

Note: Although my steel-cut oats come in a container with directions for cooking them in the microwave, I don’t find the results satisfactory. The oatmeal doesn’t have the time it needs to swell and release its starch into the liquid, so the liquid never gets creamy and the oatmeal doesn’t soften properly. A better way to save time is to soak the oats overnight. Bring 2 cups water to a boil. Combine the oats and salt in a bowl, and pour on the water. Leave overnight. In the morning, bring the milk to a simmer in a large saucepan, and stir in the oats and any liquid remaining in the bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer 15 minutes, until creamy, stirring often.