Bodies handle stress
differently. When I get stressed, I lose my appetite for healthy foods. This
usually results in my falling back on a small number of "comfort
foods" that are actually junk food (salty takeout, fatty pizza, all desserts ever) until my stress reduces
and the desire for real food returns. As you might have guessed, planning a cross-country move and selling our house in a short number of weeks is making
me mighty stressed.
In an attempt to
keep my diet on track, I've been starting my mornings with a bowl of
oatmeal. Not just any oatmeal, however. I've been making a veganized version of
Megan Gordon's steel-cut oatmeal from her wonderful book, Whole Grain Mornings. Oatmeal has always been
a breakfast workhorse, one of those unexciting-but-good-for-you dishes you eat
because you should, not because you wake
up craving it. But Megan's oatmeal is different. Megan's oatmeal is, dare I say
it, crave-able.
Sautéing the
uncooked oats in a bit of nondairy butter perfumes the oatmeal with a toasty
aroma and amplifies the pleasant chew that steel-cut oats are known for. After
toasting, the oats are simmered in a 3:1 mixture of water and nondairy milk
seasoned with a touch of sugar, vanilla, and salt. What you end up with is
perfectly cooked, luxuriously creamy oatmeal (or "porridge", as Megan
calls it).
The consistency of
this lovely oat porridge is risotto-like, with magical starch-infused
"cream" lending an illusion of richness despite the recipe's scant amounts of butter and milk. I make a batch, pop it in the
fridge after it's cooled, and reheat servings in the microwave for stress-free,
nutrition-filled breakfasts all week long. A bowl of these creamy oats topped
with a pile of fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup is just the thing to
fuel me through a day of crazed, move-related shenanigans.
Creamy Steel-Cut Oatmeal (Steel-Cut Oats Porridge)
Adapted from Whole Grain Mornings (Megan shared a version of the recipe here)
Serves 4
1 tablespoon
non-dairy butter or coconut oil
1 cup steel-cut oats
3 cups water
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon
kosher salt*
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
extract
*If using nondairy butter, add 1/4 teaspoon salt; if using coconut oil, add 1/2 teaspoon salt
Bring a good-sized saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. Once butter is bubbling, add oats
and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden and fragrant (about 5
minutes). Add water, milk, sugar, salt,
and vanilla to the saucepan and increase heat to medium-high and partially
cover the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, partially
covered, for 25 to 30 minutes or until the oatmeal is creamy and oats have a
tender bite. Be sure to stir oatmeal occasionally while simmering and keep an
eye on the heat as the oatmeal has a tendency to boil over with little notice.
Cool for a few minutes before serving as desired (with milk/maple
syrup/fruit/nuts); oatmeal can also be refrigerated and then reheated in the
microwave with a splash of milk to thin it if needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment