I met Lauren when I lived in Hawaii. She is a Navy officer, and when she isn’t out to sea, she’s in the kitchen. We are thrilled that she is guest posting here today. Enjoy her recipe and be sure to visit her blog.
There is something warming, comforting and quite Zen about a good bowl of oatmeal. I have yet to meet someone that didn’t like oatmeal. I am sure there are a few people out there but it is such a staple in our diets from an early age that it seems to take people back to their childhood.
One of my favorites is Irish Oatmeal. It is quite different from
traditional Quaker Oats. Irish Oats or steel cut oats are whole grain
oats that have been cut into small pieces. Regular oatmeal is generally
rolled oat grains or ground grains. Steel cut oats take longer to cook
because they are parts of the whole grain. Trust me it’s only about 30
minutes and it is well worth it.
My mother always made her Irish Oatmeal with milk and plenty of butter.
This vegan version I thought might lack some of the richness of my
mother’s but oh was I wrong. All I did was switch some of the water with vanilla almond milk. Irish Oatmeal tends to have a nutty flavor to begin with and the
almond milk really heightens the decadence of nuts. I LOVE cinnamon so if you are not a huge fan cut back on the cinnamon.
There are really only a few major brands of Irish Steel Cut Oats. You can’t go wrong with McCann’s. I recently discovered Flahavan’s which is what I used in this recipe. Equally as good. The metal tins, steel cut oats are traditionally packaged in, are beautiful to me and they add a rustic feel to your kitchen if you leave it out on your counter as a decoration piece.
Cinnamon Irish Oatmeal
Makes 4 small servings
1 cup Irish Steel Cut Oats (such as McCann’s or Flahavan’s)
2 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (if you use sweetened milk cut back on the maple syrup)
1 ¾ cup water
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Stir oats, water and almond milk together in a heavy bottom pot. Bring mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer. Stir often for 30 minutes. Taste to test for doneness. (*If you prefer a softer oatmeal then cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. You may need to add a little more water.) Remove pot from the heat and stir in cinnamon, maple syrup and salt. Adjust to taste and top with your favorite toppings.
Topping ideas: Chopped Nuts, Raisins, Dried Fruit, Brown Sugar, Sliced Strawberries (Fresh strawberries and oatmeal is heavenly!)
I would like to thank Jordan for being such an inspiration and tremendous help getting The Salty Tomato started. I look forward to your ideas and comments.
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I love the steel cut oats. Thanks for sharing this recipe. May just have it tomorrow. I have the almond milk, too.
I love steel cut oatmeal…never tried the Flahavan’s…will see if i can find it in my area!…
Happy Valentine’s Day ladies!
Sounds delicious!