"Sprouted" Steel Cut Oatmeal in 10 Minutes

My whole family loves steel cut oatmeal in the mornings but it can take 30-40 minutes of stirring and simmering to get it just right. Most of us don't have that kind of time every morning; between bathing the kids, packing lunches and getting the kids dressed, fed and out the door for school I still find myself in the car in pajamas for school drop off. I could wake up at 5 am to make sure I have my make-up on and I'm dressed for school drop off but sleep in our house is like a magical unicorn that I can't quite catch. I'm not giving up the extra hour of sleep just so I can look good in the carpool lane. Sorry carpool volunteers. Yes, that is yesterday's mascara under my eyelids and I think I might have a cheerio stuck in my hair. I almost caught that magical unicorn, so it was totally worth looking like a homeless yoga instructor this morning.

Ok, back to the point. This steel cut oatmeal recipe allows you to sleep in a little more and eat a hot breakfast. I will usually cook a double batch on Monday morning and keep the left overs for the rest of the week. It reheats beautifully and the kids don't even notice it was yesterday's oatmeal, especially if I change up the toppings. (Some of our favorite toppings are almond butter and apples, fresh berries and hemp hearts, or coconut and strawberries. The possibilities are endless.)

The secret to this recipe is soaking the oats overnight in water allowing them to "sprout." During their overnight soak, they absorb enough water to cut your cooking time down to just 5 minutes. I also use my Homemade Almond Milk in this recipe to add flavor and creaminess.

Another genius ingredient in this recipe is mashed bananas. Adding a couple of very ripe, mashed bananas adds sweetness to the oatmeal without having to add any sugar or sweeteners. The kids think they are eating banana bread flavored oatmeal and they love it. They often ask for second helpings.


"Sprouted" Steel Cut Oatmeal
Ingredients:
2 cups steel cut oats
1 Tbs. coconut oil or butter
2 cups Homemade Almond Milk or other non-dairy milk
1 cup water
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Suggested toppings:
Almond butter, sunflower butter, pumpkin seeds, raisins, fresh berries or fruit, coconut flakes, chia seeds, hemp hearts, chopped roasted nuts or dried fruits,

Directions:
Place oats in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Cover with a kitchen towel and let sit 8 hours or overnight.

Drain and rinse the oatmeal in a fine mesh sieve. Heat on medium high the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably enameled cast iron or non-stick). Add rinsed oatmeal to pot and toast for 2-3 minutes. This step is important to add flavor and keep the oatmeal from turning to completely mush, so do not skip it. Once toasted, add almond milk, water, mashed bananas, salt and cinnamon. Stir until the oatmeal comes to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and stirring frequently, cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract.

Spoon into bowls and serve with your favorite toppings. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days.