I have tried to like hot oatmeal throughout my life. Hot oatmeal always seems like such a nice thing to have on a cold morning. What I noticed consistently was I would like the oatmeal and then become thoroughly tired of the taste and texture halfway through the bowl! I would not be full, just sudden loss of appetite for the slightly bland mushy texture.
My sister gave me a copy of Genius Recipes last Christmas. There was a recipe for oatmeal that caught my eye, which was half steel cut oats and half rolled oats. I finally made the oatmeal earlier this month and am thrilled to report this is a bowl of oatmeal I enjoy eating an entire bowl of. The secret is the salt. I tried to reduce the amount by a bit and found the oatmeal went straight back to bland icky despite copious amounts of maple syrup. The 1/4 teaspoon of salt per 1/2 cup of oats is crucial to deliciousness.
Serves 2-3, use 1/4 cup steel cut + 1/4 rolled oats as per person serving guideline
1/2 cup steel cut oats, rinsed
1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick cooking)
generous 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup non dairy milk of your choice
1 cup water
Maple syrup to taste
Bring milk and water to a boil with salt. Add steel cut oats and rolled oats, bring to a medium-low simmer, covered. Stir the oats occasionally during the 20 minute cook time. The oats should have a bit of chew from the steel cut oats and taste salty at first-add maple syrup to taste and create a salty sweet flavour. Enjoy hot topped with currants, pomegranate, blueberries, pecans, or any toppings of your choice.
