Creamy & Healthy Steel Cut Oats with Orange Zest and Cranberry Sauce

By lauramae

Steel cut oats are so creamy that they seem positively indulgent—so decadent that I can’t resist eating tiny bowlfuls for dessert. If you haven’t given steel cut oats try yet, please do. I promise you’ll never look at oatmeal the same way again.



If, like me, you’ve avoided steel cut oats because they require more time on the stove, I assure you that they are worth the effort in spades. The process is largely passive, so you can set the timer and forget about it for a while. I made this big batch last weekend and it has proven to be plenty for all five weekdays thereafter. I just reheat a bowlful with a bit of extra milk and top it with a big spoonful of yogurt. Breakfast is served!



As usual, when I want to learn how to cook something right the first time, I turn to The America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook for the proper technique. The test kitchen tried cooking oats every which way and determined that they are best when toasted first, and cooked with one part milk with three parts water. If you’ve tried steel cut oats any other way, please let me know how these compare!

Ingredients

• Instructions:
• Cranberry Sauce Recipe
• 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 4 tablespoons honey (or maple syrup)
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (or cornstarch)
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoon water
• Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• Stir constantly for about 3 to 6 minutes, until the cranberries pop, the sauce thickens and turns red. That’s it!
• Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup almond milk (or other milk: cow’s milk, coconut milk, etc.)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or coconut oil)
• 1 cup steel-cut oats
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• zest of one orange and juice of one orange

Preparation

Step 1

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