Blueberry Almond Steel Cut Oats

We just got back from a few days of traveling. Whenever we are gone for more than a day or two, one of the things I most look forward to is being back in my own kitchen. It’s not that I don’t completely appreciate being able to eat out, or try new restaurants in different cities and towns; there is merely a comfort in being able to prepare what I enjoy eating, whenever I decide to do so.

That said, we had a mediocre breakfast before getting on the road this morning, ala the complimentary vouchers we were given as the peace offering for hotel management screwing up our room reservation, then moving us the second night to another crummy room that included nonworking wall outlets and a broken air conditioning unit. All I could think about were these oats as I ate my overly runny scrambled eggs and freezer-burnt tasting potatoes.

This recipe is simple and delicious. If you’ve made steel cut oats, it’s likely you’ve either made or had a version of it before. The recipe is easily adaptable to ingredients you have on hand. Since steel cut oats take a bit longer to cook than rolled oats, I like to set them up the night before so when morning rolls around, it takes a mere two or three minutes to heat them up.

Blueberry Almond Steel Cut Oats

Yields 6 or so servings.

Ingredients:
2 cups water
2 cups vanilla almond milk
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
2 cups steel cut oats
1/4 cup dried blueberries
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a pot, combine the water, almond milk, sugar, salt, and peanut butter. Heat over medium, stirring until the peanut butter melts and blends with the rest of the mixture.

Stir in the almonds and oats. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Stir in the blueberries, almond extract, and cinnamon. Cover and remove from heat. Let the mixture sit overnight.

In the morning, uncover the pan and bring the oatmeal back up to a simmer over medium-low heat. You can thin out the oatmeal and create a creamier consistency by stirring in a cup of milk before reheating.

When warm, serve. You can add more blueberries, some toasted almonds or coconut, or your preferred toppings.