Quick Steel Cut Oatmeal for Recipe Friday

Last week I promised I would start sharing some dairy free recipes for Recipe Friday, since I am now dairy free in everything I eat. I’m also trying to limit wheat in my diet, but my main focus is eliminating dairy – and still enjoying what I eat!

I thought I’d start out this week with what I’ve eaten for breakfast every day for the past two weeks – quick cooking steel cut oatmeal. I have previously posted a Pan-fried Oatmeal recipe, but this recipe does not require the prior planning of making a big batch of regular steel cut oatmeal on the weekend.

This recipe is so quick and easy, and it tastes awesome even without milk on top. Plus it is very healthy and high in fiber. I was so excited when I discovered that McCann’s had made a quick cooking version of their oatmeal! This recipe makes a single serving, but I suppose it could be doubled or tripled if there were more people at your breakfast table.

Quick Steel Cut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

¾ cup water
¼ cup McCann’s quick-cooking steel cut oatmeal
¼ cup dried fruit
1/8 to ¼ cup chopped nuts
1 -2 tbsp dark brown sugar

Directions:

In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal and stir. Reduce heat to low and set timer for 5 minutes. Stir in dried fruit and nuts. Stir frequently so the oatmeal doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. After 5 minutes, pour oatmeal into a bowl. Stir in brown sugar and enjoy!

Note about dried fruit: I have been using a combination of two dried fruits, either chopped prunes & cranberries, or chopped dates & cranberries. I actually don’t like raisins, but if you do they would work, too. I found some great cranberries that are infused with pomegranate or cherry flavor. For variety, I might try golden raisins some time, or dried chopped apricot.

Note about nuts: I have been using macadamia nuts or pecans, but you could use walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds. I’ve found that pecans are nice because it is easy to “chop” pecan halves by putting them in a snack-sized ziplock bag and breaking them with your fingers. Macadamia nuts taste really good, but they are harder to chop.