I love oatmeal. It becomes a special treat when slow cooked over the stove, rather than prepared in the microwave with the contents of a packet. Don't get me wrong - I do love packets of instant oatmeal and they have saved my starving belly more times that I can count. However, slow cooked oatmeal and instant oatmeal are barely even in the same food group. Slow cooked oatmeal is luscious and satisfying, and sometimes I even eat it for dinner.
My favorite way to make oatmeal is with steel-cut oats. I buy the Bob's Red Mill brand. Steel cut oats look different than normal oatmeal - they look kind of like tiny slivered almonds. I cook them until they are softened but still chewy. I am honestly not sure if they are always chewy, or if I stop cooking too soon and just prefer it like that. It seems like the texture I enjoy them at is a texture most people would find odd, so you may want to experiment with cooking longer or adding more liquid.
Ingredients (for one serving)
1/3 cup-1/2 cup nonfat milk, depending on how soft you want the texture
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup steel cut oats
Dried cranberries
Cinnamon, to taste
Walnuts
Heavy cream (optional)
Directions
1) Bring milk and water to a boil in a small saucepan.
2) Add oats, cinnamon (as much as you want), and cranberries. Bring to a simmer and let cook for at least 20 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary to get the desired texture.
3) Serve with walnuts and a small amount of heavy cream drizzled over top (optional). You can also try adding coconut, brown sugar, raisins, almonds, etc. Get creative!
Last night I made myself a cabbage and chicken salad and discovered that one head of cabbage makes QUITE A BIT when sliced up. I have always loved purple cabbage, so that wasn't necessarily a bad thing, just a surprising thing. I think my mom can attest to my cabbage love -- I vaguely remember asking for my own head of purple cabbage to snack on when I was little.
Anyway, my massive amount of cabbage meant quite a bit of salad, and I should be set eating that for the next few days. Along with that, I decided to toast up some walnuts because a) I have an abundance of walnuts and b) I wanted something besides cabbage and chicken salad to eat tomorrow (even though it is fantastic). I bought a bunch of walnuts over a short period of time because I read that it was good to eat at least a few a day. I quickly forgot to make this a habit, and that is how I ended up with my stock.
I saw a recipe in Cosmo (August 2011) for jazzing up any sort of nut, and used it for inspiration. This recipe said to coat your favorite nuts in olive oil, add "pinches" of paprika, cumin, garlic powder, and salt, and toast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, stirring every 5 minutes.
I adjusted it a bit, on purpose and on accident. The accident was I keep thinking I have paprika (who doesn't have paprika) and I don't have any and keep forgetting! Therefore, these nuts were paprika-less. The on-purpose was a lack of salt, as I am trying to consume less salt. It isn't the best for you, and I put a lot of fish oil in my aforementioned salad, which has a LOT of salt.
I also didn't use any sort of "pinches." I would say I DUMPED the spices on. I put some, I put more, and then I added a little more. Adjust for what you prefer, but I think a pinch would not be enough in most circumstances. Also, if you are doing salt and garlic powder, it might be more efficient to use garlic salt?
As you toast the nuts, they get a better flavor and the spices develop. However, I think this temperature was too high and for too long (at least for walnuts). I would try toasting at 225 degrees for twenty minutes. My walnuts are a little too brown, but they should still make a great snack for the next few days.
Do you have any favorite ways to use up leftover nuts?
