Apple Cinnamon Steel Cut Oats

I love oatmeal. It is my breakfast of choice. It is my comfort food. I love it. I love to play with different ways to make it. Different flavors. It is such an easy way to have versatility with your breakfast when about 95% of breakfast foods aren't friendly to your diet. Let's be honest between no dairy, no meat, and no refined sugar I can pretty much eat oatmeal, some cereal, toast, and the vegan equivalent of french toast/pancakes (except I hate pancakes and can eat french toast about once a year. Thank you river guiding years.) Hence why we never go out to breakfast, my poor husband. I have told him that if I ever go out of town without him, which almost never happens but is happening this weekend (yay for girls trips), he should go out to breakfast with our son.

Anyway, back to oatmeal. I kind of don't have a choice but to like it. Luckily, I love it. It is easy, you throw it on the stove, get it simmering, go do something else for 10 minutes, come back and your breakfast cooked itself. It is like magic.

For a long time, I was scared of steel cut oats. I knew they took longer to make and I was afraid of the unknown. (I know. Weird.) But, I finally gave in and decided to start using the giant bag of steel cut oats my dad gave me after he realized they took too long to make and he didn't have that much time in the morning. And now I am kicking myself in the pants for taking so long to jump on the steel cut oats train. They are creamier and have a nuttier taste than regular rolled oats. A nice change in my breakfast scene. And honestly, they only take about 10 extra minutes. And those are minutes you can be doing something else, like changing a diaper or reading Brown Bear Brown Bear 7 times. (I promise I love being a mom, it is the best.)

This recipe technically "serves 4" as in, there are 4 servings. But really, it served 2.5. I say 2.5 because I set a small amount aside for my 15 month old son. So I would say serves 2.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 c steel cut oats

3 c water

2 small apples, peeled and diced (or you can leave on the peel, I do)

1/4- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

chia seeds

2 T natural nut butter of choice (I used pb)

pure maple syrup, to taste

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, combine oats and water. Bring to a boil, stir, and reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and oats are soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking or burning to the pan.

2. Meanwhile, wash, peel, and dice apples. Place in a bowl and add 1/4 tsp cinnamon, stir to coat. Add more cinnamon if desired.

3. Once oats are done, spoon into 2-3 bowls, depending on if you want a lot or a little. Top with apples, chia, nut butter, and maple syrup.

4. ENJOY

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