Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Many of us view oatmeal as a tasteless paste we endure for its health benefits. But oatmeal can be creamy, rich, quick, delicious AND good for you. Really.

Here are a few simple steps to get the most nutrition and flavor from your oatmeal. First, choose quality ingredients. Steel-cut and whole oats have more vitamins than rolled or instant oats. Also choosing organic grains increases nutrients, so go organic when you can.

Second, soak your oats. Soaking your grains is a simple way to increase the amount of absorbable nutrients. Grains have anti-nutrients (phytates, lectins, etc.) that bind vitamins. Soaking breaks this bond allowing these nutrients to be absorbed into your body rather than merely passing through. I prefer soaking my oats for 48 hours as this creates a creamier oatmeal than a 12-24 hour soak.

Third, serve your oats with a healthy fat. The addition of fat aids the absorption of vitamins. Add butter, coconut oil, cream (avoid ultra-pasteurized), coconut milk or whole milk. Choose raw grass-fed dairy and cold-pressed coconut products as much as possible.

This recipe is packed with nutrition and flavor; indeed it is the only oatmeal my foodie husband likes. With the arrival of autumn and school in full swing, breakfast should be simple, hot and delicious– like this.

Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

The recipe serves 3-4 people

Ingredients:

1 cup steel-cut oats
3 cups filtered water
2 teaspoon whey, apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
2 chopped apples
½ cup chopped almonds, soaked and dried
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1 dash of unrefined sea salt

Directions:

In a glass jar on the countertop soak oats in water and whey (or apple cider vinegar or lemon juice) for 24-48 hours.

The night before serving, place soaked oats, the soaking water and remaining ingredients in a medium sized casserole dish with a lid or a small crock-pot. If you have a large crock-pot, place casserole into the pot and fill crock-pot with enough water to go half way up the side of the casserole dish, creating a water bath. You can put the casserole dish in the oven on the lowest temperature setting or set the crock-pot on low. Cook overnight.

In the morning, serve with butter, extra virgin olive oil, or coconut oil (get it here)*, maple syrup or honey, cream(avoid ultra-pasteurized) or milk, cashew cream cheese –whatever you enjoy.

Tools:

Quart glass jar
Medium casserole dish with lid
Oven or crock-pot

Variations:

Substitute apricots, pears or plums for the apples.
Substitute pecans, walnuts or sunflower seeds for the almonds.

(Make sure you soak your nuts and seeds, see here for more information.)

As always, thank you for reading and sharing this post. If you know someone who would enjoy this recipe, please pass this information along.

In Health,