No Fuss Irish Oatmeal
When it comes to breakfast, I am a die-hard fan of McCann’s Irish Steel-cut Oatmeal. Its nutty flavor and toothsome texture are far superior than the quick oats that cook in 2 minutes. It’s oatmeal that actually gives your teeth something to sink into. I find a small cup of this satisfies my hunger in the morning and keeps me from reaching for that evil stash of Snickers in the office lounge.
The drawback with making this oatmeal is the time it takes. It usually takes about 30 minutes to cook on the stove top. If I have to stand over my stove top and wait 30 minutes for my breakfast in the morning, I will have already eaten last night’s leftovers along with any sweets within a ten-foot radius. Not a good thing if I’m trying to retain what is left of my figure. I tried cooking the oatmeal in the slow cooker and the results were marvelous. I was able to circumvent the stove top cooking (and unnecessary snacking) AND I had breakfast for the whole week already made. Woohoo!
So, before you go to bed tonight, pour a cup of the steel-cut oatmeal into your slow cooker. Add a roughly chopped pear or apple (mine happened to be sitting on my counter because it was too ripe for eating), a small pinch of salt, two whole star anise (or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon) and five cups of water. Turn the temperature to the lowest setting and go to bed. In the morning, enjoy a fantastic bowl of Irish oats.
The oatmeal keeps well in a covered container in the refrigerator. Re-heat leftovers for approximately 2-3 minutes.
*Note: If you cook the oatmeal on the stove top, the ratio of oatmeal to water is 1:4, not 1:5 as with the slow cooker.
Bon appétit!
