Pamper Yourself At Breakfast
Yesterday, I was making myself one of my favorite breakfasts. I was enjoying the anticipation of having something delicious when disaster struck. Okay, that was a little overly dramatic for breakfast. Let me rephrase. I was disappointed to realize that I was out of a main ingredient.
I teach my children to read their recipe first and make sure that they have all of the ingredients before they begin cooking. I wish I could follow my own advice better!
One of my favorite breakfasts is steel cut oats with apricots and almonds. I was out of apricots. They really make all of the difference in this dish.
My aunt told me recently that she’d had a similar dish at a brunch and really enjoyed it. Yes, it’s great to serve on special occasions, but you deserve to be pampered for no reason at all.
I admit that I go through periods when I won’t take the time to make a favorite. But there have been long periods of time when I’ve made this recipe two or three times a week, too.
Preparation time is about 20 minutes. I’m worth that. So are you. It’s amazing how a little indulgence first thing in the morning can set you up for a great day.
I start with good steel cut oats. Yesterday, I used John McCann’s Steel Cut Oat Meal. One of the things I love about this oatmeal is that it comes in a resealable tin. That way it stays fresh, even if I skip a few weeks making steel cut oats.
These oats are imported from Ireland. The can itself is interesting to read. It includes awards and exhibitions that the oats were part of dating back to 1851. Impressive for a lowly oatmeal!
Per serving:
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 cup steel cut oats
- scant 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 (or 2) tablespoons toasted almonds
- 4 or 5 dried apricots, diced
- 1 pat of butter
- sweetener to taste (honey, sugar, brown sugar, sugar substitute)
- 3-4 tablespoons milk or cream
Bring the water and salt to a boil. Add the oats, stirring. Bring to a boil again and reduce to a simmer. Stir occasionally and cook for 15 minutes (the instructions on the John McCann’s can say 30 minutes, but I like mine with a nuttier texture).
Remove from the heat. Add the almonds, apricots, butter, and sweetener. Pour into a small cereal bowl. Top with milk or cream.
If you can’t find the time to treat yourself during the week, try this recipe on a Saturday or Sunday morning, whichever is your most leisurely. And if all else fails and you just can’t find the time, serve it at your next brunch.
Laurie
Tags: Add new tag, breakfast, Cooking, oatmeal
