Steel Cut Oats,
a Nourishing Grain

Steel cut oats are warm and nourishing. They make a wonderful whole grain breakfast cereal.

I love a warming bowl of this cereal in fall and winter, with cinnamon, honey and almonds. Oats have a warming energy, and they are traditional food in Ireland and Britain where it gets cold and damp. They were the staple grain of the Celts.

This grain starts out as whole oat groats. Then they are cut into 2 or 3 pieces, and become steel cut oats. If processed further, they may be steamed and flattened, and become rolled oats.

Steel cut oats cook in about 25 to 30 minutes. They are great served with raisins, nuts, milk, maple syrup, or your favorite sweet and crunchy additions. Creamy and delicious!

Here's a tip to reduce the cooking time. Soak the oats in water overnight, then cook in the same water, just heat them up and simmer about 5 minutes. This is healthy fast food for breakfast!

You can eat the whole oat groats, but it takes a long time to cook, an hour or more, and I have often found some of the tough husks still in the cereal. I prefer steel cut oats and they are still a whole grain.

NUTRITION

Oats are considered a superfood. They are a good source of B vitamins, calcium, protein, and fiber. The oat bran, the outer layer of the oats, lowers cholesterol. Oats also help to regulate blood sugar and are low on the glycemic index.

Oats are adaptogens, meaning they help you handle stress. They calm the nerves and can even help you overcome cigarettes and other addictions.

Oats build up the body for the winter. This grain even have antiseptic properties that ward off flu and contagious diseases that come around in the fall.

Oats are good for the skin. If your skin itches, you may want to try this: put rolled oats, water and honey paste on your skin to soothe it. This also makes a great facial. Rolled oats work best for this; they dissolve better for the paste you would put on your skin, in a poultice or as a facial.

Oats are strengthening, useful for weak people recovering from illness, or regular people recovering from a noisy stressful world. They are a rich source of silicon, and they renew the bones and all connective tissues.

When you crave warmth, comfort, and need support, try steel cut oats with cinnamon, any time of day. they are good for dinner, too. They also can be made into a pilaf anywhere you would use rice.

DO STEEL CUT OATS CONTAIN GLUTEN? They have a particular oat gluten, called avenin, but it is different than wheat gluten and is digestible by most people. 4 out of 5 celiacs can handle steel cut oats, so try it a little at a time and see how it is for you.

Oats are often processed in the same facility that mills and packages wheat, rye and barley, so there may be cross contamination. Look for products labeled "gluten free oats". Bobs Red Mill sells gluten free oats and tests its product for gluten.

Check out bobs Red Mill gluten free oats here

Oatstraw

There is even an herbal version of oats, called oatstraw. This is the stem, leaves and grain part of the plant when at its milky stage. (The oats you eat for breakfast are in the mature stage.) Oatstraw is great for calming the nerves and giving calcium. It's gentle, building and balancing. In Ayurveda medicine, oats are said to rebuild the body-mind, prevent decay and postpone aging.

The official name of oats is avena sativa. According to herbalist Susan Weed, oatstraw builds strong bones, stabilizes blood sugar, reduces cholesterol, improves circulation, nourishes strong nerves, reduces stress, aids sleep, eases bladder spasms, incontinence, uterine pain, vaginal dryness. They helps you stay emotionally balanced.

For a nice tea, use about 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp of dried oatstraw herb to a cup of water. Bring water to a boil without the herb, then add boiled water to the herb and let the herb steep in a covered cup or tea pot for 10 to 20 minutes.

Here's Some Recipes

Oats are versatile. You can add a small amount of rolled oats or oat flour to a stew as a thickener. Oats can be made into granola, cookies, bread, just about anywhere you use a whole grain. Here are some oat recipes to play with.

Recipe: Basic Steel Cut Oats

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

put oats, water and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil. Then lower to simmer and cook with the lid on for 25 minutes. Ready to eat with your favorite milk and natural sweetener.

recipe: Overnight Oats

breakfast for one:

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups water

Soak oats, cinnamon and water overnight. In the morning, warm up the oats to a simmer and let cook 5 to 7 minutes, until water is absorbed. Serve with honey, maple syrup or fruit.

Recipes: Oat Pancakes

makes 4 pancakes

1/2 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup rice flour

1 cup water

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 Tbsp butter or olive oil

a pinch of cinnamon

1/2 tsp stevia powder

Soak oats, flour and seeds overnight in water. Add stevia. PUt into a blender and blend into a batter. heat oil in a pan over medium low heat. pour pancake batter in batches into pan, and cook for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm.

Variations: add in blueberries to the batter. Add an egg to the batter for a protein boost and fluffier pancakes.

One last note on oats, they strengthen the reproductive organs. Oats can help you "sow your wild oats" !

all about gluten free grains

Easy granola recipe

Millet recipes

Buckwheat recipes

Quinoa recipes

Wild rice recipes