Sunday, January 29, 2012

The flavors of Thanksgiving {Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats}

I've been craving the flavors of Thanksgiving, and I blame the butternut squash I've been eating for the past two days! This morning, the cravings translated into something-cranberry and something-orange. What could it be? 
Looks like Cranberry Orange Steel Cut Oats to me!
Ha! Looks like it rhymes! :)

In addition to this new flavor, I also tried something new with the oats preparation. As you probably know, steel cut oats take a while to cook - usually up to 45min! I got home from babysitting way past midnight last night, and didn't have the energy, no the time, to stand by the stove top for 45min.
So instead, I boiled water, poured it over my uncooked steel cuts oats, covered it, and let it stand overnight!
In the morning, I brought the oats to a boil, and it took just 5 min for them to cook! Hallelujah!

So here are the details:

{Cranberry Orange Overnight Steel Cut Oats}

Ingredients:

1/4 c. uncooked steel cut oats
1/2 c. boiling water
1 T. dried cranberries
1 medium orange* (2-3 slices for the oatmeal; the rest to enjoy on the side!)
*or 1/4 c. orange juice
1/2 t. brown sugar
1 t. chia seeds
a splash of vanilla extract
a sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:
  1. The night before: combine oats and water, cover, and let stand overnight.
  2. In the morning: bring oat mixture to a boil.
  3. Squeeze the juice of 2-3 orange slices into the oatmeal, slice up the remaining pulp, and mix into the oats. Add more water, if necessary. 
  4. Stir in cranberries, brown sugar, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
  5. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for approximately 5 min. 

Don't these orange slices look beautiful? Their bright color makes me smile!
And since I mentioned Thanksgiving, I think it's also appropriate to remind us all that we don't need an official holiday to encourage us to express our gratitude for our loved ones and the many wonderful and special small and large things in our lives. A simple, genuine thank you is a truly special two-word sentence that can't ever be taken for granted.
Happy Sunday!
Veronica

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