Recently the mornings have gotten so damn cold here in Vancouver. I wake up and instantly put on a pot of tea, wrap my self in a blanket and crank the heat. It is this time of year that I tend to move away from eating cold breakfasts (smoothies), and lean more towards warm comfort foods. I will admit that as much as I love oatmeal, I tend to get a little bored by it if I am eating it day after day.
This recipe came to me one morning as I was craving blueberries (as I often do, they are bomb). I decided to mix in a full cup of frozen bluebs into my steel cut oats. I topped it with maple syrup and cinnamon, and the result was delicious! I played around with this recipe a couple times and discovered that adding coconut flakes, cardamom and bee pollen not only boosted the nutritional value of this meal, but also its taste! This has become my new favourite fall breaky.
Steel cut oats are rich in dietary fibre and low on the glycemic index, making them a perfect way to start your day without the normal blood sugar spike of conventional surgery cereals. Your heart will thank you too as steel cut oats help lower your LDL (bad cholesterol).
Bee pollen is another great addition. You can find these little golden treasures at most health food stores (and even some grocery stores). Bee pollen is 40% protein and rich in B complex vitamins giving you an energy boost to start your day.
I added the warming herbs cinnamon and cardamom to help my circulation get going early in the morning as I tend to always be chilled.
Warming Blueberry Steel Cut Oats Recipe
Serves 2
- 1/2 cup steel cut oats
- 1.5 cups water
- 1/2 cup blueberries
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp cardamom
- Toppings of choice (I like bee pollen, coconut flakes and maple syrup!)
Start by bringing the 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add the steel cut oats and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for ~20 minutes. At this point add the frozen blueberries and continue to stir until they have come to the same temperature as the oatmeal. Remove from heat and mix in the cinnamon and cardamom.
Top with bee pollen, coconut flakes and maple syrup (or toppings of your choice)
Enjoy!
Do you have a favourite way to make oatmeal? Let me know in the comments below!