Steel Cut Oats with Blackberry Orange Sauce

I've had a giant container of steel cut oats sitting in the back of the pantry ever since I accidentally bought them for granola, thinking they were the same as regular rolled oats.  As soon as I opened them I saw they wouldn't work.  Steel cut oats are made from the inner part of a corn kernel and they are cut only a couple times by the machinery.  The size and texture is almost similar to rice, and they take much longer to cook than rolled oats.  They are toasted to bring out the nutty flavor, and have a chewier consistency when they are cooked, similar to a creamy risotto.  I really fell in love with this recipe, and it's a healthy and filling breakfast that tastes great reheated throughout the week.  The blackberry orange sauce is a delicious compliment to the oatmeal and it adds sweetness without it tasting sugary.  These steel cut oats are a big improvement to regular oatmeal in my opinion, and I'll definitely be making them regularly from now on!

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats

1 tablespoon hazelnut oil

3 cups water

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup milk

1/4 t salt

zest of 1 orange (reserve one teaspoon for the sauce)

juice of 1 orange (reserve one tablespoon for the sauce)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Sauce:

6 oz blackberries (about 1-1.5 cups)

1/4 cup water

1 T sugar

1 t orange zest

1 T orange juice

1 t agave nectar (or honey)

1 t cornstarch

Directions:

In a skillet over medium heat, toast the oats in the hazelnut oil for about 5 minutes until fragrant, and set aside.

 

In a medium sauce pan, bring the water and both milks to a boil.  Add the toasted oats, reduce heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.  After 25 minutes the mixture should be much thicker.  Add the salt, orange juice, orange zest, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Cook stirring frequently for another 5-10 minutes.  Remove from heat.

For the blackberry orange sauce, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan over medium heat.  Once the sugar and corn starch have melted in, bring to a simmer and begin to gently smash the berries which should be very soft at this point.    

Let it cook for about 10 minutes until it thickens to your desired consistency.  Serve over a bowl of hot oatmeal.