Beachy breakfast

While we were in Oz, we nipped up the East coast to Noosa to spend some quality time with my best girlfriend Jane and her hubby and their little boy. Jane and her crew were a bit delayed getting up there so Cakes and I had nothing to do other than wander up and down Hastings Street eating. Despite all the tasty available options and time on our hands, we kept coming back to one restaurant for breakfast. Because I LOOOOOVED their oatmeal. I normally couldn't give a toss for oatmeal, but this stuff got me hooked. It was nutty and chewy, not soupy & mushy like I had thought all oatmeal was. Plus it came with a generous topping of brown sugar, cream and stewed rhubarb. Since we've been back, I've made it at least twice a week. Make sure you use steel cut oats or thick rolled oats in order to achieve that nutty, chewy texture!

Oatmeal & Rhubarb

Serves 2

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup steel cut oats (or the thickest old fashioned rolled oats you can find)
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/3 cup quick oats

• 1 cup sliced rhubarb
• 1/4 cup vanilla sugar

• 1/2 cup brown sugar

• 1/2 cup cream (or hot milk)

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring milk and water to a boil. Add salt and steel cut oats and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring, until oats are cooked through, but still chewy. Stir in quick oats and remove from heat.

While the oats are cooking, place rhubabr and sugar in a large microwave-safe bowl and nuke on high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and stir. Nuke for 3 minutes more. Your rhubarb should now be a nice compote. If necessary, nuke a while longer.

Divide oatmeal between two deep bowls. Top half of each bowl with rhubarb and the other half with brown sugar. Pour the cream around the edges of the oatmeal.

Comments

[hanne]

Mmm... rhubarb. Now that's a great idea. My mother converted me to steel-cut oats a while back. I can't believe the flavour (and texture) difference. One thing she does that enhances the flavour even more is that she toasts the oats in a bit of butter (or even dry) before she cooks them. So good!

[Idealistic Pragmatist]

May I ask where you bought the steel-cut oats in town?

[Jen]

Mmm steel cut oats. I hated oatmeal until I discovered this stuff. Mine is a little more basic though, just water, steel cut oats, pinch of salt. Cook then stir in some brown sugar and vanilla. Yummy. I buy it at the bulk store.

[lyn]

Dear Pragmatist:

believe it or not, i get the steel cut oats at Superstore where they are available in the President's Choice Blue Label brand.

[Idealistic Pragmatist]

This was spectacular! I didn't have rhubarb, so I used mango and banana (and reduced the sugar). Definitely trying this again--thanks.

[jano]

I often make a rhubarb and granny smith compote for serving with porridge or, even better, with homemade bircher muesli - wonderful! I must try adding some vanilla sugar to it, I usually use muscovado sugar with my compote.