Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Whole Grain Wednesdays- Overnight Wholegrain Cereal

You may have noticed that I am a big fan of oats.  I love to make crockpot oats and enjoy many types of pancakes that contain oats (oatmeal pancakes and  marathon (oatmeal) pancakes).  Oats are so nutritious and I like to start the day with them whenever I can.  I love the chewy goodness of steel cut oats, but I also like to use the more commonly found rolled oats.  As I have mentioned before, one of the great things about oats is that, unlike with wheat processing, processing oats does not lead to significant amounts of nutrients being lost.  When oats are rolled, or even made into instant oats to speed preparation time, they are still a highly nutritious whole grain. 

This recipe is adapted from one I found in Cooking Light magazine.  Like the overnight oats that I make, a soak in the fridge overnight makes preparation time a snap the next morning!  You can find steel cut oats with the regular oats at the grocery store, or in the bulk bins at many health food stores.

Overnight Wholegrain Cereal
1/3 cup steel-cut oats
2 Tablespoons uncooked pearl barley
1 1/4 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon chopped nuts* (optional)
1 Tablespoon honey* or brown sugar
Fresh fruit (optional)

Combine oats, barley and the 1 1/4 cups of water in a microwave safe bowl.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  In the morning, uncover the bowl and stir in the salt.  Microwave for 3 minutes and then remove bowl and stir well.  Microwave for an additional 3 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir in the cinnamon.  Top with nuts, honey and fresh fruit as desired.

Crediting information:  Makes 5 (1/4 cup) servings.  Each serving is creditable for 1 bread/bread alternate at any meal or snack for 3-5 year old children. 

*can be a choking hazard for children under the age of 4 years.