Slow Cooker Spiced Steel Cut Oats–With a Surprise Healthy Addition ;)
Hey guys! I hope everyone is having a great week! If you follow me on Instagram you saw I got a wonderfully massive head of cauliflower to use this week for a few different applications. It can definitely save you money and time to buy staples like this to use multiple times throughout the week. I actually found this guy priced per item as oppsed to weight, so it made sense to get the biggest one I could find!
This is my first of two recipes for the week featuring this workhorse of a vegetable! Cauliflower really is so versatile. You can make it the star of your dish, or it is mild enough that you can hide it almost anything to boost your intake of vegetables. This recipe is more of the latter. 😉
I am always a fan of oatmeal, especially when you make sure to add some veggies to bump up the nutritional content even more. It may sound a bit strange, but certain mild vegetables really work well in a traditionally sweet breakfast. Oats, especially steel cut, are full of fiber and are a great source of vegan protein, as well. They are perfect for breakfast to fuel the start of your day, but I also occasionally enjoy a small bowl for a snack to keep my belly happy and full. So far I have used zucchini, carrots and beets in my oats, but since I had this beautiful head of cauliflower I figured I’d give it a chance.
Obviously I am happy enough with the result to share it with you all! By running the cauliflower through the food processor first you can hardly even tell it is in the oatmeal once cooked. I was inspired by some different pilaf recipes I have made in the past, so that is where the idea for the dried apricots, coconut and spices came in to play. It turned out to be a beautiful combination of the aromatic spices and natural sweetness of the dried fruit. I am a morning person anyway, but this definitely makes me excited to wake up and get my day started right!
Slow Cooker Spiced Steel Cut Oats
Makes 8 servings
- 2 cups steel cut oats
- 2 cups “riced” cauliflower
- 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 teaspoons ceylon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 7 cups water
- optional toppings: hemp hearts, maple syrup or date paste if desired
Place all of your ingredients in a slow cooker and gently mix together. Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours. Check to see if your oats are cooked through and most of the water is absorbed, cooking for a little bit longer if needed.
Sprinkle with a tablespoon of hulled hemp hearts and a little sweetener if desired for serving!
