Slow Cooker Apple and Walnut Steel Cut Oats
Slow Cooker Apple and Walnut Steel Cut Oats
The first weekend of October is a special one for me as I enjoy participating in my church’s worldwide conference via television or internet broadcast. It spans a couple of days with over 30 speakers who each focus on various topics which inspire my life, my parenting and my purpose. I soak this up for all it’s worth and come away renewed and ready to tackle life’s challenges. Gain strength of your own by checking it out HERE.
A family tradition surrounding conference weekend is to serve a hearty breakfast, so I’m prepping early this year by serving these make-ahead steel oats. The steel cut oats produce a more chewy product than rolled oats you typically use. Put everything in your slow cooker before you go to bed, set to low setting and you wake up to sweet smells in the morning ready to enjoy conference. Or it will cook on high setting for four hours so there’s plenty of time to get it done in the morning.
I’ve shared the wonders of an apple a day in my previous post HERE, but let me add a note about walnuts. Of all the nuts you could eat, you definitely can’t choose a nut with more ALA (alpha-linoleic acid) an omega-3 fatty acid found abundantly in walnuts. ALA is best known for its heart healthy benefits as it slashes the LDL (low density lipoproteins) or “Lousy” cholesterol responsible for clogging arteries (kind of like sludge . . . YUCK!) ALA can also improve your sensitivity to insulin–the hormone that lets cells convert blood sugar to energy which is a big deal since insulin sensitivity helps you keep a steady blood sugar and avoid diabetes. How much do you need? The Institute of Medicine which establishes recommendations for nutrients, suggests 1.1 to 1.6 grams per day. You get that much from six to nine walnut halves but 14 halves–or 1 ounce contains 2.5 grams of ALA; the more the better!
You might also enjoy:
My Go-To Breakfast Dish
- Slow Cooker Apple and Walnut Steel Cut Oats
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup steel-cut oats
- 2½ cups water
- 1½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond or soy milk
- 1 cup chopped apple pieces, including skins
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp agave nectar or other sweetener of your choice
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
- Chopped walnuts, chopped apple, brown sugar and/or dried fruit for serving
- Coat slow cooker with cooking spray.
- Add all the ingredients into slow cooker and mix well. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Place in a bowl to serve and top with nuts, apples, sweetener and/or dried fruit.