Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Roasted Peaches and Strawberries

A few weeks ago I came across this gorgeous photo of steel-cut oatmeal with roasted blackberries. How delicious does that look? I felt inspired and decided to roast some peaches and strawberries to use for both breakfast and dessert. The moral of this very short story is that roasted fruit is simple and amazing. The end.

Useless Facts

Contrary to popular opinion, steel-cut oats aren't much healthier than rolled oats. You're putting in the extra effort for texture and flavor. On the other hand, quick-cooking or instant oats aren't worth the sawdust they resemble. Quick oats are so processed that they don't give your body the same fuel as rolled or steel-cut. Go with the latter if you can.
Steel-cut oats are also known as "groats". Old-fashioned sounding words win.
In Roman times peaches were called "Persian Apples" because people thought they originated in Persia. In fact, peaches originated in China. China is also the #1 global producer of peaches.
Georgia is known as the Peach State, but California now produces the largest peach crop in the United States. Avocados and peaches ... love you, Cali.

Recipe

Soaking steel-cut oats helps expedite the cooking process. Most recipes suggest combining the oats with boiled water and then leaving the pot on the counter or in the refrigerator. I was feeling lazy and just combined cold filtered water and oats in an airtight container and refrigerated it overnight. Boiling the water probably works better, but I was happy that my cold approach still cut the cooking time down. For convenience the roasted fruit was also made the day before we planned to eat it.

UPDATE: I tried the boiled water approach and it did help the oats cook faster the next day.

On the roasted peaches note, I updated my Eggless Peach Ice Cream recipe to account for some texture issues. I ended up roasting the fruit to reduce moisture and it worked like a charm.

Peaches at Regier Family Farms - Santa Monica Farmers Market

Ingredients

1 cup groats (steel-cut oats)
3 cups water
1/4 - 1/2 cup milk (almond, rice, cow, whatever floats your groat boat)
2-3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 peaches
2 cups halved strawberries Note: Sub any berries that you like. Also, roasted apples would be amazing with this.
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste)

Instructions

Roasting

Peel the peaches, remove the pits, and slice into 6-8 pieces each. Cut the stem off your strawberries and halve. Note: I use a paring knife to remove peach skin. It's not efficient. If you insist on being smart about things, The Joy of Baking explains how to blanch and peel a peach.
Move your oven rack to the middle position and heat to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and then lay a piece of parchment paper on top of that.
Gently toss the fruit with the lemon juice and 1-2 tablespoons of honey. Note: I microwave the honey just a little to loosen it up.
Spread the fruit on the parchment paper in a single layer and roast for 45 minutes to an hour. Tasting the fruit is the best way to know if you like the texture and sweetness.
The fruit can be cooked a day ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container.

Groats (Steel-cut Oats)

Combine 3 cups of filtered water with 1 cup of oats in an airtight container or covered saucepan and refrigerate overnight. Note: This dish would cook up even faster if you poured boiling water over the groats instead of cold.
The next morning bring everything to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium-low so the oats are simmering. Stir occasionally. As the oats cook they'll start sticking to the bottom of the pan. You'll want to step up the stirring as you get closer to a finished product.
Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until you like the texture and consistency. Keep in mind that the groats will thicken up as they cool.
Once you like the consistency you can add some milk to enhance the creaminess of the dish. I cook my oats for about 15 minutes, add some milk, and then simmer for another few.
Add honey and cinnamon to taste.

Serving

I like to gently mash the berries, spread them on top of the oatmeal, and then leave the peach slices whole.

Storage

Extra groats can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. When you're ready to eat simply add a little milk and heat in either the microwave or a pot. The fruit will also last for 2-3 days refrigerated in an airtight container.