Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

As early mornings grow darker and the inevitable first frost arrives,  I find myself easing into these cooler days with warm bowls of cozy oatmeal for breakfast.  Usually it’s a simple bowl of rolled or steel-cut oats, but once in a while I’ll wake up extra early to put on a pot of whole oats.  Whole oats, also known as oat groats, don’t seem to receive nearly the amount of attention they deserve.  They do take longer to cook than old-fashioned oats as well as a bit longer than steel cut, but the method is just as simple, perhaps even simpler since whole oats don’t require stirring.  My 8-year old is generally a part of the anti-oatmeal club, but he does enjoy these whole oat groats.  For him it’s the texture- this bowl of oats is creamy without being gummy and chewy without being mushy.  I like to add chopped medjool dates as it cooks; the heat melts the dates into the oats and provides a balanced sweetness to the whole bowl.

We’ve been working our way through nearly a bushel of apples that we picked so roasting pears brought a welcome change to our breakfast routine.  The pears are scented with cardamom and cinnamon and roasting them fills the house with the fragrance of fall.  In addition to going well with these oats, the pears also make a great topping for toast slathered with goat cheese and can even be a simple dessert served with ice cream.

It takes the good part of an hour to fully cook these oats, but I do hope you find it’s worth the time to try it. (I’ve also made these overnight in a rice cooker with good results if you happen to have a rice cooker.)  It’s a comforting way to begin a chilly day.

Creamy Whole Oats with Cardamom Roasted Pears

Ingredients

• 1 cups whole oat groats
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup milk of choice
• 3-4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Cardamom Roasted Pears

• 3 ripe but firm pears
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Toasted sliced almonds, for serving

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine oats, water, milk, dates, and salt. Bring to a boil then turn heat to low and simmer covered for 50-60 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in vanilla, and check consistency. If there is still too much liquid, allow oats to sit for another 10 minutes to soak up additional liquid.
2. Serve with cardamom roasted pears and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

Cardamom Roasted Pears

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Slice pears in half lengthwise and remove cores. Cut each half into quarters and then into 1/3-inch slices. Transfer sliced pears to prepared baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together maple syrup, olive oil, cardamom, and cinnamon. Drizzle mixture over pears and gently toss to ensure each slice is evenly coated. Arrange pears in a single layer and bake for 25-30 minutes, until pears start to turn golden. Transfer pears to a plate to cool to avoid pears sticking to paper.