It’s practically May and while the afternoons have been beautifully warm and sunny perfect for people watching in the park it’s still pretty chilly on my morning walks with Maddie-pup. Not that I really need an excuse to continue my morning oatmeal ritual well into spring, especially now that I’ve begun to mix it up with some alternate summery fruits.

It’s still early for any stone fruits to be in season, but I’ve found that jarred peaches in 100% fruit juice work well in a pinch and let me pretend that it’s July without any of that pesky peeling to do.

Side Note: elementary-aged me thought that since raisins = dried grapes and prunes = dried plums, that logically apricots must be dried peaches. It took me years to discover that they were a related, but totally different fruit. I can’t be the only one, right? More info on stone fruit here compliments of Food52.

In any case, I like the contrast in textures of the dried apricots and crunchy almonds against the warm oatmeal and sweet peaches. I’ll be back to apples and cranberries in the fall, but for now this bowl of golden colors is my go-to breakfast and it could be yours too!

Apricot Peach Steel-cut Oatmeal (yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups 100% apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup McCann's Quick & Easy Steel Cut Irish oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup diced dried apricots
1 cup (1 medium) diced fresh or jarred peaches

Instructions:
Heat the apple juice and water in a medium sauce pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the ground cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and kosher salt to the hot apple juice mixture.

Next, sprinkle the Irish steel cut oats into the spiced apple juice and swirl the pan to gently stir. Reduce the heat to low.

Meanwhile, drain the extra juice from the peach slices and dice into 1/4 inch pieces. Chop the dried apricots and after the oats have cooked for 1 minute, add them to the pan.

Simmer the oats and apricots for another 3-4 minutes until the oats are al dente, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the oatmeal from sticking to the bottom of the pan. In the last minute of cooking add the diced peaches and stir into the cooked oats.

Serve immediately and top with the slivered almonds and an additional sprinkle of cloves.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
This is super simple and definitely small kitchen friendly. I used a small sauce pan, a small cutting board, chef’s knife, dry and liquid measuring cups and measuring spoons. A rubber spatula will also be your best friend when it’s time to stir and serve!

The Verdict:
Mike isn’t fond of oatmeal, so this is something I cook purely for myself and to my own taste every morning. I personally like the depth of spice that comes from layering cinnamon, allspice and cloves - and what’s a little spice without the accompanying sweet (but not too sweet) fruit and apple juice? Thanks to my own handiwork over the stove I’m now one of those people who looks forward to eating my oatmeal. You’ve been warned: there’s rarely a day when I’m not wishing for “seconds.”

Cranberry Apple Steel-cut Oatmeal | Image: Laura Messersmith — **Cranberry Apple Steel-cut Oatmeal** | Image: *Laura Messersmith*

This recipe is my new favorite way to start the day, especially when it’s a horrifyingly cold one like today. My love of breakfast cereal is well documented, but in an effort to eat more healthfully and reduce some of the sugar in my diet I’ve been eating a lot more oatmeal. When I was growing up my parents would often make oatmeal on cold weekend mornings. Periodically I’d try it, but even covered in raisins, and brown sugar I never liked the texture or the flavor. Even when I made the switch to steel cut oats, which have a firmer texture than old-fashioned oatmeal I still wasn’t thrilled with how they tasted.

Fast forward to this past fall and a conversation with my sister-in-law, Megan, who mentioned that she often cooks oatmeal in apple cider. Cue light bulb moment. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that what my oatmeal needed was to infuse the water with flavor so that the grain itself would absorb it too.

After lots of experimentation with ratios and amounts I’ve come up with a combination that I absolutely love and truly look forward to eating every morning. It takes a little more effort than just pouring a bowl of cold cereal, but there’s something about the ritual that feels indulgent and worthwhile, like I’m starting the day right.

Apple Cranberry Steel-cut Oatmeal (yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:
2 cups 100% apple juice
1 cup water
1 cup McCann's Quick & Easy Steel Cut Irish oats
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 cup (1 medium) diced apples, prefer Macintosh or Granny Smith

Instructions:
Heat the apple juice and water in a medium sauce pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and kosher salt to the hot apple juice mixture.

Next, sprinkle the Irish steel cut oats into the spiced apple juice and swirl the pan to gently stir. Reduce the heat to low.

Meanwhile, core, quarter, and dice the apple into 1/2" pieces. After the oats have cooked for 1 minute, add the dried cranberries and diced apples to the pan.

Simmer the oats, cranberries, and apples for another 3-4 minutes until the oats are al dente, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the oatmeal from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Serve immediately with an additional sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

Small Kitchen Friendly?
This is super simple and definitely small kitchen friendly. I used a small sauce pan, a small cutting board, utility knife, dry and liquid measuring cups and measuring spoons. A rubber spatula will also be your best friend when it’s time to stir and serve!