Can't BEET this Oatmeal Breakfast!

I am soaking grains like it is going out of style. I haven’t quite wrapped my head around how much my digestion changed by soaking and fermenting. Sprouting is still very iffy, as the buckwheat and crimson clover’s mucilaginous tendencies made using mason jars not such a great idea. The red lentil, on the other hand, turned out just fine, though it took some effort getting them out.

Back to the drawing board, I suppose, but at least I’ve got soaking down.

It isn’t enough to soak grains overnight anymore. There is something to twenty-four hours (or longer) that breaks down the phytic acid so completely that the minor upsets I’ve still been having are gone. Grains are not only easier to digest; they are easier to cook as well.

Steel cut oats make oatmeal with texture, but when it isn’t soaked it can be like you are chewing on finely diced cork. After twenty-four hours of soaking, it was a totally different kind of oatmeal than it used to be: soft but with texture, ever so slightly sour, and hearty (I prefer a “runny” oatmeal). I loved the change, but I wanted different ingredients that complimented it other than nut butter and chopped apple, particularly a vegetable. A couple of beets were sitting uneaten in the fridge, and after seeing a few blogs bringing these two great foods together, I knew I had to give it a try.

And let me tell you, it is the perfect breakfast before an epic adventure.

Sweet Beet Steel Cut Oatmeal 

45 g Steel cut oats

5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar

Filtered water

Place the ingredients in a jar or measuring cup and let it sit at room temperature for twenty-four hours (or more).

7 g Butter*

1/4 tsp. Sea salt

1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla extract

1 Small beet (around 130 g), shredded

10 g Cacao nibs

10 g Pistachio nuts

5 g Chia seeds

5 g Raw dehydrated coconut flakes

In a small saucepan, put the oats on medium heat.**

Once it starts to thicken and bubble, stir in the fat, salt, and vanilla.

After a few minutes at a consistent boil, add the shredded beet and cook until soft.

Pour into a bowl and top it with the remaining ingredients.

Serve hot.

Makes 1 serving.

* If you want to make this vegan, substitute the butter with your choice of herbivore-friendly oil or omit entirely.

** I know that I have said to drain the soaking water in the past, as is also recommended by quite a few bloggers and resources, but I found it unnecessary after soaking for twenty-four hours or more. In Katz's book Wild Fermentation, he also cooks with the soaking liquid (I think), so I'm going with this method until shown otherwise.