Israeli style oatmeal

[HelenaZF]

The story is that when the country was coming into being after it's miraculous appearance on the international scene in 1948, that it was built on a hearty oatmeal that was cooked all night in cream and fueled the workers for the strenuous day ahead of them. Being as most of us do not have 14 hours of hard labor facing us each day, this recipe is not quite as cream-heavy as the original, but it has a richness that can't be gotten any other way but by cream.



Some of the big Jerusalem hotels have this on their menu, and it's wonderful. In fact, I'm having some right now as I type out this recipe! :yum:



Here's a version that is done in a slow-cooker overnight while you sleep:



Oats Cooked in Cream



1 C. steel cut (pinhead) oats

4 C. water

1/2 C. dried fruit, cut up into bits (can be increased to up to 2 C. dried fruit, if desired)

1/2 C. cream



Combine all ingredients in a slow-cooker, cover & set to LOW 8-9 hours. No, it's not a mistake, I didn't forget the salt. DO NOT ADD SALT. Salt prevents the oats from releasing their creaminess while cooking. You can add that in the morning, along with butter and a bit more cream on top.



In my version today, I used cut up dried apricots and dates. Another good combination is dried cherries and figs. You will probably have your own favorite. If you use a great amount of dried fruit, you might want to increase the water just a little.