Happy weekend, friends. Oh, how I love weekend mornings as of late. The cold weather makes staying inside all the more inviting.
Saturday mornings in our home usually go as follows: Around six a.m. I feel a gentle prodding on my face from my sweet Denver’s nose. He is standing patiently by the bed just waiting for me to get up and feed him and his brother, Sammy. I quietly roll out of bed and sneak out the bedroom while our two hounds rush down the hall, their nails scraping against the hard wood floor. They get fed, let out, let in, then all three of us head back to bed. I usually lay there for another hour until my anticipation for the day gets the better of me and I come back out to the living room for hot coffee and a little Food Network. Another hour or two passes before my husband rolls around and joins me, our two hounds in tow.
Very rarely am I able to sleep in past 7. I love mornings and making breakfast on Saturday is one of my favorite weekend activities. Without the time constraints weekday mornings present, I can take extra steps to ensure breakfast is the best it can be. For this recipe I’m not only taking the time to toast the coconut and pecans, I’m also toasting the oats to bring out an extra nutty flavor that pairs oh-so-well with the tahini that gets drizzled on top.
I recently learned a quick trick for cutting sweet potatoes, too. Are you ready? I put the potato in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. 2 minutes is just the right amount of time to render a slightly softened potato without any weird withering effects that can afflict potatoes left in the microwave too long. This makes slicing a sweet potato almost too easy.
These oats are just tasty. Starchy sweet potatoes, creamy oats, crunchy nuts, and rich tahini are everything you want in a weekend breakfast. Not only is this a delicious breakfast, it’s refined sugar free and vegan, if you’re into that sort of thing.
I so hope you have a relaxing weekend ahead of you. If you have the time, take a few extra minutes to make your Saturday morning breakfast extra special. Have awesome weekend plans? Tell me about them in the comments below!
Steel Cut Oats with Sweet Potatoes and Toasted Coconut
Makes 2 Servings
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
- 10 Pecan Halves
- 1 Cup Diced Sweet Potatoes (about 1/2 of a medium sweet potato)
- 1/2 Cup Steel Cut Oats
- 2 Cups Water
- 4-5 Dates, chopped
- 1-2 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Cloves
- 2 Tbsp Tahini
Using a fork, poke holes in the sweet potato and place in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and allow to cool 2 minutes before dicing.
Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the coconut flakes and pecan halves to the pan and toast until the coconut is light brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the oats to the pan and toast for 4-5 minutes, tossing every so often to keep them from burning. Add the sweet potatoes to the pan and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and add the dates, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, and cloves. Allow to cook for about 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are cooked through and the oats are creamy. Spoon into 2 bowls and top with the coconuts and pecans. Drizzle with tahini and serve warm.
