OATMEAL RISOTTO

1 cup steel cut oats

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ cup minced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup white wine

2-3 cups hot chicken broth

2 tablespoons sour cream or heavy cream

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper to taste

In a sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the oats, and sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Begin adding the hot broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed, before adding more broth. When the mixture is rich and creamy, with just a bit of a bite, stir in the sour cream or whipping cream and heat through until nicely thickened. Add the cheese, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. Serves 4

PRAIRIE OAT GROAT TABOULI WITH AVOCADO

This is a Tex-mex take on traditional tabouli salad. To make it more traditional, eliminated the avocado and replace the chopped cilantro with chopped fresh mint.

1 cup steel cut oats

3 cups boiling water

1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice

3 tablespoons fruity extra virgin olive oil

1 small cucumber, finely diced

2 large green onions, minced

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 medium avocado, peeled and cut into small cubes

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the oats in a glass or steel bowl and pour boiling water over top. Let stand 30-40 minutes, then drain well.

In another bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, cucumber, green onions, parsley, cayenne and cumin. Stir in the drained oats, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight. Before serving, stir in the tomatoes and cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 4-6.