By Breakfast, Easy, Gluten Free, Original Recipes
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Smoky Sweet Carrots and Steel Cut Oats

Smoky, savory-sweet roasted carrots, hearty whole grains, and toasty pecans make this unique dish irresistible! Suitable for breakfast, lunch, or a light dinner.
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Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1½ lbs carrots
  • ¼ cup virgin/unrefined coconut oil melted
  • 2½ tablespoons maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons liquid aminos
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • Dash of cayenne
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 cup uncooked steel cut oats (do not use rolled or instant oats, see note below recipe)
  • ½ cup toasted pecans
  • 1 tablespoon vegan bacon pieces such as Frontier Co-op Bac’uns or McCormick Bac’n Bits
  • Optional: seasoned salt for serving

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat the oven to 425 F. Peel the carrots. Cut them into roughly 4” pieces, then slice the pieces lengthwise into roughly 1 centimeter thin slices. Combine the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, liquid aminos, liquid smoke, cinnamon, and cayenne in a bowl. Place the carrots in a baking dish and pour the liquid ingredients over them, tossing to combine. Roast for 30 mins.
  • While the carrots are roasting, bring the water and salt to a boil in a medium pot. Add the oats, reduce to medium, and simmer for 25 minutes. Check for done-ness - they should be soft to the bite but slightly al dente. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Rinsing the cooked oats will remove the gooey-ness that occurs naturally with oats. This is optional, depending on your preference. It will remove some of the saltiness as well, so taste and add more salt if desired.
  • Stir the pecans and bacon pieces into the oats. To serve, place ½ cup of oats on a plate. Top with roasted carrots and a sprinkle of seasoned salt.

Notes

A NOTE ABOUT OATS: Oats are available in different varieties based on the different stages of processing they go through before being sold. Steel cut oats are whole oat groats that are cut into small pieces. They cook, taste, and feel more like a whole grain than rolled oats do. They hold their shape and do not get mushy like rolled or instant oats. If you want to substitute a different grain, I recommend bulgur wheat, whole oat groats, or brown rice.