Oatmeal Gruel Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup oatmeal or oat groats
• 1 cup flaxseed meal
• 1 cup chopped or ground walnuts
• 1 cup oat bran
• 4 cups milk (cow's milk, vanilla soy milk, almond milk, or other plant-based milk)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

1. Cook oatmeal (or groats) in 4 cups of boiling water for 5 minutes. You won't see much change in oatmeal consistency at this time.
2. Simmer mixture on low heat for 45 minutes. You'll notice the oatmeal has soaked up water and formed a thick, cooked porridge-like consistency.
3. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature.
4. Mix oatmeal/groat mixture with flaxseed meal, walnuts, and oat bran. Consistency will be very thick, almost like paste, at this time.
5. Add milk in slowly using 1/4-cup increments.
6. Adjust the amount of milk you add to reach desired consistency. For a thicker gruel, use 1/4 to 1/2 cup less (3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups of milk total); for a runnier gruel, add 1/4 to 1/2 cups of additional milk (4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups total).
7. If you added too much milk, strain runny gruel if you want to eliminate excess liquid to thicken it up.
8. The gruel can be served hot or cold. Heat gruel on your stovetop over low heat (while stirring) for 3 to 4 minutes to serve it hot. Chill gruel in the refrigerator for at least an hour if you want to serve it cold.
9. Top with cinnamon, if desired, before serving.

Servings: about 9

Tips and Variations

• Blend gruel mixture in a blender for a creamier consistency before heating or chilling.
• Top gruel with fruit and nuts like pecans and apple slices or additional walnuts with diced fresh pears.