Steel Cut Oats with Strawberries and Maple Mascarpone

Soaking the oats helps neutralize the phytic acid that coats all grains and seeds. Phytic acid is considered an anti-nutrient because it binds with minerals, such as zinc and calcium, and prevents their absorption. With just a little planning, you can make your oats more nutritious and digestible with one simple step, soaking overnight.

Serves 2

1 cup steel cut oats
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup strawberries, trimmed, sliced
1/4 cup chopped, toasted pistachios
1/2 cup mascarpone
1-2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Place the oats in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add water to cover by 1 inch and stir in vinegar. Let sit overnight.
2. In the morning, drain and rinse the oats in a sieve. Pour drained oats into a heavy sauce pan and add 1 1/2 cups water, milk, non-dairy milk, or half and half combination of water and milk, plus the sea salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.
3. Mix the mascarpone with the maple syrup. Portion oats into 2 bowls. Drop the strawberries on the oats and dollop the mascarpone on top of the berries. Sprinkle with pistachios and drizzle with more maple syrup if desired.