Steel-cut oatmeal with almonds and jam for an easy breakfast on Meatless Monday

No one's saying you have to go meatless just because it's Monday -- but as incentive to join the growing movement, every week we're offering an animal-free recipe.

You may think that you hate oatmeal, but if you've only eaten that instant abomination, then you should really give steel-cut oats a try. Nutty instead of bland, chewy instead of gummy, they're much more nutritious (and filling) and, although not instant, very easy to make.

You will need:

4 cups water
2 cups steel-cut oats
1 cup raw almonds
2 tablespoons jam (four-fruit is my favorite)
A pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

1. Place the water and the oats in a large pot along with the pinch of salt. Bring to a boil -- but you want to catch it before it really gets going, so keep an eye on the pot.

When the water's just started to boil, lower the heat as much as you possibly can. Unlike rolled oats, steel-cut oats don't take to frequent stirring, so for best consistency it's better to cook them longer, over a very low heat so that they don't scorch.

Cover and let simmer for thirty minutes or so. If the heat is low enough, you should be able to cook the oats without the pot boiling over.