Baked Oatmeal with Dried Fruit & Nuts (gluten-free)

(This makes an excellent to-go breakfast, heat some up in a coffee cup, add a splash of half and half, and take it with you. I like to make enough to last a couple of days-reheats well.)

      2 cups steel cut gluten-free oats

2 tablespoons yogurt, kefir, whey or buttermilk for soaking

½ c. walnuts or pecans

½ tsp. unrefined sea salt

3 organic eggs

1 ½ cup buttermilk (can use 1 cup plain yogurt thinned with ½ c. cold water)

½ c. mineral or tap water

1 cup dried fruit mixture (raisins, cranberries, chopped dates, cherries, apples)  

1 Tbsp.  cinnamon

½  cup unsweetened coconut

¼ c. butter (melted in pan)

½ tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. vanilla extract

1. Pour the steel cut oats into a glass mixing bowl.
2. Add enough filtered water to completely submerge your oats plus a little extra. Add two tablespoons of fresh yogurt, whey (the liquid on top of your yogurt), kefir or buttermilk.  Cover with plastic wrap.
3. Allow the oats to soak overnight– about eight to twelve hours.
4. After the mixture of oats has soaked overnight, drain the water and place the oats back into the mixing bowl.
5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and melt butter in the oven in a  9x9 baking pan  (can also add melted butter to mixture after eggs and milk but melting it in the pan gives the oatmeal a nice crunchy crust)
6. Put dried fruit in a small bowl and cover with very hot water for 5 minutes.  Also works well without soaking the fruit.
7. Meanwhile beat together eggs and buttermilk.
8. Pour the mixture of eggs and buttermilk over the soaked oats, stirring well to combine into a porridge-like mixture.
9. Gently fold dried fruit (drain hot water) and nuts. Add cinnamon, extracts and coconut.
10. Pour mixture into hot pan on the melted butter.
11. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until the oatmeal achieves a pleasing golden-brown color on top and is set.
12. Serve with a pat of butter and a splash of warmed milk or half and half, a bit of butter and/or honey is delightful.