Blueberry Maple Baked Oatmeal

I am making a concerted effort to refrain from making the blueberry crisp from a few posts back. That crisp was so delicious I ate the entire thing in two days, by myself. If I knew it could even adequately sustain human life, it's all I'd eat. A healthier substitute had to be created. 

In full confession, bashfully, I made this oatmeal bake yesterday and by tonight it will be completely gone. All me, yep. This is not a surprise, I knew it would happen. My blueberry gluttony apparently knows no bounds (it's a wonder that I don't need to be rolled around everywhere like the giant blueberry girl from Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory), however, this time I was smart and made something that's both irresistible and healthy. 

My blueberry maple baked oatmeal can be enjoyed for breakfast or dessert....or yes, dinner I too suppose. That's what I did (shhhh! omg and it's my lunch today too, don't tell). It's minimally sweetened and full of the nutritional goodness of old-fashioned oats and wild blueberries. Flaxseed and walnuts make an appearance for good measure, as well. No butter and just one tablespoon of oil. 

So give it up to a breakfast/dessert/dinner(..../lunch?) you don't have to feel guilty about. Even if you do eat half the thing in one night...like me. 

Not to mention it's done in 30 minutes flat. 

Blueberry Maple Oatmeal Bake

By Katie Henry - Produce On Parade

Healthier than a crisp, this adaptable blueberry oatmeal bake is flavored with sweet maple syrup and speckled with toasted walnuts. It’s a wonderful, wholesome, and delicious breakfast or dessert. Notes: Feel free to use any flour, milk, oil, and nuts of your choice. This is a very adaptable recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats, dry
• 2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• ¼ heaping cup of flour (I used whole wheat white)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 cup unsweetened, plain coconut milk
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. maple extract (optional)
• ¼ cup whole walnuts
• 2 cups frozen wild blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F and coat a square 9x9 inch or round 9 inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a food processor, add the oats through and including the cinnamon. Pulse several times until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the milk through and including the maple extract. Slowly pour into the dry mixture while stirring.
4. Fold in the blueberries and then spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish.
5. Add the nuts to the food processor and pulse until chopped. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the oatmeal and bake at 400 F for about 20 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving hot.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 00:20
Total time: 00:30
Yield: 4-6 servings

German Word of The Day

Oatmeal --> Haferflocken (halfer-flocken)

Good Deed of The Day

Did you know at Martha's Vineyard they hold six lemur races a day from August 21-24th? Yuck. Lemurs are an endangered species and no animals should be crammed into tiny crates then forced to race, solely for the pleasure of screaming onlookers. Seriously? People have no other means of entertainment? Let's try and stop that. It reminds me of the mice races at our state fair. Even as a kid they made me sad. It makes sense now why I seemed to be the only one disturbed by this.  

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies

Yesterday, after work, Todd spent a few hours visiting with his cousin that just came back into the big city. Todd also happens to have his lunch taken care of today. Do you know what this means? This means that I didn't have to make dinner yesterday! Which means, ultimately, that I was blessed with the freedom to make whateeeeeeever I wanted to stuff my face with for dinner. Oh yes.  Welcome to a glimpse of what my life would be like if I weren't married. It's cookies. Just cookies. Cookies. All. The. Time. Cookies for breakfast, for lunch, and for dinner, obviously. At least I went quasi-healthy with these cookies and packed them full of oats, cherries, and nuts.

This recipe is based off a recipe my mom used to make. I don't know what recipe it is or where she got it from, but she used to make them all the time. Everyone loved these cookies and I haven't had them in many, many years. So, knowing that her's weren't remotely vegan, I thought I would try to recreate them for myself, and for you!

Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies, speckled with tart cherries and nuts. They're sprinkled with a little flake salt for good measure. Crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, these are delectable!

Salted Oatmeal Chocolate Chip & Cherry Cookies 

Makes 20 cookies

Notes: I like unrefined coconut oil for that coconutty taste, but refined will work too. If you don't have dried cherries, cranberries will work as well. Feel free to use your favorite nuts or omit completely! The dough will be a bit crumbly, but if it seems too dry add milk or water 1 Tbsp. at a time. 

• Flax Egg:
• 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed
• 3 Tbsp. water
• Wet:
• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. unrefined coconut oil, solid
• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Dry:
• 3/4 cup whole wheat white flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Add-Ins:
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, dry
• 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dried tart cherries, chopped
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
• Topping:
• flake salt (or kosher salt)

In a small bowl, mix together the ground flax seed and the water. Place in the fridge to cool until ready to use. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the wet ingredients together until smooth and all the solid oil clumps are gone. Now, add the flax egg and beat again until combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients and beat until almost combined. 

Slowly incorporate the add-ins to the dough, until just combined. 

Cover the dough and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and coat a baking sheet with a nonstick cooking spray. 

Form about 1 1/2 Tbsp. dough balls with your hands and flatten just a bit. The dough won't spread out much at all in the oven, so how they are shaped is pretty much how they'll look when they're done. Sprinkle with flake salt and continue with the remaining dough. 

(No, that baking sheet IS NOT a prop. I won't apologize for the shameful state of it. I know I'm a monster and I'm okay with it.)

Bake at 350 F for 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes to firm up before transferring to a wire cooling rack. 

Once cool, store in an airtight container. 

Don't look ay my veiny hands or my chipping nail polish, 'k? I guess I'm a bit insecure today or something...Be sure no little doggy snouts get too close. "Please, Mom. I just want one!" Aw, look at that pleading face you guys!

PSA: You don't need eggs in cookies. Surprise! Stop using eggs in cookies. Use flax seed instead. That is all.  

Listening to: Big Fox – Shadows

"There’s a time for the shadows There’s a time for the fight But I’ve learned that truth’s gonna find you no matter how you hide Cause the words are there Yeah they fill the room long before you know Cause the words are there, just a silent tune but it’s gonna grow" 

German Word of The Day: Cookies --> Gebäck (pronounced: geh-beck). I also found Keks for cookie and Kekse for cookies. I think Gebäck might refer more towards pastries and Kekse more towards biscuity type of cookies. Can any German speakers shed light on Gebäck versus Kekse? I know I have a few German speaking readers! 

Good Deed of The Day: Feeling better about yourself today only takes 5 seconds. Help The Center for Biological Diversity by signing this petition to stop coyote-killing contests in Washington. Belch! This made me wrinkle my nose in disgust. A contest for killing? I know I shouldn't be surprised but somehow I am. Just disgraceful. 

[yumprint-recipe id='93']

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge

Real quick, I have a little eco tip! I hate getting phone books. Who uses phone books anymore, seriously!? No really, I want to know. It's absurdity. Anyways, you can opt out of receiving them and it just takes a minute, truly. So if you have phone book recycling guilt, just opt out here. And now, a confession. Red quinoa isn't my friend anymore. It was a short relationship. Every time I try to make it, it boils over, a problem I never had with good ol' regular white quinoa. Also, I do not like it's texture. It's like munching on soggy packing peanuts. This is, of course, just my opinion. 

Last night, after the umami bomb, I felt like something sweet for dinner. Sweet, but still healthy, so I made some quinoa porridge. It's like steel cut oats, but quinoa instead. It's healthier, heartier and a complete protein! Also, it's just so rustic and lovely. 

This quinoa porridge is a healthier take on blueberry pie and oatmeal! It's a little bit chewy, lovingly spiced, and speckled with plump, tart blueberries. The sweetness is cut through with a little lemon zest and topped with crunchy walnuts, pecans and chia seeds for some extra protein.  

Blueberry Pie Quinoa Porridge 

Serves 1-2

• Porridge:
• 1/2 cup dry red quinoa
• 1 1/2 cup non-dairy + additional (soy milk)
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• grating of fresh nutmeg
• 1 tsp. chai latte powder (optional)
• heaping 1/4 cup frozen or fresh blueberries
• Toppings:
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I used pecans and walnuts)
• sprinkling of chia seeds
• lemon zest, to taste
• fresh lemon squeeze, to taste

In a medium saucepan, combine all the porridge ingredients except for the blueberries. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally and ensuring that it doesn't foam over. The quinoa should be the consistency of  wet oatmeal when done.

Remove from heat and stir in the blueberries, allowing them to warm up for a few minutes, especially if they're frozen. 

Adorn with toppings, to your taste preference. I'm not a big lemon zest person, so I only use a little bit. 

Add a little additional milk if you like, and serve warm!

A delightful breakfast, or if you're like me...dinner!

Singing along to Young the Giant – Cough Syrup

[yumprint-recipe id='62']