Blueberry Strawberry Banana Baked Oatmeal!

Another lovely combination of Oats and Berries!
It just never gets old.

I found a a really good looking recipe for baked oatmeal from Annie Eats, and changed the procedure quite a bit to match more of that found on Deliciously Ella. I really like the idea of soaking the oats before cooking them, so that they have time to absorb some of the liquid. I also added some strawberries and mashed one of the bananas before stirring it into the mixture.
This has such a pretty presentation, and was lovely to have for breakfast with family.
I served it with Greek yogurt and extra cut-up fruit. Yummm!

Blueberry, Strawberry, Banana Baked Oatmeal

1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
½ tsp. baking powder
2 T. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
1/2  cup skim milk or almond milk
1/2 cup water
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, one mashed, the other thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), divided
1 cup strawberries, halved
handful of walnut pieces, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish. 
In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir to combine. Combine the maple syrup, milk, water, egg, vanilla, and the single mashed banana. Mix the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients and let sit for a few minutes while you gather the remaining toppings and add-ins. Mix in half of the blueberries, and pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the nuts, strawberries, remaining sliced banana and blueberries over the top.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the berries on top have cooked, the oats are golden and set. 
I served this immediately, nice and steamy! The Greek yogurt helped to cool it down quicker.
It was like eating an inverted fruit crisp, lovely.

Cheers,
     Suzy

'Tis the Season for Strawberries!

I have had a blast this summer cruising local farmer's markets! Everyone is so friendly and enthusiastic about the bountiful produce and other specialty goods like honey and soaps! I have really enjoyed learning about new ingredients that are grown locally and how to incorporate them in recipes. The strawberries have been lovely these past couple of weeks, and naturally I have used them in everything from simple oatmeal to a pie that I have a feeling will be made again very soon!
This time I pureed the strawberries with rhubarb and baked up some oatmeal breakfast bars (or rather slices because I used a pie plate), but I'm looking forward to blending different combinations of seasonal fruit, like peaches and blueberries! 

Look at the brilliant pink color!

Strawberry Rhubarb Oatmeal Bars

Yields 1 8x8-inch pan (or 1 pie plate...just in case you run out of 8x8" dishes, like me)

1/3 cup applesauce

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T flax meal + 3 T warm water
1/4 cup honey/ maple syrup 
1 t Vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1 cup strawberry rhubarb puree*

*3/4 cup strawberries + 1/2 cup chopped rhubarb + 1 T honey/maple syrup, pureed in food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8-inch pan.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together applesauce and sugar. Add the flax and water, honey, and vanilla extract. Stir in the oats, flours, baking soda, and salt. Spread 3/4 of the batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Pour the strawberry rhubarb puree evenly over the top. Crumble the remaining 1/4 of the batter on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly in pan before serving.

Adapted from here.

What do you like to find at the farmer's market?

Cheers,
Suzy

The Oats And Berries

Not much beats a good ol' fashion bowl of oats, steaming, and topped with ripe berries that burst in your mouth. I love when you mix them together and get swirls of colors through the oats. A great filling breakfast full of fiber and antioxidants. It is after all, the inspiration of this blog...Well, that and the fact that if you were to flip through my recipe card book the majority include oats and berries, in one form or another.

Keeping it simple.

1/2 C Rolled Oats (GF)

3/4 C water

1/4 C (almond) milk

1 C freshly washed and cut berries (strawberries and blueberries)

*Sprinkle of cinnamon sugar (optional)

Prepare berries.
Put 1/4 cup berries in the bottom of your bowl.
Combine oats, water, and almond milk in a medium saucepan. Heat on high heat until begins to boil, and reduce to medium heat, cooking another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat. I like to let it sit and thicken for a few minutes, before scooping on top of the berries.
Top the oatmeal off with the remaining berries and *a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar.
Enjoy!

Microwave Version:

Combine oats, water, and almond milk in a large microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, making sure the oats don't spill over the edges of the bowl. Let sit in microwave 2 more minutes, letting any extra liquid to be soaked up. 

Remove from microwave. Stir oats, adding extra water or milk if needed.

Top the oatmeal off with berries and *a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar if desired.

Enjoy!

This is my recipe book, my holy grail of favorite recipes and ideas that I have collected while at school, so that I can make them when I come home.

It reminds me of "The Book" from The Devil Wears Prada, the one that Miranda Priestly insists having delivered to her house by one of her "Emilies", placed on the table with the flowers. It holds everything in it for the next issue of "Runway Magazine", much like my book that holds the inspiration for the creation of many of my recipes.

Where do you get inspiration for recipes?

A little added sweetness never hurt, I like to finish my bowl of oats and berries off with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Cheers,
     Suzy