Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies

I struggle with desserts. Replacing cane sugar and corn syrups result in experimenting with honey, maple syrup, stevia, pureed fruits like banana or date, but I have learned that the sweetener is an essential part of the dessert’s ratio. Ruhlman taught me that.

But living on my own or, for the moment, with just one other person, I’m typically left with leftover desserts… or bread… or anything in excess that, in reality, I only wanted one or two servings of. And so I don’t really experiment with the sweet stuff as much as I’d like unless there’s a lot of people to share it with.

On the other hand, I do make exceptions. When CK arrived in Malta for our summer together, berry season struck the island. The local green grocer near my work’s office was selling small plastic boxes of his favorite, raspberries, for a reasonable price. Sadly, anyone who loves raspberries knows how quickly they can spoil; and so, another buy later, we had roughly 120 g of them to work with after picking out the already molding ones.

I don’t know whose idea it was to use them for cookies, but the recipe turned out to be what CK referred to as “the best cookie he’s ever had”. Tart, savory, sweet, and buttery, with a satisfying cookie that doesn’t crumble more than it should. They spread out beautifully on the tray while baking, and rose slightly due to the presence of leavening agents.

Once I get around to making these chocolate chips, I think I’ll incorporate them into my next batch of these cookies. But really, these are quite delicious as is. They are an adaptation of Ruhlman's 1-2-3 Cookie Dough in Ratio, but I added one egg and replaced the sugar with honey.

Raspberry Oatmeal Cookies

60 g Honey
120 g Unsalted butter, softened
90 g CGF Rolled oats*
90 g Chickpea flour
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/8 tsp. Baking soda**
Dash of Cinnamon
Pinch of Powdered ginger
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
120 g Raspberries

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C and lightly grease or lay out parchment paper on a sheet tray (half to two thirds size).
Combine the honey and the butter, and mix until it is evenly distributed and the butter is light in color, followed by the egg.
Fold in the oats, chickpea flour, spices and baking soda gradually and continue to stir until a uniform dough is formed.
Add the raspberries and carefully stir to the point of breaking down the berries into smaller pieces, but not so much as to turn it into a puree.
Form the cookies using about two tablespoons of dough for each cookie and place them at least 2 inches apart (you don’t need to press them down, they spread out on their own).
Place the sheet in the center of the oven to bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the edges turn a light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and place the cookies on a rack to cool.

Makes 12 cookies.

*The oats I used has a "pulsed" look, so I would recommend putting your oats in a food processor or blender and pulse a couple times.
**I initially used 1/4 tsp. baking soda, but it tasted a bite too soda-y for my preferences.

Oatmeal Bars: The Beginnings of a Beautiful Breakfast

After perfecting my oatmeal breakfast bars, you can say I’ve become quite fanatic about them. They’re great because I’ve essentially made breakfast for the majority of the week, and it is so fun pairing different ingredients and switching  up the binders (i.e., egg, applesauce, banana, nut butter, etc.). I’ve also tried using different grains along with the rolled oats, particularly buckwheat and steel cut oats, but I wasn’t too keen on the texture. I like them soft, not crunchy. Oh, and toasted... (almost) everything is delicious toasted.

I aim to make them as balanced in nutrition as possible, little hand-held meals if you will. As I get more creative in making them, I plan on incorporating savory ingredients, maybe one that only has vegetables in it. Carrot has been my favorite vegetable for my oatmeal bars, and I enjoyed this recipe immensely while camping.

Vegan Carrot Tahini Oatmeal Bars

160 g Rolled oats
15 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
64 g Tahini
4 (162 g) Carrots, shredded
104 g Dried currants
1 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Ground ginger
Stevia, to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the rolled oats and cider vinegar, add enough filtered water to cover at least an inch or two higher, and let it soak for eight hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Drain the water from the oats and rinse thoroughly before returning to the bowl.
Fold in the remaining ingredients into the oats, and pour the mixture in an 8x8” pan lined with parchment paper and spread it out evenly.
Bake for 40 minutes to one hour or until golden brown.
Remove from the baking sheet (parchment paper = easy lifting) and cut it into the number of square bites or bars to your preference.
Serve warm and toasted.

Makes 4 – 8 bars, or 4 servings.

It certainly got the job done in keeping me full until lunch time (paired with a Granny Smith and a dollop of almond butter, of course), but I wanted to play around with using egg as a binder, making it nut free (if you don’t use the shredded coconut as garnish) as a result. This one was my favorite of the two.

Nut-free Carrot Mesquite Oatmeal Bars

160 g Rolled oats
15 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Large egg
45 g Unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. Sea salt
1 tbsp. (10 g) Mesquite powder
15 g Cacao nibs
4 Carrots, shredded or finely chopped
Shredded coconut, as garnish (optional)

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the rolled oats and cider vinegar, add enough filtered water to cover at least an inch or two higher, and let it soak for eight hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Drain the water from the oats and rinse thoroughly before returning to the bowl.
Fold in the remaining ingredients into the oats, and pour the mixture in an 8x8” pan lined with parchment paper and spread it out evenly.
Sprinkle the shredded coconut and lightly press it into the bar (omit if you are allergic and/or want to keep this nut-free).
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the baking sheet (parchment paper = easy lifting) and cut it into the number of square bites or bars to your preference.
Serve warm and toasted.

Makes 4 – 8 bars, or 4 servings.

New Adventures and Oatmeal Bars

These last three weeks of camp have been absolutely fantastic. I’ve laughed, cried, and learned the beauty of teambuilding, the creative mind, and working with kids. Children are amazing eye openers to the very existence of sentience. They want to do so much in the day, be so much in their lives. 

I’m going to miss it all.

For two weeks I’ll be away from camp, and likely from this blog. I am leaving for the family’s annual camping trip in New York first thing tomorrow, and subsequently another family vacation immediately after in Bedford, Pennsylvania. And then I come back, not as the Art Specialist, but a counselor working with kids with special needs. 

Pareve BBS: Duck egg socca, veggies, and ricotta cheese

It’s going to feel so strange, not walking between classes with the “Art Cart”, communicating over a walkie-talkie, and having Pareve Bento Box Snapshots to share. There will, however, be quite a lot of grill days, hilarity, learning experiences, and maybe foodie adventures (if I ask politely albeit loudly enough) in both vacations. For now, I’m getting ready to pack, post a recipe, and give it my all today for the camp. 

These oatmeal bars were created for hectic mornings when I was rock climbing before camp and the start of Morri-friendly on-the-go sort of food. With camping and staying at a house that is not necessarily gluten-free, I needed to come up with breakfasts, lunches, and snacks that I can have on the assurance my tummy will be happy. As I search all over cyber space for the oatmeal bar I could eat, it was difficult to find any that had all of my requirements (i.e., gluten free, soy free, low sugar content, and refined sugar free). So I decided to come up with my own, and it was the start of a beautiful breakfast. You may want to add salt or sweetener to fit your tastes, but I loved it toasted with some apple butter or left plain. 

Vegan Oatmeal Bars

160 g Rolled oats
15 ml Apple cider vinegar
1 (very ripe) Banana
64 g Almond butter
42 g Cocoa nibs
30 g Unsweetened dried coconut
Salt, to taste
Sweetener, to taste

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the rolled oats and cider vinegar, add enough filtered water to cover at least an inch or two higher, and let it soak for eight hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Drain the water from the oats and rinse thoroughly before returning to the bowl.
In another bowl, mash the banana with a fork and mix it with the almond butter.
Fold it into the oats as well as the cocoa nibs and the shredded coconut.
Pour it onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (remember: the thinner the crispier and the thicker the softer) and spread it out evenly to the desired thickness.
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the baking sheet (parchment paper = easy lifting) and cut it into the number of square bites or bars to your preference.
Serve warm and toasted.

Makes 4 - 8 bars, or 4 servings.

Stumped & Flopped

I’ve been producing quite a few “half-baked” recipes lately. It’s a term I use to regard a recipe as having the potential to be delicious, but it’s missing something crucial. There were two of which I was particularly bummed about, because I was really looking forward to blogging their awesomeness and I’m usually quite good at figuring out what recipes need.

These two, however, have stumped me silly. 

So if anyone out there in cyber space with some time and the ingredients could make it and tell me what’s missing, I’d gratefully appreciate it.

The first of these borderline flops was a smoothie similar to the “Sweet Pea Pucker Smoothie” recipe I made early on in my Meals with Morri blogging. I had a bag of key limes I needed to use up and was craving a key lime pie sort of smoothie. I don’t think it was nearly tart or sweet enough (that, or the sweet and sour flavors weren’t balanced correctly), and could have possibly used a banana in the mix.

Key Lime Pie Smoothie

Juice of 6 Key limes
1/2 Ripe avocado
81 g Frozen spinach
150 ml Coconut milk
120 ml Almond milk, unsweetened vanilla (found in Trader Joe’s refrigerated section by the milk)
122 g Applesauce, unsweetened
Stevia, to taste

I blended the ingredients until smooth and poured it into two jars lined with almond meal and flaxseed meal (the “crust”). It tasted okay, but I wasn’t very much impressed with it overall.

The second one was also a disappointment, though edible. I wanted to make an indulgent oatmeal breakfast with cocoa nibs and powder. I’ve had issues with cocoa powder before (see this post for my cocoa powder flop moment), so maybe baking chocolate would have worked better. It also wasn’t balanced in flavor, a little to bitter and not sweet enough. Instead of water, I think almond milk would have helped in making it creamy and decadent instead of strong and grainy. It’s also quite possible that the cocoa nibs should be on their own, like a chocolate chip or something.

Chocolate Crunch Oatmeal

20 g Steel cut oats
20 g CGF rolled oats
240 ml Water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
7 g Cocoa nibs
5 g Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
Stevia, to taste
1/4 tsp. (1 ml) Coconut oil

I combined all of the ingredients except for the coconut oil the night before to soak, and then cooked it over medium heat the next morning (oil included). I poured it into a bowl and garnished it with a whole banana, a spoonful of peanut butter, chilled coconut milk, and a dash of cinnamon. Again, I think if the garnishes were integrated in the oatmeal, it would’ve tasted phenomenal.

Let me know what recommendations and alterations you’d make with either (or both) recipe, and I’ll make them again and credit you for helping me in its success.

My Belated Valentine

This is a rather belated time to be writing about love, what with Valentine’s Day being last Tuesday and all. But love isn’t a cliché to me, nor do I believe it should only be considered a once a year phenomenon. Love comes in more colors than white, red, or pink, and it certainly symbolizes more than fat golden-haired cupids and chocolates in a heart-shaped box.

I do admit, however, that I love receiving cards and silly gifts and flowers (the Iris species being my favorite) around this time of year. And yes, I did fall under the stereotype of being a cynical single when I was a teen, filled with unrequited love and youthful angst. Maybe it has to do with currently having a boyfriend, but I found that besides a lovey-dovey text in the morning, that was all I really wanted. 

We don’t need a designated holiday for something we feel every day. We have a lifetime of days to celebrate it. 

For our second anniversary we celebrated two weeks later, simply because he was in Harrisonburg and I was up in Old Town and Fairfax, both of us working. I went down and was immediately swept off my feet to Oakland, MD, in a large cabin by the lake for a night and a day, filled with his spirited and industrious colleagues. While they worked, I made healthful oatmeal cookies (more on that later), went for a light run until it started snowing, and began a fiction novel I’d been more or less thinking about for over a year. After that, we drove back to Harrisonburg for a night on the town, more specifically a very romantic dinner at the Joshua Wilton House.

Right when we're heading out...

One new feature to the Meals with Morri site you may have noticed is the link of lists titled “Restaurants, Coffee shops, and Foodie fun… Oh My!” on the side column of the webpage. It occurred to me that there have been plenty of places I’ve eaten at or bought cool kitchen stuff (i.e., food, books, and gadgets) since my gluten free adventure began, and I should honor them for it. Actually, it was after visiting this wonderful restaurant that I came up with the idea.

The Joshua Wilton House is a mere few minute’s drive from James Madison University. Much like Choices By Shawn in Fairfax, the restaurant was built inside a renovated home from another era. The majestic interior and exterior of the building itself, the romantic appeal of the soft lighting and separate dining areas, the mouthwatering aromas wafting from the kitchen in harmonious waves and tones, and the beautiful artwork that laced the halls raised the standard of fine dining for me.

Unfortunately, since cell phones were to be turned off or silenced, I felt that taking photos of the food with my DSLR camera was also out of the question.

In a way, not being in Meals with Morri mode turned my focus to the food I was eating and the company I was with. Without my camera, it was like falling in love all over again and experiencing everything without the barrier of the lens. 

So why am I writing about this restaurant so admiringly when there's a boyfriend to love and cookies to bake? Besides the fact that I believe the chef is a brilliant mastermind in the culinary field, the hosting and waiting staff went above and beyond in their tasks of making it a perfect evening for this gluten freer and her date. I made reservations online for two, and in the comment box I listed my dietary restrictions and that we were so excited to have dinner there. Hours before dinner I receive a call with the assurance that most of the entrees could be made gluten free or were gluten free already. Almost all were soy free anyway, and they typically didn’t add refined sugar to their food unless it was for dessert.

For dinner I had the duck confit that fell apart with a slight prodding of my fork on top of a sweet potato puree that melted in my mouth. The plate was decorated with pan seared Brussels sprouts and bacon pieces caramelized to perfection and a red wine reduction I am still raving about. I think hed had a rack of lamb over soba noodles (not gluten free), but I don’t remember the details of his dish since they change their menu so often. We drank wine, ate delicious and perfectly portioned meals, held hands and lovingly looked into each other’s eyes. Naturally, it was only fitting to finish off the meal with dessert.

For a while, we debated whether or not to have dessert. The only gluten free dessert they have is their crème brulèe, but they said it would be no trouble to make a fruit cup. So, with a pot of “Mandarin Silk” tea (with hints of lemon myrtle, marigold, and vanilla), we were served fruit drizzled with honey-sweetened yogurt in a martini glass.

No matter where we go in life, I hope to make dining at the Joshua Wilton House an annual tradition. Next time, however, we’re staying at the inn connected to the restaurant for the full package.

Now, about these cookies…

I mean, I guess you can call them cookies, but they’re more like easy handfuls of breakfast or cylindrical oatmeal bars that pair wonderfully with a strong cup of Joe. Had they been made smaller, I think they would have been more cookie-like, with crispy edges and a nice gooey center. But I loved the moist crumb from the Applesauce, the explosion of juices and color the fresh Blueberries provided, and the natural sweetness of the dried Currants. Consequently, the A-B-C oatmeal cookie was born.

This recipe would go well topped with ice cream as a dessert, a fika treat for any time of the day with a cup of tea, and definitely a great breakfast for a person on the go.

ABC Oatmeal Cookies

56 g Coconut oil
1 1/4 tsp. Baking soda
338 g applesauce
240 g CGF rolled oats
2 Eggs
175 g Peanut butter (if unsalted, add 1/2 tsp. Sea salt to the recipe)
75 g Dried currants
100 g Fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the wet ingredients (coconut oil, applesauce, eggs, and peanut butter) until lump free with an electric mixer or by hand.
Fold in the dry ingredients and leave on the counter to let the dough set and rise slightly.
Line two or more baking sheets (depending on how large you want the cookies to be) with parchment paper and put the desired amount of cookie dough at least two inches apart (this cookie will spread).
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the cookies are baked throughout.*
Raise the parchment papers and lay them on cooling racks until room temperature before serving (I couldn’t wait that long… and they were delightful warm).

 Makes 15 large cookies (or 45 small ones).

*Baking time will vary depending on size.

Nutty Spirulina Overnight Oatmeal

It’s closing in on Saturday, with about half an hour to spare. I’m working on Mama Dazz’s birthday surprise(s). Her birthday is tomorrow, and so I take a moment to catch up on the posts I had been meaning to write. I think I’ve come down with a bit of a sniffle, but I figured I had enough time to do a Bento Box Snapshot from yesterday, and dedicate a moment to the wonders of spirulina.

Oh yes, I have become a huge fan of spirulina. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a food that tasted like its color (except for, well, the orange). In juice I find it tastes less than ideal, but put it in nut butter and it takes center stage on your taste buds. After I moved out of the house, my throat was swollen from the stress and fumes I was exposed to, and I wanted to find something that cleared out my system of toxins. The answer was chlorella and spirulina, though I had to be creative with the latter since it came in a powdered form and not a pill form. 

Like hemp protein powder before it, spirulina is now part of my Granny Smith apple and peanut butter affair. My body seems to crave the stuff daily, likely because it has something it desperately wants. To quote a website completely devoted to this amazing superfood:

“It powerfully protects from oxidant stress and strongly supports the immune system and a healthy inflammatory response.”

With more protein than soy, more Vitamin A than a carrot, and more iron than beef, I have a feeling Superman isn’t the only thing super around here. I’m still working on the kinks to incorporating spirulina to oatmeal (any hot cereal really) and smoothies (something I really should get back in the habit to making), but I offer this recipe to anyone who can make it even more delectable and healthful.

Nutty Spirulina Overnight Oatmeal

1.4 oz CGF Rolled oats
1 tbsp. Flaxseed meal
1 tbsp. Chia seeds
1 tsp. Unrefined apple cider vinegar
14 oz Filtered water
4 oz Almond milk (or any milk of your preference)
1 tbsp. Peanut butter
1 tsp. Spirulina

1 packet of Trader Joe’s Apple Carrot fruit sauce crushers (or up to 3.5 oz of any pureed fresh fruit of your choosing)

Combine the rolled oats, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, cider, and water in a Mason jar or sauce pan with a lid to sit on the counter overnight (or up to eight hours).
Pour the contents of the jar in the saucepan and add the almond milk to the mixture.
Cook over the stove on medium-low heat until the liquid has just about evaporated but still remains runny.
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the spirulina and peanut butter and set aside until the very last minute of cooking.
When the oatmeal is done, add in the spirulina-peanut butter concoction and still until integrated.
Pour into a bowl or large mug and top with the fruit puree (which could also be added during the cooking process).

Serves 1.

Time Well Spent: Overnight Dorm Oatmeal & Morning Millet

It’s not that I haven’t had anything to write about or eating anything blog worthy. The last three weekends should have been posted with a plethora of photos and stories to delight and intrigue my wonderful audience. I went to D.C. on multiple occasions, the first time for the fireworks on July 4th and the second time with the kids who did not have a host family for the week to see the Dalai Lama. I spent a wonderful Saturday working with bees and chewing on freshly harvested honeycomb. And just two days ago – or rather, yesterday at a ridiculous hour – I came home from the Institute’s trip to Philadelphia and New York City. 

I feel so far behind. I feel like I’ve let people down. I feel like I’ve grown so much in so many ways, and I don’t know where to start.

(Well duh, Morri, from the beginning of course.)

In the meantime, I think not one but two recipes are in order. And wouldn’t you know it… both are breakfast worthy and, oddly enough, vegan.

Soaking grains, even for a few hours, is an awesome way to enhance the nutritional value of a meal. Lacto-fermenting them overnight – with either a teaspoon of whey, lemon juice or unrefined apple cider vinegar – makes rolled oats and millet (even already cooked rice) taste even better than simply putting it on the stovetop and cooking it. Ever since I made my oatmeal smoothie recipe in June, I don’t do it any other way. Try it and see for yourself. You won’t regret it.

Overnight Dorm Oatmeal (Rice Cooker edition)

1/2 c. CGF Rolled oats
1 1/2 – 2 c. Filtered water
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Chia seeds (and more for garnish)
1 tbsp. Flaxseed meal
1 tsp. Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Apple Carrot fruit sauce crusher pouch from Trader Joe’s (or 3 oz fruit puree of your choosing)
1 spoonful Peanut butter

In a jar or mug, combine the oats, salt, chia seed, flaxseed meal, and vinegar with the water to sit overnight on the counter.
The next morning, pour the contents of the jar into your rice cooker and set it on “steam cook” or “quick rice” mode (If you do not have a rice cooker, simply cook in a saucepan on the stove).
After the oats are done, put them in your favorite bowl and top it with the fruit puree.
Garnish with the peanut butter and an additional sprinkle of chia seeds.

Serves 1.

Morning Millet (Rice Cooker edition)

1/4 c. Millet, hulled (with 1 - 1.5 c. filtered water)
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1 tsp. Chia seeds
1 tbsp. Flaxseed meal
1/4 tsp. Tea Masala spices*
1 tsp. Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c. Filtered water (for soaking, and an additional 1/2 – 1 c. for cooking)
1/2 Banana, sliced
1 tbsp. Peanut butter

(See the previous recipe for preparation instructions.)

Garnish with the peanut butter and banana slices.

Serves 1.

*Tea Masala: black pepper, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg.

On Family & SOS KItchen Challenge Events: PB&B Oatmeal Smoothie

Family is important. You may not see them as often as you would like. You may not agree. You may not always be related. But one thing is certain: spending time with the people you love is time well spent.

I consider myself an extremely lucky person. I have a broad spectrum in my definition of family. It not only includes my parents, my stepparents and step-siblings, my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, and my cousins, but there are people who fit those roles as extended members of my family tree. These branches consist of but not limited to next-door neighbors that I’ve known for over a decade, people I’ve met through my school career past and present, extracurricular activities, the spiritual community, and traveling. Sometimes there is a family member, like a cousin for example, who takes on the role as a sibling. Sometimes there’s an elder who takes on the role as a parent. And sometimes there is a friend who becomes something more.

But as you get older, as the people you cherish go on with their lives, months – maybe years – can pass by without seeing loved ones. And it’s not that you love them less or vice versa, but life happens. You grow up; you walk down a path you made for yourself, your dreams in tow. It is likely, but not required, that you will move away from everything that is comfortable and safe. But this is what’s so gosh darned amazing about family: even after an extended amount of time has been spent out of contact, when you come together it would be like no time was spent apart at all.

I’ve quite a Sunday ahead of me. For almost a decade, a wonderful family from Bangladesh has lived across the street from me. In the years I was considered too young to be home alone in the summertime, the family watched me until Mama Dazz came home from work. I experienced the wonders of Bangladeshi cuisine, soap operas, and culture. Over the years the family provided us with hot peppers from their garden. I’ve attended barbeques on their patio, celebrated their becoming U.S. citizens and the marriage of their eldest son. Today I’m celebrating with family for another grand occasion.

He and his wife are having a baby!

As I checked for the time and address for today’s celebration, I was horrified to learn that I was to have an RSVP sent… last week. I thought the celebration would be at their lovely house across the street as it always was. But it was at a kabob place… in Arlington. Oh dear. In panic I called him this morning, apologizing and stating that I had not RSVP’d, nor had I included Mama Dazz or my food intolerances in the mix. In his love and compassion, he told me not to worry. As being part of the family, all we had to do was show up and enjoy the company.        

Let me just say I have the coolest family in the world.

But my Sunday doesn’t stop there. Since I spend Father’s Day in North Carolina with Mama Dazz’s parents, Dad and I are celebrating it a little earlier. We are going to a concert at Wolf Trap. Guess whom we’re seeing. Go on… guess!

That’s right, The Indigo Girls!!! This fantastic duo has been part of my travels as a kid in many of my adventures. Rites of Passage was the first CD I member rocking out to, and still remains one of my all-time favorites. Rumor has it Dad and I have box seats in the pavilion.

I promise photos and hilarity for the next post. As for this post, I want to talk about a breakfast, and a new monthly challenge. In April 2010, Kim of Affairs of Living and Ricki of Diets, Desserts, and Dogs came up with the SOS (Sweet or Savory) Kitchen Challenge blog event. It’s based on the idea that, similar to the Gluten Free Ratio Rally, you can find ways to eat delicious food despite following a special diet surrounding health conditions or allergies. To quote Kim:

“The SOS Kitchen Challenge invites you to create delicious sweet or savory (or both!) dishes based on a key ingredient that we select. At the end of the month, we post a roundup on both our blogs, giving your recipe double the exposure and offering a one-stop shop for health conscious readers and cooks.”

Last month was carob. The month before that was asparagus. This month’s challenge is blueberries, and my first time taking part.

Let me tell you, it was harder than I thought it’d be. True, I’m no stranger to vegan or vegetarian cooking, and refined sugar is a strict no-no for me, but I didn’t want to make something that’s been made over and over again. I wanted to put a new twist on how this small indigo-ish berry is eaten. I didn’t want to simply add it to my oatmeal or make a smoothie. I wanted to try something different, possibly a savory recipe. I googled ‘blueberry’ and ‘savory’ and ‘vegan’, and the only thing that came up was a blueberry sauce to top pork or salmon.

As I recall, pork and salmon are not vegan foods.

Anyway, from various food blogs I learned about the oatmeal smoothie (Namastegurl and HEAB), about lacto-fermenting grains (Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried), and a thought occurred to me. A blueberry oatmeal smoothie. Sadly, Kim had already done an oatmeal smoothie with blueberries for February’s SOS Kitchen Challenge with stevia. But I really liked the idea, so I decided on making it with my own twist to it. And a tablespoon of peanut butter wouldn’t hurt either.

Peanut Butter & Blueberries Oatmeal Smoothie

1/2 c. Rolled oats
1 1/4 c. Filtered water
1/2 tsp. Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Chia seeds
1 tbsp. Flaxseed meal
1 tbsp. Peanut butter
1/2 c. Blueberries (fresh is preferred)
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
2 pinches Nutmeg

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the rolled oats, filtered water, vinegar, salt, chia seeds, and flaxseed meal.
Cover with saran wrap and let sit overnight in the fridge (between 6 and 24 hours).

Place oat mixture and the remaining ingredients in the blender, and mix until thoroughly combined.
You can serve immediately or wait up to half and hour for ultimate thickness.

Serves 1.

The Weekend and Chai Oatmeal Apple Crisp

 I love my weekend visits home. For two awesome days I get to make meals for the parental units, have a chance to relax and catch up on reading and sleep, be part of the cats’ shenanigans, and simply be at peace with life.  

Typically I am the first person to wake up in the mornings, and Saturday was no different. It was very soothing to listen to the rain tap on the window in the kitchen as I made coffee, thinking of Ashley from The Edible Perspective and her breakfast bake. I ended up with an oatmeal crisp of sorts, though not necessarily what I was aiming for; but still, practice makes perfect, and it was delicious. 

As for today, since we have a house full of guests and extended family members, I will be making biscuits. Wish me luck!

 

Chai Oatmeal Apple Crisp

1 c. Leftover Rooibos red chai tea
1/2 c. Gluten free rolled oats
1 tbsp. Chia seeds
Slab of butter
Salt, to taste
1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°
In a small saucepan, combine the tea, oats, butter, salt, and cinnamon on medium heat.
Finely chop up the Granny Smith apple and set aside.
Once the oats has been at a boil for a few minutes, add the chia seeds and whisk until it is evenly distributed.
After ten minutes or until the oats are almost done, turn off the heat and add in the apples bits.
Stir a few times or until the pieces are thoroughly covered, and place the saucepan (or another oven-safe dish) into the oven for 40 minutes.

  

The result is a crispy layer, soft melt-in-your-mouth apple chunks, and a rich, scrumptious experience in every spoonful. Drizzle on your favorites: honey, maple syrup, jam. For this recipe I mixed a tablespoon of peanut butter with two tablespoons of So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk.

Serves 1. Enjoy.