Berries are some of the healthiest foods on the planet and certainly the healthiest fruit so says Dr. Michael Greger, M.D. of nutritionfacts.org. Dr. Greger and other plant-based docs say we should eat them every day. I typically eat berries every morning on my start your day right oatmeal or as a mid afternoon snack mixed into some plain almond yogurt. But recently I had a real hankering to come up with something new for breakfast. Voila! Enter this fruit filled baked oatmeal. You can use fresh or frozen berries and don't feel like you need to stick with the berries I chose, but it's nice to have a variety. The really cool thing about this baked oatmeal recipe is you don't even have to bake it! Once mixed, you can eat it as a cold cereal! Yes, that's right - you can eat it right out of the mixing bowl without baking it. Most people do not realize that rolled oats do not have to be cooked to be consumed.
But...if you want something you can slice and take on the road then bake it for a sliceable "pie" that packs easily into a lunch or snack bag. It is a real delight to enjoy for breakfast or anytime of day - warm or cold. Delicious! And if you want to know more about berries and which ones are healthiest, check out this video by Dr. Greger.
Apple-Berry Baked Oatmeal
Makes 6 generous wedges
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup blackberries or raspberries
1 apple, peeled, cored and grated (about 1 cup)
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup non-dairy milk (almond or oat milk is nice)
1/2 cup plain non-dairy yogurt (unsweetened)
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 flax eggs*
Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, stir together all fruit, oats, pecans, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla, and flax eggs; stir into the oat mixture. Transfer to prepared pan and bake until firm and golden brown on top, about 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes. Cut into slices and serve. Great chilled too! Happy Plant-Based Eating!
*To make 2 flax eggs: whisk together 2 tablespoons ground flax (flaxseed meal) and 6 tablespoons water until creamy and frothy.
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