Carrie Fehr

Kitchen Garden Food

Tag: Oats

January 16, 2023

Creamy Overnight Oats

 

Creamy Overnight Oats are my new go-to favorite breakfast. This easy to prepare recipe is a nod to comfort food and yet, so healthy for you too. Feel free to add any toppings you like to change up the flavor combinations. I like berries, almond butter granola with Greek yogurt, and lemon zest. Coconut would also work, as would dried cherries with a sprinkle of cacao powder.

Creamy Overnight Oats

Ingredients:

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup almond milk 

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Toppings: Fresh fruit, seeds, nuts, granola, nut butters, dried fruit, citrus zest, vanilla bean, cinnamon, honey

Directions:

Combine oats, almond milk, chia seeds, and vanilla extract in a small jar and cover with a lid. Allow it to rest in the refrigerator overnight. 

Remove from refrigerator, give it a stir. 

Add your favorite toppings.

Serve and enjoy!

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May 1, 2020

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Banana Oat Cookie

Since quarantine began, I get all of my food delivered to my home. Going to the local produce market, or bakery for a fresh baguette feels like a luxury now. My car has not moved for 8 weeks. And to be honest, I’m OK with it. But these tough times have me examining everything, especially all potential sources of food in my pantry. Careful meal planning is essential right now and a new relationship with my kitchen is beginning to emerge.

Before quarantine life, my freezer was a cold and lonely place, except for the occasional pint of ice-cream, it was mostly a vessel reserved for ice. Now, it’s a winter wonderland of possibilities with frozen assets to nourish me in-between deliveries. Pas mal as they say in French.

Cooking in quarantine has been an interesting journey. For instance, rather than send vegetable scraps straight to the compost bin, I collect and save them like a prize in a freezer bag for broth that will eventually land into a pan as a flavor booster for risotto, stir-fry, or sauce. My reward brings me comfort and satisfaction.

New discoveries in the kitchen, sparked by lockdown, have truly become a blessing. This Banana Oatmeal cookie recipe counts as one of them. It highlights how baking doesn’t have to be complicated. No flour, no eggs, no dairy. No problem! Plus, the starring humble ingredients are most likely found in your quarantine pantry. Voilà!

Easy. To. Prepare. These cookies are on the cooling rack and ready to eat in less than 15 minutes. This recipe is easy enough for young kids to make by themselves. Simple set of instructions: Mash bananas. Add oats, and mix together. You’ve got this!

Banana Oatmeal cookies are moist and delicious with just two ingredients, but feel free to add any mix-ins you like to jazz up the flavor combinations. I like chocolate chips, dried fruit, or toasted nuts. Sesame or sunflower seeds would also work, as would coconut.

These healthy cookies are perfect for breakfast, or as an energy booster for those late quarantine afternoons.

Questions? Feel free to leave them in the comment section below. Also, I would love to know what recipes are inspiring you during quarantine?

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 1 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 ½ cup of oats

Mix-Ins: (Optional) ¼ cup chocolate chips, toasted nuts, coconut, dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, apricots. Vanilla extract.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl combine the mashed bananas and rolled oats. Stir in mix-ins, if using.

Using an ice-cream scoop, form tablespoon-sized mounds of dough onto the baking sheets and press the tops down a bit with your fingers, or the back of a spoon.

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned and set.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.

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January 14, 2019

Baked Oatmeal Almond Bars

baked oatmeal bar

Baked Oatmeal Almond Bars make a nice, healthy treat, especially for those who want something as a grab-and-go in the morning, or for an afternoon snack. They hit an excellent balance of crunchy, sweet, and chewy, with an awesome foundation of oats, almonds, and coconut. You can swap out any kind of nut, seed, dried fruit, or berry you wish. A handful of chocolate thrown into the mixture would not be such a bad idea either.

Baked Oatmeal Almond Bars

baked oatmeal bars into oven

Oats, almonds, blueberries, and coconut  mixture going into the oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

½ cup sunflower seeds, toasted

½ cup coconut, unsweetened

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk, room temperature or gently warm it

1 large egg, room temperature

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups berries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish or a half-sized sheet pan or muffin tin.

In a bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, seeds, coconut, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.

Sprinkle berries over the prepared baking dish, sheet pan or muffin tin. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Pour the coconut milk mixture over the oats.

Bake 40 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Serve warm, or cool and then cut into squares.

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February 12, 2018

Salty Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

Salty Oatmeal Choc ChunkMy Saturday morning ritual begins with tea and some reading to get into the right mindset before starting the day. I linger in bed, holding on to every precious minute of solitude, appreciating the power a single moment can bring.

Under the watchful eye of my dog, I rise to the sound of his tail wagging in a rhythmic beat against the wooden floor.  Excited and hungry, I feed him.  I grab my gym bag and head out the door for a workout of spinning and yoga, a routine that will put a smile in my mind and rejuvenate my body.  I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the weekend. Seriously.

Ready to greet the festive atmosphere of music and local food, can only mean it’s time for the farmers’ market stroll. The street is bursting with color, flavor, and the sweet smell of spring that is so up-lifting.  I snag a sunny spot outside at a nearby café, and order a tall glass of New Orleans style iced-coffee, à la Blue Bottle.  Bien sûr!  Blue Bottle, famous for its coffee, carefully selects their beans from growers around the world, and use each batch within 48 hours after it’s been roasted.  Can it get any better?

I return home and settle in the kitchen with a cooking project that will feed my soul.  Baking cookies is a weekend thing, and although my kids are grown, it still fills up my heart to set a plate of cookies out for them. Even, if only in spirit.

I open my cupboard and reach for some leftover pecans, a chocolate bar, and a container of oats.  Hmm, looks like a great beginning for an oatmeal chocolate chunk cookie recipe. Before I pop them in the oven, I sprinkle a little kosher salt over the top, as an afterthought.  Sweet and salty is always a good combination.

The sweet aroma of deliciousness coming out of my kitchen sends a wave of nostalgia over me.  I break open a warm cookie and take a bite.  The melted chocolate, crunchy pecans, and chewy oats bring me comfort like a hug from my kids, and yet, at the same time,  reminds me of everything I love about my day. I reach for another cookie.

What is your weekend ritual?  Do you have a special recipe you make every weekend?

Salty Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies

This is a lovely vegan cookie recipe that is easy to prepare.  Try substituting the flour for oats or pecans, if you prefer gluten-free.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

½  cup all-purpose flour

1 cup finely ground pecans

¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

¾  cup maple syrup

½ cup coconut oil

zest of an orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup raisins

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Kosher salt or fleur de sel

Preheat oven 350˚

Directions:

Combine oats, flour, ground pecans, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Stir in maple syrup, coconut oil, orange zest, and vanilla extract.  Add raisins, chopped chocolate and mix to combine. The batter will be sticky.

Using an ice-cream scoop, drop the cookie dough form on to a parchment-lined sheet pan.  Sprinkle a little bit of kosher salt or fleur de sel over the top of the cookies.

Bake at 350˚ for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan to a cooling rack.  Makes 2 dozen.

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October 1, 2017

Pear Ginger Crumble

Pear Ginger Crumble PhotoThis wonderful crumble, fragrant with pears, is perfect for the cooler days of fall when I crave a little comfort of a warm treat.  Oats, almonds and crystallized ginger give this crumb topping its flavor, along with the extra virgin olive oil.  It tastes amazing when still warm from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Ingredients:

Topping

1 cup oats

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8  cup crystallized ginger, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

8 ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds), cut into 2” chunks

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Topping:  Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, crystallized ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly moist.

Filling:  Combine pears, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

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October 23, 2014

Pear Ginger Crumble

Pear Ginger Crumble PhotoWhenever I find myself with an abundance of ripe pears, I am powerless to resist turning these little beauties into a fragrant crumble that is perfect for the cooler days of fall, when I crave a little comfort of a warm treat.  Oats, almonds and crystallized ginger give this crumb topping its flavor, along with the extra virgin olive oil.  Simply scatter the topping over the pears, pop it into the oven, breathe and serve!

Ingredients:

Topping

1 cup oats

¼ cup flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup almonds, chopped

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8  cup crystallized ginger, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Filling:

8 ripe Bartlett pears (about 4 pounds), cut into 2” chunks

½ lemon, juiced

¼ cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Topping:  Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, almonds, cinnamon, crystallized ginger and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and stir until evenly moist.

Filling:  Combine pears, lemon juice and sugar in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the topping over the pears.

Bake the crumble until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes.

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September 22, 2012

Salty Maple Oatmeal Cookies

Sweet, salty, and crunchy, these oatmeal cookies are over the top, and very addictive.  Although they contain no butter, eggs, or sugar, the flavor combination of whole oats, maple syrup, and flecks of salt, makes them melt in your mouth, delicious.  Try these for yourself, click here for the recipe.

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