Berry studded baked oatmeal

Oooh, this one's a goodie.

I start most mornings -- at least when the weather is cool -- with a bowl of oatmeal (or eatmeal, as my father calls it). My standard is steel cut oats, with some sliced banana on top, and a bit of brown sugar. It's good, but sometimes standard oatmeal just doesn't it -- especially on a dark, rainy morning, the kind of which we've experienced lately.

This oatmeal dish is so inviting and yummy that it makes you want to get out of bed -- on the aforementioned cold and rainy morning, or even a bright and sunny one -- just so you can eat it in a big bowl, alongside a steaming mug of coffee. It's an easy thing to make on a weekend, and you'll have lots of leftovers to get you through the week.

So let's get started.....

Mix up the milk, eggs and vanilla. It's kinda like you're making a breakfast bread pudding! (Note the glass milk bottle for old timey goodness.)

Get your dish ready with your sliced bananas and frozen fruit. These form a tasty layer for the oatmeal.

More fruit goes on top, along with some walnuts for some crunch.

Then you're forced to wait about 45 minutes until you can dig in. People, it smells SO good while it's baking, and it's so worth the wait.

This crappy picture is testament to the fact that I was so eager to dig in, I couldn't even be bothered to frame a good photo. Make this and your morning will be better. I guarantee it.

Berry Studded Baked Oatmeal
From Shutterbean and Super Natural Every Day Cookbook
Recipe serves 6

(recipe adapted slightly from the Super Natural Every Day Cookbook)

2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup cane sugar or maple syrup (plus more for serving)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups whole milk, plus more for serving
2 large eggs (original recipe calls for 1)
3 tablespoons salted butter, melted & cooled slightly
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups mixed berries (I used 1 cup frozen blueberries & 1/2 cup frozen raspberries)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Generously butter the inside of an 8 inch baking dish. (I used a 9x13 dish)

In a bowl, mix together the oats, half of the walnuts, the sugar, baking powder & cinnamon.

In another bowl mix the milk, eggs, half of the butter and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.

Arrange the bananas in a single layer at the bottom of your baking dish. Sprinkle 2/3 of the berry mixture on top. Pour the oat mixture on top and then slowly drizzle the milk mixture on top of that. Give the baking dish a few thwacks (love that word!) on the kitchen counter to make sure the milk moves all around the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and walnuts on top.

Bake in the oven for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and serve. Drizzle maple syrup on top and top with a little bit of milk. Enjoy!

*I used slightly less than 1/3 cup of maple syrup and it was the perfect sweetness: not too cloying, but also not requiring further sugar when you eat it

**The frozen fruit was a President's Choice mix of cherries, blackberries and blueberries. I think it's an organics power mix or omega mix or something new agey and healthy.

*I didn't bother to toast the walnuts beforehand, or add the remaining melted butter before serving. Because I'm a rebel.

Nut-stuffed squash

Now that it's (somewhat) colder, this is a great, filling and warm supper. The stuffing here is hearty and tastes almost like sausage, even though there's no meat in sight. It makes a great week-night dinner, but it does take some time to bake, especially if you use a butternut squash as I did here. If I make it again, I'll put the squash in the microwave for few minutes to give it a head start before it goes in the oven.


Here they are, ready for baking.

And here's the finished product, just waiting for you to dig in.

Nut-Stuffed Delicata Squash
(recipe from Shutterbean)

3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 medium onions finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
2 tablespoons fresh sage, chopped
1/3 cup almonds, chopped
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/3 cup cashews, chopped
1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise (about 2 lbs.) *I couldn't find a delicata, so I substituted butternutsplash olive oil (optional topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a medium fry pan on medium high. Add the onions & garlic and cook until softened. Add the sage and cook for 1 minute. Set aside, and add nuts to the pan. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs and combine them with the cheese and yogurt. Stir in 1 teaspoon of salt & sprinkle with pepper. Add the nuts to the mixture and fill each of the halves of squash. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes. The squash should be soft when tested with a knife. Top with some sprinkles of cheese and a splash of olive oil.

Shakespeare n' stuff

What a horrible headline! It's all I could come up with to introduce this piece I wrote. Back with more food n' stuff soon.

Black grape focaccia

This is probably one of the most beautiful recipes I've ever made. It's by no means light on labour, but the resulting loaf of grape-studded goodness is worth the effort. Believe me.

First you start by choosing your grapes. I selected Coronation grapes (speaking of Corrie, have you been watching? CBC is now airing one hour a night so we can catch up with the episodes in the UK. That's a lot of street talk, let me tell you. Thank goodness for fast forward buttons on the PVR). While not seedless, they contain small, edible seeds that don't require removing. They're also not the super sweet variety that gets turned into kiddie juice.

But, they do require de-stemming, which is a crazy making activity. Notice the pile of stems to the right of my scale? It probably took me 15 minutes to get my 400g of fruit stem free. Loco!

And don't those grapes look much happier nestled into all that warm dough? If only they knew their future involved a hot oven.

The recipe doesn't call for rosemary, but I thought it would make a nice addition. I was after a more savoury product than a sweet treat. Plus, I happen to have lots of rosemary growing in my backyard, so it was a good opportunity to use some up.

Ta-da! Okay, so this is a bit dark, I admit, but it's still pretty, non? Definitely more unique than anything you could buy at the store, and much, much better. The grapes burst and run during cooking, creating almost jam that ribbons through the bread. And the crust was crisp, and topped with a trace of crunchy sugar and some sea salt, while the inside was moist and chewy. Dare I say it was grape combination?

Black grape focaccia
From Tender Vol. 2, by Nigel Slater

This is excellent with a fresh, mild cheese. Serves 8.


450g strong white bread flour

1 sachet of easy bake yeast (7g, 2 tsp)

1 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp caster sugar

350ml warm water


For the topping:

400g sweet, black grapes

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp caster sugar

a little icing sugar


Put the flour into a large bowl, add the yeast, the sea salt (if you are using coarse salt, crush it finely first), then the oil, sugar and warm water. Mix with a wooden spoon then turn the dough out on to a generously floured board. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes or so. You need not be too enthusiastic. A gentle pummelling will suffice.

Once the dough feels elastic and "alive" put it into a floured bowl, cover with a clean cloth or clingfilm, then put it somewhere warm to rise. It will take approximately an hour to double in size. Once it has, then punch it down again, knocking some of the air out. Tip it into a suitable baking tin or sheet, about 28cm in diameter. Gently knead half of the grapes into the dough, scattering the remaining ones on top. Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 7.

Cover the dough once more and return it to a warm place to rise. Once it has expanded to almost twice its size, drizzle over the olive oil, scatter with the caster sugar and bake for 35-40 minutes till well-risen, golden brown and crisp on top. It should feel springy when pressed. Leave to cool slightly before dusting with icing sugar. Cut into thick wedges and eat while warm. It will not keep for more than a few hours. (*actually I found it kept for two days, well wrapped)

Creamy tomato soup

I do realize that tomato season is now over, but you'll see from the last post date that I've been away from this blog for quite some time. And, fact is, tomatoes were still in season, and quite plentiful in gardens and at the market, when I made this soup. I had quite a few of them on my windowsill as it happens, and didn't think I'd get a chance to use them in sandwiches or salad before they turned, so I opted for soup.

This recipe comes from Chuck Hughes, from Chuck's Day Off on the Food Network. He's a bit scary to look at, with tattooed arms and a somewhat annoying English Montreal accent, but his enthusiasim for food is pretty infectious. And if the food as his restaurant in Old Montreal is as good as it looks on the show, or as good at this soup for that matter, then I'm sold.


The method's pretty simple. Soften some onions and garlic in a pan, then drop in some chopped tomatoes. And some brown sugar too, to reduce the acidity. I added a bit too much for my altered amount, and the result was a bit sweet, but some sugar is neccessary.

Next you add some water, some thyme and the rind from some parmesan cheese for a yummy flavour boost. The rind just softens as the soup cooks and imparts a salty richness that's hard to describe. You simply remove it at the end once it has done its job.

Simmer for a bit, then remove the rind and the thyme, and blend in the pot.

Then you strain the whole thing to remove the skins and seeds.

And in goes a bit of cream to finish. The result is like a kicked up version of Campbell's tomato soup -- only so much better tasting. It's like a comforting bowl of summer.

Creamy Tomato Soup
From Chuck's Day Off

2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 large tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons brown sugar (30 ml)
1/2 cup water (125 ml)
unit Parmesan rind (Optional)
4 sprigs of thyme
1/4 cup of 35% cream (60 ml)
2 tablespoons butter (30 ml)
unit Salt and pepper

1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes until translucent. Add tomatoes and sugar and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add water, Parmesan rind and thyme. Cook for about 25 minutes.
2.Remove the Parmesan rind and the thyme. Purée the soup in a food processor or with a hand blender. Pour purée through a strainer over a pot. Stir in the cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Plum pie

At the market this weekend I saw the first squashes on offer. That's a sure sign of fall. Also a sign? The cooler temperatures we've had this week. It has been so tempting to turn on my new furnace, but I have resisted so far. It has been nice to sleep with the duvet again, though.

This recipe still feels vaguely summer-like, and there are still some late-season plums available. I'm not a huge fan of eating plums "raw", but I do like them cooked in things. Who better to turn to than Nigel Slater, who is a master at transforming most fruits into a sweet or savoury experience. This recipe is from his Tender Vol. II book, and his attempt looks like this.

I took the tin pie plate to be optional and made mine in a ceramic pie dish.

First wash your plums. I used an assortment of blue and yellow, as you can see. The yellow pits were a pain to remove. I don't think swearing at plums affects the flavour.

And here the are, split and swimming in cinnamon and a little sugar. Can't get much easier than that.

Did I mention this is a single crust pie? Chalk up another point on the easy scale!

And here's what you get for your very minimal efforts. Very nice with some cream, as Nigel suggests, or ice cream, or even custard. Make some while summer's still here.

A single crust pie for particularly juicy plums

From Nigel Slater's Tender Vol. II

For the pastry:

butter, 100g
golden caster sugar, 100g
an egg, lightly beaten
plain flour, 175g
baking powder, ½ tsp
a little milk for brushing

For the filling:

ripe plums or greengages, 800g-1kg
golden caster sugar, 2-3 tbsp
ground cinnamon, a knifepoint

Cream the butter and caster sugar in a food mixer till light and fluffy.

Mix in the lightly beaten egg, then gently add the flour and baking powder. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and roll into a ball on a heavily floured work surface. Knead the dough for a minute or two until smooth and soft. Wrap in greaseproof or waxed paper and refrigerate for about 20 minutes.

Set the oven at 180C/gas mark 4. Cut the ripe plums or greengages in half and remove their stones.

Cut the fruit into large pieces, toss with the caster sugar and cinnamon and put into a lightly buttered 20–22cm baking dish.

Roll out the pastry on a floured board, then lift carefully on to the pie. There will be a little left over. The crust is very short and it really doesn't matter if it tears as you lower it over the fruit. Some of the juice will probably erupt through it as it cooks anyway. At least I hope so.

Brush the pastry lightly with milk and bake for 40 minutes. The pastry should be pale-biscuit coloured. Dust with caster sugar and serve warm with cream.

Morning shake

School starts next week and that will mean hectic mornings for a lot of folks. My mornings aren't particularly frenzied, but I never seem to have enough time to do all the things I need to do before I head out the door.

This breakfast shake requires some preparation the night before, but it's quick to come together in the morning, and you can drink it en route if you take it with you in a coffee mug or thermos. What I like best about it is how filling it is, and it really holds you through those first hours of the day. Plus, it's basically a chocolate shake without the fat, and there's nothing in it that's terribly bad for you. Convinced yet? You should be!

Okay, as I said, you have to start this preparation the night before. So, grab two bananas, peel 'em and wrap them in a bit of plastic. Chuck them in the freezer and leave them there 'til morning. Done!

Next, in the morning, while you make your coffee, assemble everything else into the blender you also got ready the night before.

Pour 1/2 cup of oats into the blender. They'll look like this.

Blend them 'til they're a fine powder. It will take about 20 seconds or so.

Dump in the frozen bananas next. They'll still be soft enough to break into pieces. Add a heaping spoonful of dark cocoa powder and another of peanut butter. Finally, squeeze in a teaspoon or so of honey if you like. Top everything off with a cup or so of milk. The amount will vary depending on the size of your bananas.

Blend until smooth. Again, this will take a while for everything to come together.

Pour into a glass (or travel coffee mug mentioned above) and enjoy. When else can you break out your Guinness glass at 7:30 a.m.?