I’ve been meaning to post what follows for quite a while now, but these last couple of months have been so tumultuous that “very, very soon” turns out to be next week already. Gah! Anyway, here I go.
Page Street Publishing, aka the publisher of my cookbook, invited me to join six other authors (Linda & Alex Meyer, Amber St Peter, Marie Reginato, Emily von Euw, and Kathy Hester) in contributing 100 recipes each (that’s over 600 recipes total) to The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook!
This great whopper of a cookbook will be released October 23 and is available for pre-order on Amazon, Books-a-Million, Book Depository, IndieBound, and B&N.
Now’s a good time to share a recipe from it. I will post a savory recipe (or two) in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
I’m still not a fan of regular porridge: it’s a texture thing. But baked oatmeal won me over many years ago, especially when paired with jam, nuts, and fresh fruit. While this recipe is technically a breakfast item, it makes for a great light supper as well when you have a sweet tooth all day long but feel like eating something rather healthy and tweakable-to-your-liking.
You can choose a different nut butter than cashew, and a jam other than berry. Compote would be nice too. Switch the fresh fruit garnish accordingly to match the flavor of the jam, and the nut garnish to match the nut butter as well.
As you can see in the image up there, I baked it in two smaller dishes rather than one and skipped the nut topping, because I can’t help but ignore directions when repeating recipes. Funny it almost looks like a pie rather than baked oatmeal. Look for the same doneness cues as noted in the recipe if you feel like rebelling too.
And if you have vegan yogurt or even some whipped coconut cream, a dollop of either would make for a perfect garnish as well. And if there are any leftovers, you can reheat them gently the next day with great results. I usually go with 325°F for about 10-15 minutes.
Baked Jammy Overnight Oatmeal
Yield: 4 servings
3 cups and 3 tablespoons (750 ml) unsweetened plain or vanilla cashew milk or other favorite plant-based milk, divided
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons (20 g) chia seeds, divided
1/4 cup (64 g) natural creamy cashew butter
2 1/2 tablespoons (50 g) agave nectar or pure maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Pinch coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried or fresh orange zest
2 cups (160 g) rolled old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup (240 g) favorite vegan any berry jam
1 teaspoon baking powder
Fresh or frozen berries (gently thawed if using frozen)
Unsalted dry roasted cashew piecesIn an 8 x 10-inch (20 x 25-cm) or 9-inch (23-cm) square baking dish, combine 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of milk with 1 tablespoon (12 g) chia seeds. In the meantime, blend the remaining 3 cups (705 ml) milk with the cashew butter, agave nectar, vanilla, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and orange zest. Add the oats to the chia and milk mixture. Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the oats, and fold to thoroughly combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight, for about 8 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). In a small bowl, combine the jam with the remaining 2 teaspoons (8 g) chia seeds. Set aside.
Stir the baking powder into the overnight oats, making sure to thoroughly combine. Drop the jam into spoonfuls on top of the oats, then swirl with the tip of a butter knife. Bake for 1 hour, or until golden brown and set in the center. Serve with fresh berries and cashew pieces.