C&C in the Kitchen

I'm a breakfast girl. I think about breakfast the second I wake up and usually eat soon there after. Brunch is a painful proposition when my days starts at 6:00 a.m. By 10:00 I'm ready for my second meal, not the first!

Back to breakfast...I usually eat oatmeal of some sort (remember those over-night oats) or a smoothie, and sometimes both. One of my other favorite oatmeal dishes I created using this recipe for baked oatmeal with roasted pears as my inspiration.

Baked Oatmeal with Pears
2 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup maple sugar
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla (or a vanilla bean, or both)
3 pears, cored and cut in half

Crumble Topping
½ cup walnuts (or any other nut you prefer)
pinch salt
1 Tablespoon maple sugar

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Grease an 8x10 baking dish. I use coconut oil spray.

Combine oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, chia seeds, flax seed and salt. Stir together. Pour this mixture into the greased dish.
In another bowl, combine the brown sugar, milk, egg, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk together completely. Slowly pour this over the oats. Tuck the pears into the oats.

For the crumble: Combine everything in a small bowl then sprinkle over the top of the oats and pears.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the center is cooked through and the crumble is deep golden and caramelized. Let cool slightly then serve. I usually bake this the night before and re-heat a portion in the microwave as needed. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days....assuming it lasts that long!  Doesn't it look tasty?

And make sure you cook in style with a helpful assistant. Nothing like a faux fur apron to make things more fun and fashionable! 

Try this recipe soon! You won't regret it!