pear + sage baked oatmeal
Breakfast. Let's talk. I think about breakfast in two categories. Weekdays and weekends. Weekday breakfasts are fast, and involve the same two-three things in a rotation. Smoothies, or oatmeal if I am at home. The same, or avocado toast, if I am on the run. I don't venture outside of that unless Michael surprises me and takes me out to breakfast before heading to work.
I always have warm water with lemon and turmeric first thing when I get up, and then later on in the day, when my body is hydrated and I am ready to kick the day into full gear, I make (or buy) myself a latte. It's my treat for the day.
I love my morning routine, it's a strict one.
My weekday morning routines are sacred, and are the one part of the day I feel like I can fully control before the madness begins. Before the phone starts ringing, the door starts knocking and the emails start piling up.
Weekends are different, and are obviously more relaxed. I loosen up that routine and try to make the morning last as long as possible. Michael tends to take over breakfast in the mornings on the weekends, and I like it that way. We introduce eggs from the farm into the rotation, or maybe some pancakes or waffles if we're feeling extra decadent. We allow ourselves to take that extra time in the mornings on the weekend because all that is waiting for us is the New York Times and maybe a walk on the beach.
This baked oatmeal might be the exception to all of these rules. I have made baked oatmeal on the weekday because it is quick and easy (and falls into the oatmeal category), and it's so tasty and last for a few days, making breakfast for the rest of the week a breeze. I have also made this on a lazy Saturday and enjoyed it throughout the weekend because it's that kind of weekend breakfast too.
I have used different fruits for this oatmeal. Blueberries were particularly delicious when they were in season, but now that we are fully into Fall, I am giving you this recipe with pear, and some sage (for an extra bit of fall-ness). Fell free to use any fruit or berry you have on hand, even frozen will do. You will want to use this recipe all year round.
And here we are..... where weekend breakfast + weekday breakfast meet.
pear + sage baked oatmeal
SERVINGS / several
INGREDIENTS
3 medium sized pears, cored and diced
a pinch or two of cardamom
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
a drizzle of maple syrup
6 fresh sage leaves, minced
1 cup of cooked brown rice or spelt (optional)
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats (make sure they are gluten-free to make this dish gf)
1 teaspoon of baking powder
¼ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
a pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2 cups of homemade almond milk (preferably) or any milk of your choice
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil (plus a little for greasing)
1-2 tablespoons of mixed seeds (pumpkin, chia, sunflower, etc)
METHOD
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Grease an 8x10 baking dish with a little bit of oil.
- Layer the pears at the bottom of the baking dish, and sprinkle with the cardamom, cinnamon, drizzle with the maple syrup, add the sage leaves and toss everything to combine.
- Then, in a medium bowl, combine the spelt (or brown rice), oats, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine.
- Then, in a separate bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and oil and whisk until the egg is lightly beaten and everything is combined. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and give it a good stir to combine.
- Pour the mixture into the dish over the pears. Top with a layer of mixed seeds. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown and the oats are cooked. Allow to cool slightly, and serve warm.
- This will save covered in the fridge for a few days. To reheat, I like to drizzle some almond milk over the top and heat in the oven at 350º for a few minutes.