Diet, Dessert and Dogs

I’ve been craving my favorite baked oats ever since writing about them the other day on this blog.

The recipe is actually from the Moosewood Classics cookbook, but I’ve made it so many times and adjusted the amounts and ingredients to my own liking so much over the years that I’m not sure how closely it resembles the original anymore. 

In any case, this recipe provides the creamiest, richest-tasting, most delicious bowl of stickin-to-your-ribs-for-the-entire-morning oatmeal that you will ever eat.  It reminds me of an old-fashioned rice pudding, with a similar texture and creaminess, but made without refined sugar, and with lots of fibre from the apples and raisins (not to mention a whole whack of minerals!).  And oats are a terrific source of phytoestrogens and soluble fibre. . . great for those mid-lifers like moi.  

Another fabulous plus to this breakfast is that it’s wonderfully convenient.  What I usually do is whip up the oat-milk mixture first thing and pop it in the oven, then go shower and get ready for work.  By the time my hair is done, so is the oatmeal, and I can happily spoon it up as I read the paper.

So here’s my recipe:

Baked Oatmeal

1/2 cup steel-cut oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

1-1/3 cups soy or rice milk

1 Gala or other sweet apple, diced (I leave the skin on)

1/3 cup raisins

about 8-10 drops stevia (you can use maple syrup, agave, whatever you like)

1-2 tsp. cinnamon, to taste

pinch cardamom

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil an 8″ glass pan and set aside.

In a medium pot, bring the milk and oatmeal to the boil over medium heat, stirring frequently (you may add a pinch of salt at this point if you like).  Add the apple and raisins and return just to the boiling point.  Stir in the cinnamon and cardamom.

Pour the mixture into the oiled pan, cover, and bake in preheated oven about 35 minutes.  After 35 minutes, remove the cover and stir the mixture.  If the liquid has all been absorbed, it should be ready; if not, cover again and return to the oven for another 10 minutes or so.

When ready to serve, add the sweetener and stir again.  May be topped with additional milk if desired.  Makes 2 servings.