Tag Archives: oats

Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats 

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Happy New Year ! This is my very first post of 2018 ! Hope you all had a good winter break. So, what are your New Year’s resolutions ? I bet eating healthier is one of them. For someone who loves sweets like myself, it can be a little tricky. I don’t want to refrain myself from sugar totally, but yet feel guilty at times having too much sugar. Everything in moderation I guess…..I do cook and bake at home as much as I can, trying to avoid the unnecessary additives. Luckily my kids, especially my daughter, also enjoy cooking. One day during her winter break, her friend came over and they made lunch together ! Not just a simple sandwich, but some impressive cheeseburgers, fettuccine Alfredo and Caesar salad from scratch ! And they didn’t need much of my help, I was just the cleaning lady ! The food tasted fantastic and the girls had so much fun. That’s a way better activity than playing video games ! 

Getting back to my “trying to be healthy” recipe…..Chocolate Peanut Butter Overnight Oats ! It’s yummy and super easy to make ! See this picture……..

That’s all you need ! So enjoy ! (BTW, my daughter and I were so excited when we found out how to do this illustrative picture ! We learned something new again !)  

Makes 1 serving 

  • 1/4 cup quick oats
  • 2 teaspoons chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cocoa powder 
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter 
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
  • 1/2 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy)
  • 1/2 banana
  1. Mix all ingredients, except banana, in a mason jar
  2. Refrigerate overnight 
  3. Place banana pieces on top just before serving 

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Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

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After indulging myself over Christmas and New Year, I guess it’s time to make something a little healthier! Chia seed pudding has been on my “to make” list for quite a while, but I’ve been pushing it back. Somehow I associate the word “pudding” with something soft and creamy, not seedy and chewy.  So I ended up making this overnight oats.  It was really yummy, and to my surprise, my daughter loved it ! This is another recipe that can have so many variations. My ratio is roughly, 1 part oats, 2 parts milk and 1/4 part chia seeds, then add sweetener, and toppings.  It makes a great breakfast, or for me, a snack after my morning run !  

Makes 1 serving

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened milk of choice (I used almond and coconut milk)
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • toppings of choice, e.g. banana, berries, shredded coconut, almond slices, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc
  1. Combine milk, oats, chia seeds and sweetener in a bowl or a mason jar  
  2. Stir well, cover and refrigerate overnight
  3. Add toppings when ready to serveOvernight Oats with Chia Seeds

 

 

 

Homemade Granola

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Granola is so easy to make, even my eight year old daughter can almost do it all by herself (except using the oven) ! You can make it as simple as ours, or you can add more of your favourites. Eat it with milk, yoghurt and fresh fruits as a healthy breakfast or snack.

Makes about 2 cups
Total time = 30 minutes

  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 2 tablespoons demerara or brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond slices
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F
  2. Mix together oats, sugar, raisins and almonds
  3. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla, mix well
  4. Place a thin and even layer on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
  5. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden, stirring once
  6. Cool and store in air-tight container for up to 2 weeks

Pear Cobbler

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You may have noticed, I like to make my desserts or cakes into individual servings. Instead of making a big cake, I would make 12 minis. The main advantage, especially for baking, is that you can control your baking time and temperature much better. You would need less time, and your goodies would be baked more evenly. There is also more room to play around with your toppings and decorations! This cobbler is another mini version. Top it up with ice cream or a vanilla sauce like Creme Anglaise…..A great dessert on a cold day ! 

Makes about 8 servings

For the pear fillings

  • 400 g Bartlett or Anjou pear chunks (washed, peeled cored and cut)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  1. Coat pear chunks with lemon juice and zest
  2. Mix with brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter

For the topping

  • 1/2 cup quick oats
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  1. Mix oats, flour, sugar and cinnamon
  2. Add melted butter, mix until blended

To make the cobbler

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF
  2. Spoon pear fillings into ramekins, add topping
  3. Bake on a tray for about 25 minutes, serve warm
  4. Top with ice cream or a vanilla sauce like Creme Anglaise