Baked Oatmeal with Fruit and Nuts

Adapted from a recipe in Super Natural Every Day: Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen by Heidi Swanson

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup walnut pieces, chopped
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk (I used coconut milk)
• 1 large egg
• 1 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 ripe banana, sliced
• 1 peach or nectarine, sliced
• 1 cup blueberries

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F with a rack in the top third of the oven. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.
4. Arrange the banana and nectarine slices in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the top. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture. Drizzle the milk mixture over the oats, making sure the milk moves through the oats. Scatter the remaining berries, remaining walnuts, and slivered almonds across the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes. 
6. Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup or dusted with powdered sugar. 

Serves 4-6

Chocolate Olive Oil Pancakes

Adapted from a recipe in Made in Spain by José Andrés

Ingredients:

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 T sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1/2 T vanilla extract
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 ½ cups buttermilk (or milk with 1 T lemon juice)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces

Steps:

1. Mix first six ingredients together in a large bowl
2. Whisk in vanilla, egg, buttermilk, and olive oil until the batter is smooth, then stir in the chocolate
3. Ladle about 1/4 cup per pancake on a lightly oiled nonstick skillet or on an electric griddle and cook on both sides until golden brown and cooked through
4. Serve warm with berries or caramelized bananas and honey or maple syrup