Apple and Fig Baked Oatmeal

When I first started this blog I wasn’t sure how it would go, what I would write about (well, food was the obvious motivator but I mean to say, what my writing would be like), or how into the blogging I would be. I had an idea that I would like to write about my passion with all things food and maybe what I did on the weekend, but I was nervous to actually sit down and write something. I am not a writer. I mean I did rock the short stories in the third grade in my writing club and maybe won first place once or twice… but that was third grade. I think it was my wild imagination that got that shiny piece of paper saying, “Job Well Done,” and not my actual skills on crafting a compelling premise or grammar at that. I always think who cares? I should just post the recipe and leave the writers and publishers to write and publish. But then I get a phone call from my Mom the next day saying she made my pumpkin granola or a comment on a post from my Dad. And I feel like that’s a win. So Mom, Dad, this ones for you. And thanks for being my number one fan.

This recipe is actually for anyone who loves a comforting bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or a post workout snack. It puts a measly bowl of sloppy oatmeal to shame. It can be brought along as a powered protein snack opposed to the glorified candy bar that is CLIF Bar.

I imagine being back in Leavenworth, WA where my family has a house. Have you ever been? It’s one of the most beautiful and oddly (the only that I am aware of) German towns in the upper PNW you will find. Yea, it’s literally a Bavarian town, no exaggeration. Leavenworth was the Great North Railroad headquarters in the early 1900s. In the 1920s, (here’s a little Wiki search for you) the railroad was relocated to Wenatchee which was a detriment to Leavenworth’s economy. In the 1960s, two Seattle businessmen strategized how to rebuild and transform the struggling logging town. And the conclusion, Bavarian. It’s like stepping into Munich. It actually reminds me a lot of Innsbruck, Austria with the snowy peaks in the backdrop. As if the pretty building and snowy peaks aren’t enough for you – there’s beer, brats, and pretzels on every corner. And lederhosen.

Okay. I am redirecting myself back to my point. I imagine eating a big slice of this Apple and Fig Baked Oatmeal square after a long mountain bike ride near the Ski Hill in Leavenworth. In Washington, riding is straight up then straight down. You get the killer workout with views of German town and the rewarding downhills. I don’t have a mountain bike in Hawaii, and while I miss the hard climbs and awesome downhill burns, hiking has been a great alternative. This recipe is the all around meal or snack alternative. I wish I had this recipe after a tough climb to the top of some ridge back in Washington. It’s the everything that can be flavored and made with anything.

(That’s my little beach cruiser in background with the bell on the handle bar. Not your standard mountain bike but it’s the perfect Kailua get around.)

This recipe was originally inspired by Cookie and Kate and her Blueberry Baked Oatmeal. I was brainstorming ways to make oatmeal a little more interesting. So I thought casserole. I mean the word casserole is the essence of either hiding an ingredient or spicing up a simple green bean. Am I right? So, fancy oatmeal you say? Oats in a casserole. And try not to automatically jump to your Grandmother’s Tuna Noodle Casserole like I do (Confession. Sorry mom. I was never really in love with that one). This is not your basic and bland casserole. It’s just like everything you hoped a bowl of oatmeal would be. So, search no longer.

And y’all, it’s so easy. I feel like I have to include that word into every recipe that fits the “in under an hour” description with limited ingredients or even better, one that is versatile and can be modified to pretty much anything you have on hand. When it’s baking in the oven, it smells out of this world good. You can eat with almond or peanut butter, add a little coconut cream and maple syrup on top for some extra sweet, hot or cold, at home or on the go.

So grab a baking dish, some oats, a banana, some spice, fruit, a bowl, and hop to it.

hannah

Yields 4-8 Servings

Apple and Fig Baked Oatmeal

10 minPrep Time

50 minCook Time

1 hrTotal Time

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Ingredients

• 1.5 cups gluten free rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup nuts,seeds (I used pecans and pepita seeds)
• 1 ripe banana, about 1 cup
• 1 green apple, sliced and chopped (leave a few slices to decorate top)
• 1 cup dried fig, chopped
• 1 teaspoon - all spice, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon - baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1.5 cups nut milk
• 2 flax eggs (2 Tablespoons flax meal + 4 Tablespoons water)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or raw honey
• Raw Sugar *optional
• *Optional toppings - coconut cream, almond butter, additional maple syrup or honey to drizzle on top, yogurt, additional fruit.

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and toast nuts and seeds for about 10 minutes or until fragrant. All ovens are different so keep an eye on them as to not burn them.
2. In a mixing bowl, use a fork and mash banana. Add another banana if it is under a half cup.
3. Add wet ingredients to mashed banana - oil, nut milk, maple syrup.
4. In a separate small bowl, mix together the flax egg and let sit for 5 minutes to coagulate.
5. In another mixing bowl - mix dry ingredients - oats, vanilla extract, spices, baking powder, salt, chopped apple, toasted nuts and seeds.
6. Add flax egg to wet mixture and stir well to combine.
7. Lightly grease a 9 inch square baking dish for deep oatmeal slices OR a 9x13 inch dish for thinner slices.
8. Scatter chopped fig on bottom of baking dish then cover with dry oat mixture.
9. Pour the wet mixture overtop of oats in baking dish.
10. Place sliced apple on top of dish to decorate. Sprinkle raw sugar on top to add a little more crunch.
11. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes until set and the entire house smells like pie.
12. Top with coconut cream or your favorite yogurt, dollop of almond butter or some extra maple syrup on top.

Notes

Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. If taking on the go - tightly wrap in foil (especially if planning to put in your bike jersey pocket).

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