WIAW # 33

It’s Wednesday, and that means it’s WIAW. Even though tomorrow’s Turkey Day dishes are sure to be more exciting, I figured I’d share anyway. It’s become such a habit! So, diving right in to Tuesday’s eats – for breakfast, I tried Arman’s Microwave Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scone. Even though it didn’t look at all like a scone, it was indeed delicious, and I chalk up the lumpier facade to the fact that I am just not a pro at the pretty food thing like he is. I made it entirely grain free and tree nut free by using quinoa flour in place of the recommended almond meal, and dairy free by using coconut milk.

 

 

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Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cake

Autumn is in full swing, and the apple and pumpkin recipes are going to keep coming around here! From Pumpkin Apple Spice Loaf to Pumpkin Muffins, and Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies to Apple Cinnamon Flax Muffin Bites, I love the flavors of this season and all the concoctions I’ve been cooking up. Today I’m sharing a recipe pulled from the archives, one of my earliest creations back when I first started cooking in college. This Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal cake is perfect for a warming autumn breakfast that you can make and bake ahead while you get ready for your day, and it’s easy to whip up with ingredients you have on hand.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake

Few will dare to tread the path of roasting and carving their own pumpkin to reap the delicious rewards when Libby will do it for us. Whoever Libby is, millions of pie-makers around the country must thank her every November. I certainly do every time I whip up a batch of pumpkin muffins or a pumpkin pie. But just opening a whole can of pure pumpkin feels like a commitment. You’re going to have leftovers unless you’re making a pie or a Pumpkin Pouffle.

 

 

Rail Trail Ramblings + A Blackberry Bramble Oatmeal Cake

Happy long weekend, everyone! I am spending Memorial Day at my family home in Connecticut. It’s likely that I’ll be splitting time between there and Manhattan for the next few months, because it’s much nicer to study for the bar exam in a big airy house with a Sasha for puppy therapy than in a New York apartment. I’ll be in the city to see friends, get in November Project workouts here and there, and go to Summer Stage concerts and such, but you’ll be seeing a lot more New England summer scenery in my weekly updates and running routes! Last week, I got in a mix of workout lengths and locales. 5 miles on Monday in Manhattan, 6 miles Wednesday, and 8 miles yesterday here. These are just some glimpses from my ramblings on the Ridgefield Rail Trail on a late spring Sunday!

 

 

Mother’s Day Weekend and a Banana Bread Oatmeal Cake Recipe

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend. Mine was pretty great, filled with delicious food and relaxing fun with friends and family. It started early for me – since I had my last final exam on Wednesday, I was able to take the train out to Connecticut early and beat the Friday evening rush. Metro North is okay as far as public transit goes (comfier than the subway, at least; I can’t pass judgment on any other metro area systems since it’s the only one I really know!) Normally a train is just something to take out of Grand Central, but if it’s daylight I sometimes leave from the Harlem station since it’s also convenient from the Upper East Side. That morning, it was sunny and bright, and you could see all the way to the new tower on Park Avenue that’s taken shape over the past several months.

 

View from the platform

 

Maple Ricotta Oatmeal Cake

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I went for a run in the park yesterday morning and it was beautiful. I’m so excited spring has officially sprung. It’s always fun to see students ‘sunbathing’ on the Columbia campus…hard to believe in just about a month I’ll be graduating law school and leaving academia behind. Winter was so long, it makes the few weeks of spring while I’m still in school seem very short!

 

 

When I got home from my run, I was in the mood for an oatmeal cake for breakfast. I picked up a tub of ricotta cheese over the weekend to use in a polenta dish, and though I often use it in omelettes or pancakes, I’d never thought about other breakfast treats. All that changed when I went to whip up an oatmeal cake after my run yesterday morning, and instead of reaching for my usual Greek yogurt to spoon in, I went for the ricotta instead. I added some maple syrup to the mix, and this little ramekin of deliciousness became a Maple Ricotta Oatmeal Cake. It was roughly the same density as one of my other oatmeal cakes, but with a texture just a tad lighter and fluffier. I’m sure it would be great with lemon zest (which I didn’t happen to have on hand), like a lemon ricotta pancake – but with just the maple and cinnamon it was a delightfully dessert-y breakfast treat!

 

Ricotta and maple syrup and cinnamon, oh my!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Oatmeal Cake

This rainy start to spring has put a damper on my mood recently (bad pun, no apologies) and I’ve been wishing and hoping that the sun will break through and May flowers will bloom even when it’s supposed to be April showers. After all, March went out like a lion instead of a lamb, the weather should mix it up a little! To get in the spirit of spring, I’ve been making meals with lots of spring fruits and veggies like asparagus, artichokes, baby lettuces and berries. 

 

 

PB&J Baked Oatmeal Cake

I love peanut butter and jelly. And unlike most Americans, I’ve had to defend that love vociferously. When I was at university in Oxford, I remember one of the first weird looks I ever got for being a Yankee was when I was talking about how much I loved PB&J as a kid, and how even with a wheat allergy, I’d try to eat it on rice cakes or in oatmeal or simply spooned straight from the jar. At first, I thought the confusion was simple; in England, jelly is used most often to refer to the mint jelly eaten with lamb, or what we call Jell-O. They call fruit jam or preserves, well, jam or preserves – which we also use. But even that sounded a bit strange to my friends. After months, I coaxed a few into trying the combination on their morning toast, and they were hooked…but in the process I found myself in a position that would become all too familiar over the next few years, that of the explainer and defender of American food. I even wrote an article about it on my American Tongue blog at the student newspaper, Cherwell. Which was odd, considering I definitely did not eat the typical ‘American diet’ they’d heard horrors of! There are some things about American food I’ll never be able to explain, but PB&J is not one of them.

That said, this delicious little cake is a new twist on an old favorite – a peanut butter baked oatmeal cake with a smear of blueberry jam on top. Warm and comforting on this chilly winter morning, it’s a wonderful way to start the day. Try it paired with a mug of blueberry coffee and some fresh blueberries on the side, and see for yourself!

 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1-2 Tbsp peanut butter (I used Peanut Butter & Co Smooth Operator)

Peanut butter oatmeal cake with a delicious crust…

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup milk of choice (I used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk)

1 Tbsp Greek yogurt (I recommend using 2% or full fat for the creaminess)

1 Tbsp blueberry preserves (you can also use raspberry or your favorite flavor)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp brown sugar

Pinch salt

For ramekin: 1 tsp butter (can substitute olive oil or cooking spray)

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

…topped with preserves for a PB&J treat!

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl, then add in wet ingredients and mix well.

3. Melt butter in 1-cup (8 ounce) ramekin to coat inner surface. (You can also use olive oil or cooking spray, but I found that butter worked really well in this recipe to give the cake a yummy buttery crust).

4. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes, then set oven to high broil for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Use a knife to carefully pry the edges of the cake from the ramekin (easy as long as it was greased well!) and flip upside down into a dish.

6. Top with blueberry preserves. Enjoy!

 

 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy PB&J? Did you ever find yourself trying to explain how awesome it is to people who have never heard of putting them together?

 

 

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