Food as Fuel - PEACHY BAKED OATMEAL

My husband has been training for his first marathon, taking place this October in Chicago. Keeping him fueled, mostly by plants has been my current challenge and passion. Finding long stretches of land to make up the mileage has been his challenge out in Fire Island. The two most important meals of the week are Friday night dinner and Saturday morning breakfast due to the long runs that happen every weekend. I think I found a winner with this Peachy Baked Oatmeal. Easy to prep and made with any assortment of fruit and nuts, I plan to make this each season with a selection of what the farmers market has to offer. Here I used walnuts, farm stand peaches, pineapple and shredded coconut. This fed a crew of five, 2 of which who ran an 18 miler! We were all beyond satisfied!

This recipe was based on Heidi Swanson’s Coconut Baked Oatmeal and the memory of one I ate when working in Jamaica more than 20 years ago! I highly recommend adding this to your menu planning for fall and winter, the whole family will be swooning! My version is vegan, but I have added suggestions for a vegetarian option as well. The beautiful thing about baked oatmeal is that any fruit will do, so use what you have and see how it goes! I will be making this every weekend until the training is over!!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1-2 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces

• 3 peaches, peeled and cut into small cubes

• 1 cup pineapple, cut into small cubes

• 2 cups rolled oats

• 1/2 cup shredded coconut

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk

• 1 cup water

• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal*

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted*

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

PREPARATION

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Use 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil across the inside of a square 8-inch (or equivalent) baking dish. Spread a single layer of bananas and half of the pineapple across the bottom of the baking dish.

In a bowl, combine the oats, shredded coconut, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut milk, water, flax meal, the remaining oil, and the vanilla. Sprinkle the dry mixture over the bananas and pineapple in the baking dish. Drizzle the coconut milk mixture over the oats. Sprinkle the peaches, walnuts and remaining pineapple across the top.

Bake for 45 minutes or until walnuts and coconut are a golden brown. Serve with coconut milk drizzled over the top.

*An egg can replace the flax meal and butter can replace the coconut oil.

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

I was a child of the 60’s and 70’s. A typical breakfast included a bowl full of one of the following - Wheaties, Captain Crunch, Honeycombs, Sugar Pops, Rice Crispies, Apple Jacks, Fruitloops and Trix. My siblings and I would fight over who got the prize inside. I am not sure when I grew out of sugary cereals but at some point I must have realized there was more to breakfast. Today my eating style is influenced by science, longevity research and sustainability. I know what makes me feel good and what heals my ailments. I also love, love, love my food to taste delicious so I try to create yummy variations using a diverse group of plants, fats, flavors and food groups. And when cycling season gets underway, I eat to sustain my energy levels as well as nutrient loading for joint health. My current Breakfast of Champions looks like this - a wholegrain bowl of superseeds, healthy fats and herbs to enhance digestion. This power breakfast is my all time favorite post- cycling fuel. By the way, you don’t need to be training for anything to eat this power bowl, it will also affect your brain and cholesterol levels positively, so it’s a great recipe for starting your day! This whole grain and seeded breakfast bowl includes a vegan source of omega 3-fatty acids, a good source of fat and a hint of cumin to aide your digestion.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Steel-Cut Oats

1 tablespoon each, Pumpkin Seeds, Hemp Hearts, Sunflower Seeds, Ground Flax Seed, Chia Seeds

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Cumin

1 pinch Himalayan Pink Salt

PREPARE

Cook oats according to package, add toppings and enjoy.

Side note: Want a sweeter version, replace cumin with cinnamon and add your favorite seasonal fruit.