OATMEAL SOUFFLE

I am months behind on reading the food magazines but am working my way backwards. I love the content towards the beginning of the year because it's the lighter, vegetable focused stuff that is nowhere to be found in all the holiday issues. I was obsessed with this piece in the March issue of Food + Wine about the "new healthy" kinds of foods - which, surprise, is just real food. It was shot by a favorite food photographer and stylist and if you can grab an issue, it's worth it. I will likely try each of the recipes but this one struck me first as I desperately need some new life in my breakfast routine. With the whipped egg white situation and the 20ish minute baking time, this may be more of a weekend thing, but I love it. The original recipe is written with whole milk but I tried a coconut milk version to keep it dairy free (operation baby gas issues over here, you use what you prefer). The texture is lighter with the souffle element,  making it a perfect dish for a brunch or part of a buffet of other breakfast goods. I also felt like the bit of extra protein made this breakfast stay with me longer, if only in my head, and Curran liked it too, so there's that. Breakfast can become a "short order" meal and I'm not always up for that. In the Southern California area, fresh berries are available, not great ones, but available. You could use some sauteed apples or pears or pomegranate and persimmons if that is what tastes fresh near you. 

OATMEAL SOUFFLE // Serves 4-6

Recipe lightly adapted from Food + Wine magazine

I opted for a dairy free version here which while it works, tastes a little cloudy as coconut milk can. Replace the liquid with 3 cups whole milk if you'd rather. To get ahead, you could do the oat and milk cooking step in advance and loosen that up with a bit more milk when you are ready to complete the recipe. You'll want to enjoy it fairly soon after baking.

1 cup thick cut rolled oats
1 14 oz. can coconut milk
1 cup almond milk
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp. turbinado sugar
seeds of half a vanilla bean
3 large eggs, separated
zest of one lemon
2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen, chopped
pure maple syrup, to finish
toasted coconut, hemp seeds, granola etc., for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350' and grease a 2 qt. baking dish (or comprable smaller dishes). 

In a large saucepan, combine the oats, coconut milk, almond milk, salt, sugar and vanilla bean. Bring it to a gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes until the oats soften and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. 

Separate the eggs. Once the oats have cooled slightly, mix in the yolks completely. With a stand or electric mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites and lemon zest into the oat mixture until incorporated but not over mixed. Fold in a handful of the berries.

Pour the mixture into your prepared pan(s) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is just puffed and golden. 

Pour a bit of maple on top (I liberally brushed some on) and garnish the top with fresh berries, toasted coconut or goodies of choice. 

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE DATE CAKE

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

I rarely get overly descriptive about the recipes here but because I appreciate a bit of detail when I read other sites, I'm getting chatty. I tinkered with this recipe from Green Kitchen Travels as David and Luise are a go-to for more wholesome desserts. In the treat department, I like to know if I'm getting dense, super sweet, a healthier take, light and airy, or wherever it lies in the spectrum. There is a time and place for each of those sorts of desserts on different occasions. A flourless chocolate cake, classically speaking, is not really cake-like in texture at all. It is dense and rich and more similar to a brownie or fudge than cake and I am perfectly happy with that. This version is more wholesome - the refined sugar being replaced by a thick date paste that contributes a nice caramely sweetness. I thought the dates would throw off the fudge factor, or maybe not make it as decadent and I was wrong. This cake is rich and chocolatey. The date paste actually makes it even more fudgy while not being sickeningly so. Rich but not heavy and even better the second day as it all sank into itself. I appreciate some cream and berries with my chocolate for flavor contrast and also for the color they add. It's so pretty all piled high with hues of red and purple. I'll maybe even double the quantity next time. 

I'm hoping to have some book details to share with you next week. It comes out THIS month. Eep!

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE DATE CAKE // Serves 8

Adapted from Green Kitchen Travels

The original recipe uses ground hazelnuts which I am sure lend a fabulous flavor but almond meal was on hand. I also chose to use buttermilk instead of the orange juice and zest because I have an aversion to citrus and chocolate together. If you are not crazy like me, it sounds really different and surely lovely. The original recipe calls for an 8" springform pan and I only own a 10" and used it anyway. If you have an 8", give it a little more cooking time to make up for the depth of the cake.

• 1 1/2 cups almond meal
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• About 25 (2 cups) soft dates, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 5 eggs, seperated
• 3 Tbsp. natural cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 7 ounces dark chocolate
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

• // for topping //
• whipping cream (8 ounces whipping cream whisked with 3 T. powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla)
• OR coconut cream (chill a can of full fat coconut milk overnight, scoop off the firm top and beat it with 2 T. powdered sugar or maple syrup)
• 1 1/2 cups mixed berries, chopped small (I used pom seeds, blackberries and strawberries)

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Preheat the oven to 350'. Line a springform pan with parchment paper and grease the bottom and sides. 

Put the almond meal and salt in large mixing bowl. Into a food processor, combine the dates, buttermilk, egg yolks, cocoa powder and baking soda and blend until smooth and sticky.

Over a pot of barely boiling water, into a glass bowl combine the chocolate and butter. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water line. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Add the date mixture and the chocolate mixture into the almond meal bowl and stir to mix. 

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture (it will be thick) and transfer it into the prepared pan. Bake for 50-65 minutes until the cake is firm but not dry. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely (just trust me, it's better cooled). 

Spread the whipping cream on top and top with the berries. Serve immediately. The cake will keep for 3 days in the fridge.

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

Flourless Chocolate Date Cake . Sprouted Kitchen

BAKED BLUEBERRY OATMEAL

May is always a crazy month. We have half a dozen birthdays in our family, Mother's Day, bridal shower season, while I took on a part time job and a freelance deal, as well. Sometimes having more tasks helps you to manage your time better... at least I'm telling myself that is some proven theory. I'm honestly a bit spent on creativity at the moment, which ebs and flows for me, so I'm taking a few days to edit through the recipes I already have for the book. For your sake, edit out my ramblings mid-recipe or cut unnecessary descriptive words like "smooshy."

I made this baked oatmeal for a picnic with friends, and next time I host a brunch, these will be part of a larger spread. They would be great to make ahead of time and grab on your way out the door in the morning, too (although I am a proponent of sitting at a table for breakfast, even if you have to get up earlier, I know that's not always practical). Maybe even do raspberries and pistachios and replace the milk with coconut milk. The baked oatmeal world is your oyster.

BAKED BLUEBERRY OATMEAL // Serves 6

Adapted from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson

I used frozen blueberries because I had them, but I think that contributed to them coming out purple/gray color after baking. I'd suggest using fresh berries if you can.

You can see the original recipe at Lottie +Doof.

2 Cups Blueberries, plus extra for garnish

2 Cups Old Fashioned Oats

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Aluminum Free Baking Powder

1/2 tsp. Sea Salt

2 Cups Whole Milk

1 1/2 Tbsp. Melted Butter

1/3 - 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Toasted Chopped Almonds

1/4 Cup Turbinado Sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 375'. Divide the berries between six small mason jars.

2. Mix the oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Divide the dry mix between the jars, just layering on top of the blueberries, about 1/3 cup.

3. Mix the milk, butter, maple and vanilla together. Pour a scant 1/2 cup on top of the oats, letting it seep through to the bottom. Place all the jars in a baking dish, sprinkle a few fresh berries on top, and bake on the middle rack for about 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, tops are just browned but the oats are still moist.

Sprinkle the tops with the toasted almonds and a pinch of turbinado sugar and serve warm!

* I poured a bit of extra milk on mine and Hugh preferred more maple, so adjust as you prefer.

If you are going to be reheating them, I suggest undercooking them 5-8 minutes to avoid dry oatmeal. Keep the nuts on the side until ready to eat.