Hummus (Ottolenghi)

"There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your little finger like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic" (Diane Setterfield) The other day I was talking with a friend about the first episode in the new season of "Homeland" and found myself getting weepy. The transformation of one of the main characters along with how I anticipated parts of the new season to evolve had struck an emotional chord. I tried to tell myself to get a grip, this was a television show. But it didn't matter. Because I am someone who can be deeply moved words. And particularly by those found in a well-written article or book or heard in a film, and yes, even a television series. I have always been in awe of those with the ability, the talent, the power, the gift, to draw our emotions, imaginations, and thoughts in with their words. There have been times when I have had to temporarily take pause or walk away from a book because it had evoked either a new or deeply buried thought. I feel this same way watching films, but unlike watching a film or a television show at home, I can hardly walk out of a movie theatre without missing something or be so bold as to ask them to please stop the reel while I finish processing my thoughts (that would be too much even for me to ask). I love equally those books validating things I hold dear or believe as well as those shifting my perspective. "Angela's Ashes" changed the way I looked at poverty, "Columbine" changed the way I looked at the challenges and heroism existing in schools, "A Little Life" validated there can be a destructive element to resiliency, and "The Kite Runner" gave me some early insights into a culture I may have pre-judged but knew very little. Being able to share your thoughts and, yes, even emotions about a book, movie or television show, regardless of what they are one of the ways to make great connections with others. In the same way as sharing a meal does.

Four years ago I posted a recipe for Gameday, Everyday Hummus on the blog. It was one inspired by the person I believe has significantly shifted the way we cook, the way we entertain. No, not Martha Stewart. But rather culinary goddess extraordinaire, Ina Garten. Not only was I incredibly effusive in my praise for her recipe, I genuinely believed it would be the 'one' I would be making forever. Call me what you will, but over the Christmas holidays I (gasp) made a different hummus recipe. One heavily based on the recipe appearing in "Jerusalem: A Cookbook" written by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

In a single bite of the creamiest hummus I had ever tasted, I knew I would be (dare I say permanently?) switching my hummus loyalties. However, should Ottolenghi ever come across this blog (anything is possible, right?), he might say his original version is even creamier than the slightly modified one I made. So technically I may have yet to experience real hummus nirvana. Although for the moment, I am quite happy to be in this new state of hummus delirium.

So what was the change I made to this hummus recipe? Well, I used canned chickpeas instead of soaking dried chickpeas overnight and then cooking them the next day. It is quite possible that would have been less work than peeling the skins off of the canned chickpeas. But it isn't just the preparation of the chickpeas responsible for creating such a deeply flavorful, immensely addictive. The outrageous amount of tahini (one cup plus two tablespoons) is one of the genius aspects of this hummus.

Peeling the skins off of three and two-thirds cups of canned chickpeas may seem a tad tedious and time consuming. However, removing the skins completely transforms the texture of the hummus and takes it to a completely new hummus level. To keep yourself from going over the edge when peeling off the skins, replay the last episode of "This is Us" (because watching it once isn't enough); phone a friend who likes to talk or phone a friend who likes to listen; or just let let your thoughts wander for awhile. I didn't keep track of how much time I spent skinning the chickpeas, but I am pretty sure it didn't take a half hour. Maybe just 10 minutes. Trust me when I tell you the rewards you will reap from what sounds like a bit of insanity are inversely proportional to the investment of your time. And all you need to peel a chickpea is your thumb and the next two fingers. Put a chickpea between them and gently press and twist. How easy is that? Well much easier than and not nearly as dizzying as my summer college job of using my fingers to put the Cracker Jack prizes in the tiny slots of a conveyor belt. Yes, that really was my job one summer. And yes, peeling the chickpeas is critical.

Also key to the smoothness and creaminess of this hummus is how long it is processed in the food processor. After the chickpeas have been processed to a paste and the lemon juice, salt, garlic and tahini has been fully incorporated, the ice cold water is drizzled in. Set your timer for five minutes and let the food processor work its' magic.

Before transferring the hummus to your serving bowl, taste for seasoning. I added a tiny bit more salt and about a teaspoon of lemon juice. But having served some friends some over the top garlic-y hummus before the holidays, I dared not any more. So if you think your hummus doesn't seem to have a strong enough garlic presence, wait. In about an hour and definitely overnight, its' presence will be known to your palate. Would highly recommend the first time you make this hummus to use only four medium sized cloves of garlic. Depending on your affinity for garlic, make the adjustments the second time around.

Cover the surface of the hummus with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or overnight before serving. When ready to surface, generously drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and top with pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts, caramelized onions, or chopped parsley and paprika. Serve with toasted pita chips or vegetables. Sliced carrots, strips of red pepper, or cauliflower are some options.

Sometimes you have to let go of what you believe to be your favorite, best recipe. Sometimes you need to take a leap of faith and try a new one, maybe even one pushing you outside of your comfort zone. Because sometimes you and everyone else around you will discover a new definition of best exists.

Recipe 
Hummus (Ottolenghi) (a slight adaptation to the Basic Hummus recipe shared by Yotom Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi in their cookbook Jerusalem)

Ingredients
3 2/3 cups canned chickpeas, drained and skins removed
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons tahini
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
4 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more to taste
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
4 to 7 Tablespoons ice cold water
Extra-virgin olive oil to finish
Optional garnishes: Pomegranate seeds; pine nuts; caramelized onions; or chopped parsley and paprika
Homemade or store-bought toasted pita bread, pita chips, fresh vegetables (carrots, red peppers, cauliflower)

Directions
1. Put chickpeas in the food processor. Process until a thick paste forms.
2. Add the tahini, garlic cloves, sea salt, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Process until ingredients are well blended.
3. Add the ice cold water and process for at least 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Note: Begin with 4 1/2 Tablespoons of ice cold water. If mixture isn't creamy, enough (and it might not be) slowly add the additional ice cold water to reach an ultra creamy consistency.
4. If necessary season to taste with additional lemon juice and/or sea salt.
5. Transfer hummus to serving dish cover its' surface with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
6. When ready to serve, remove from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Top with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Serve as is or garnish with chick peas; pomegranate seeds; pine nuts; caramelized onions; chopped parsley; and /or paprika.

Note: (1) To make this hummus using dried chickpeas, put 1 /14 cups of chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water at least twice their volume. Leave to soak on the counter overnight. The next day, drain the chickpeas; place in a medium/large saucepan over high heat adding the drained chickpeas and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 6 1/ 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook, skimming off any foam and any skins that float to the surface. The chickpeas need to cook for 20 to 40 minutes, depending on type and freshness, sometimes longer. Once done, they will be very tender, breaking up easily when pressed between your thumb and next two fingers (almost but not quite mushy). Drain the chickpeas. Measure out 3 2/3 cups. 

Sculptures at the Sydney and Walda Bestoff Scuplture Garden in New Orleans, Louisiana

Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce

"The best kind of people are the ones that come into your life, and make you see the sun where you once saw clouds. The people that believe in you so much, you start to believe it too. The people that love you, simply for being you. The once in a lifetime kind of people." As relatively mild as this winter has been thus far (and technically we aren't even thirty days into it), I am already eagerly anticipating the return of sunny sky, warm weather days. And if by some chance spring comes early and summer comes even earlier, I promise to whine less about the heat and humidity. For someone who has a bit an aversion to intolerable heat, it is almost shocking that I have started going to hot yoga classes several times a week. Even more surprising is how much I really like how challenging these sixty minute classes are. Who would not love going to and being motivated by classes guided by the mantras 'it's about progress not perfection' and 'you are stronger than you believe'? Rather than regret having lived a long yoga free life, I am incredibly grateful it is now a part of it. And quite possibly even more beholden to the group of friends to share these experiences with me. Friends not just there for support but also there to push me into becoming a better version of myself. Does it get any better than that?

If one ever needed a single reason to travel to Spain, it might just be to eat breakfast. More specifically a decadent by American standards breakfast of churros dipped in warm chocolate or dulce de leche. Although if you happen to live in or visit New Orleans, beignets would definitely fall into this hedonistic breakfast food category. The universal obsession and love for fried dough extends back centuries. Like many foods, the history of churros reveals their origin to have been claimed by multiple countries. From Nomadic Spanish shephards, to Portuguese sailors, to the Chinese, the churro was ultimately was brought to Latin American by the conquistadors. Undergoing a myriad of variations, the one we have come to know, crave, and love here in the states are typically finished with a dusting of a cinnamon infused sugar and served out of a paper bag with or without a side of chocolate.

For those of us who have never traveled to Spain, Portugal, or Mexico, our first exposure to churros was probably at a carnival, fairground, Disneyland, or at a Cinco de Mayo party. Which may have led us to falsely believe they belonged in the categories of either snack foods or dessert. To think that my Spanish and Portuguese peers grew up eating churros with chocolate while I was given a bowl of oatmeal to eat for breakfast, makes me think my childhood was slightly deprived.

In researching churro recipes I discovered some use water, others use milk; some use white granulated sugar, others use light brown sugar; some opt for a 1 to 1 egg to flour ratio, others use 1.5 go 1 ratio; and, some use a non-specified type of salt, others use sea salt in the making of the dough. There were a number of ingredient variations, although the techniques were more alike than different. With one exception, the temperature of the oil for frying the churros. But More on that later. I vacillated between using water and milk, but in the end went with milk to create a churro with a bit more richness and texture. Less of a conundrum was the egg decision. I went with 3 eggs, or the 1.5 to 1 egg to flour ratio. The idea of using brown sugar didn't appeal to me, deciding that if both the dough and cinnamon-sugar coating were made with granulated sugar the churro would be balanced inside and out.  On my last visit with a friend in Arizona I picked up a bag of salt from the Sea of Cortez. But had I not had this salt, I would have used the flaky Maldon sea salt. Once all of my churro ingredient decisions were made, I was finally ready to make them.

While the traditional Spanish version isn't covered in sugar, this one is. One cup of granulated sugar and one Tablespoon of cinnamon makes the perfect cinnamon-sugar coating. Make the cinnamon-sugar and set aside before you begin working on your dough.

If you have every made Choux Pastry for profiteroles, beignets, or eclairs before, then making the churro dough will feel very comfortable you. If you have never made it before, you will discover how relatively simple it is. Choux pastry uses the power of steam to puff up, whether it comes from an oven, boiling water, or hot oil. It has no special leavening agents, it's simply make with water or milk, butter, flour, salt, sugar, and eggs.

For these churros, the milk, sugar, salt, and cinnamon stick were brought to a boil, then removed from the heat to allow for the infusion of the cinnamon into the liquid mixture. After the cinnamon stick is removed, the liquid mixture is brought back to a boil again. Immediately after removing the pan from the heat the flour is added all at once. Using a sturdy wooden spoon and using your arm muscles, you rapidly stir the flour into the liquid until the mixture is smooth and the flour is no longer visible. At this point transfer the dough to a large bowl or to your standing mixer bowl and allow it to rest for 10 minutes to allow some of the dough's heat to dissipate. If you don't give it this necessary cooling down period, you might scramble your eggs when you add them in.

I used a hand mixer to beat in each of the eggs (one at a time) versus a wooden spoon (my arms would have never made it) versus a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Next time I might opt for the standing mixer, as the dough liked to creep up the beaters on my handheld mixer.

The dough is now ready to be transferred to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. I used an open star tip (Ateco 828) have a .63 inch opening. For a slightly thinner churro you could use a tip with a .5 inch opening (Ateco 826). Some believe a closed star tip with these same dimensions gives the churro more defined ridges. Whichever tip you use, pipe the dough into six inch lengths onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly sprayed with a vegetable oil (a tip, no pun intended, from the SmittenKitchen). Some churro recipes will have you pipe the dough directly into the heated oil, but being a churro making novice, I wasn't quite ready to test my dough piping abilities. But honestly, I don't even know if I ever want to. The idea of having all of the dough piped out before frying seemed like a pure genius one.

While you are piping the dough, pour the vegetable oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a shallow (versus deep) cast iron pan or Dutch oven and heat to 350 to 360 degrees (F). As a side note, most churro recipes called for heating the oil anywhere between 350 degrees (F) to 400 degrees (F). My oil hovered at or slightly above 360 degrees resulting in a cooking time of anywhere between 4 and 5 minutes. Each batch had no more than 4 churros (the dough sticks liked to gravitate toward one another in the hot oil). Once the churros reach a deep golden brown color, they remove from the hot oil with a spider spatula and place on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Note: I could have set the oven at a low temperature, 200 degrees (F) and placed the baking sheet in the oven to keep the cooked churros warm while frying up the remaining batches, but I didn't. If I was entertaining I would have.

While still warm, the churros are rolled in the cinnamon sugar. When completely engulfed in this added layer of deliciousness, transfer to a serving platter.

These Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce were seriously, dangerously, crunchy, sweet, doughy bites of deliciousness. Even without dipping them into the Espresso Chocolate Sauce, they are sinful. Although don't let me at all suggest you opt out of serving them with the sauce. Shudder the thought.

If there was for chocolate sauce to have an even greater 'wow' factor it would be to add some sea salt and espresso powder to it. I like the stove top method of making this sauce. After heating the cream on the stove until it barely comes to a boil (tiny bubbles will line the edges of the pan), remove from the heat and add in the chocolate, sea salt, and espresso powder. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir until the sauce is smooth. Use any leftover sauce to pour over ice cream.

Churros are meant to be enjoyed while still warm. But it's possible you can make the chocolate espresso sauce and pipe out the sticks of dough ahead of time. You can always rewarm the sauce on the stove. Your tray of churro dough sticks can be lightly covered and put in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before you are ready to fry them.

We all need to churros in our lives. If mothers all across Spain have managed to make a batch of churros for breakfast, I suppose we should be able to pull off this feat for a gathering or dinner party! Just remind yourself you can do anything you put your mind to or heart into. Or just pretend it's breakfast time somewhere! 

Recipe
Churros with Espresso Chocolate Sauce (slight adaptation to Serious Eats Churros with Chocolate-Dulce de Leche Dip Recipe)
Makes 16-18 six inch churros

Ingredients
Churros
8 cups or 2 quarts of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups whole milk, room temperature
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 large eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Espresso Chocolate Sauce
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 - 3/4  teaspoon instant espresso

Directions
Churros and Cinnamon Sugar
1. Line one baking sheet with paper towels and set aside. Line a second large baking with parchment paper or a silpat and lightly spray with vegetable oil and set aside.
2. Fit a large pastry bag with a pastry tip (recommend .5 inch to .63 inch star tip, open or closed). Set aside.
3. In a deep bowl or pan, combine one cup of sugar with one tablespoon of cinnamon. Stir to combine. Set aside.
3. Begin heating vegetable oil in a cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 350-360 degrees (F) on a deep-fat thermometer. Note: Oil should have a depth of 1 1/2 inches. Note: If this is the first time you are making the churros, begin heating the oil when you start piping the dough onto a prepared baking sheet.
4. Bring milk, butter, salt, 2 tablespoons sugar, vanilla and a cinnamon stick to a boil over medium-high heat in large heavy bottomed saucepan. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes to allow the cinnamon to infuse flavor into the milk.
5. Remove cinnamon stick. Return saucepan to heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and immediately add flour. Beat vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until a smooth dough forms.
6. Transfer the dough to a large bowl or bowl of a standing mixer. Let dough cool for 10 minutes. 
7. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated.
8. Scrape dough into the prepared pastry bag. Pipe dough into 6 inch long strips onto the prepared parchment paper lined baking sheet.
9. Fry churros in batches of 4 to 5 for 3 to 4 minutes (or 4 to 5 minutes if using a wider pastry tip) or until they are deep golden brown. Remove with a spider spatula and place on paper towel lined baking sheet. Note: Place pan in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while continue to fry the remaining churros
10. Roll churros in the cinnamon sugar mixture while they are still warm. 
11. Transfer to a serving platter and serve with the Espresso Chocolate Sauce.

Espresso Chocolate Sauce
1. In a small pan heat whipping cream until it almost comes to a boil (look for tiny bubbles along the edges of the pan). 
2. Remove from heat and add chocolate, sea salt and espresso powder. Let sit for 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir until sauce is smooth.

Notes: (1) Churros can also be formed into circles, hearts, or S-shapes. (2) Pipe out dough on a prepared baking sheet, lightly cover, and refrigerate for a couple of hours ahead of time. Remove from the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes before putting into the hot oil.

Slow Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh

Apparently I had been out of the 'being up to date on all of current buzzwords' loop as I was completely unaware the Danish word 'hygge' (pronounced 'hue gah') was one of the 'it' words for 2016. In spite of arriving late to the party, I learned the term simply fits neatly in the board category of coziness and subcategory of making connections. However, to fully understand the intent or impact the word is intended to have on a way of life, there is a longer explanation for hygge as simple one would not be best in this context. "(It) is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with people we love. A feeling of home. A feeling we are safe, that we are shielded from the world and allow ourselves to let our guard down." Fortunately or unfortunately, the commercialization of 'hygge' may have contributed to some associating it solely with the acquisition of 'things', rather than creating a sense of warmth in the spaces you spend with family and friends. While this word had not been in my vocabulary, it is one I had unknowingly embraced.

As 2017 begins, hygge is out and the Swedish word 'lagom' is in. With no comparable word in English word, 'not too much, not too little, just right' is its' underlying concept. Lagom translates to 'enough, sufficient, adequate, just right' and aims to capture the sense of living a life 'in moderation and in balance'. A lagom lifestyle would be one characterized by a commitment to investing in sustainability (being energy efficient/reducing waste) and embracing a quality over quantity way of life. Not to be confused with sufficient (good enough) or extremes of minimalism, lagom is more about being and having enough. As I try to wrap my head around a lagom way of life, I can't help but wonder what it might look and feel like in my world. However, rather than choosing between these two ideologies, maybe 2017 is the year to somehow blend them both together. Is there a word in any language blending the concepts 'hygge' and 'lagom'? If there isn't, maybe there should be. Maybe that will be the next buzzword in 2018.

Until I came across the recipe for these Slow Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh I had never thought of applying the slow roasting technique to sweet potatoes. Nor had I ever thought to replace butter and/or brown sugar with a garlic infused labneh to balance out the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. But thankfully someone else did. I didn't think it was possible to love sweet potatoes any more than I already do until I tasted them. When slow roasted, the sweet potatoes become sweeter, more tender and take on an almost custard-like texture. If you have never been in a state of sweet potato nirvana these Slow Roasted Sweet Potatoes will take you there.

Some of us think of sweet potatoes as a side dish rather than a main dish. And while these are satisfying enough to be a main dish, they would be perfect paired with a roasted chicken, grilled steak, or grilled lamb. Add a simple salad and your meal be the right kind of enough.

Olive oil, kosher salt, black pepper, and dill seeds are combined to coat the sweet potatoes. Dill seeds are more spice like, while dill weed is more herb like. Note: Although they come from the same plant, they are not interchangeable in recipes, especially in this recipe.

In a preheated 275 degree (F) oven, the sweet potatoes roast for approximately two and one half hours. Yes, 180 minutes. When done they will be soft to the touch and slightly caramelized on the bottom. But the baking process isn't finished after they reach this stage.

The roasted sweet potatoes return to the oven set to broil for 1 to 3 minutes or until lightly charred on top. The charring adds a bit of smokiness to the sweet potatoes.

Allow the sweet potatoes to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the broiler. Using your hand, the side of spoon, or knife, press to expose the flesh of the sweet potatoes and lightly season with salt. You could eat them just like this (and they would be swoonworthy) or you could top them with the lahbeh (and they will transport your taste buds to places you may have never been before).

To make the labneh topping, grate one clove of garlic and mix into one half cup of labneh. And just in case you were wondering, yes, one clove of garlic is just enough.

Would I make these Slow Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh again? Absolutely. Would I serve them without the Garlic Labneh? Yes, but only if I coated the sweet potatoes with just olive oil, kosher salt, and black pepper. Could I make a meal out of these sweet potatoes? Totally. Although paired with a protein they would provide the meal balance I crave. Would I serve them with butter and brown sugar? Butter yes, brown sugar no, with the caveat they weren't coated with some dill weed. The addition of brown sugar would definitely meet the Goldilocks and Three Bears definition of too much. Should you make them? Definitely.

Recipe
Slow Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh (A Michael Solomonov, chef and cookbook author of Zahav, recipe as shared in Saveur, December 2015.)

Ingredients
4 medium sized sweet potatoes (approximately 3 pounds)
1 - 1 1/2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 cup labneh
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated
Optional: Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees (F).
2. In a small bowl, mix together the labneh and grated garlic. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
3. In a large bowl rub the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, salt, black pepper, and dill seeds.
4. Transfer the sweet potatoes to a baking sheet (lined with aluminum foil) and bake until very soft inside and caramelized on the bottom, approximately 2 1/2 hours. Remove from oven.
5. Increase oven temperature to broil. Return sweet potatoes to oven and bake for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are lightly charred on top. Remove from oven. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
6. Transfer sweet potatoes to a serving platter. Gently crush with your hands to expose the sweet potatoes flesh. Season with salt. Dollop each potato with some of the labneh. If desired, sprinkle with chopped chives.

Notes: Labneh is a Lebanese version of cream cheese but creamy like a whole milk yogurt or sour cream. It can be found in grocery stores having a Middle Eastern food section. If you can't find it, you can make your own using David Lebovitz's recipe. Or you could simply use whole milk Greek yogurt.

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal

The number of private fitness centers, yoga, bar, and pilates studios, and indoor cycling facilities located in my hometown have increased significantly over the past couple of years. They almost rival the number of local restaurants. Last year at this time I can now honestly admit I was a little intimated to go into any of them. It seemed everyone I saw walking into or working in them looked as if they could be featured on the next covers of Women's/Men's Fitness, Self, or Shape magazines. I imagined their physical and cardio endurance, flexibility, and strength to be at the same levels as Olympians. Even having one of those well-coordinated, stylish, high tech, high end workout wardrobes wasn't enough to give me the confidence to walk into any of those intimidating places. I felt 'invisible' running on the streets and running path with my friends, however, the idea of being in rooms surrounded by mirrors was almost too much for my insecure self to handle. Remember the episode on Friends where Chandler, in response to Monica's claim the camera added ten pounds to her prom picture, asked her 'So how many cameras were actually on you?'. Well, in a weird sort of way, that irrationally explains how I feel standing in a room of "circus" mirrors (if cameras add ten pounds, mirrors must add...twenty?). Fortunately, all (well maybe a significant amount) of that paralyzing anxiety subsided and I found myself not just walking by, but walking in to a fitness center and yoga studio. What could have caused such a significant shift in attitude? Reading a significant number of articles on the importance of cross-training to improve my running and health? Nope. A running injury subsequently leading me to discover some my internal body levels were more than a little less to be desired? Nope. Being surrounded by a small circle of friends (aka 'my posse') who also wanted to experience better versions of themselves? Yep.

Unscientific proof there really can be positive, transformational power emanating from the colloquialism 'the more the merrier'. Or is it 'misery loves company'? Whether it's one or the other or both, my perceptions, endurance, and strength have all changed for the better. Although mirrors still make me anxious.

This past weekend I had a craving for oatmeal. Growing a little tired of my usual yogurt, almonds, and dried cranberries concoction, I needed something warm to eat. Something on the healthy side.

I came across a baked oatmeal recipe made with two of my favorite fruits: bananas and blueberries. Only I don't like them together in the same dish. So I made a few changes to it.

Nuts, oatmeal, and blueberries. A health food trifecta! 

Combine them with some real maple syrup, whole milk, heavy cream, an egg, a little bit of melted butter, some sea salt, baking powder, and a generous amount of cinnamon and you have the makings of a deeply delicious, satisfying baked oatmeal dish. 

Surprisingly fresh blueberries were available at the grocery store this week. However, you can use frozen ones. Additionally, you can make this baked oatmeal with other fruit combinations. Blueberries and blackberries, blueberries and raspberries, or blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are just a few of them. In assembling the baked oatmeal, two thirds of the oatmeal lines the bottom of a buttered glass or ceramic baking dish. The remaining one third will end up sprinkled over the top.

Think of this Baked Blueberry Oatmeal dish as a layered one. Blueberries on the bottom, followed next by the oatmeal/nut mixture, then the maple sugar/milk mixture, and finally a finish of more blueberries and walnuts.

In a preheated 375 degree (F) oven, the oatmeal bakes for 35-45 minutes or until the top is beautifully browned and the oatmeal is set. Maybe because my baking dish was deep, my baking time was slightly over the 45 minute mark. 

After removing from the oven top with the remaining one and a half tablespoons of melted butter and allow the Baked Blueberry Oatmeal to rest for about five minutes before serving. Pouring a little maple syrup over the top of each individual serving is optional, but one of those options that should be required. 

If you are looking for a new breakfast or brunch dish to serve your family, friends, or posse, make this one. In a little more than hour, the entire Baked Blueberry Oatmeal can be assembled, baked and served. But make it for yourself as it reheats perfectly. Quite possibly you might find yourself craving oatmeal even more after tasting it. Sort of like me now craving yoga and high intensity workouts now that I experienced them.

Recipe
Baked Blueberry Oatmeal (slight adaptation to Heidi Swanson's Baked Oatmeal recipe from her book Super Natural Every Day: Well Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen)

Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned oats (Recommend Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats)
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted, coarsely chopped and divided
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk (See Notes)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and divided
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 to 3 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
Additional maple syrup for serving

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F). Butter an 8 or 9 inch glass or ceramic baking dish and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the oatmeal, 2/3 of the walnuts, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
3. In a separate medium sized bowl or large glass measure cup, combine the milk, cream, vanilla, maple syrup, 1 1/2 Tablespoons melted butter, and egg. Whisk to combine.
4. Layer 2/3 of the blueberries on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
5. Spread the oat mixture evenly over the blueberries.
6. Pour the milk/maple syrup over the top. Press down gently to ensure the oat mixture is completely submerged in the liquid.
7. Scatter the remaining 1/3 blueberries and 1/3 walnuts over the top.
8. Place baking dish on a baking pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden and the oat mixture has set. Note: My baking time was closer to 50 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to rest for several minutes.
10. Top with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter and, if desired, drizzle additional maple syrup over individual servings.

Notes: (1) Can use 2 cups of whole milk instead of the milk/heavy cream mixture.  Or alternately use 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. (2) I used two teaspoons of cinnamon because I like for there to be a discernible cinnamon flavor in my oatmeal. Feel free to use only 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon. (3) Fresh or frozen blueberries can be used. Can also use a combination of fruits (i.e., blueberries/blackberries, blueberries/blackberries/raspberries, etc.) (4) My baking time was just slightly over 45 minutes as I had used a deep baking dish. Begin checking at 35 minutes if using a shallow baking dish. Be sure to let the Baked Blueberry Oatmeal rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. (5) This Baked Blueberry Oatmeal reheats perfectly and is as yummy as it is coming out of the oven.

Grazing horses on a blue sky, bitter cold winter day.