Blueberry & Zucchini oatmeal bread

 

 

This is what happens when I stand in front of my fridge in the evening, looking for inspiration for my next recipe, and I see a beautiful zucchini just chilling there, all alone, somewhere between the romaine lettuce heads and a bag of carrots. It must have slipped my radar when I made my Indian inspired stir-fry the either night. But now, it’s staring back at me and I know I want to cook something with it, but I can’t figure out what exactly. I didn’t have enough to make zoodles for everyone, and it would have been pretty selfish of me to make zoodles just for myself. I could have chopped it and add it to a salad as is, but I wanted to do something with it. Since my fridge had provided me with limited inspiration, I looked into the freezer and saw a bag of frozen organic wild blueberries. Yup. There was the last little bit of inspiration I needed. I was going to make a blueberry & zucchini bread for breakfast the next morning!

Excellent idea I thought!

And an excellent breakfast it turned out to be. The loaf was gone in no time. I didn’t even have time to take out the coconut yogurt or the stewed apples I intended to serve it with. My toddler was begging for more while his mouth was still full and my husband was slicing pieces as he was eating them. Now that’s a winner in my book! Luckily, I was able to steal a piece (a large piece I must admit) for myself and I enjoyed every last bite with a hot cup of coffee.

This loaf has all you need to start your day off right: it’s got fruits, it’s got vegetables, it’s got whole grains and it’s got protein and some wholesome tasty fat. Pretty much all the good food groups are represented here. And did I mention it’s super moist and decadent tasting. You almost feel naughty eating it but you don’t because the ingredients are so good for you!

One of the ingredients I almost always add to a breakfast loaf is oatmeal. I’ve enjoyed eating oatmeal since I was a little kid. Ok, in all honesty, I didn’t enjoy it at all when I was a kid but nonetheless, I ate it every Tuesdays and Thursdays without fail. And my parents gave it to me for good reasons.

According to Adda Bjarnadottir, MS and Hrefna Palsdottir, MS over at healtline.com, oats are a very good source of fiber, especially beta-glucan (which provides us with digestive benefits), and are high in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Half a cup (78 grams) of dry oats contains:

  • Manganese: 191% of the RDI
  • Phosphorus: 41% of the RDI
  • Magnesium: 34% of the RDI
  • Copper: 24% of the RDI
  • Iron: 20% of the RDI
  • Zinc: 20% of the RDI
  • Folate: 11% of the RDI
  • Vitamin B1 (thiamin): 39% of the RDI
  • Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid): 10% of the RDI
  • Smaller amounts of calcium, potassium, vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and vitamin B3 (niacin)

Oats are also the only source of a unique group of antioxidants called avenanthramides, believed to have protective effects against heart disease.

So yes, oats are a good thing to add to your diet. Even when I’m having a lower carb day, I include oatmeal either in my breakfast or as a snack. It provides me with sustained energy and leaves me feeling satiated, which is not something I can say about fruits which give me an immediate energy rush upon eating but then leave me hungry and lethargic shortly after. So to make sure I have good energy throughout my morning, I mix my fruits with my oatmeal: winner combination!

I hope you enjoy this loaf as much as my family did. Leave me a comment and let me know  if you ate it as is or if you enjoyed it topped with some whipped coconut cream or some home made jam.

Blueberry & Zucchini oatmeal bread
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 portions
This breakfast loaf is perfect to make the night before and keeps well at room temperature overnight. It makes for easy mornings, which we could all use a little more of. I made this recipe gluten free using Bob’s Red Mill GF flour mix but I’ve also made this bread with whole wheat flour and it turned out amazing. Also this bread is not very sweet. I didn’t feel the need to add too much agave nectar as the blueberries add natural sweetness.
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs ground chia seeds
  • 3 Tbs water
  • 1/2 Cup agave nectar
  • 1/3 Cup coconut oil + 1 tsp for greasing
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 Cup gluten free flour mix (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
  • 1/2 Cup rolled oats (I used Quaker GF rolled oats _ not instant oats)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 Cup zucchini, shredded (do not wring out)
  • 1 Cup frozen bluberries
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a loaf pan with the teaspoon of coconut oil.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the ground chia seeds and the water. Set aside for at least 5 mins.
  4. In the meantime, in a microwave safe bowl, melt the 1/3 Cup of coconut oil.
  5. Add the agave nectar to the melted coconut oil and mix well with a small whisk.
  6. Add the vanilla extract and set aside.
  7. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  8. Add the chia egg to the coconut oil mixture and stir to combine.
  9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir to combine.
  10. Add the zucchini and the blueberries.
  11. Gently stir to mix everything together.
  12. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Mine was done in 60 minutes but I’ve bake it at my parent’s house and it was done in 50 minutes. So check after 50 minutes and add time accordingly.

 

Mango & peach oatmeal bake

 

I’ve probably mentioned this to you before, at least once or twice, actually, come to think of it, I think I wrote an entire post on breakfast, but yes, food is what gets me up in the morning. And I don’t just mean it’s what gets me going. I literally mean, it’s what gets me out of bed…that, and a beautifully impatient 14 month old.

More often then not, I go to bed at night thinking about what I’m going to eat the next morning. And then I get all excited at the idea of having breakfast…as I’m getting ready for sleep!

This oatmeal bake is one of those breakfasts that I particularly can’t wait to eat. It’s creamy, rich, dense and oh so satisfying. And since it’s pretty easy to put together, it’s something you’ll get excited about too. And it’s very versatile… I chose mangos and peaches for this recipe because that’s what I had in my freezer (I pretty much always have mangos in my freezer and I’ll explain why in just a little bit…). But I’ve done it with blueberries and strawberries, pineapples and bananas… The combinations are deliciously endless! It’s only sweetened with just a little maple syrup as I like the natural sweetness of the fruits to shine through.

Now back to mangoes… One of the reasons I always have mangoes handy, other then for their obvious amazing taste and texture, is for their nutrition content. Mangoes are vitamin and mineral bombs and provide major health benefits including lowering blood sugar levels, boost brain and bone health, alleviate anemia and increase immunity, just to name a few.

Alleviating anemia is a very important factor for me, as it is for many people.  According to the World Health Organization:

  • 2 billion people are affected by anemia worldwide and 293 million of those affected are preschool age children;
  • 56 million pregnant women are anemic (41.8% prevalence globally);
  • 468 million non-pregnant women are anemic (30.2% prevalence globally)

Those numbers are scary, especially if you consider that iron deficiency (leading cause of anemia) is the most common nutritional deficit in the world.

Like many women, I suffered from anemia for years. I was told it was due to my vegetarian/vegan diet. I was continuously encouraged to eat red meat and calf liver to bring my iron levels back up… little did these people know about the power of plants!

Mangoes are just one of the plant foods that contain iron. If you think you have low iron levels (you can read on the signs and symptoms of low iron levels here), I would strongly suggest you get blood tests done and your results reviewed by a trusted and competent specialist.

Some other great plant foods that contain iron are:

  • spirulina (love this stuff!)
  • spinach, kale and swiss chard
  • dark chocolate
  • lentils
  • chickpeas and black beans
  • pumpkin, flax and hemp seeds

One important thing I learned when researching high iron plant foods, is that adding vitamin C when eating iron rich foods actually facilitates the absorption of the iron by the body. Hence, the peaches in my oatmeal bake. The vitamin C in peaches compliments the iron in the mangoes… Mind you, mangoes do hold quite a good amount of vitamin C on their own, but a little more, especially this tasty, doesn’t hurt!

I hope you guys enjoy this breakfast and leave a comment to let me know if you’ve ever suffered from anemia and what foods you include in your daily diet.

xx

This recipe was inspired by the amazing oatmeal bake from Cookie & Kate!

Mango & peach baked oatmeal
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6 portions
This oatmeal bake takes no time at all to put together and while it cooks, you have time to get yourself or your kids, or both, ready for the day. Enjoy with a steaming cup of coffee or tea and top with some vegan yogurt or additional maple syrup, if you wake up with a sweet tooth!
Ingredients
  • 2 Cups rolled oats, (I use Quaker GF large rolled oats)
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp fine Himalayan pink salt
  • 2 Cups pea mylk (I use pea mylk for its high protein content but any mylk will do)
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 Tbs chia seeds
  • 6 Tbs water
  • 2 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 Tbs vanilla extract
  • 2 Cups frozen mangoes
  • 1 Cup frozen peaches
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9-inch square baking dish.
  3. Pour the frozen fruits in the dish and set aside.
  4. In a small bowl, combine the chia seeds and water. Stir and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.
  5. In a mixing bowl, combine the oats, ginger, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine.
  6. In another mixing bowl, combine the mylk, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and chia mixture. Whisk until blended.
  7. Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  8. Cover the frozen fruits with the oatmeal mixture and wiggle the dish a little.
  9. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
  10. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a 10 minutes.