Baked Cinnamon Pear Steel Cut Oats

Oatmeal is quickly becoming my breakfast obsession for the winter of 2012-13. I really don't remember what I did before I discovered the awesomeness that is steel cut oats. They're so versatile and I've been finding myself making all sorts of oatmeal concoctions in the slow cooker, on the stove top and now baked up in a warm and delicious casserole.

This, my friends, is what comfort food for breakfast looks like.  I decided to change things up a bit because I've been obsessively cooking with pumpkins and apples since September, so pears were my fruit of choice this time 'round. I combined fresh pears with cinnamon and Sucanat and the result was an ooey gooey fruit explosion tucked away under a hearty oatmeal topper.

Baked Cinnamon Pear Steel Cut Oats
Serves 4 - 5

2 large pears, chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c steel cut oats
2 c almond milk (or soy milk, coconut milk, dairy milk)
3 tbsp Sucanat (or brown sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
pinch sea salt

Preheat your oven to 400 and grease a medium-sized casserole dish.

Place the chopped pears in a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of the Sucanat and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Mix until the pears are well coated and pour into the bottom of the casserole dish.

Sprinkle the steel cut oats over the pears.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, the remaining cinnamon, Sucanat and vanilla. Pour over the oats and pears.

Cover your dish and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Ooey gooey goodness.

Top your oatmeal with your fave toppings such as maple syrup, chopped walnuts, coconut or raisins. My favourite way was to top it with some plain non-fat Greek yogourt drizzled with just a teeny weeny bit of maple syrup or honey.   

Store the leftovers in your refrigerator and re-heat in the microwave for a quick, CLEAN and healthy weekday breakfast.

What's your favourite oatmeal topping?

Have a great day,

Andrea

xoxo

Mini Taco Wonton Cups

Hi! Happy Thursday - only one day left until a long weekend for us Canadians....not that I'm counting down or anything :-)

My complete obsession for all foods with a Mexican flare has continued for a second consecutive week. I can't get enough of spicy meals smothered in white cheddar queso, black olives and guacamole. It's surprising how versatile all these foods are; they work with eggs, in wraps, on salads or can be all mixed together to make a most excellent salsa....let's face it, can you really get too much of a good thing?? I would have to argue that when it comes to food (healthy food that is) you cannot.

I've had the idea for this recipe for a while now and since I only had a few things left to use up from my Mexican food craze, I knew that it was time to make my vision a reality. I was so happy with how these little cups of deliciousness turned out. They're so easy to make and are very versatile.  I topped mine with the leftovers that I had in the fridge, but you can certainly use any and all of your fave taco toppings. I've listed a bunch of toppings below to give you some ideas. I think these would be fun for a family dinner night where everyone could "dress" up their own taco cups. It might be a wee bit messy, but definitely fun for all! I was also thinking that you could cram a whole bunch of taco cups onto a platter and serve them as an appetizer for a group. Visually they are super cute and they are really tasty. I'm thinking a total crowd pleaser for sure!

Mini Taco Wonton Cups
Makes 12

12 wonton wrappers
2/3 c refried beans
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Toppings (you choose your faves!): shredded lettuce, green onions, salsa, tomatoes, shredded cheddar, olives, guacamole, sour cream, black beans, corn, diced jalapenos

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.

Press one wonton wrapper into each mini muffin cup.

Mix the refried beans, cumin, chili powder and red pepper flakes together. Spoon the bean mixture evenly into each wonton cup.

Bake the wonton cups for 11 - 13 minutes until the wonton wrappers are crispy around the edges and the bean mixture is warmed thoroughly.

Add your desired toppings. (mine had cheese, guac, salsa, lettuce and black olives)

Press

Stuff

Bake

Garnish

Serve....and EAT!!

As a meal, I would think that 4 to 6 cups with a large salad on the side would be a perfect size, however if you're like me, you might intend to to share the cups with your wonderful and hungry spouse, but accidentally eat them all before they get home. Whooops!

Just make sure you clean up the evidence and they'll never know what they missed ;-)

My husband is just so happy that the dishes are done and he didn't have to help that he never questions what exactly I used the dishes for ~  hehe!

*Note: if you are aiming to please a meat eating crowd,

you could substitute spiced up taco meat for the bean mixture.*

Do you ever use wonton wrappers for things other than wontons?

What is your favourite taco topping?

Happy Thursday!

Andrea
xoxo

Roasted Spaghetti Squash With Garlicky Tomatoes & Mushrooms

Good morning and Happy Monday to you!

Did you have yet another beautiful weekend? Saturday was cool and rainy here, but Sunday was right back to the sunshine and warmer temperatures that we've been enjoying!

Did you do anything exciting? My friend, Lisa, and I headed off to the Women's Lifestyle Show on Saturday. The show opened at 9 a.m. and we thought we'd go early and arrived at 9:15 a.m. Apparently everyone else was thinking the same thing because I'd guess there were about 500 women there already! It was a fantastic morning where we checked out tons of local vendors, tasted lots of delicious samples and came home with some super fab swag. I was stoked to get a new Tupperware orange peeler, some new fridge magnets, some soap & lotion samples, magazine samples and lots of brochures and coupons to use this Spring and Summer!? Have you ever been to a trade show that focuses on all things girlie? If you get the opportunity, you should definitely go; it's a lot of fun!!!!

On Saturday night we headed out to support our local hockey team in the semi-final games. It took 2 overtimes and 4 1/4 hours, but WE WON!!! We Canadians love our hockey and can't wait to cheer on our team in the finals.

Yesterday I could barely move when I got up. I was on my feet on cement for soooooo long on Saturday that I was sore, so I decided to take a rest day and skip the gym. It felt nice to have a day at home and my body definitely appreciated the break.

Derek had pizza plans on Sunday for dinner, so I was on my own and I made this awesome spaghetti squash 'pasta'. My squash was teensy weeny and was the perfect size for just me. You could easily double this recipe to make it a meal for your entire family. I loved this because it was such a healthy, fresh AND low fat dinner!

Roasted Spaghetti with Garlicky Tomatoes & Mushrooms

Serves 1 or 2

1 small spaghetti squash

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

pinch sea salt & black pepper

2 1/2 c chopped tomatoes

1 c sliced mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 - 3 tbsp extra virgin oil

3 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

Preheat your oven to 375.

Cut your spaghetti squash in half. Scrape out the seeds and then brush the squash with extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt & pepper. Roast for 50 minutes. (the cooking time might vary depending on the size of your squash)

While your squash is roasting, mix together the tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp of olive oil and another pinch of sea salt & pepper. Pour the mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and roast for 30 minutes.

Once the squash is done roasting, remove from the oven and scrape out the spaghetti strands of squash using a fork.

Once the tomato mixture has finished roasting, stir in your fresh basil. Then top the spaghetti squash with the tomatoes. Drizzle with a splash of olive oil and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil. Serve!

This was the cutest l'il baby squash you ever did see!

I froze some fresh tomatoes last summer and these were the last of them.

The taste is still so fresh and fabulous!

...and fresh basil?! Oh heaven!

Perfect meal :)

What is your favourite sport to watch?

Best meal you ate this weekend?

Have a great Monday!

Andrea