O is for…Oats!
I almost skipped posting today but knew I’d be disappointed if I missed a day of Vegan MoFo.
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen that I graduated from university today! I actually took my finals way back in May/June but had to wait until now for the ceremony. Having only just moved to a new city a few days ago I hopped on the train back to Oxford last night for the occasion. It’s been a lovely day- lots of reminiscing with friends, chatting, enjoying the sunshine, photographs, and clapping!
Another reason I had to post today is so you can make this recipe over the weekend!
I’m highlighting oats today. First and foremost a breakfast staple. I love a good bowl of porridge, plain and simple or “fancied” up with lots of mix-ins and toppings. Just yesterday I came across two great looking porridge ideas from A Vegan Obsession. I’ve also got into overnight oats this summer- oats soaked overnight with non-dairy milk and other goodies and eaten cold from the fridge. Oats are a great way to bulk up breakfast smoothies too.
Granola bars, flapjacks, pancakes, waffles, muffins…oats are great in them all. Have you used oat flour in baked goods yet? If you have oats of any kind on hand and a blender you can make your own in an instant.
On the savoury front, I’ve learnt that oats work brilliantly as a binder in veggie burgers and loaves. I haven’t yet got into savoury porridge, but I’m sure it’s only a matter of time!
The quintessential English dessert has got to be crumble and although It doesn’t traditionally use oats, I much prefer it with an oaty topping.
Crumbles aren’t much to look at, but make up for their rustic appearance with their heart-warming flavours. Simple to prepare, they are outstanding desserts that anyone can make, and they require only a handful of basic ingredients and no fancy kitchen tools.
My Maple-Oat Plum Crumble is perfect for this time of year. It’s getting colder, so warm, comforting dishes are very welcome and plums are still in season here into October.
Our own garden plums were finished long ago but I’ve just come home to find a big bag of plums gifted to us by a neighbour! I might just have to make this dessert again this weekend….
I made a mini version just for one yesterday and it was no effort at all. I simply tossed a couple of chopped plums in a little maple syrup in a ramekin and cooked in the oven for a short time, then sprinkled over the oaty crumble topping and baked for a few minutes longer.
Crispy, crunchy topping, juicy maple-kissed fruit.
Ingredients
- 2 Medium plums, quartered
- 1 tsp Maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp Oats
- 2 tsp Wholegrain flour (I usually just use oat flour which I grind from whole oats but any is fine)
- 1/2 Tbsp Coconut sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp Coconut oil, solid
- Generous pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Toss the plums with the maple syrup in an oven-proof ramekin and bake for 10 minutes
- While baking, mix together oats, flour and coconut sugar. Rub in coconut oil using your fingers until crumbly. Add a dash of cinnamon if you like.
- Sprinkle crumble mixture on top of fruit and bake for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp.
- Serve with non-dairy yogurt, ice cream, cream, or custard if you’re a purist (!)
It has oats and fruit so you can definitely eat this for breakfast! Top with non-dairy yogurt to cool it down so you can dig in straight away!
Maybe not if you top it with ice cream though….
This was a big one I made a little while ago. Just scale up the ingredients and cook in a large dish.
What are your favourite crumble variations? Blackberry and apple is another firm favourite here.
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