In the last year I took up a new hobby of buying cookbooks that promote healthy, local, seasonal eating. While I have a few favorites, Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson is definitely one of my favorites.

Her recipes span a variety of tastes and styles, but offer healthy, delicious, and natural options from breakfast to dinner, and even snacks and hors d’oeuvre.

As breakfast is my most favorite meal of the day, I naturally tried those recipes first. While there are several that I really like, this one for Baked Oatmeal I make over and over again. Below is the recipe!

Ingredients:
2 cups – rolled oats
1/2 cup – toasted and chopped walnuts
1/3 cup – cane sugar or maple syrup (I suggest trying a brand local to the Hudson Valley such as Crown Maple or from Lanza Farms)
1 teaspoon – aluminum free baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons – ground cinnamon
Scant 1/2 teaspoon – fine grain sea salt
2 cups – milk (Alla Ronnybrook or Hudson Valley Fresh perhaps?)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons – unsalted butter, melted, and slightly cooled
2 teaspoons – pure vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 and 1/2 cups of huckleberries, blueberries, or mixed berries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in the top 3rd of the oven.
2. Generously butter the inside of an 8-inch square baking dish.
3. In a bowl, mix together the oats, half the walnuts, the sugar, if using, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
4. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, if using, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
5. Arrange the bananas in a single layer in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries over the oats.
7. Cover the fruit with the oat mixture.
8. Slowly drizzle the milk mixture over the oats.
9. Gently give the baking dish a couple thwacks on the countertop to make sure the milk moves through the oats.
10. Scatter the remaining berries and remaining walnuts across the top.
11. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is nicely golden and the oat mixture has set.
12. Remove from the over and let cool for a few minutes.
13. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top and serve.
14. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar or drizzle with maple syrup if you want it a bit sweeter.

This is definitely one of my favorites!
If you have any other winter breakfast recipes, please share!