Something you may not of thought of doing...

Are you like my boyfriend, when you hear the word crock pot you automatically think of roasts or stews? Did you ever think you could make breakfast that not only is hearty, tasty, healthy and all around delicious without any meat in your crock pot? Well think again! The crock pot is such a versatile, I have to admit this is the second time I have ever used a crock pot since I don't eat meat, and since when I choose to make soups I do so on the stove. However when I found a recipe for oatmeal in the crock pot I knew I had to make this.

Yes, I am still keeping my New Years Resolution and writing my weekly meals down on paper, therefore when I found this recipe I had to switch some things around, but I ended up making it two days later... not too bad! This was insanely easy, throw ingredients into pot, give it a quick little stir, put the lid on, turn the heat on, go to sleep, and wake up to a big batch of delicious goodness!

I've really begun to love steel-cut oats... they remind me of al dente cooked wild rice. I really like this grain and it's such a nice change from regular oats. When you have oats cooked overnight it's even better since you really don't have to do any work. What's even better is that this is a large batch of oats (obviously you can half the recipe) but you're able to refrigerate and heat later. I did this for two days, it was as good as new. I topped these bowls when I got to work with walnuts, granola, raisins and soy milk. I really loved the simplicity of this and look forward to other lazy days of mine so I can gather up my crock pot and have a delicious breakfast waiting for me in the morning as if I had a butler waiting on hand for me ;)

Overnight, Slow Cooker, Apple Cinnamon Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Recipe slightly adapted from here

Ingredients:

• 2 apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2-1/2 to 3 cups chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups vanilla soy milk
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
• 1 tbsp coconut sap
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground flax seed
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• Optional garnishes: chopped nuts, raisins, maple syrup, additional milk or butter

Directions:

Coat inside of 3-1/2 quart (or larger) slow cooker with cooking spray. Add all ingredients (except optional toppings) to slow cooker. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 7 hours. Spoon oatmeal into bowls; add optional toppings, if desired. Store leftovers in refrigerator. Freezes well.

To reheat single servings: Put 1-cup cooked oatmeal in microwave proof bowl. Add 1/3 cup fat-free milk. Microwave on high for 1 minute; stir. Continue cooking for another minute, or until hot.

Recipe can be doubled in 6-quart or larger slow cooker. Increase cooking time 1 hour.


Raspberry Jam Black Bean and Avocado Brownies

Recipe adapted from here

Remember just like a book: don't judge food before you try it... I know it's not the prettiest of pictures

I have to admit I've never been much of a fan of beans... I still can't eat lentils. However, black beans have always been one of those exceptions, perhaps because you see it at your local "Chinese" restaurants. I have always found them to be sweet so I have never had a problem gobbling them down, which is probably why I wasn't weary when it came to this recipe.

When I first started blogging, there were a few recipes that just made my head question... what? Black bean brownies were one of those. However, I no longer think of it as this crazy-weird food, no no I embrace it. Before I made these I was at the mall with my friend Jenna. I was all excited about these brownies so I had to tell her what I was planning on making. Her response, "if it were someone else I'd be a little confused but coming from you this doesn't surprise me at all". I laughed pretty hard. What I love about Jenna is the fact that no matter how odd the ingredients may be she's always willing to try my food, even if I try and sneak certain ingredients in the concoction that she doesn't like *cough * figs * cough * ... however she always does pick out the flavour. "Sam what did you put in this? Ugh it better not be figs!" I have gotten her to try quite a few things that she's actually really enjoyed, one of them being although a huge fan of spinach, was skeptical about having it for breakfast, however she slurped and loved.

She sat with me while I whipped up these brownies... I changed it quite a bit, and unfortunately screwed up just a bit. Instead of 2 tsp, I added 2 TBSP, as I've mentioned before I really cannot bake with others around me, I always seem to make a little error somewhere along the way.

At first when I took a bite of these I seriously wanted to puke... why I even added coffee in the first place was beyond me, I seriously dislike coffee. However, I let the brownies cool down and took another bite... ended up beginning to enjoy it. Another bite down, another bite, soon pieces were being cut. Unfortunately I made these pretty close to bed time too... by the end half of the pan was gone from both of us...

I really enjoyed these. The next day holy they were even better! I did so again had about five pieces before bed, realizing after the forth piece that well there is a lot of coffee in these... I'd already had four pieces what another piece going to hurt. Well, the caffeine certainly kicked it, oh boy...

I loved these brownies though. Regardless of the misinterpretation of the measurement they turned out wonderfully. What I liked about them the most is that they weren't your typical overly-chocolatey brownie, these were perfect for non-chocolate lovers. They had a subtle hint of chocolate but were still perfectly sweet. I even added raspberry jam for a little added sweetness and they were wonderful! They even gave off the sweet brownie aroma while being baked. I will certainly make this again, and will try different jams, and add nuts next time. These are a perfect afternoon snack and are something you don't have to feel that guilty about.

Ingredients:

• 1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 ripe avocado
• 6 tbsp cocoa powder (30gm)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 tablespoons white sugar <--- I feel like I didn't even add this, oops
• 2 TSP instant coffee (or TBSP if you're crazy or just can't read like me ;) )
• 1/4 cup raspberry jam - to swirl into the brownie

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.

Combine black beans, yoghurt, applesauce, maple syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spread into parchment-lined baking dish, top with raspberry jam and mix into the batter. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean.

These are best if you let them sit overnight before slicing and enjoying!

What are some foods that you've made that you never thought you would even try but ended up loving?