My grandpa was a farmer. Every morning he went up at 5 am to feed the animals and do all the farm duties. After he was done with his first shift, he went to the kitchen and cooked oatmeal. Every single day. I am not sure what his secret was to get it so creamy and smooth as only his oatmeal could be. Perhaps it was because he never stopped stirring the bowl. I have such a strong memory of him standing by the stove, with his back towards the kitchen table. That sound of the wooden spoon stirring against the bottom of the pot.
I have become my grandpa. I don’t get up at 5 am. And we don’t have any cows and horses that need to be fed. But oatmeal has also become my ritual on weekday mornings. Both Elsa and Luise love eating it. And I love to make it – stirring the pot, pretending that I’m him.
Oatmeal. And eggs. And a green smoothie. That’s pretty much the daily morning routine in our family. Except for weekends. Then we get a bit more creative. Elsa and I often bake these scones and scramble eggs & spinach together. Other days we do banana pancakes. Or we do a baked oatmeal. Normally we do the Baked Blackberry Oatmeal that can be found in our book. Last weekend we tried a new version. It’s a combination of a carrot cake and a baked oatmeal. And you can have it for breakfast. Yes you can.
The carrots add a nice subtle flavor to the oatmeal, but what I love even more are the spices and raisins that gives it that carrot cake character. The crunchy sunflower and walnut layer that rests on top – it’s pretty darn good as well.
With the weekend coming up, it would be fun to see some Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal popping up on Instagram. Hashtag it #gksbreakfast so we won’t miss out on anything. To be on the safe side you could also tag either @gkstories or @luisegreenkitchenstories. We’re looking forward to hear (and see) what all you carrot cake fans think of this breakfast.
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On a different subject. We will be speaking and cooking on stage (wish us luck!) at the Danish Book Fair in Bella Centeret in Copenhagen, Sunday the 10th of November. We will be at stage at 10.00 and 17.00. Stop by if you want to see us fumbling on stage, get your book signed or just want to say hi! We’d love to see some friendly faces there. And the exciting part is that we actually got 10 one-day tickets to give away. So just leave a comment and we’ll randomly pick 10 winners on 1 November. See you at the book fair!
We will announce the 10 winners in our next post!
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Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Serves 4
For a vegan alternative: measure 2 tbsp chia seeds into a small bowl and add 1/3 cup (90 ml) water. Stir with a spoon and set a side for 15 minutes. Use in place of the eggs.
Dry mixture
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (or any rolled flakes), choose gluten free if you are celiac
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground vanilla or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch coarse sea salt
1 1/3 cups / 200 g / 7 oz grated raw carrot (about 4)
a handful raisins
Wet mixture
2 organic eggs or chia seed mixture (see top note)
2 1/4 cups / 500 ml / 17 oz plant milk of your choice
Crunchy top layer
4 tbsp maple syrup, honey or apple syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature + extra for greasing the pan
1 cup / 180 g walnuts or nuts or your choice
3/4 cup / 100 g sunflower seeds or seeds of your choice
Preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). Grease the base of a 8 x 10 inch (20 x 25 cm) baking dish with coconut oil and then set aside.
Combine the rolled oats, baking powder, spices and salt in a mixing bowl, then add grated carrots and raisins and stir to mix. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs (or chia mixture), add the milk and whisk well to combine.
To create the crunchy top layer, put the sweetener, coconut oil, walnuts and sunflower seeds in a small bowl and mix with your fingers to make sure everything is well coated.
Spoon the oat mixture into the baking dish and then pour the egg mixture over the oats so everything is evenly soaked. Sprinkle the seed and nut mixture on top and bake for 25 – 35 minutes. When it’s done, the oatmeal should be set and the nuts and seeds lightly browned and crunchy. Leave to cool slightly before serving.
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