Looking for a healthy way to ring in the New Year?
Try a make-your-own oatmeal bar for breakfast. This one features one of my favorite winter fruits– roasted pears. If you have never tasted them before then you are in for a real treat.
Start the oatmeal bar with hearty steel cut oats like the Trader Joe’s 8 minute Quick Cook Steel Cut Oats pictured below. Traditional (20 minute) steel cut oats, old-fashioned oats or quick oats will also work. Cook the oats according to package directions and add cinnamon, a little bit of brown sugar, and a pinch of salt as desired.
Set out a variety of dried fruit and nuts. We used orange flavored dried cranberries, golden berry blend (golden raisins, dark raisins, cherries, blueberries), honey roasted almonds, spiced pumpkin seeds, and chopped pecans.
For the star ingredient, simply spread chopped ripe pears on a large baking sheet with a rim (to catch the juices that they will release in the oven). Bake at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until they are slightly softened and fragrant. The flavors intensify and they taste amazing!
I first learned about roasted pears from a blender baby food cookbook many years ago. When my children were babies I cooked different types of vegetables and fruits and blended them to make baby food. This was one of our favorites. I probably snuck two spoonfuls of roasted pear puree for every one that I fed to my kids. As a puree, it can also be used to spoon over plain yogurt or vanilla frozen yogurt.
Serve the warm oats and roasted pears with a make-your-own oatmeal bar at the table. A delicious way to begin the new year!
