Recipe of the month: Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Raspberry Overnight Oats

Wishing all my readers a very 

Happy New Year 2017

I never thought the day would come when I would feature an overnights oats recipe on the blog 😛 But ever since I returned to work, time for preparing elaborate meals has become a luxury I just don't have. So, until I magically acquire a time turner, sprout two extra pair of limbs or crack the code on how to clone myself, simple recipes are the way forward. Speaking of keeping things simple, drinks have also been a heavily neglected segment on the blog so I may feature more of those too.

This is how mornings unfold in my household - with my current schedule, I need to be out of the house by 8:20 am (yes, it is that precise), on a work week. On the bright side, the sun is out (pun intended). My husband drives me to work every day and the blessed route we take bypasses all the rush-hour traffic snarls which gets me in record time, so I guess I don't have much to complain about there. But mornings are always a bit manic with me waking up early to go for a swim or to the gym and then coming back to delegate instructions to our helper regarding our toddlers' meals or else doing the prep work myself and then making a dozen mental checklists for the day. After that, it leaves just enough time to get showered, dressed, caffeinated and say goodbye to two clingy kids. With all this going on, I sometimes don't have time to have breakfast or other times I simply can't be bothered.

I have a collection of quick breakfast essentials (read: cornflakes, granola bars and fruit) at my workplace but when my to-do list seems longer than the Nile, I find it a herculean effort to put something together and then clean up after. The easy way out is to just skip breakfast altogether.

Having said that, I understand the importance of a good breakfast and therefore came up with a contingency plan. I decided to keep a mason jar of overnight oats ready in the fridge whenever I feel like the next morning is going to swallow me whole. The best thing about overnight oats is that they are great to eat right out of the fridge, convenient to grab on the go, taste delicious, comprise (mostly) of ingredients that are good for you and will keep you fuelled up till lunch time. I can go a good five hours without feeling hungry which from personal experience, enhances productivity at work.

This recipe has rolled oats, peanut butter, chocolate, fresh fruit and nuts. Even though I will gladly shun sweet breakfasts for the savory kind, breakfast that tastes like dessert is pretty hard to pass over. I usually have some time to myself after the kids go to bed (I call it my 'happy hour' 😝) so all I have to do is set aside 5-10 minutes of that time, put together a jar of overnight oats and stash it in the fridge. The next day is just grab and go. The best way to kickstart a busy mum's day, don't you think? And pssst.... it's not just for mum.... daddy and the kids like it too.

Watch out for more delicious and easy overnight oats recipe that I will be experimenting with in the coming few months. Till then, don't underestimate the power of a good breakfast and try this recipe to start your day right 💪

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Raspberry Overnight Oats

Preparation time: 10 min
Cooking time: Nil (only baking time of 10 min to roast the nuts and overnight chilling time)
Serves: 1-2
Recipe category: Breakfast/Western
Recipe level: Very easy
Recipe source: Adapted from here

Ingredients:

50 gm (1/3 cup) rolled oats

140 ml milk (dairy or nondairy)

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon smooth or chunky peanut butter

1-2 tsp pure maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

25 gm roasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped

1 small ripe banana, sliced or chopped

10-12 fresh raspberries 

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160 degree C (fan) and roast the macadamia nuts for 10-15 minutes, cool, then roughly chop them and store them in an airtight container.

I usually use store-bought roasted honey macadamias which makes my life even more easier.

2. In a clean mason jar, mix the oats, cocoa powder, maple syrup and peanut butter with the milk.

3. Close the lid of the jar ensuring it is airtight and store the jar in the fridge overnight (for at least 6 hours). I usually leave mine for 10-12 hours.

4. In the morning, chuck in the sliced bananas, fresh raspberries, roasted macadamia nuts and give it a quick mix.

5. Grab your spoon and dig in.

Notes:

• I prefer my oats a little thinner than usual when it comes to consistency. You can reduce the quantity of milk if you like it to be thicker
• I use pure Canadian maple syrup, but if you don't have that, you can substitute with honey
• You can use hazelnuts instead of macadamia nuts
• You can add in other ingredients like chia seeds (before refrigeration) and granola (sprinkled over the mixture after refrigeration)

Cheers,
Megha