Cooking With Amanda

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Chocolate Overnight Oats

There's this thing that happens when you dig your spoon through creamy, wholesome flecks of oatmeal…

And then it lands in the thickest, richest layer of (HEALTHY) brownie batter.

It can only be described as chocolatey-breakfast-heaven that I am STRONGLYYYY urging you to get in on in your VERY imminent breakfast-loving-selves' future. Just so we're clear, I am REALLY suggesting that you get on the chocolate overnight oats, like, TOMORROW.

You and I are on the same page here: we don't keep good things in the form of <3-healthy, super-simple, brownie batter deliciousness waiting for ANYTHING.

I am going to tell you something that I have also told you about in both the funfetti protein overnight oats and the chocolate coconut overnight oats: I am, no word of a lie, Obsessed (capital "o" for emphasis) with the moment that happens when the spoon of chocolatey-sweet-oatmeal meets my mouth… and does it over and over again.

You know those meals when you are SO involved with munchin' that you don't realize that you've ALMOST finished the last bite, so you should slow down and really SAVOR it before it goes away? AND THEN, you go to put your spoon back in the bowl only to hear the heart-wrenching "CLINK" of spoon meeting empty bowl. Tears of sadness ensue. Because my overnight oatmeal love is THAT STRONG.

This seriously-easy, not-so-many ingredients recipe that tastes like VEGAN BROWNIES for breakfast is that sort of dealio. IT COULD end in sad-morning-person you.

You've been given all the necessary tools to make sure that every single bite of rich, ooey-gooey brownie nirvana is tasted, savored and L-O-V-E-D.

Don't say I didn't warn you when you hear the dreaded CLINK.

Besides that fact that healthy brownies which are going to make your heart feel happy = happening to a breakfast near you tomorrow, there's another nifty thing about real life you actually making overnight oats in advance:

You can make LOTS. At ONCE. And then they just happily sit in your refrigerator, ready to fill your hungry-chocolate-loving mouth whenever the URGE happens. Which might NOT even be in the wee hours of the morning, you know?

You must always be prepared for these very-possible moments to arise. CHAMPION.

Really though, I made 6 of these at once. Mostly because my eyeballs are sometimes bigger than my stomach and my brain was like "WHY OF COURSE YOU CAN EAT 6 SERVINGS RIGHT NOW, and you SHOULD, because CHOCOLATE." Buuuuut then, after making mega-batch of brownie oats, logical brain kicked in and said "as much as you want to keep munchin' you know that it is not the best investment in your life right now. Heads up, you are one person. Not 6."

I listened. And sadly put them in the refrigerator.

E-X-C-E-P-T: super-fun thing that I forgot about when I woke up the next day: I HAD MORE.

And they were perfect. Still rich. Still creamy. The avocado didn't even do that funky-weird-tasting thing that it does when you leave it out for .003 seconds too long. Why is that though? Avocado at 1 minute exposed to air: PERFECT.

1.003 minutes? BROWN. BAD. NO GOOD.

#thingstoponder

What you should NOT be pondering is the necessity of the equation of spoon + brownie oats + you = YUM in your tomorrow-person existence.

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Chocolate Overnight Oats Recipe

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups mashed avocado, about 1 small avocado or 110 grams
2 tablespoons agave nectar, or to taste
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon raw vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if needed
2 teaspoons dairy-free mini chocolate chips

Directions

In a small food processor, process the avocado, agave, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth and combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary.
With the food processor running, stream in 2 tablespoons of the almond milk until well mixed and you have a creamy, smooth batter.
Divide the batter between two bowls or large cups.
In a large bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup of almond milk and rolled oats.
Divide the mixture between the two cups/bowls, on top of the brownie base. Divide the chocolate chips on top.
Place in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight.
In the morning, mix it all together and DEVOUR.

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Rocket Sandwich

When I lived in Rome, after the first couple of days being there on my own, I realized just how expensive living on my own in a foreign country was. It took my roommates and I a couple days, a couple nice meals out, and the exchange rate to smack us into reality pretty quick.

As soon as we realized how much we had to stretch our dollars, we went on the hunt for cheap eats around our apartment. There was this one sandwich shop with 3-euro sandwiches that actually tasted more delicious than all the pasta we'd been inhaling.

My favorite sandwich was a prosciutto rocket salad (aka arugula) served on a crusty French baguette that would keep me full all day. I've been recreating the sandwich for years at home, but I started to get bored with it.

I mean the flavors are amazing but it desperately needed more substance and more… something.

That something ended up being two things — avocado and a lemon pepper spread that is my new lifeline for all sandwiches. Shave a little Parmesan on top of it all and you have the ultimate picnic sandwich that is anything but ordinary. Just wrap it up and take it for lunch or even for a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood (a passeggiata if you want to get really into the Italian spirit).

Whenever I'm getting a little nostalgic about my time in Rome (or whenever I simply need a delicious sandwich fix), I have to bring out the rocket sandwich. Plus it's the best picnic sandwich EVER.

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Rocket Sandwich Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Lemon Pepper Spread:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

For the Sandwich:

1 cup arugula
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 thin french baguette, ends trimmed and cut in half
6 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced thin
shaved parmesan cheese

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, toss arugula with lemon juice and olive oil. Set aside.
Cut the baguette pieces in half lengthwise. Spread all 4 halves with a good helping of lemon pepper spread. To the bottom halves, add a layer of prosciutto, then dressed arugula, and a layer of sliced avocado. Top with shaved Parmesan and other halves of bread.