morning sunshine :)
how’s everyone doing today? while it’s friday (the 13th….) and that means the weekend for most, i’m working all day tomorrow so while i can’t quite share in the positive energy that friday brings, i know that when other people are happy, my work day is easier, which makes me happy. so yay for friday anyway!
i got a couple requests after my what i ate wednesday post for the oat parfait i posted. ask and you shall receive! i’ll make apologies ahead of time- pictures aren’t the best since when i made it i wasn’t planning on posting the recipe. but as i was eating it, i was enjoying it so much, i just had to offer.
i made the parfait up with 2 goals in mind:
- use up some of the many cherries I purchased this weekend. i’ve been eating big bowls multiple times a day and just loving it. but i figured i should try and incorporate even a few of them into a recipe
- incorporate a source of iron- this is a goal for pretty much every meal i have now (for reasons why see this post)
what seemed like the easiest source to incorporate with the cherries for breakfast was blackstrap molasses. i’ll always remember the first time i tasted it. i had just taken a vegan cooking class to help me learn how to prepare some vegetarian dishes (i wasn’t quite vegan yet) and my teacher said one of the breakfasts she enjoyed most was peanut butter and blackstrap molasses on toast. i figured if she ate it all the time it had to be good! so i went and bought myself some, didn’t smell it or taste test it or anything but instead smeared it liberally onto my toast and took a huge bite. i’m guessing i looked something like this:
let’s just say i didn’t touch the stuff for a while after that.
since then though, it’s become one of my favourite natural sweeteners! it has a wonderfully rich taste, almost like deep brown sugar. there is a slight bitterness to it, but since i tend to like my sweets on the less-sweet side (does that even make sense??) i really like this aspect. in fact, i should probably try it on toast again, i’d probably like it this time!
brands of blackstrap molasses vary, so try a couple to find one you like. i think this may have been my problem in the whole toast debacle. the brand i like is wholesome sweeteners which is sweeter than others i’ve tried.
now what’s so great about blackstrap molasses? well it’s actually a by-product of sugar production and is rich in vitamins and minerals contained in the sugar cane plant including iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin b6 and potassium. obviously, what interested me the most was the iron! 2 tbsp of blackstrap molasses has about 7.2 mg of iron! that’s pretty awesome if you ask me.
what’s also great about this parfait is that it includes sources of vitamin c- the cherries and peaches! absorption of iron is enhanced when consumed with vitamin c-rich foods. so it’s really important to make sure you get some in!
now that you know why you should eat it, you probably would like to know what you want to eat it. this parfait has a quick chia cherry ginger jam (whoa that’s a mouthful) that is left in the fridge overnight so the flavours can meld. the oats are soaked overnight to make digestion nice and easy and then in the morning they are mixed with some coconut yogurt, blackstrap molasses, tahini and a little stevia which complements the ginger in the cherry jam beautifully. add in some chopped peaches and this breakfast is ready!
it’s also very easy to make too- you just need to get your jam made and oats soaking the evening before and then assemble in the morning. the hardest part is pitting the cherries- the fact that you have to do this is probably the only thing i dislike about fresh cherries!
ginger cherry & peach oat parfait (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free)
the ginger in the cherry jam compliments the blackstrap molasses perfectly which the tahini provides and earthiness that ties everything together. chopped peached add some brightness for a beautiful and delicious breakfast!
- 1/4 cup rolled oats + 2 tbsp oat bran, soaked overnight in water and a little lemon juice (for why this is important check this post). you could also just used 6 tbsp rolled oats
- 1 recipe quick chia ginger cherry jam (recipe below)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp non-dairy yogurt (i used so delicious plain coconut yogurt)
- 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses (start with less if you are new to it’s flavour)
- 3/4 tbsp tahini
- stevia to taste (1 used 2 drops english toffee stevia)
- diced peaches
- granola/buckwheat groats to top (for some crunch)
- a dollop of yogurt and a cherry to finish
prepare your cherry jam the night before. also, soak your oats overnight then in the morning rinse them well.
mix the oats with the yogurt, molasses, tahini and stevia.
spoon about 1/3 of the oats into a bowl or glass, top with 1/2 of the jam and diced peaches. do this one more time. finally top with the last 1/3 of the oats, peaches, sprinkle with granola/groats, finish with a dollop of yogurt and make it feel extra special by adding a cherry on top!
quick chia cherry ginger jam (vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, raw)
this makes only what you need for the parfait but definitely feel free to make more!
- 1/4 cup diced cherries
- 1/2 tsp agave
- 1/2 tsp chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp ginger
pulse a couple times in a blender/food processor or just mix everything together, mashing with a fork a bit. let sit in the fridge overnight so the flavours can intensify and meld together.
i’m submitting this post to wellness weekends!
mmm check out them layers!
now i’m sure you all noticed, but this post has no capital letters in it. i really like the look of lowercase letters, much more so than uppercase. so i decided to write this post just how i like it. fun no?
questions for you all!
- any big plans for the weekend? none for me! i’m working then hopefully sunday will be restful with a lazy brunch and lounging in the sun
- do you have any weird little quirks when it comes to writing? i tend to even write lists, journal entries etc. entirely in lowercase- looks so much nicer to me!
want a hint for what’s coming up next?
have a great weekend!
YAY I am so excited you posted the recipe, cannot wait to try this!
Heheh I hope you like it Heather :)
Thats my kind of breakfast! Beautiful pics. Happy days, leex
Thanks so much! It was a nice change since I don’t eat oats very much anymore :)
yummmmmmm
That parfait looks SUPER delicious. I am gonna try making it.
Thanks my dear :) I hope you like it!
Wow, I didn’t know that about molasses! Awesome!
I thought so too :) Hope you had a lovely weekend!
My experience of blackstrap molasses was pretty much the same. One big bite, followed by one big fit of gagging! I mainly use it in savoury foods like barbeque sauce, but that pretty jar has persuaded me to give it another go-around for sweet foods
Haha well I hope you enjoy it! It’s fast becoming one of my favourite natural sweeteners. it just adds such an amazing richness! Let me know how it goes for you :)
What a pretty parfait! Your jar is so cute, and I totally forgot about using blackstrap molasses. The high nutrition content is awesome, I may need to incorporate this into my diet more often than the other sweeteners. :)
Thanks Jennifer! I forgot about it too until recently, but I’m going to start using it more! Especially now that I realize it goes great with spring and summer flavours too, not just winter and fall ones!
Yay parfait recipe. Yum yum!!! Enjoy lounging in the sun today! I’ll be doing that this afternoon too :)
Thanks my dear :) I am trying to even out this farmer’s tan I’ve developed. Doesn’t bug me too much but should I want to wear a tank top or a strapless dress it will lol
Ooh Gabby, that looks so delicious! I love all the layers — it’s very beautiful! i could see this served at a brunch or tea:) — especially in that mason jar mug — so cute! Enjoy your day off today!
Thanks Caralyn! I think layered things are the best- they are so much fun to eat!
Hope you’re having a great weekend :)
Favourite drink = a little molasses stirred into hot almond milk – LOVE :)
oh I am sooooo trying this :)
You’re so right about needing to test and try a few blackstrap molasses brands. In the past, I’ve had one that is deliciousness indeed even from a spoon (though intense), but my current one is so sour I can only use it in small amounts and mixed with another sweetener. This looks heavenly!
There’s this one I wish I loved- you can buy it bulk from my health food store for soooo cheap but it tastes so sour and bitter! I think it’s worth shopping around and springing for one that’s a little more pricey. Thanks Hannah :)
this looks soooo good! can’t wait to make it! I have a big jar of wholesome sweetner molasses from christmas when i made gingerbread cookies, and i haven’t known what to do with it…this will be perfect.
also, i am sooo with you on the lowercase letter thing! i tend to succumb to the capitol letters for the blog, but all my emails are cute little letters. ; )
Thanks so much Raechel! I had a jar of it leftover form pumpkin baked goods! I need to find more ways to use it in the summer, and now that I’ve made this I’m sure it can be used loooads of other ways!
Haha lowercase letters are just so much cuter, I’m glad you share my love for them :)
Gorgeous parfait, Gabby! Molasses is also a fantabulous (I made up that word) source of calcium!
Thanks Carrie! And good to know! Love that word :)
Thank you for this! I’ve been experimenting with chia jams too- I love that you put some in the parfait!
I like the sounds of your lazy weekend! As for writing quirks- I’m actually dyslexic when it comes to writing/typing (I’m fine when reading), so when I look over what I’ve written, I’ll find many completely jumbled words. It’s pretty humorous!
Take care, Gabby, and have a fantastic weekend! :-)
I am loving chia jams! Especially because you can use them to help make a raw jam that jells up all nice :)
Lazy weekends are the best and I just can’t wait to be done work tomorrow so I can get it started. Lazy weekends that include lots of cooking just don’t get much better!
Awww I bet proof-reading your posts is good fun ;) I find that when I am hand writing something, my brain moves faster than my hand and I always end up with word that are a strange mishmash of each other….like if I wanted to write roller coaster, it comes out rollster. I don’t know if other people do that but it makes me laugh.
Enjoy your weekend as well Kristy!
Love it! Your parfait and lower case letters are tres adorable! Do what feels right, right?!
Haha exactly, thanks Shira :)
Oh I can’t wait for next week now – thanks for the preview! Have a good weekend until then! :)
Thanks you too!
This looks so good, totally something my mom would love – she loves ginger. I love cherries and peaches. Maybe I’ll make this for both of us when I sleep over my parents house next time.
Thanks Kammie! That’s a great idea, I hope you both enjoy it :)
This looks so good … Happy Friday :-)
Thank you :) have a great weekend!
Ugh, blackstrap molasses is no bueno. I can only imagine that you didn’t enjoy it! This looks like a much, much more delicious vegetarian breakfast – especially in the peak of cherry season!
Thanks! Yes that was a terrible experience! But I’m glad I’ve come back to it now. It goes surprisingly well with cherries!
That looks and sounds so delicious!! Peaches are on sale this week but they are from the US. Not sure whether to risk getting subpar peaches…. Ontario peaches are where it is at! I really like the blackstrap molasses with pumpkin stuff… but who wants that when it is summer? ;)
Oh totally, Ontario peaches are the best! Blackstrap molasses is such a fall and winter sweetener to me but I wanted to start using it more for the nutrition. So I figured ginger would be a great way to tie it in with summer fruits! And while I love pumpkin, I agree that it belongs in cooler weather :)
Have you ever tried Mbars? They may only in Toronto, but I am not sure… anyways, they stick molasses into their energy bars…. so I think it would work well with other flavour combos, too… even chocolate and cherry!
See http://goddessgourmet.ca/index.htm
They sell those at the little health food store here! They only have a couple flavours, and I’ve only tried one, but I really enjoyed it. I had no idea they had blackstrap molasses in them though, good to know! Thanks for the info and inspiration to go crazy with molasses ;)
OMG this recipe sounds so good! Cherries and peaches are two of my favorite fruits and this sounds so amazing! I had no idea that blackstrap molasses was so nutritious, that is such interesting information! I love when you share info like that, it is so good to expand your nutritional horizons :) I still love that jar/glass :) I can’t wait to see what’s coming up next, that teaser looks sooooooo good!
I’m with you, working all weekend. I wish I had your job though, I was seriously happiest when working at a coffee shop. The pay wasn’t great but I got to bake, meet great people and make really yummy coffee drinks. Doesn’t get better than that! Maybe one day again ;) Have a great weekend and I hope your day goes quickly tomorrow!
Oh and as far as writing quirks… I prefer to write in a conversational style and I don’t really like to linger too much on any particular post. I find the more time I spend on it the more changes I make and the less I like the post. I probably should spend more time on it to make it more polished but I guess I’m just used to writing a conversational style blog :)
I love your style of blogging and I agree with you in that I like writing like that more. I feel like it lets people get an idea of who you are that way!
Thanks Sarah! Aren’t they amazing fruits? They are must haves for me in the summer! I’m really excited to share the next recipe, it’s so easy but delicious and no cooking required :)
Aww well here are goods and bads to every job right? Like customers can be rude and it can be pretty thankless at times. But I do love it :) and yes, you can always do it again!
Have a great weekend Sarah, try not to work too hard!
Writing quirks: I prefer to write things well ahead of time, & then have plenty of time for editing before the post is published. This is really great time-saver for summer :)
I like doing that too. Even in university I made sure I had assignments done at least one day early so I would have a day to edit! It’s definitely a quick breakfast that requires no cooking which is ideal in summer :)
Wow, thanks for this breakfast. I really have to make this now you’ve posted the recipe. I need to get my own baby something different to eat and I know she (and I) will love this one. It also gives me a good excuse to make your granola which is on my to do list.
Aww that poor baby in the video, he really didn’t want to eat that at all! One good reason for baby led weaning!
Awesome, I hope you like it! It’s quick and easy too since most of the prep is done the night before! Sounds like you are going to be cooking lots on he weekend. Me too hopefully!
Enjoy your weekend!
Yum, I love ginger and fruit together! Interesting idea to add the tahini, good for extra calcium and protein!
I think I put tahini in almost everything I make, it adds nutriton, flavour and creaminess! Ginger is so good with fruit! I always forget how summery ginger can be since I tend to use it more when I’m sick and cold lol
Good morning oh healthy and creative one – was a gorgeous breakfast :D
Dying to have that for breakfast tomorrow – g’nite my friend ;)
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Haha I hope you like it :)