I have never been a huge fan of breakfast and, when I do eat it, I want it to feel like a treat - pancakes with lashings of maple syrup served with sausage, or some sort of decadent egg dish such as eggs Benedict, with the addition of copious amounts of bacon, for example. If breakfast comes late enough to be construed as brunch and a Mimosa is added to the mix, so much the better.
I returned from Japan not feeling particularly well and knowing that not being hungry for dinner meant that I would probably be starving around 4 am. Based on the contents of my pantry and fridge prior to a major grocery shop, I came up with the following snack inspired by a quick online search and enjoyed the end result much more than I thought I would. These carrot cake overnight oats would also make a good snack.
1/2 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup milk
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and finely grated
1 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp shredded coconut
1 Tbsp walnuts, broken into small pieces
1 tsp brown sugar (more if you like sweets)
Splash of vanilla
Pinch of cinnamon (more if you really like cinnamon)
Pinch of salt
Greek yogurt and maple syrup for garnish (optional)
Boil a quarter cup of water. Add the raisins to a small bowl and cover with the water. Set aside while you measure out your ingredients and peel and grate your carrot.
Add all of the other ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. Drain the raisins and add them to the bowl. Stir again to distribute them throughout the oat mixture and press down so that all of the solids are wet.
Cover the dish and refrigerate until needed, overnight is best, but a couple of hours would work too in a pinch.
Stir to combine before eating, topped with Greek yogurt and maple syrup if so desired. I highly recommend this as it rather tastes like cream cheese frosting and adds to the whole carrot cake effect.
Inspiration recipe, here.