Peachy “Clean” Breakfast Crisp

The past week or so has been rough. My computer committed hara-kiri last Saturday, and after spending an inordinate amount of time staring at that dirty fingerprint-smeared beautiful screen for four years, I feel like I’ve lost a friend (maybe a friend of a friend? An acquaintance? Eh, who am I kidding, it was a biffle.) I know it’s weird to feel attached to an inanimate object, but without that computer, this blog wouldn’t exist so there. (Also, blogging in the past week has required a bit of crazy maneuvering and a lot of the WordPress iPad app. Thank goodness for technology.*)

To add insult to injury, I’ve hit a total wall on my half-marathon training (more to come on that) which is frustrating and making me exceedingly nervous about that 13.1-mile distance. I also haven’t been feeling well, and just in general am dealing with a bad case of the late summer blahs.

But I’m a big believer on “new dawn, new day” and that starts with breakfast. Is there a meal more glorious than breakfast? You can do savory, you can do sweet (or even a little bit of both), you can do quick, you can do elaborate, you can do anything you want basically. Plus, anything that by definition necessitates bacon, eggs and coffee is a winner in my book.

But as I get older, more and more I’m realizing that just scarfing down anything first thing in the morning doesn’t necessarily make for a successful start. Nutrients are pretty useful at breakfast, as is a limit on sugar and fat.

So, because I like to have my cake and eat it too, I made dessert and cleaned it up for breakfast. Fruit crisps are a must this time of year, as the markets are literally overflowing with late-season berries and peak-season stone fruit. My farmer’s market had peaches ranging from golfball- to softball-sized, and plums of every shape and color. You can bake them into tarts or crumbles or cobblers or buckles, or you could go the easy route and just sprinkle some oats on top for a crisp.

The fruit was so sweet that I didn’t need any sugar, and I decided to swap out the butter and flour as well, meaning this breakfast crisp is sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan (more magic!), though I promise, you’d never be able to tell. The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger adds some oomph, and the toasted coconut and chopped almonds add a nutty crunch.

I’ve been eating some each morning, straight from the fridge and topped with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt. It’s such a welcome change from my routine peanut butter and banana, and feels extremely indulgent (without being at all bad for me). This breakfast crisp made my mornings feel special, a brief respite from the black cloud of blah that took over my week.

Here’s to a new week, and starting your days off with a smile!

*Silver lining to the whole “I have no computer” situation? I’ve been reading a ton. Almost finished Julia Child’s letters with Avis DeVoto, and I’ve got Robert Galbraith’s J.K. Rowling’s book up next. Anything I should add to my list?

Peachy “Clean” Breakfast Crisp
Inspired by Smitten Kitchen
Serves 5-6 (perfect for a week’s worth of breakfasts #hinthint)

– 2 pounds peaches, sliced

– 1-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch*

– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

– 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (optional if your peaches aren’t too sweet, but I definitely did not need this)

– 3/4 cup rolled oats (not instant)*

– 1/2 cup roughly chopped nuts (I used almonds, but walnuts or pecans would also be delicious)

– 1/4 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut, toasted**

– 1/4 cup ground flax

– 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

– 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

– 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

– pinch of sea salt

– 2 tablespoons coconut oil or another neutral oil

*Make sure your oats and cornstarch have been designated as gluten-free — though neither of these ingredients naturally contain gluten, cross-contamination is often an issue.

**To toast, heat the shredded coconut in a clean, dry skillet on medium low for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently so the flakes brown evenly.

1) Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly oil an 11-x-7 (or 8-x-8) baking dish.

2) In the prepared dish, toss together the peaches, cornstarch, vanilla extract and maple syrup or honey, if using.

3) In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, nuts, toasted coconut, ground flax, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, sea salt and oil. Form small clumps of the mixture and sprinkle evenly over the fruit.

4) Bake until the top is browned and crisp and the fruit is bubbling, about 25-30 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, then serve cold or at room temperature for breakfast, with a not-so-optional helping of yogurt on the side.