Banana-Plum-Raisin Oatmeal Bake

Last week my mom and I were down in Anaheim. Disneyland used to be the only thing I cared about in the area, but now I have a new stop I must make every time I'm down there. 99 Ranch Market! On a previous trip to Disneyland, my coworker took me to this amazing Asian market on our way home. I was in heaven. We spent over an hour browsing through all the spices, sauces, teas and yummy treats. Once we left I couldn't wait to return. They also have a hot food station, which I was dying to try on my next visit.

 The food didn't disappoint. We got a few snacks to fuel us for shopping. Sugar cane shrimp, pork buns, scallion cakes, and turnip cakes. Everything was so fresh and delicious. I'm a huge Dim Sum fan, so this was perfect! The market is pretty big, so I suggested we start at one end and make our way down each aisle. I had a list of things I wanted to purchase again but also had my eyes open for new items I wanted to try. One item that caught my attention was a coconut spread (Ma Tamis Sa Bao). It's just coconut cream, brown sugar and water. It looks similar to caramel and has the same consistency.

 This stuff is delicious! It's smooth and creamy with a subtle coconut flavor. I read online that it can be substituted for molasses in pecan pie. Now that is something I must do soon. Instead of dessert, I decided to use it in place of maple syrup in an oatmeal breakfast bake. The finished product came out great. It's not too sweet and the flavors of the coconut with cooked bananas are just perfect. This oatmeal bake is gluten free and vegan friendly.

Ingredients:

2¼ cup gluten free oats
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
2 bananas, 1 sliced and reserve the other for wet ingredients
1 plum, sliced
½ cup golden raisins
1 can (14oz) light coconut milk
⅓ cup coconut spread
1 teaspoon vanilla

To make:

Preheat oven to 370ºF. In a large bowl, add oats, ground flax, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Toss in sliced banana, plum and raisins and set aside. In a food processor, combine coconut milk, coconut spread, the remaining banana and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into the dry and gently stir to saturate all of the oat mixture. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Press the mixture down gently with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. I made this the day before and once cooled, I covered it and stored in the fridge. It reheats easily in the microwave or oven and if you'd like an extra kick of protein top with a scoop of cottage cheese or yogurt.