blissful eats with tina jeffers: Spiced persimmon overnight oats

I have seen versions of overnight oats all over the Internet and I have always been intrigued.  I must admit that I have slight issues with oatmeal; the texture is always a little off-putting.  So I decided to try them with the addition of a little crispy rice cereal to give it the crunch I crave.

Persimmons are one of my very favorite fruits but the season is pretty short.  If you haven’t tried one you should really seek them out, they have a floral quality and subtle honey overtones that you won’t find in any other fruit.   There are two kinds of persimmons that are commonly found, the fuyu and the hachiya.  The fuyu can be eaten while still firm but the hachiya must be completely ripe and soft before you consume them.  They are high in tannins that will be really unpleasant on your tastebuds if you don’t allow them to ripen fully.

The oats can be enjoyed with any number of fruits and spices.  If you can’t find persimmons, try some apples or pears, hazelnuts or pecans would also be nice or a spoonful of your favorite nut butter would also be tasty.  If you don’t like them cold you could warm the oat mixture in the microwave for a minute or so before you assemble the parfait.  If you are looking for another way to enjoy persimmons be sure to check out this persimmon smoothie on my blog at www.scalingbackblog.com!

Spiced persimmon overnight oats

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2/3 cup rolled oats

1 tbsp chia seeds

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

pinch salt

½ cup almond or hazelnut milk

1 teaspoon honey

1 persimmon, diced

½ cup crispy brown rice cereal

¼ cup chopped pistachios

honey to drizzle on top

Method:

Combine the oats, chia seeds, spices, and salt in a bowl and then pour the milk over the top, add the honey and stir well to combine.  Place in the fridge overnight.  To assemble the parfait layer a small amount of the oat mixture in the bottom of a jar, top with half the brown rice cereal and persimmons.  Repeat with another layer of oats, cereal and then top with the persimmons, pistachios and drizzle with honey.