Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

This recipe came after a lot of experimenting with blueberries and pears.  

It all started with a great sale on organic blueberries.

I did some reading on the internet and found that almost all the recipes were nothing more then blending the 2 ingredients together. I did and it tasted great. It had a nice pear flavor with bits of blueberry in it. Although the skins look alarming, they are so soft I wouldn't worry about them in the puree.

My complaint was that once pureed it was almost completely liquid. My pears were extremely ripe and juicy.  Oh and pears brown almost immediately, so expect your puree to take on a tan tinge.

Some say that for babies younger than 8 months, or when you are trying a new fruit on a baby, that it's better to cook the fruit first.  Cooking the fruit should aid in digestion.  Although blueberries are recommended for 8 months and older anyway.

My next step was trying to cook the fruit first.  As you can see, the puree differs dramatically in appearance.

I decided to address the consistency by turning it into an oatmeal.

On the left is the final recipe, on the right was my attempt to add cooked oatmeal to my fresh puree.

Although the fresh blend was tasty I loved the cooked blend.  The blueberries take on this deep flavor that I couldn't get enough of.   Just the smell of the cooking fruit was enough to make me crave more.

I'd love the puree served warm over pancakes.  Yum.

The result of all this shenanigans is one simple recipe.

Blueberry Pear Oatmeal

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)

2 ripe pears, peeled, cored, chopped into chunks (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup oatmeal

Add blueberries and pears to a medium pot or saucepan and place over medium to high heat.  No additional liquid is needed.   Bring to a simmer and continue simmering 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  The fruit should be soft and the blueberries will be breaking down and letting out that gorgeous purple juice.  Take your pan off the heat and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

Meanwhile, grind your oatmeal.  This step allows you to control the amount of texture your baby gets in the finished product.  You can grind to a fine powder or not grind at all.  Transfer your oatmeal to a small bowl or cup.

Carefully place the fruit in the food processor and puree.  Transfer the pureed fruit back to the original pan and bring mixture up to a simmer.

Once the fruit is at a simmer, whisk in the ground oats.  Let the oats cook in the mixture, stirring occasionally.  I used quick cook oats and ground them down so it only took about 2 minutes to cook.  There are different types of oats so cook accordingly.

Let it cool and enjoy!

If the finished product is too thick for your little then go ahead and thin down with water.

Peanut approves!

*Variation

If you'd like to use the the oats as a thickener instead of as a main ingredient, simply cut down to 1/4 cup  of finely ground oats.

*Storage

Realistically I'm not sure I'll ever whip this up for breakfast.  I'm not a morning person, I don't get much done first thing in the morning.  Put this into an airtight container and you can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.  Warm it and then check the consistency.
You may need to thin it out with water, formula or breast milk

Freeze for up to 3 months.  Once thawed it's slightly rubbery.  Simply warm it and add water, formula or breast milk until it is a good consistency for your little.

*Benefits

Blueberries are a super fruit when it comes to nutritional value. 

They are pure brain food, packed with antioxidants and vitamin C.

The list of health benefits go on and on, regardless of whether they are fresh or frozen.

Oats are a great source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. 
They are also a good source of manganese, vitamin E, zinc, and protein.
They are also a great way to introduce your little to different textures.

As compared to the commercial version.

Isn't ours pretty?

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