Crave different flavors?

That may be a sign that you’re in a bit of a salad rut. I’ve been there.

Enter a delightful Chinese salad recipe to relieve your taste buds. Give it a try and see if it gets you out of your food rut! Add some chicken and you’ve got a tasty Chinese chicken salad.

Let’s be honest. This is not an authentic Chinese recipe. But it does represent a delightful fusion between Asian and Western cuisines.

Asian salad toppings

• citrus fruit (orange and tangerines)
• furikake
• sesame seeds
• cilantro
• green onion
• shredded carrot
• shredded red cabbage
• mint
• cucumber
• boiled or grilled chicken

Using Oranges in Asian Salads

Oranges, mandarin oranges, and tangerines are a delightful addition to Asian salads. They bring a burst of sweet, zesty juice to balance out the saltiness of dressing.

How to make an Asian salad dressing

Depending on what kind of Asian food you are going for, your Asian salad dressing recipe will be different.

Chinese

• soy sauce
• orange and lemon
• sesame oil
• ginger
• sugar
• rice vinegar or white vinegar

Vietnamese/Thai

• lime juice/lemon juice
• fish sauce
• garlic
• sugar
• rice vinegar or white vinegar
• lemongrass
• Thai bird chile
• shallot
• kaffir lime leaf
• basil

Japanese

• soy sauce
• miso paste
• sugar
• rice vinegar or white vinegar
• sesame oil
• grated onion

This Asian salad recipe is more of the Chinese influence. Which is why I used a Chinese salad dressing recipe with soy sauce and sesame oil as a flavor base.

How to Cook with Sesame Oil

Sesame oil provides a rich and unctuous earthy flavor to Asian food. But it needs to be used wisely. It should not be used thoughtlessly because it can easily overpower a dish.

Use only a small drizzle at a time, and then continue to taste and add little by little. Sesame oil adds a nice richness to this Asian salad dressing recipe.

For other salad ideas, check out my delicious Healthy Caesar Salad.

Price Comparison

How much did this Chinese salad recipe cost? This is how much I spent on the ingredients: butter lettuce ($1), tangerine ($.50), cilantro ($.20), orange juice ($.50), sesame oil ($.50), soy sauce ($.15).

Restaurant ($10-13) vs. Home-made ($1.45)

It’s definitely more economical to make this salad at home.

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Chinese Salad with Tangerines

A tangy and sweet Chinese inspired salad with tangerines. Perfect side dish.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword Asian salad dressing, Asian salad recipe, Chinese salad, Chinese salad dressing, Chinese salad recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

Salad

• 1 head butter lettuce
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 handful cilantro chopped
• 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted
• 1 fresh tangerine peeled

Chinese salad dressing

• 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 orange juiced
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp water

Instructions

• Chop up lettuce, grate carrot, and chop cilantro. Peel tangerine and separate into sections. Mix all salad ingredients together.
• Mix together minced ginger, soy sauce, sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, sesame oil, and water. Whisk together until incorporated.
• Dress salad and mix thoroughly but gently.
• Top with seame seeds and serve.

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of this recipe.

This salad with apple and craisins is so satisfying. It has a sweetness from the apple, tartness from the craisins, sweetness from the dressing, saltiness from the blue cheese, and richness from the sunflower seeds.

You can grill your own chicken or use store-bought grilled or whole-roasted chicken to add to this salad for some protein.

What apples should you use in cooking?

Depends on what flavor profile you are trying to achieve. Also depends on the texture you want.

Granny smiths (sour & crisp): good for baking because they hold up when cooked and give a tart sourness to contrast in desserts; also great for salads because of their tart flavor

Honeycrisp (sweet and sour and crisp): great for serving fresh/raw in salads because of their crisp texture, juiciness, and strong sweet and tart flavor. Also great for cooking because of their strong flavor profile.

Fuji (sweet and crisp): great for serving fresh/raw because of their crisp texture and juiciness. Fuji apples have a milder flavor profile, so they would not hold up as much in desserts.

For other salad ideas, check out my delicious Healthy Caesar Salad.

Using soft cheeses in salads

Soft cheeses are very creamy and delicate. Make sure you toss your salad with dressing first. And then add in pieces of your soft cheese. Otherwise, the cheese will smear into your salad and dressing.

How to spice up a salad

Spice up your salads with a variety of:

• cheese (feta, brie, blue cheese)
• fruit (apple, peach, pear, raisins, dried cranberries)
• nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts)
• protein (chicken, shrimp, steak)
• vinegars/acid (Champagne, balsamic, citrus, red wine, mulberry, lemon juice, mustard)

That way, you won’t get bored as easily.

Price Comparison

How much did this salad with apple and craisins set me back? This is how much I spent on the ingredients: mixed greens ($1), blue cheese ($.50), mulberry vinegar ($.50), honey ($.50), walnuts ($.50), apple ($.75).

Restaurant ($10-13) vs. Home-made ($1.88)

There is a steep mark-up when you buy salad from a restaurant vs. making it at home. It’s definitely more economical to make salad at home. Be a smart shopper and consumer.

Make your salads at home if you can and splurge on eating out for items that have less of a mark-up or are more difficult to make at home. With salads, it is easy because you can get pre-washed and pre-bagged mixed salad greens and have dinner ready in a jiffy.

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Mixed Green Salad with Apple, Crasisins, and Blue Cheese

A refreshing salad with sweet apple, tangy cranberries, and funky blue cheese.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword mixed green salad, salad with apple, salad with blue cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 3 cups mixed green salad
• 1 honeycrisp apple cored and sliced
• 1/4 cup blue cheese
• 1/4 cup craisins
• 2 tbsps sunflower seeds toasted

Mulberry dressing

• 1 tbsp mulberry vinegar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

• Prepare apples by removing their cores and cutting them into thin slices.
• Prepare dressing by mixing together mulberry vinegar, salt, honey, lemon juice, and olive oil.
• Gently toss mixed greens with apples, craisins, sunflower seeds, and dressing. Then gently sprinkle with blue cheese and toss gently until evenly dispersed in salad.

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of this recipe.

If you are like me, then you sometimes struggle to maintain your weight. Your love for food is over-powering. And it is so hard to say no to anything. Especially sweets and desserts. Enter the strawberry coconut chia seed pudding. Delicious, nutritious, and sweet without breaking your sugar calorie bank!

Even though we see lots of dessert posts on social media and food magazines, it is misleading because we really shouldn’t be having dessert every day.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. It’s just reality, y’all. Many of my nursing home patients have diabetes and continue to eat dessert almost every meal. This habit is pretty hard to escape in the US. And there are some pretty dire health consequences.

If there’s something I learned from studying public health policy, it’s that food companies are often not our friends. I get it: they need to sell their products. Unfortunately for you and me, that means they lure us in with luscious looking ice cream, cakes, and pies. Which means more money in the corporations’ pockets and more inches on our waistline.

Don’t swear off chocolate cake forever, but find ways to satisfy your sweet tooth without over-indulging all the time.

So what can you have instead?

Fruit!

Yogurt! And lots of it! Especially if you flavor it yourself and give yourself better control over how much sugar is in it.

Did you know that 1 serving of commercially prepared fruit-flavored yogurt can have as much sugar as your daily recommended sugar intake? For my full rant on that, please see my post on pina colada yogurt parfait.

Yeah…not good.

How Much Sugar To Add?

Try to add just enough sugar so that you start to taste some sweetness and feel satisfied. Any sugar added after that is not necessary. Plus it will be harmful to your health. Try 1 tsp at a time to see if it is sweet enough for you.

This recipe for strawberry coconut chia pudding has less than 5g of added sugar per serving. That’s a whole lot better than commercially made fruit-flavored yogurts that have anywhere between 12g – 29g of sugar per container.

What brand of yogurt should I use?

How long do I soak chia seeds?

At least 30 minutes, in my experience. Under-soaked chia seeds are very crunchy and unpleasant to eat.

What is oat milk?

A “milk” made by soaking oatmeal in water. It’s magical!

In my option, oat milk tastes better than any nut milk I’ve ever had. It is an amazing substitute for milk.

If you have sensitivities to milk, then oat milk is a must!

What kinds of fruit should I use?

I chose strawberries and coconut, but you can use whatever fruit you’d like. Fresh mangoes, cherries, raspberries, blueberries. You do you!

Price Comparison

If you order a yogurt parfait at a restaurant it will cost you $7-8 in the Los Angeles area. What did I spend to make 2 servings of this yogurt parfait? Yogurt ($1), strawberries ($.50), dried coconut ($.25), coconut milk ($.10), honey ($.10), oat milk ($.10)

Restaurant ($7-8) vs. Home-made ($1.03)

If you buy a yogurt parfait at a restaurant, you are paying 7x-8x the price! For the sake of your wallet and your health, try making it on your own. The best part is you can choose the freshest, tastiest fruit. You can also control the sugar, which is essential for a healthy life.

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Strawberry Coconut Chia Pudding

A lightly sweet healthy dessert or breakfast. Creamy and refreshing.

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chia pudding, coconut chia pudding, strawberry chia pudding

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Soak Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 1/4 c oat milk unsweetened
• 2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 c full fat yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 6 fresh strawberries pureed
• 1 tbsp coconut flakes unsweetened

Instructions

• Puree strawberries.
• Add strawberry puree with chia seeds, oat milk, honey, coconut milk, brown sugar, salt, yogurt, vanilla extract, and coconut flake.
• Mix well until honey and sugar are dissolved completely.
• Allow to sit in the refrigerator 1 hour-overnight.

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you made this! Would love to see your variations!

I’ll be posting more and more salad recipes on my food blog as it is summertime in the Los Angeles area now, and I am in great need of refreshment and hydration. Thus, salads are my go-to quick and easy lunch or dinner during summer. And one of my favorites is this healthy caesar salad, with its garlicky creamy yogurt dressing. We are experiencing a bit of a heat wave this week, so the last thing I want to do is fire up the stove or oven for my meals. You can grill your own chicken or use store-bought grilled or whole-roasted chicken to add to this salad for some protein. For a delicious Asian salad, check out my Thai papaya salad.

Few salads deliver such unctuous satisfying colors, textures, and flavors like a good caesar salad. I especially love the powerful umami that you get from the Parmigiano Regianno and the anchovies in the dressing. The garlicky herby croutons also offer a nice rich buttery flavor as well as crispiness. I’m drooling just thinking about it.

What is a healthy caesar salad?

As much as I’d love to eat a classic caesar salad on most days, I am trying to be kind to my body and my waistline. So I have developed a healthy caesar salad recipe that definitely does not lack at all in flavor. The creaminess comes from the full-fat yogurt, and the zinginess comes from garlic and lemon juice.

You’ll have to trust me on this and take a leap of faith when trying this recipe. It will definitely fool most taste buds and make you think that you are eating the real thing.

Can I use Parmesan Cheese?

Always invest in a good quality Parmigiano Regianno. Costco has a fantastic aged version that is already pre-grated. But if possible, always grate your parm fresh. The flavor is incomparable. Please never ever buy the crumbled ones that are in the middle aisles of a grocery store. You know what I’m talking about.

How to pack a salad for lunch

If you are packing a lunch, put the dressing on the very bottom of the container.

Then add something to cover the dressing, like sturdier veggies (tomato, onion, cucumber, radishes), dried fruit (dried cranberries, raisins). Proteins, and cheese (e.g., blue cheese crumbles, feta crumbles) to create a buffer between the dressing and the leafy greens. Then add the leafy greens at the very top. That way, you can just shake and mix, and you have a perfect salad for lunch. And you don’t have to fuss with a separate dressing container.

How to spice up a salad

Spice up your salads with a variety of:

• cheese (feta, brie, blue cheese)
• fruit (apple, peach, pear, raisins, dried cranberries)
• nuts (sunflower seeds, almonds, walnuts)
• protein (chicken, shrimp, steak)
• vinegars (Champagne, balsamic, red wine, mulberry)

That way, you won’t get bored as easily. Blue cheese, apple, and walnuts are a classic combination for a spring mix salad. Or you can also do feta, peach, chicken, and sunflower seeds.

Price Comparison

How much did this healthy caesar salad set me back? Keep in mind I made 4 servings with this. Romaine lettuce ($1.5), Greek yogurt ($1), garlic ($.25), lemon ($.50), Parmigiano Reggianno ($1).

Restaurant ($8-13) vs. Home-made ($1.06)

Wow. Just wow. There is a steep mark-up when you buy salad from a restaurant vs. making it at home. If you are in a time crunch, I would recommend getting pre-made salads from a grocery store. That would be around $4-6, which is much better than the $8-13 price range when you order a salad at a restaurant. Be a smart shopper and consumer. Make your salads at home if you can and splurge on eating out for items that you cannot make well at home.

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Healthy Caesar Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword healthy caesar salad

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 head Romaine lettuce washed and cut
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tbsp pepper to taste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1 lemon juiced
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggianno grated

Instructions

• Wash and cut romaine lettuce into 1-inch thick slices and allow to drain.
• Meanwhile, prepare dressing. Add yogurt, garlic, pepper, salt, sugar, and lemon juice into a blender. Blend until smooth and adjust seasonings to taste.
• When ready to serve, toss salad in dressing and grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary to share your version of this recipe!

Pina Colada Yogurt for Dessert

Desserts! Er…I mean yogurt for breakfast! Let’s be honest, I have been craving cakes, desserts, and ice cream like mad lately because of my new healthy habits. Since they are not a regular part of my diet, I cannot justify having ice cream for breakfast. But luckily, I CAN have this pina colada yogurt for breakfast and it is every bit as satisfying, rich, and creamy as ice cream is.

Overcome the Lies-Stick with Plain Full Fat Yogurt

The trick to a delicious yogurt parfait is using full fat yogurt. Oh-my-goodness! I feel like I have been lied to all my life by yogurt companies and their low-fat or non-fat corn-syrup-laden grossness. I have now completely boycotted flavored yogurts and now I will never turn back. Flavored yogurts are often filled with way too much sugar and lots of unnatural ingredients that I cannot pronounce.

Another bone I want to pick with the dairy industry is: why do you keep making everything low-fat or fat-free? We know you just fill all that emptiness with sugar instead. I have discovered full fat plain yogurt and I am NEVER going back. My goodness, the rich delicious flavor and mouth-feel are incomparable to any fat-free yogurt I’ve ever had to eat. The great news is that this delicious base becomes the canvas on which you can paint using the full palette of natural seasonings and fruits available, from vanilla extract to brown sugar, honey, and fruit. The world is your oyster. I decided to go with a pina colada yogurt, but I definitely encourage you to be creative!

The Beauty of Home-Made Fruit Flavored Yogurt

It is through this re-awakening of my love of yogurt that has inspired this pina colada yogurt parfait. It can be your breakfast, but seriously it makes a mean dessert if you are trying to avoid ice cream. If you’re feeling more decadent, check out my recipe for fresh peach crisp. Hope you give it a try and enjoy this easy yet delicious recipe!

The amazing thing is-you can make your own fruit flavored yogurt for a fraction of the sugar and calories, and it will taste even MORE delicious than that pre-packaged stuff we are tricked into purchasing.

Here’s something that I learned through my cooking experiments with sweets- there is a point at which we reach a sweet spot of tasting sweetness in our food. After that point, even if you add more sugar, it does not necessarily increase your satisfaction or even pleasure with the sweetness. Instead, it becomes overly sweet.

How Much Sugar To Add?

Unfortunately, many of us have had our taste buds trained by the food industry to crave overly sweet foods. But don’t take my word for it. Give it a try yourself and sweeten your own foods to your liking and see if you can taste the difference.

What brand of yogurt should I use?

Making pina colada yogurt ahead of time?

If you are making this yogurt parfait ahead of time, make sure to omit the pineapple until you serve. I’ve noticed that the pineapple emits bitterness throughout the yogurt when it is soaked in it for too long.

Can I use bottled lime juice?

Always choose fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juice when you can, especially if you do not plan to heat up/cook your dish. You can really tell the difference in terms of freshness of flavor.

Bottled juices are probably fine for marinades since there are many other flavors and you will be cooking the flavor out, but nothing can replace the zesty bite of freshly squeezed citrus!

Price Comparison

If you order a yogurt parfait at a restaurant it will cost you $7-8 in the Los Angeles area. What did I spend to make 2 servings of this yogurt parfait? Yogurt ($1), pineapple ($.50), dried coconut ($.25), honey ($.25).

Restaurant ($7-8) vs. Home-made ($1)

The mark-up on prepared yogurt parfaits is very steep. So, I would highly recommend preparing your own yogurt parfaits at home and spend more time eating in. The great part about it is that you can better control the amount of sugar as well. Given health issues and the increase in diabetes worldwide, it is important to have more control over our sugar consumption.

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Pina Colada Yogurt

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword breakfast, easy brunch food, healthy dessert, pina colada yogurt recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup full fat plain yogurt
• ½ cup chopped pineapple frozen or fresh
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 tsp of fresh lime zest
• 1 tsp lime juice

Instructions

• Zest lime and squeeze out juice. Place into yogurt along with pineapple, honey/brown sugar, and shredded coconut.
• Mix ingredients together and serve immediately! It’s that easy!
• Adjust honey and brown sugar to taste. Or substitute with 1/2 tsp of Stevia for a healthier yogurt dish.

Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you made this! Would love to see your variations!

Apparently it is National Ice Cream Month! So in that spirit, I’ve got a delicious fresh peach crisp recipe for you, which pairs really nicely with vanilla ice cream. What’s even better is that this recipe is a peach crisp with oats. Makes it healthy, right?

Topping for a peach crisp should be crunchy, crispy, and buttery. A peach crisp is different from a peach cobbler because it has oats in the topping. The perfect balance of the fresh peach’s aroma and the warming spices used will get your mouth watering.

Making a peach crisp from scratch is one of the best ways to celebrate summer fruit. This tastes even better when you use fresh peaces.

Peaches and nectarines are so sweet and delicious. Their sweet fragrance, slight sour bite, and luscious juicy texture make me weak in the knees.

You can make this recipe for peach crisp right in time before summer ends.

Looking for another summer dessert? Check out my recipe for pina colada yogurt parfait.

The Case for Easy Desserts

You are probably a busy person, so easy desserts are probably the way to go for you! Make this peach crisp recipe and you won’t be sorry!

Making a fruit crisp is much more forgiving than other desserts, which is why it is one of my go-to recipes for a dessert fit for entertaining. I made this peach crisp recipe with oats for the added crunch. And it is the best peach crisp recipe that I’ve tried.

Price Comparison

I had a fruit crisp at a nice restaurant recently and it cost $12 for a 1-person serving. And from what I remember, it wasn’t all the great. Let’s see how much I spent on this recipe: 6 peaches ($4), oats ($.50), 1 stick butter ($1), spices ($.30), brown sugar ($.50), lemon ($.50).

Restaurant ($12) vs. Homemade ($1.13). That’s a whopping price difference. No wonder they say desserts are the big money makers of restaurants.

FAQs:

How to make a crispy peach crumble?

Deconstruct it! If you prepare the fruit separately from the crispy topping, you will be in business. Just like the famed Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, you probably dislike soggy textures for baked goods. Which is why this peach crisp or peach crumble is a deconstructed one.

I recommend combining the crispy topping with the fruit only when serving it. Otherwise, keep them separate. No matter what baking techniques you use to try to drain the liquid from the peaches, the fact of the matter is: you will always have sogginess when liquid comes into contact with a pastry/crisp. It’s science. Separate them for best results.

Should I use canned or fresh peaches for peach crisp?

If peaches are in season, definitely choose fresh peaches for both flavor and texture. Making a fresh peach crisp from scratch is a heavenly treat for yourself.

Pitting and coring fresh peaches is a bit annoying, but it is all worth it in the end.

Canned peaches often have a lot of added sugars and have a softer texture. If you then add your own sugar, then the peach crisp will end up overly sweet and soggy.

How to reduce sugar in baking?

When following most baking recipes, you can try to cut the recommended amount of sugar to only 1/4 – 1/2 of what they are suggesting. I find that most baking recipes are way too sweet.

Another tip is to use brown sugar. It provides so much more richness and flavor than white sugar. That way, you can use less of it, but still taste the deliciousness in your baked goods/desserts.

Lastly, add a pinch of salt to your sweets. It will create a more complete and rich flavor profile, highlighting the sweet flavor without adding extra sugar.

What are some other fruit crisp ideas?

Apples, berries, plums, cherries can be substituted for the peaches in this recipe.

Use less cinnamon if you choose to make a fruit crisp using a berry. Cinnamon does not play as well with berries as it does with apples or peaches. I would recommend using more vanilla extract and omit the cinnamon from the fruit mixture. It should be fine in the crispy topping.

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Crispiest Spiced Peach Crisp

An easy peach crisp recipe with fresh peaches, and crispy buttery oat topping. Perfect with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword dessert, easy dessert, peach crisp

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Author jennifer.ho.1987

Ingredients

• 6 peaches peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 juice of lemon
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ¾ cup oats
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp pumpking pie spice
• ½ cup butter cut into cubes, cold
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare crispy topping separately from peaches. Mix together oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar until they are well-combined.
• Using a pastry cutter, mix butter into flour and oat mixture. Make sure your butter is cold. Continue to cut butter into mixture until the texture resembles small peas.
• Place oat mixture onto a lined baking sheet and spread onto baking sheet in an even layer. Allow to bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
• While crispy topping is baking, prepare peach mixture. Add peaches, cinnamon, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and brown sugar into a large sauce pan. Turn fire on medium and allow peaches to cook down. Toss gently every few minutes for even cooking. Cook about 10-15 minutes, and then cover with lid, turn off the fire, and allow peaches to sit for at least 10 minutes. This will prevent the peaches from overcooking.
• Check on crispy topping in the oven. If baking is uneven, break the crust into smaller pieces and rotate around the pan. Place back into the oven, rotating to ensure even baking.
• When crispy topping is done, remove from oven and allow to cool.
• When ready to serve, scoop a spoonful of simmered peaches and top with crispy oat topping, and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

Happy cooking! Tag me on Instagram @jennskitchendiary if you’ve made this dish! Would love to see how it turned out.