Blackberry & Basil Oatmeal Parfait

This is very easy to make and assemble delicious blackberry oatmeal parfait. It’s nutritious, good in protein and fibers. It’s vegetarian,  gluten free, and refined sugar free.

You can prepare this elegant oatmeal parfait in 10 minutes for a light dessert or breakfast, you wont believe how easy it is, and how refreshing and delicious! 

When I was living in the united states, I never bought blackberry. It was big, and juicy, but I wasn’t interested in it. And the years went by, I didn’t even think about it.

My favorite berries are raspberry and blueberry . I grew up and live now in the middle east, where many kinds of berries wasn’t around at all . We have a different type of berries, called mulberries.

They have distinctive texture, especially the majority is the white ones, but also we have the red and purple ones. They are quite popular, and people have pride of their big berry trees. Not bushes , but real big trees.

Just last year, after I saw my baby niece eating blackberry with a big happy smile, I decided to give it a try. And oh my god I missed  a lot! So This is first recipe using blackberry here on the blog. I was looking for a simple dessert to pair basil with. I had blackberry sitting in the fridge, I thought it was so beautiful to eat it, just as a snack. So, I just wrapped a blackberry piece with a basil leaf, and I ate, and I knew instantly its a winning flavorful combo. 

Blackberry

It is a fruit related to the berries family.  It grows on a spiky bush. Sometimes it’s called aggregate , because its formed as drupelets instead of one big whole fruit.  

Why do you need to eat blackberry

Blackberry is one of the natural super foods, it’s a real powerhouse of nutrition. Some of the health benefits are: 

• It’s relatively low in calories fruit,  that is high in vitamins and minerals like  C, K and folate. It’s high in manganese, and copper.
• Also, it has a good amounts of fibers, that helps with digestion.
• It’s high in pigment called anthocyanin, that has anti-cancer effects, also may protect the human body from cardiovascular diseases. 
•  

Basil 

What I love about it, is the unique flavor and aroma. It is delicate, but yet have a strong flavor. Especially, when it’s fresh from the garden, or from the farmer market- where I had mine-. But I always hesitate to buy it, because it’s going to rotten in just few days, and the green leaves will become black due to oxidation. A great way I find to preserve basil is to keep it in oil, or butter in ice cube tray. And keep it until use.

In addition to the exotic aroma and bright green color, basil has many healthy benefits such as:

• Anti-inflammatory proprieties which helps the body to lessen the risk of having chronic diseases.
• It’s essential oil use to treat respiratory diseases.
• Also some studies shows chemicals in basil, that help in reducing blood sugar, which is very promising for diabetic people.
• And of course it has vitamins such as vitamin A. K and C , and minerals like magnesium.

I’ve used labneh here, which is strained yogurt. You can made it from scratch very easily. Or just use Greek yogurt. However, labneh is sour, and it balances the sweet flavor of blackberry. 

, start now, and enjoy!

Yield: 3 jars

Blackberry and Basil Oatmeal Parfait

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

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Ingredients

• Base:
• 3 Tb oatmeal
• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp real male syrup (optional)
• Filling:
• 1/2 tsp of honey
• 1/4 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 3 oz blackberry
• Few leaves of basil, or up to taste
• 6 Tb of labneh or Greek yogurt .
• .
• Garnish:(optional)
• whole blackberry, basil leaves, honey

Instructions

1. In a skillet on a low heat, saute oatmeal for 3-4 minutes in coconut oil.
2. Remove from the stove and add real maple syrup to the skillet.
3. In your preferred jar or glass, press the oatmeal mix in the bottom.
4. Put in the fridge for 30 mins .
5. Meanwhile, in a small pot, on a medium heat, add blackberries, lemon juice, honey and vanilla.
6. Stir them frequently, until it reaches a soft boil.
7. Remove from the stove and add basil leaves, mash everything by a fork (don't use food processor, we need a chunky texture)
8. Mix half of the blackberry mix with labneh or Greek yogurt., and save the the other half.
9. Add labneh blackberry mix on top of oatmeal layer.
10. Spread the remaining half of blackberry mix on top of labneh layer.
11. Garnish with blackberry fruit, extra basil or a drizzle of honey or real maple syrup. .
12. Chill in the fridge for 30 mins then serve, keep leftovers up to three days if any left!