On Friday March 3rd we travelled to Mattawa to host the last of 5 Community Kitchen events. Mattawa Community Development Inc. had received a grant to run a series of community kitchens from the Ontario Seniors Secretariat.

This week’s theme was Easy Breakfasts. We started off the day with an introduction on eating breakfast and why it is so important to kick start your day.

A poached egg demonstration was done to show the group its simplicity, time efficiency and the fact that no oil is required. The group seemed shocked to see how easy it truly is, with a few comments such as “wow I am going to try this at home”, and “I didn’t know it was that simple”. We talked about the various times to cook the egg based on preference of runny or hard yolks.

After the demonstration, we split up to work on the various recipes. An eager participant worked on the Peanut Butter Swirl Steel Cut Oats. She even added her own twist to the recipe by adding the maple syrup and peanut butter right to the mixture while cooking it. It was great to see an eagerness to try new things and experiment.

While she was cooking up the oats, another participant was preparing the Toasted Oats with Coconut and making the Spinach Smoothie. She had never tried spinach in her smoothie before and was amazed by how much she enjoyed it.

Health unit staff members prepped the Crust-less Quiches. This was a recipe idea from one of the previous attendees of the Mattawa community kitchens. Let’s just say it was ‘eggsquisite’. Not only was it delicious, but it also proved to be very easy. The participants also thought it would be a great dish to make ahead and freeze to enjoy later.

Once the Toasted Oats came out of the oven, it was time for the Yogurt Parfaits to be assembled. There was a layer of Greek yogurt, chopped up fresh strawberries, chopped up walnuts, toasted oats and then topped with a drizzle of maple syrup. Both a healthy and delicious snack for any time of the day.

We also had a participant whip up a batch of Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats. This was a take home for the participants to have for breakfast the next morning. We included both steel cut oats and old fashioned oats in various recipes made throughout the afternoon, and we discussed the differences in nutrition and taste.

   “I didn’t know it was that simple”

After we had completed making all of the recipes, we sat down and ate together. We discussed the taste of the various items, if we would try and make them for ourselves at home, and any variations of the recipes we could try. There was also a teaching on the importance of including protein at each meal, especially breakfast. Each recipe included a source of protein to help participants feel fuller for longer. The participants were very engaged and interested in the topics discussed and stated that this event was fun and the recipes were great! By the end of the class we were all stuffed with both food and knowledge.

Written by: Callie Gross, Dietetic Intern