3 Double chocolate & cherry baked oatmeal

Good things will come to those who wait. And 30 mins is perfectly reasonable time for the reward of a hot creamy, chewy, melty [and healthy] bowl of double chocolate and cherry bliss. Breakfast today was a an event I never wanted to end.

On some days we just need a mood booster. Where else to turn but chocolate? In fact, chocolate is the most frequently craved food in North America, with 40% of women and 15% of men expressing yearnings. The psychopharmacologic effects of chocolate can be attributed to its composition of more than 400 distinct substances including theobromine (CNS stimulant), anandamide (endogenous cannabinoid; cannabis), phenylethylamine, (amphetamine-like stimulant; marijuana) and caffeine. However, given the minute amounts of these psychoactive substances, other researchers have suggested that that orosensory, rather than pharmacological, effects are primarily involved in chocolate craving (think of the satisfaction from oozy, melt-in the-mouth effect).

Regardless of the source of craving, we know that chocolate triggers the release of endorphins, opiate hormones that generates feelings of pleasure and well being. Also, tryptophan in chocolate is the precursor of serotonin, the "happy" neurotransmitter.

Beyond the mind, cocoa flavonoids have antioxidant properties and promote cardiovascular health (reduce the risk of heart disease, blood pressure, inflammation, platelet clotting and stroke), although it is also said that the processing of cocoa would destroy the flavanols. Cocoa is also rich in magnesium and copper, both essential to bone health, cell function and neurotransmitters. In corollary, with dark chocolate having a higher cocoa content, it offers more of these benefits than milk/white chocolate.

Of course, for all its virtues, you can't run away from the fact that chocolate is still pretty high in calories, fats (from cocoa butter) and sugar. But do we really have to boggle our minds with so much good vs bad information? I say, a nugget of chocolate once in a while is worth the indulgence. And most importantly, choose high quality dark chocolate (like Valrhona), generally more than 70% cocoa, for greatest satisfaction, contentment and pleasure!

Double chocolate & cherry baked oatmeal
Yield: 1 comforting bowl

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 tbsp steel cut oats (Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup boiling hot water
• 1/4 cup chocolate rice milk (or other milk/non-dairy milk)
• 1/4 cup red cherries, pitted and chopped (about 4 large cherries)
• 1 scoop protein powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• Dashes of cinnamon & nutmeg
• 1 square high quality dark chocolate (Valrhona Guanaja 70% cocoa)

Directions

1. Place oats into a oven-safe bowl. Pour hot water over oats and let soak overnight.
2. Next morning, preheat oven to 180C (350F).
3. To the soaked oats, add chocolate milk, cherries, protein powder (if using), vanilla extract and spices. Stir well. Then place the square of chocolate in the middle of the mixture.
4. Place in oven and bake 30-40 min until thick and bubbly!

This was so awesomely chocolatey good! The idea was to melt the square of [hidden] Valrhona chocolate a la molten lava cake. It appeared that not only did the chocolate melt, but also separated from the rest of the ingredients and rose to the top, forming a layer of chocolate film over the oats. I wonder why is it so, like does chocolate have a lower density or what? Anyhow, the bitterness of the chocolate did well to highlight the sweetness of the cherries, although it may sound quite contradictory. Halfway through I nicked some Coconut Cashew Dream, and then a few pieces of walnuts 'cause I'm fickle. A bit of trivia, I got the Valrhona chocolate from ThreeSixty (Ion Orchard) at a steal of 2-for-1!

References
Corti, R., et al. (2009). Contemporary reviews in cardiovascular medicine. Cocoa and cardiovascular health. Circulation 119: 1433-41.
Dyer, K.A. (2006). Chocolate: Good for the Mind & Spirit. Medical Wellness Archives 3.
Yanovski, S. (2003). Sugar and fat: cravings and aversions. Journal of Nutrition 133: 835S-37S.