A simple, healthy recipe to bend the rules a little bit
In Italy, breakfast isn’t a grand gesture. Just a coffee and a sweet pastry. A fleeting pause before the day begins. But for me? Breakfast is my favorite.
Lately, I’ve discovered something new: warm fruit, crowned with pistachios and a touch of coconut milk. Yes, coconuts are also far from Italian, but deeply comforting.
And maybe that’s the beauty of this recipe. Because sometimes the sweetest mornings are the ones where rules are bent and the kitchen becomes entirely your own.
What I used
✦ 3 nectarines
✦ 5 apricots
✦ 1 apple
✦ 1 small tablespoon honey
✦ 2 handfuls pistachios
✦ 1 handful oats
✦ 1 generous tablespoon coconut milk
How I made it (but feel free to do it your way; trust your intuition)
✦ While the oven heats up, I cut the fruit into large pieces and shell the pistachios.
✦ I place the fruit and pistachios together in an oven dish.
✦ I pour over a little coconut milk, sprinkle oats on top and drizzle with honey.
✦ Give it a gentle toss, then let the oven do the rest.
I almost always set the oven to a low temperature, it gives you time to keep an eye on things. You can speed up cooking, but once something burns, there’s no way back. As soon as the scent of warm fruit and oats drifts through the kitchen and the fruit has turned soft, I take it out of the oven. Let it cool for a moment, then breakfast is ready.
Basta così. Nothing more needed to start the day with a little sweetness.
What I might try next time
Maybe I’ll make it a little earlier. The apricots were just a touch too ripe and turned a little mushy in the heat. Still delicious though…
Your turn!
We all learn cooking in our own way. From our mothers, our grandfathers, a holiday abroad or a happy accident at home. These moments shape your taste, the ingredients shape your style. But taste and style are not fixed; they move along with the rhythm of your life.
Don’t think of recipes as strict rules. Think of them as gentle directions, little suggestions along the way. A here-and-now moment. And it's entirely yours. Because nobody tastes what you taste. So play with it, dance in your kitchen and find your own rhythm.