Every Friday I post several recipes having to do with a certain theme or type of food, or just a general appreciation of all things gourmet and gluttonous. This week’s theme: pistachios!

Pistachio nuts are a pretty big deal here in Sicily. Out of the many, MANY, gastronomical specialties that Sicily boasts, pistachios are one of the best and most diverse. Not only can you find fantastic pistachio gelato and pistachio pastries, but also pistachio pesto and even pistachio pizza! I bought some fresh chopped unsalted pistachios at the market this week and incorporated them into a few delicious dishes: Pistachio Cherry oats for breakfast, and Pistachio Apricot cookies for dessert!

Pistachios for breakfast: Toast with Greek yogurt, sliced strawberries, chopped pistachios, and maple syrup drizzled on top.

Yesterday morning, I had to teach one hour of English at school at 8:15am, and was planning to head out for a run at 10am. This presented a problem: I had to eat something at 7:30am that would hold me until about 11am, when I was back from the run. Naturally I thought of oatmeal, a trusty stick-to-your-ribs breakfast, but it just didn’t seem like a breakfast to kick off the weekend that kicks off the summer season.

Oatmeal has an unshakeable reputation as a winter food. I associate it with chilly weekend mornings, when you have time to stand by the stove (because that’s where it’s warmest) and stir a big pot of gooey, sticky oatmeal.

In the summer, I have no desire to start my day with a piping hot breakfast. Nor do I have the time to stand by the stove and stir, because I’m either heading out for a run or heading to the beach! Microwaved oatmeal is all well and good for when I’m in a time crunch, but it doesn’t take care of the hot breakfast problem, and sometimes I want the satisfaction and satiety of a big bowl of oatmeal, even in the summer. That’s where overnight oats come in – you put everything in a bowl the night before and throw it in the fridge. Then it’s ready and waiting for you the next morning!

Pistachio Cherry Overnight Oats

Makes one serving

Marathons and Macarons original recipe

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons skim milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup fresh cherries, washed and pitted
• 2 tablespoons unsalted chopped pistachio nuts

Combine oats, 1/2 cup of milk, applesauce, almond extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl or plastic container with lid. Mash in cherries. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, fluff with a fork and stir in 2 tablespoons of milk. Stir in pistachio nuts and sprinkle a bit more cinnamon on top. Drizzle honey or maple syrup if you want it sweeter.

Then, when you’re ready for Round 2 of an irresistible oatmeal pistachio combination, whip up these cookies in under half an hour and make lots of new friends. Or just keep them all for yourself. I won’t judge you.

These cookies are almost cake-like in texture; they’re soft and gooey, and packed with protein. They have no butter, oil, or eggs (go crazy eating the cookie batter!) and only a little sugar. They’d be a great pre-run snack, and are totally and completely justifiable as a breakfast food. If you make them with natural peanut butter, the peanut taste is very prominent, which I loved. If you don’t want as strong of a peanut butter taste, try almond or cashew butter instead.

Pistachio Apricot Oatmeal Cookies

Makes 12 cookies

Adapted from Chocolate-Covered Katie

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1/4 cup unsalted chopped pistachio nuts
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mash the applesauce with the peanut butter, then add all other ingredients and mix until well-combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drop dough onto sheet in heaping tablespoon-sized balls. Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Speaking of my run yesterday, a woman running around the park loop in the other direction stopped me and told me that I had to pick up my knees and run much slower or else I’d hurt myself. I couldn’t believe her audacity. Maybe it was a cultural thing, but I would never in a million years stop a stranger mid-run to tell them they were doing something wrong! Also, I was running around a 10-minute mile (ahem…not fast by any standards) and she was running much faster than I was.

I turned around and ran in the other direction so that I wouldn’t have to encounter her again, and continued on my merry way.

What are your Memorial Day weekend plans? Long run? Barbecue? Beach? Sleep? Pistachio cookies?