3 x Ideas for Overnight Oats.

If this were to be a TV infomercial, I would say something along these lines: the concept of Overnight Oats, or Oats in a Jar, has truly REVOLUTIONIZED my days — a few moments to prepare in the evening, and then breakfast is ready served in the morning. Convenient and filling! I also find that they turn out so much more creamy than your cooked porridge.

Of course, this is not an infomercial but a plain ol’blog post for which I have gathered some flavour combination that differ from my regular cocoa and banana ones ↓

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Blueberry & Ginger Overnight Oats

→ 1 dl oats
→ 1,5 dl mylk/water
→ 1 ripe banana
→ 1 dl frozen blueberries
→ 1 cm grated fresh ginger/1 tsp ground ginger

Combine everything in an air tight container. Store in fridge overnight.

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Strawberry & (Coconut) Cream Overnight Oats

→ 1 dl oats
→ 1 dl mylk/water
→ ½ dl coconut cream
→ 1 tbsp chia seeds (opt.)
→ a handful strawberries

Combine everything but the strawberries, layer in an air tight container. Store in fridge overnight.

Peanut butter & (Chia) Jam Overnight Oats

→ 1 dl oats
→ 1,5 dl mylk/water
→ 1 ripe banana
→ ½ dl peanut butter
→ chia jam (combine 3 tbsp water with 1 tbsp chia seeds. Mash 1 dl frozen red berries with a spatula tip of vanilla paste. Once chia seeds and water have formed a paste, combine everything and let set in fridge for a moment.)

1st make your chia jam, or sub for a ready made one. Combine your oats, milk, banana and peanut butter, then layer this batter with your chia jam in an air tight container. Store in fridge overnight.

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So what are you waiting for? Call today and get one jar of oats for the same price as one. You heard me, you get TWO for the… Oh right, that infomercial part was cancelled. Do whatever you want ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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More breakfast ideas:

→ Chocolate Baked Oatmeal with Dates, Peanut butter & Banana.
→ Avocado & Almond Butter Toast.
→ Aqua Fabulous Pancakes with Lemon & Maple Syrup.

Aqua Fabulous Pancakes + My Hopes for 2017.

Best thing about days off: When you manage to get out of bed at a reasonable hour to cook up a luxury breakfast in shape of a pancake pile!

AQUAFABULOUS PANCAKES.

Makes 12-15 American style pancakes.

→ 3,5 dl flour
→ 2 tsp baking powder
→ ½ tsp bicarb soda
→ a pinch of salt

→ 3 dl dairy free milk
→ ½ dl vegetable oil
→ 1 dl aqua faba
→ 1 tbsp brown sugar
→ 2 tsp vanilla extract
→ 2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (alt. white wine vinegar)
→ vegan butter for frying

First beat the aquafaba and brown sugar in electric mixer for a couple of minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Meanwhile, mix your dry and wet ingredients in two seperate bowls. Add the dry mix to the wet ingredients and fold gently to combine, avoid excessive stirring. Finally, fold in the AF fluff.

Heat a skillet on medium heat for a couple of minutes, then reduce to low, melt the vegan butter and add approximately ½ dl of the batter per pancake. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, until bubbles start to appear on the top.

Serve drizzled with freshly squeed lemon juice and maple syrup.

Tip: Try not to flip the pancakes more than once, as the more you flip – the dryer the pancake.

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… And on a completely different note – My 2017 Aims:

I hope you have not tired of reading summaries regarding the new year and its possibilities. Personally, I find it rather inspiring and these ideas are what I have jotted down in my notebook the past weeks. Things to complete or aim for the upcoming 12 months:

– Crochet a blanket out of granny squares.
As seen amongst the interiors of character Mickey’s house in the netflix series Love. I want one! Just need to get my patience act together, as I think that might be a main ingredient.

– Practise hand lettering more.
I have spent so much money on buying pens the past months, but I suppose it is like spending money on theraphy. Because that is exactly what it feels like, getting into a flow of doodles and brush writing and have hands covered in coloured lines when you are done.

– Bathe in the North Sea.
This is sort of a bucket list thing. Even though Scotland and beaches might not be exactly synonyms, I survey the North Sea every working day and it would be pretty cool to have taken an actual dip in it!

– Eat properly.
By this I mean I want to make the effort of eating 3 meals a day. I have always a breakfast person but have started neglecting that the past couple of months in before → very fragile, hangry duckling come the afternoon!

– Get inked.
(Hi mum!) I have not one but two tats planned out, just need to make an appointment at this point.

– Stretch properly. And often.
Pretty self-explanatory. But as Seinabo would sing, ain’t getting any younger…

– Not consume on impulse, nor any brand new garments.
To make a long story short – I do not want to purchase anything from a store chain for the entire year, but rather look for it – that thing that I believe I “need” – in op shops. (In terms of underwear and socks I am still to decide whether this will apply.)

– Watch Earthlings in full.
Can you imagine the horrors of this documentary and its imagery when I have tried but failed to finish it 3 times. I never make it longer than half way through. It just breaks my heart, but still I want to finish it because I do not think ignorance is bliss.

– Travel to Japan.
Also hoping to make at least another trip before the year ends, but final destination is  yet to be confirmed. Perhaps another one around the Highlands.

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Recipes for your left over Chickpeas:

∨4-ingredient Sweet Potato Falafel.
∨Sweet Potato & Roasted Chickpea Buddha Bowl.
∨Green Tofu Quiche with Chickpea Crust.

Månadens Gröna: Apple & Ginger Compote and Vegan Gingerbread Nutella.

When I saw that the theme for this months Månadens Gröna was going to be Christmas Spices my immediate thought laid with the Apple Compote with Ginger that I have been making for almost every breakfast the past month.

But then on my way back from work the other day, sipping on a hazelnut hot chocolate, my mind started to wander in that diretion… After a detour to the supermarket the gingerbread nutella spread was created a few hours later. So, inspired by December’s host Nellie, here are a few more items to add to your brunch table:

Gingerbread nutella is really ridiculously simple – you take whatever vegan nutella recipe on hand (like the minimalist baker one) and then sprinkle in a mix of gingerbread spices (basically stick to a ratio of the double amount cinnamon + ginger than cloves and cardamom) until you have reached a plesant taste.

The compote is a great way to put apples that may have been left forsaken in the fruit bowl a few days too many – plus it is another thing easy to make. Top it on your cardamon infused morning oats for a warming breakkie or perhaps as dessert with a scoop, or three, of icecream. *Wiping drool of the keyboard*

VEGAN GINGERBREAD NUTELLA

→ 1 batch home made nutella
→ gingerbread ground spice mix
(1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp ginger, ½ tbsp cloves, ½ tbsp cardamom)

Simply sprinkle the spice mix into your foodprocessor once the batch of nutella is nearly done; add a little at a time until you are satisfied with the ratio of hazelnut spread/gingerbread flavour.

APPLE AND GINGER COMPOTE

→ 1-2 apples, diced into cubes
→ 2,5 cm fresh ginger
→ a splash of water
→ maple syrup, to taste
→ cinnamon, to taste

Place your ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil and let simmer until apples are softened. Mash up lightly with a fork.

Check out some of my previous contributions to Månadens Gröna:

√ Cauliflower Mac n’ Yeast
√ Blackberry Pizza Bianco
√ Strawberry & Avocado Salsa

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Full Vegan Breakfast & the vanishing of 2 months rent.

The other week on my day off, I cooked up a Full English Breakfast… without the decaying body parts i.e., making Full Vegan Breakfast a much more suitable title!

It contains the following:

> Baked Beans
> Hummus
> Veggie Sausages from Linda McCartney
> Brown Toast
> Fried Mushrooms
> Grilled Cherry Tomato
> Scrambled Tofu
> Rice paper-b*con)

Also, can we just take a moment here to talk about what a MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN the combination of baked beans and hummus is?! I discovered this the summer before last at the little coffeeshop I used to work at in Bath, and now it is a standard element of my cooked British brekkie. (Okay standard element might be an exaggeration of an event that occurs once a year tops…)Also, if you follow me on instagram you may have caught a glimpse of Lonely Planet’s guide to Japan laying around – well it is there for a reason. I AM TRAVELLING TO JAPAN THIS SPRING!!! Two whole weeks! (Literally I was thinking to myself “Linnea, if you spent  £18 on a guide book you best get it to use!!!) I booked the tickets the other day, aka that is two months worth of rent that just flew away like the emoji of dollar bills with wings.

Have any of you reading ever been to Japan? Do you have any killer suggestions of things to eat/see/do? Don’t be a stranger!

Avocado & Almond Butter Toast.

Yesterday as I was having some almond buttery toast I glanced over at an avocado laying over at the kitchen counter, thinking “… could it BE?” (This is read with Chandler’s voice obvs.)

Turns out YES – it most certainly CAN be! I present you the avo and almond butter
→ 5 out of 5 toasts!

I won’t even bother writing down a recipe, I reckon it is fairly clear; simply toast the bread. Meanwhile slice the avocado. Once toasted, add almond butter and avo on your bread slices. Possibly sprinkle some sea salt on top – aaand Bob’s your uncle! (Perhaps. I’ll be the first to admint, I know nothing of your family tree.) Breakfast of champions.

At the moment we live in a toaster-less household, which certainly is the first time in my life, so I toasted the bread using a frying pan. Works wonders too, you just need to remember to flip it ever so often.

What are you lovelies up to this weekend? Myself I will be serving coffees at the cafe the whole weekend through. And most likely eating plenty of sandwiches like these above.

Overnight Oatmeal | with blueberries.

Breakfast! That cooks itself!

Could this BE any greater?! (For fellow Friends-fans, this is of course read with the voice of Chandler Bing.)

Well to address the question: No, probably not.
This is an old love that I have recently made my way back to, for 3 simple reasons:

1. It is a real life-saver when it comes to early mornings of work aka it saves time!
2. It tastes better than the cooked version, WHILE maximizing the nutrition!
3. It requires minimum washing up!

Have I sold it to you yet?
You’ll need:

→ 1 dl oats
→ 1,5 dl milk of choice / water
→ 1 ripe banana

Feel free to add in whatever you fancy: frozen berries, chia seeds, nut butters, coconut flakes… Like I said, the possibilities are endless!

How to:
1. Mash the banana.
2. Add in the oats + whatever additions of your choosing + liquid.
3. Stir and let it rest in the fridge in an airtight container overnight.

Now, if anyone has any advice for how to make oatmeal look pretty in pictures, tell me how.

Chocolate Baked Oatmeal with Dates, Peanut butter & Banana.

Alternative title ‘A Chocolate Lovers Brekky‘. I used to make this circa all the time back in 2013 – a dish filled with everything I love: dates, cacao, peanut butter, banana and oats.  (All that is missing is sweet potato and avocado, but surely there is a way to include them? Haha)

These days I am not too keen on having a big breakfast as soon as I wake up, so this is pretty neat as it needs to bake for about 20 minutes in the oven. Or just a nice way to start a weekend morning!

You will need, for ca 2 portions:
→ 2 dl oats
→ 1-2 ripe bananas
→ ½ dl milk of choice
→ 1 tbsp sweetener of choice (opt.)

And “fillings” of your choosing, I used:
→ 2 tbsp cacao
→ 3 dates
→ 1 tbsp peanut butter
→ walnuts

1. Cover the oats in boiling water. Let soak for 10 min. 2. Start the oven at 190ºC. 3. Chop/slice your fillings into bite size. 4. Once water is absorbed, stir the rest of the ingredients with the oats. (I like to put “lumps” of peanut butter into the mixture – for a little peanut surprise!) 5. Place mixture in a ovenproof dish. Decorate the top with a few banana slices and nuts if you fancy! 6. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top has started to brown.

Scrambled Tofu.

To have a package or two of silk tofu in the fridge is a complete lifesaver; in particular on a day when you are feeling too lazy or too hungry to cook (or both, which is the scenario for me 99% of the time). It has a long life expectancy and in an instant it can be turned into a protein-rich, filling meal + a presents a good chance to clean out the fridge at the same time. Today I made Scrambled Tofu for lunch before we headed out in the sunshine.

For two portions, you’ll need

• one pack silken tofu
• chopped onion + garlic
• one vegetable stock cube
• veg of choice (like capsicum, mushroom, spinach, tomato etc)
• soy sauce
• tomato paste
• yeast flakes, like Engevita
• salt + pepper to taste

The one thing you really need is the silken tofu, the rest can be improvised.

      Start off by frying the mushrooms/capsicum/onion until softened, before adding the garlic. Next you crumble the tofu and vegetable stock into the pan and let saute for a bit, make sure to stir so it doesn’t burn! Fresh veg like spinach + tomato can be added here, I usually say the dish is done once the spinach has shriveled. For seasoning I like to add a bit of soy sauce, tomato paste, yeast flakes, salt and pepper!

      For a creamier complexion you may add a little milk of choice! (Or soycream/the likes, but I never have that at home unless it’s for a special occasion.)

Et voila! Not the most photogenic of dishes, but it does the trick.