Guest recipe: Cinnamon Buckwheat Oat Porridge

EDM_2925-20151107-091904176As some of you already know I am really active on Instagram with swaping food ideas. I already met so many lovely People there. Such a really nice community.

Last week I got one porridge inspiration from my lovely healthy belgium friend @ellencharlottemarie. Ellen is one of the most talented food photographers and always a big source of inspiration. Her food pictures are always full of perfection. She is a wonderful mum of two beautiful boys and a waterski champion. With the consent of Ellen I’m happy to add this recipe to my blog.

There are a lot of meals I love but one of my absolutely favorite for sure is porridge. Warm porridge in the winter time gives my body a healthy start in the morning and activate my body system for the day.

Ellen added cinnamon to this porridge to regulate her blood sugar and to get fiber, calcium, iron, and manganese. Cinnamon has a warming effect and is one of the best spices for the cold winter months.

She works also a lot with coconut, I am normally not that big coconut milk lover but in this recipe the coconut flavor works very well. Coconut is good for your hair, for your skin, your heart and your weight loss because your body uses coconut oil for energy and does not store much of it as fat. Furthermore coconut improves digestion and absorption of vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

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Cinnamon Buckwheat Oat Porridge

50g oats
30g buckwheat
125 ml coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp vanilla powder
pinch of coconut milk

Topping
fresh fruits roasted
coconut flakes ground
cinnamon
hemp seeds
honey or other sweetener

In the evening soak the oats, buckwheat and cinnamon stick with the coconut milk overnight. Heat up the porridge (with the cinnamon stick) the next morning with some extra milk and 1 tsp of vanilla powder for about 5 min. over medium heat. Top the porrdige with some fresh fruits (I use figs), roasted coconut flakes, hemp seeds and sprinkle with more ground cinnamon and some honey or other sweetener. Enjoy!

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Mandarin porridge with roasted hazelnuts

Christmas time is coming here in Germany and I’m so happy to find one of my favorite fruits on the farmer market. Mandarins!

Mandarins are rich in fiber and mandarins contain a high level of Vitamin C which provides a number of health benefits. Vitamin C helps to fight a number of unstable molecules in our body known as free radicals through its antioxidant properties. Mandarins are a substantial source of fiber. Fiber rich foods keep the stomach full for a longer period of time and reduce the desire or need to eat more food, assisting in weight loss. The antioxidants present in Mandarin protect the skin from harsh UVA rays and help the skin to resist the damage caused by the sun and free radicals.

I love to alternate between some grain and nuts in my breakfasts. For me the best way to provide my body with all vitamins, minerals trace elements he need is to change my food ingredients regularly and don’t eating one-way. I often eat buckwheat or cashew nuts in my breakfast but also very often I simple use rolled oats soaked overnight in a bit of apple cider vinegar to make them more digestible for my body. They are so versatile in the kitchen. My favorite is to cook them as a porridge or soak overnight and enjoy them without any stress in the morning.

Oats make you feel full longer and they provides a high level of protein. They are also rich in different minerals like a specific type of fiber. As well as mandarins.

Dates are my ultimate healthy sweetener and a great option to the raffinated sugar. This version of an overnight porridge is very easy to make and you have less work in the morning.

I like to add also a tsp of ground maca or baobab powder. Both are good for extra energy, vitamins, minerals and trace elements.
I use the products from organicburst because I am very satisfied with their products.

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Mandarin porridge with roasted hazelnuts

125ml cup almond milk
6-7 tbsp rolled oats
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 dates
2 mandarins
1 tbsp chia seeds

optional
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp baobab powder

Topping
fresh fruits
fresh mandarins
roasted hazelnuts

Soak (only!) 5 tbsp rolled oats and dates with the apple cider vinegar and the almond milk overnight to make them more digestible. Soak the chia seeds with 3 tbsp of water overnight in an extra bowl.
In the morning mix the porridge together with the mandarins. After mixing add 1-2 tbsp rolles oats for a bit more pithy consistence and stir in the soaked chia seeds.
If you like add maca or baobab powder for extra energy and top with more fresh fruits and roasted hazelnuts. Enjoy!

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Caramelized pears and red wine onions on lamb’s lettuce

Paers are all over right now and I love enjoy them together with blue cheese. The savoury cheese in combination with the sweet pears are such a tasty dream. You can also make the onions without the red wine if you don’t like it. The red wine only gives a soft taste to the onions.

Pears are very rich in fiber who keeping you full for longer. They have approx. 80% water which helps to flush out toxins from your Body.

I try to eat more whole meal products like whole grain rye bread because this bread contains more minerals than non-whole meal bread. Best way is to bake it by yourself from the whole grains. But when you have less time you can buy it fresh from the baker and asked for the ingredients.

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Caramelized peas and red wine onions on lamb’s lettuce

Serve 4

200g lamb’s lettuce
600g red onions
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
200ml red wine
1 tbsp honey
1 bay leaf

2 pears
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp olive oil
100g almonds

200g blue cheese (Roquefort)

cress
toasted rye bread

Preparation

Chop the onions into small rings and fry them for about 2 minutes in the olive oil.
Deglaze with red wine an balsamic vinegar. Let them simmer for about 7 minutes over medium heat.
Caramelize with 1 tbsp honey.

Divide the pears into eights and fry them for a few minutes over high heat from both sides until golden. Add the almonds and the honey and fry for another 2 minutes.

Serve the pears and onions on the lamb’s lettuce and melt the cheese for 1 minute in the warm pan before you add the cheese to the salad.

Garnish with cress and enjoy with some toasted rye bread and red wine.

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Vanilla Porridge with hot berry sauce

As promised on Instagram I share one of my new favorite porridge recipes – Vanilla Porridge with hot berry Sauce.

This VANILLA PORRIDGE with HOT BERRY SAUCE topped with MULBERRIES is really easy to make and makes you feel happy the whole day. I love to add some dried berries to my breakfast because I cannot buy them the whole year. Berries are one of the best sources of antioxidants. Dried mulberries are a great source of protein, vitamin C and K, fiber and iron. They are one of my favorite berries, very delicious and sweet.

Oats make you feel full longer and they provides a high level of protein. They are also rich in different minerals like a specific type of fiber.

Chia Seeds are rich in omega-3 and they are also rich in fiber and protein.

I love to add a lot of flavors to my porridge. My favorite is vanilla. I can’t stop adding vanilla. I’m not the biggest chocolate fan but I love vanilla so so much. With the start of November I also use a lot of cinnamon. Cinnamon can lower cholesterol and it have a regulatory effect on blood sugar. Furthermore cinnamon is a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

In the colder month I’m a “warm” eater. I love to add warm sauce on my breakfast.

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Vanilla Porridge with hot berry sauce

1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp rolles oats
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla
1 tbsp walnuts
1 tbsp dried aronia berries or goji berries
1 tsp raisins
75ml almond milk
75ml orange juice (best is fresh pressed)
1 tsp honey or agave syrup

In the evening mix all together and soak in the fridge overnight.
Add more milk in the morning if you like.

Hot Berry Sauce
50g blueberries, frozen
50g raspberries, frozen
1 tsp honey or agave syrup

Heat up the berries with a 1 tbsp water in a pan over medium heat and let simmer
a few minutes. Sweeten with honey or agave syrup.

Topping
Dried mulberries

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Pistachio Orange Cookies

Pistachio Orange Cookies – all my loveliest ingredients in one Cookie!

There are not that many ingredients I love more than vanilla. But one are pistachios. I love pistachios since I was a little child. I eat pistachio ice cream 7 times a week (ok maybe 3 times ;o)) and there are my best friend at school. Ate them often roasted and salted. In the meanwhile I don’t eat them salted because too much salt isn’t good for your body.  So use less salt and more spices.

Pistachio as a super healthy source of protein

I add a lot of nuts to my diet because nuts are one of the best source of good fats, high quality protein and vitamin-e (the vitamin for a good skin). Just a hand full of pistachios a day provides enough recommended levels of anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins, and Protein.

I learned this year to add orange zest in my cookies, cakes and muffins to have an amazing flavor. The combination pistachio and orange taste so good that I like to share this cookie recipe for these Pistachio Orange Cookies with you. This recipe is gluten-free and raffinated sugar free.

Pistachio

Pistachio Orange Cookies
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Treats
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 cup roasted pistachios
  • 1 cup ground almonds
  • 3 cups rolled oats
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ¼ cup coconut oil
  • ½ Cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp ground vanilla
  • Zest of 1 organic orange
  • ½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
  1. Combine all the dry ingredients (except the pistachios and raisins) together in a bowl.
  2. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients and mix well if you use dates.
  3. Mix both with the pistachios and raisins and set aside for 10 min.
  4. Preheat the oven to 175℃ and make 10 medium cookies.
  5. Bake for about 15 minute and let them cool down on a wire rack.

 

Creamy Kale Detox Smoothie

I bought a Vitamix 3 month ago because I can’t mixed up kale very creamy for my Creamy Kale Detox Smoothie. And I like to add kale in my smoothie because kale is one of the most healthy food on the planet. Kale is pure detox food and great for detoxifying your body. But there were so many other recipes I need to try out that I forgot to mix up a kale smoothie. My kitchen looks like a recipe store for sure because I make a note wherever I get an inspiration from other recipe developers, magazines or cookbooks. It’s really hard to have less time to cook all these beautiful meals when you see your idea at every time. But life is long right? I am 34 now so I think I have a loooooot of time to cook and get creative in my kitchen.

Kale is much higher in vitamin C than most other vegetables, containing about 4.5 times much as spinach and Kale is very high in beta carotene, an antioxidant that the body can turn into vitamin A. You can use kale simply in your kitchen by adding it to your smoothies in order to boost the nutritional value.

I often use buckwheat in my breakfast instead of oats because buckwheat is the best source of high-quality, easily digestible proteins. To make it more digestible you can add half a teaspoon of apple vinegar.

Because of the high speed of my blender it is important to add frozen fruits to my smoothie to get a fresh and not a warm smoothie. For that reason I freeze my bananas regularly in small pieces. It is the perfect tip to store ripe banana the whole time.

This smoothie is really full packed of high nutritious food and to give him the last boost I add a teaspoon matcha powder. Matcha is a very rich superfood, it’s just 100% pure green tea leaves stone ground into a fine powder. If you like to get more information, check out matchamaiden.

I also love to top my smoothie with Lingonberry Powder. The Scandinavians are crazy over this berry! You find more information on: arcticpower.

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Creamy Kale Detox Smoothie

2 cups of kale
50g buckwheat, soaked overnight with 1/2 tsp apple vinegar
250 ml almond milk
2 dates
1 frozen banana

optional
1 tsp matcha powder

Topping
Preiselbeerpulver (von Arcticpower)

  1. Rinse the soaked buckwheat carefully
  2. Mix all together in a high speed blender and enjoy.
  3. You can top with fresh fruits, nuts or simple pure.

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Guest recipe: Healthy Vegetable Curry

I love to create own recipes and share them with you but I also love sharing other wonderful recipes. I found one from my friend Kathrin @k_a_t_h_r_i_n on Instagram which I like to share with you. You find more information about this really kind person here: Kathrin

Kathrin use a lot of different vegetables, herbs and spices in this Curry to provide her body with all benefical elements of fodd such as vitamins and Minerals.

Broccolie for example contains a high amount of potassium. This mineral helps maintain a healthy nervous system and optimal brain function. Furthermore, it promotes regular muscle growth. The calcium and vitamin K is very important for your bone health and the beta-carotene is good for your immune System.

You find also two more very healthy ingredients especially when you living as a vegetarian. Coconut milk and chickpeas. Chickpeas are a good source of protein and they can can boost your energy because of their high iron content. Due to high fiber content, chickpeas are excellent for weight loss. Chickpeas can really keep you full longer and controlling the Appetite.

I love to integrate coconut in my diet because coconut is full of health benefits for you. It contains a high level of omega 3, 6 and 9 fats along with high amounts of amino acids. For people who want to avoid dairy, are lactose intolerant, or have dairy allergies coconut is also very helpful.

Herbs and spices are also used in this delicious curry from Kathrin. A really good decision to integrate them because they bring also a lots of benefits you don’t get from the other vegetables.

Healthy Vegetable Curry

Serve 2-3
1 red onion
2 garlic gloves
1 small Hokkaido pumpkin
2 sweet potatoes
200g broccolini
3 hands fresh spinach
400g cooked chickpeas
300 ml coconut milk

Dried mixed herbs.
Mix together – turmeric, coriander, ginger, fennel seeds, tyme, rosemary, chili flakes, fenugreek, paprika Salt and Pepper

Topping
fresh coriander
spring onions
black sesame

Optional
Rice to serve

Chop pumpkin and sweet potatoes in small cubes.
Chop onions and garlic and fry in coconut oil for a few minutes.
Add vegetable cubes and herbs and fry for more 2-3 minutes.
Add coconut milk and let simmer for 20 minutes over medium heat.
Add broccolini, spinach and chickpeas and let simmer for more 5 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with fresh coriander, spring onions, chili flakes and black sesame.
Enjoy with or without Rice.

Matcha Latte

Matcha Latte without coffee, super healthy and super delicious!

Do you know matcha?

If not you definitely missed something in your diet which is really nutritious and healthy. The first time I drank matcha was 2 years ago while I searched for an option to coffee because coffee often makes me too nervous.

I can drink an espresso but I don’t drink coffee that often. Crazy, right?! Matcha is one of the best options to coffee. Matcha is just 100% pure green tea leaves stone ground into a fine powder.

What is it different to regular green tea?

With regular green tea, you brew hot water with tea leaves but then throw them out afterwards. With matcha, you consume the whole tea leaf along with all its green goodness (I know, how have we not been doing that all along?!) On top of that, matcha tea bushes are grown specially under cover which increases the chlorophyll and amino acid levels in the leaves even further. Matcha can have the nutritional value of up to 10 cups of regular green tea and up to 137 x the antioxidants of regular green tea!

The potential health benefits of green tea are well known and include:

  • increased focus and concentration
  • higher energy levels
  • enhanced metabolism
  • stronger immune system
  • clearer skin
  • general improved wellbeing

Matcha is not the most cheapest food ingredient. So if you like to test it, you can get 15% discount by using the code nutsandblueberries15 when you order by www.matchamaiden.com.

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Matcha Latte

250ml Almon Milk
1 tsp Matcha
2-3 Dates
1 tsp ground vanilla Vanille

Preparation

  1. Use a Bamboo Broom or a Teaspoon to stir the matcha with a pinch of warm water.
  2. Remove lumps.
  3. Heat up the milk in a pan and add Dates and vanilla
  4. Mix the milk with the ingredients and add the matcha
  5. Enjoy!

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Caramalized apple crunch with yoghurt

During the winter month I often eat warm or hot breakfast bowls in combination with cold fruits, ice cream or yoghurt. For example this Caramalized apple crunch with yoghurt.

One of the best breakfast topping you can use are roasted nuts or seeds. It is so easy to roast them in a pan and use them within the next days. Roasting release the lovely flavors. It is such a great preparation.

An “upgrade” idea is to fry the nuts and seeds in coconut oil and caramelize them with honey. I got the idea from the famous greenkitchenstories and mixed them up with fresh yoghurt.

Nuts and seeds are full packed with healthy fatty acids and lots of high quality protein. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of vitamin E. Vitamin E is very good for healthy skin and hair. Furthermore they are very rich in magnesium. Magnesium is necessary for healthy bones and energy production.

I add different spices to the fried nut and seed mix. A great combination is vanilla and cinnamon. Take care the cinnamon don’t gets to dominant to taste also the vanilla flavor. Oh I love vanilla. I add vanilla nearly to every breakfast I eat.

Caramalized apple crunch with yoghurt, I try to mix up my fruit diet within the week to get the different nutrients of the different fruits. I often use bananas in smoothies so I need to change the fruit when I make my porridge or chia pudding. For these bowls I often use apples. Fried apples are really one of the best fruits in the world. They taste so much different to a fresh apple. When they get more soft the taste change to another level of sweetness.

Apples contains antioxidants and such a big volume of vitamin C. I mixe up fresh apples and fried one in this apple crunch because they have different textures in your mouth. A really lovely taste adventure you need to try for sure!

Apple Crunch nab

Caramalized apple crunch with yoghurt

Serve 1

2 small apples (or 1 big)
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp sunflower seeds
3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp chopped hazelnuts
1/2  tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground vanilla
pinch of salt
150ml yoghurt
fresh fruits (grapes)

  1. Chop the apple/s in small cubes and share in two portions.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a pan over medium heat and fry half of the apples, nuts and seeds over medium heat in a pan for 5-7 minutes until the apples are soft and the nuts / seeds get golden. Take care of burning!
  3. Add honey, cinnamon, vanilla and salt and let simmer for 1 more minutes. Serve with yoghurt and fresh fruits.

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Caramelized fennel with cheesy Polenta

What a great combination – Caramelized fennel with cheesy Polenta!

Some time ago my boss bite into a raw fennel and I laugh because it looks so funny. I really prefer cooked vegetables, I am not the biggest RAW fan. But I tried out this raw fennel as well and gave this great looking fennel a chance. It was really not my gusto! And I never eat fennel after this Experiment.

A few month ago we visited our neighbors who made a really tasty fennel leek casserole because we are vegetarian. Really nice from them.

And I was really surprised I totally felt in love with this amazing cooked fennel. WOW!

Back home I tried out different recipes with fennel. I was in a fennel mode! Some recipe creations works and some not (hate it when it don’t works but we learn in that way, right?!) One recipe worked very well and my hubby totally felt in love with my idea of caramelize the fennel. We arranged it with cheesy polenta because we love love love creamy polenta.
The creamy polenta with the soft fried fennel with a touch of sweetness because of the agave syrup taste like heaven!
Fennel is a very healthy food for your stomach. Fennel includes essential oils which stimulate secretion of digestive and gastric juices, while reducing inflammation of the stomach.

That’s the reason why fennel tea is so healthy when you have stomachache. Fennel is a winter season vegetable and very low in calories.

Don’t trash the fennel greens because they are really delicious and the perfect topping for a fennel dish. Try to buy fresh and good looking fennel with lots of greens to be happy about this fresh looking topping at home.

I love to combine the soft and healthy fennel with pecorino polenta. Polenta is really easy to make. You can add butter and cheese or you can also enjoy it without. Polenta is rich in vitamin A and the best is to eat is the day you made it because of the creaminess.

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Caramelized fennel with cheesy polenta

Server 2-3

4 fennel bulbs
4 tbsp agave syrup
sea salt
4 tbsp coconutoil

200g polenta
100g pecorino cheese
750ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp butter
Sea salt & pepper

Fennel

  1. I fry the fennel in 4 portions because you need to make sure the fennel is complete on the pan. I use 2 pans and add one fennel in each pan.
  2. Preheat the oven to keep the fried fennel warm.
  3. Chop the fennel in small slices (0,5-1cm).
  4. Heat 1 tbsp coconutoil on medium heat in a pan and fry the slices 4 min. each side.
  5. After the first side add a pinch of sea salt and 1 tbsp agave syrup to caramelize.
  6. Keep the fried fennel warm in the oven during frying the other 2 fennels.

Polenta

  1. Cook the vegetable stock and add the polenta.
  2. Let simmer over low heat for 20-30 min.
  3. Stir around every 5 min. to avoid burning.
  4. Add the butter and cheese at the end.
  5. Make sure the polenta is very creamy. Add water if desired.
  6. Season with sea salt and pepper.

Serve the fennel on the polenta and top with fresh fennel greens.

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