My boyfriend, let's call him Jacek (because that's his name) gets breakfast at work and therefore totally ignores my offers to eat the morning meal together. He then sends me pictures of waffles, pancakes and/or avocado baked with eggs and chorizo, thinking that it makes me green with envy. Well, I'm only slightly jealous. I prepare oats in the evening and soak them overnight in the fridge. They're ready to eat in the morning, so I feel as if I had a breakfast catering myslef.
Recipe: Autumnal Overnight Oats
Serves: 1 (not sad at all!)
Ingredients
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tbsp oat bran
1 tbsp desiccated coconut
1 tbsp flax seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp date syrup
a handful grapes, to serve
coconut flakes, to serve
Method
Mix all the ingredients, apart from grapes and coconut flakes.
I was going to start with how I got up before sunrise and forced my way through the woods to come back carrying a basket full of beautiful mushrooms. Sadly, my mum didn’t allow me go to the forest by myself. Instead I went to go to the local market and bought mushroom from people whose parents are a bit less protective. To answer your questions: yes, I'm turning 30 in three months. No, I don’t live with my mother anymore.
I’ll just leave you with this chanterelle soup recipe. It tastes the same regardless of whether you bought the mushroom of picked them up yourself.
Recipe: Wild Chanterelle Soup
Serves: 4
Ingredients
500 g chanterelles
350 g potatoes
1 l homemade vegetable stock*
1 onion, diced
juice of 1/2 lemon
2-3 thyme sprigs
1 tbsp coconut oil
a handful chopped parsley, to serve
a pinch freshly ground black pepper, to serve
Method
*To make the stock, place washed and peeled vegetables (2 carrots, parsnip, celeriac and leek) in a large pot. Top with 2 l of cold water and bring to boil. Add a pinch of salt, 2 bay leaves, 2 allspice and juniper berries, a few peppercorns and 2-3 dried mushrooms. Reduce the heat and to low and cook, partly covered for 1 1/2 hour.
Clean and dry the mushroom. Cut the large ones in halves.
Peel and dice the potatoes very finely.
Heat the coconut in a pot.
Add onion and fry over low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Add the chanterelles, increase the heat and fry, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes.
Add potatoes and continue cooking, stirring, for another minutes.
Add vegetable stock and thyme, bring to boil.
Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Season with lemon juice.
Serves with chopped parsley and freshly ground pepper.
I'm sure you all know, at the very least more or less, how to make pesto. This is just to remind you that pesto is always a good idea: for a quick pasta dinner, as an addition to a sharing platter, on what to do with herbs from your garden.
Traditional Ligurian pesto is made with basil, but I went for a blend of different herbs: basil, thyme, oregano and a bit of rosemary and mint. I skipped parmesan, but kept pine nuts from the original recipe. Feel free to experiment with herbs and nuts - try almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds or walnuts.
Recipe: Vegan pesto
Ingredients
one cup fresh herbs: basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary, mint
1/2 small clove of garlic
3 tbsp pine nuts, roasted on a dry pan
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp soli morskiej
Method
Blend all the ingredients to a smooth paste using pestle and mortar or a food processor.
Feel free to add more olive oil, depending on what kind of consistency you like.
If not using immediately, place the sauce in a jar, top with a layer of oil and refrigerate until needed..
It's pretty obvious why I love breakfast-from-a-blender. Smoothie bowls are quick, easy, healthy and delicious. And look great on Instagram.
Blackberries, like all the berries, are superfoods. They're low in calories, high in antioxidants and fiber and a great source of vitamins: C, B, A, E and K. And let's not ignore the fact that they make your smoothie look fabulous!
