Orange Spiced Overnight Oats

Recipe from Julia Maiten
Adapted and Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 4 generous servings

I’m loving Julia Maiten’s recipes.  This one is especially nice with fragrant hints of orange, fennel and cardamom.  The recipe makes a large batch* that can be stored in the fridge and portioned out in the morning and topped with all sorts of fruits, berries and/or nuts and seeds. Julia is in her early 20’s and a runner.  Her recipe states that this makes 2 portions*, but since I’m well past my 20’s and I prefer walking, this makes breakfast for me for several days. 

1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 pods of cardamom
1 cup (110g) rolled oats
½ cup (55g) quick-cooking oats
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of Kosher or sea salt
Zest from 1 orange
Juice from 1 orange 
1½ cups (375ml) soy milk
14 oz. (400g) plant based yogurt (I used Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt.)
Maple syrup, to taste

Topping Ideas: fresh or dried apricots, fresh or frozen blueberries, toasted macadamias or walnuts, flakey sea salt, extra plant-based milk, fresh chopped apple, maple syrup, sliced banana

Directions: Add the fennel seeds and shelled cardamom seeds into a small dry skillet and toast until fragrant. 
Grind using a mortar & pestle or spice grinder.
Into a large bowl, add the spices along with the remaining ingredients and mix well. 
Allow to chill for at least 1 hour.  
When ready to serve, portion out into bowls and add toppings as desired.

Lemon Poppy Seed Baked Oatmeal (Vegan)

Recipe from Vegan Richa 

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 4 servings

If you enjoy lemon and poppy seed muffins, you will like this Lemon Poppy Seed Baked Oatmeal breakfast.  The recipe is perfect for food prep day at your house. Once cooled, the servings can be placed in a container and refrigerated or kept frozen. I popped mine in the microwave, served it with some Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt and frozen blueberries that I heated up a bit.  To save time later, buy a bag of lemons on sale and then zest and juice them all at once.  Put the zest and lemon juice (separately) in an ice cube tray and freeze.  Once frozen, pop them out and place them in airtight containers in the freezer. Thaw when ready to use in recipes like this or when you wish to make salad dressings, sauces or soups.  

1 cup non-dairy milk such as almond, oat, soy or light coconut (I used unsweetened soy milk.)

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1½ cups old fashioned oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons chia seeds

1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

1 Tablespoon shredded coconut

¼ cup applesauce or mashed banana

3 Tablespoon maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat the oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, measure in the milk and the lemon juice.  Stir a bit and then set aside to “curdle” like buttermilk.  

In a large bowl, add the oats, baking powder, salt, chia seeds, poppy seeds and coconut and mix well.  

Add the applesauce, the maple syrup and vanilla to the milk/lemon juice mixture. Stir well and then add that to the dry ingredients.  

Allow the batter to set for about 10 minutes so that the oats absorb the liquid.  

Pour the batter into a 8” X 8”, 9” X 9”, 7” X 11” or similar baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking oil or lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 350F (180C) for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden on the edges. Let it cool on a rack for 10 minutes.   

Slice and serve with maple syrup or whipped coconut cream or yogurt and fruits or berries. You can also top with some nuts or seeds of choice.  

Nutrition: (1 of 6 servings) 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 71mg |Potassium: 208mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 82IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 138mg |Iron: 2mg

Note: If you wish, the author said that you can double the ingredients. If you suspect the mixture has too much liquid, add a few tablespoons more rolled oats. Bake in a 9 by 13-inch pan for 40 to 45 mins.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars (Vegan)

Servings10

Recipe from Michaela Vais Ela Vegan

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

We thought these strawberry oatmeal bars were delightful.  Of course, the husband loved having this seasonal treat.  These had just the right amount of sweet to them.  By using mashed banana and just a bit of maple syrup, the flavor of the berries really comes through. (I followed the original recipe to the letter, with this exception… I added about ½ teaspoon vanilla to the berry mixture and ¼ teaspoon almond extract plus ½ teaspoon sea salt to the dough mixture.)

Dough:

2 cups (205 g) oats 

1 cup (120 g) almond flour* 

1 cup (90 g) oat flour 

1 small (80 g) banana, mashed* 

1/4 cup (80 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

1/4 cup (60 g) canned coconut milk*

2 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon almond extract

Strawberry Filling:

3 cups (450 g) diced strawberries

1/3 cup (105 g) maple syrup or agave syrup

2-3 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice

5 teaspoon chia seeds

3 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch 

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

(I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this recipe and measuring the ingredients in grams.) 

Preheat the oven to 360 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

Put the ingredients for the strawberry filling in a saucepan, bring to a boil, let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, and stir occasionally.

Mix all ingredients for the dough in a bowl by either using your hands or a hand mixer.

Press 2/3 of the dough evenly into a greased or lined baking dish. The pan I used measured 7 x 11 inches (18 x 28 cm).

Pour the strawberry filling over the crust.  Crumble the remaining 1/3 dough on top.  Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. 

Notes:

*Banana: Use banana or applesauce for a low-fat version. If you prefer a flaky/buttery soft crust, I would recommend using 40 grams banana (or applesauce) and 40 grams vegan butter (margarine).

*Almond flour: You can use any ground nuts/seeds of choice (e.g. hazelnuts, shredded unsweetened coconut) instead of almond flour.

*Coconut milk: You could use oat cream or soy cream instead of canned coconut milk.

*Other reviewers said that the bars could be frozen for up to 3 months.  Other berries can be used.  Frozen strawberries/berries will work.

Nutrition Facts (1 of 10 servings)

Calories 273; Fat 9.5 g; 1.7 g Sat. Fat; Carbohydrates 36.2 g; Fiber 6 g; Sugars 15.4 g; Protein 7.1 g

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal with High Protein Icing (Vegan)

 

Recipe from That Vegan Babe

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 4 very generous servings or 6 reasonable servings :-)

I do love a good baked oatmeal for breakfast.  It always goes down perfectly with a cup of coffee or hot tea.  This Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal one did not disappoint.  Usually I zap my baked oatmeal in the microwave and eat it hot, but THIS one tastes pretty darn great cold, right out of the fridge.  

Baked Oatmeal

(Dry Ingredients)

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

2 Tablespoons chia seeds

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (Pecans or pumpkin seeds would be a nice substitute.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of sea salt or kosher salt

(Wet Ingredients)

2 cups plant milk (I used homemade cashew milk, but any will work.)

1/4 cup almond butter (I used sunflower seed butter because that's what's in my fridge.)

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large carrot, grated

High Protein Icing

300 g silken tofu

2 1/2 scoops vegan vanilla protein powder

1/2 cup water

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line an 8" X 8" baking dish (or 7" X 10") with parchment paper or spray with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Then add the wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Pour into the baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Cool on a baking rack before icing. 

Meanwhile, add the icing ingredients to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Use water as needed to thin or protein powder to thicken.  (It does thicken a bit in the fridge.)

If serving all at once, say for a family or party breakfast, spread or drizzle the icing over the cooled baked oatmeal.  If having it one piece at a time, I suggest keeping the icing in a mason jar with a lid in the fridge.  Drizzle over each piece as needed.  

The baked oatmeal will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.  

Nutritional Info:  (1 of 4 servings) 463 calories; 8.6 g fiber; 433 mg sodium; 459 mg calcium; 19.8 g fat; 2.4 g sat. fat; 43 g carbohydrates; 10.7 mg iron; 29 g protein; 16.9 g sugars; 496 mg potassium; 1.3 mg vitamin C; 3596 IU vitamin A

Breakfast Birchler (Vegan)

Make your hectic mornings a lot less chaotic
by preparing this scrumptious, filling breakfast
before you go to sleep. First, make the Birchler Mix. 
Store the mix in an airtight container
on your counter or in your pantry.

Then measure out some and add the Birchler Soak ingredients. 
Here you see the Birchler Mix, yogurt, mashed banana,
and plant milk.

Stir up the ingredients.

Cover the prepared Birchler and pop it in the fridge.

Wake up refreshed knowing that breakfast
is just a spoon away!

Recipe from Good Eatings

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 8 servings

Birchler is an overnight oat breakfast.  This recipe is a winner!  It turns out very creamy and filling.  I like to keep my Birchler Mix on the counter in a pretty jar.  Then, the night before a busy day, I just measure out some of the mix and add a few ingredients to a bowl for an overnight soak in the fridge. In the morning, I've got a GREAT breakfast ready to go.

Birchler Mix:

1/2 cup buckwheat groats

3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup hemp hearts

1/3 - 1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries, dried blueberries, dried apricots, etc...)

Place the Birchler Mix ingredients in a bowl and mix well.  Transfer the mix to an airtight container.  

Birchler Soak (per serving):

3/4 cup of the Birchler Mix

1/2 cup plant milk (oat milk, almond milk, cashew milk, soy milk, etc...)

1/4 cup plant yogurt (oat yogurt, soy yogurt, etc...)

1/2 banana, mashed (optional)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

The night before, mix the Birchler Soak ingredients in your breakfast bowl.  Cover and chill in the fridge overnight.  

Toppings: (optional)

Fresh fruit (apple, pear, banana, 

Fresh or frozen berries

Granola

More plant milk

Extra dollop of plant yogurt

1 Tablespoon nut or seed butter

In the morning, stir the birchler.  Leave your birchler plain or add any of the toppings you desire. Enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Overnight Oats

Recipe from Whole Food Momma

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 serving

This yummy breakfast is right up my alley.  Using a really ripe banana (lots of black spots on the peel) sweetens the oats.  Do yourself a favor and make a quadruple batch so that your breakfast will be set for four days!  

1/2 banana, mashed

1/2 cup old-fashions rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 Tablespoon flax meal or chia seeds (I used flax meal.)

1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1/2 cup plant milk (I used unsweetened almond milk.)

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup frozen cherries

Add the mashed banana, the oats, cinnamon, flax meal, cocoa powder, plant milk and water to a 2 cup mason jar.  Put the lid on the jar and give the jar a really good shake.  Remove the lid and add frozen cherries.  Place the lid back on the jar and give it another shake.  Store in the fridge over night.  Enjoy cold in the morning (like I do) or put the contents in a microwave safe container and warm it up.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 313 calories; 8.2 g fat (1.2 sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 101 mg sodium; 57.1 g carbohydrates; 11.6 g fiber; 14.7 sugars; 9.8 g protein; 1 mcg vitamin D; 215 mg calcium; 4 mg iron; 692 mg potassium

Strawberry Banana Peanut Butter Smoothie (Vegan)

Recipe from The Conscious Plant Kitchen

Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Makes 1 generous smoothie

This smoothie makes a yummy healthful snack or quick breakfast.  

1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant based milk

1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted natural peanut butter

1 cup frozen strawberries

1 small frozen ripe banana

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)

Notes:

You can replace the almond milk with other non-dairy milks such as oat milk or coconut milk.  

You can replace the peanut butter with other nut or seed butters such as almond butter or sunflower butter.

You can add some plant based yogurt.

You can make it even more sweet by adding just a touch maple syrup, but we think this is plenty sweet because we use very spotty bananas.

You can boost the flavor a bit by adding 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or a smidgeon of nutmeg.

You can thin it out by adding more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time.

You can thicken it by adding more banana, a bit of yogurt or a few cashews.

You can reduce the fat content by using powdered peanut butter (PB2).

 

Winter Salad Hummus Bowls with Seedy Power Sprinkle

Recipe from Anna Stockwell via Epicurious

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

5 Tablespoons unseasoned brown rice vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 bunch kale, stems removed, torn into bit-sized pieces OR 4 cups baby kale

1 lb. brussels sprouts, trimmed, thinly sliced

4 Hard-Cooked Eggs, cut in half

1 cup store bought or homemade hummus

1 cup Seedy Power Sprinkle*

Flaky sea salt, for serving

Freshly ground pepper, for serving

Whisk the unseasoned brown rice vinegar, honey, tamari or soy sauce, kosher salt and ¼ cup olive oil in a large bowl.

Add the kale and brussels sprouts to the vinaigrette.  Toss and massage with your hands until the kale is darker in color and the vegetables are coated in the dressing.

Smear about ¼ cup of hummus onto the side of each bowl or plate.  Top with the salad and egg halves. Season the eggs with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.  Drizzle with oil and top with the Seedy Power Sprinkle.

Notes:  Unpeeled eggs can be prepared 2 days ahead.  The vegetable salad can be made 8 hours in advance. 

Seedy Power Sprinkle

1 large egg white

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons honey

1 Tablespoon Aleppo-style pepper (optional)

1 Tablespoon water

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 cup sunflower seeds

½ cup chia seeds

½ cup flaxseeds

½ cup raw sesame seeds

Whisk egg white, oil, honey, pepper (if using), salt, and water in a medium bowl to combine.  Add the sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and sesame seeds and stir to coat.  Let sit until the liquid is absorbed, about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325F.  Spread the seed mixture in an even layer on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet.  Bake, stirring very gently after 10 minutes to encourage the mixture to from small clusters, until golden brown and crisp, 20-25 minutes.  Let cool.  Sprinkle can be made 2 weeks in advance.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature.  Use them for the salad listed above or use them to sprinkle atop yogurt, soups, or on anything you wish to add a bit of crunch.

Crunchy Seed & Oat Flatbread

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Crunchy Seed & Oat Flatbread toasted and topped with mashed avocado,
drizzled with lime, layered with Napa cabbage and local tomatoes.  Served with local grapes.

Recipe from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

You can tell that a recipe is good when, as soon as you’ve tasted the result, you’re  ready to make another batch.  That’s what happened when I made this flatbread.  Besides being gluten-free and yeast-free, it’s loaded with good-for-you seeds, oats, and buckwheat providing 6 grams fiber, 8 grams protein and healthy fats per serving.  This dense flatbread is sturdy enough for the toaster. Try topping the toasted flatbread with spreads like chia jam, hummus, baba ghanouj, mashed avocado.  You may wish to make batches of the seed topping and the dry ingredients and store in the fridge so that you can make this delicious flatbread quickly for your regular rotation.

For the seed topping:

4 teaspoons raw pepita seeds (These are hulled pumpkin seeds. They are green and can be found in bulk.)

1 Tablespoon raw sunflower seeds

½ teaspoon chia seeds

½ teaspoon sesame seeds

Herbamare or fine-grain seat salt, for sprinkling, to taste

For the flatbread:

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds

1 Tablespoon chia seeds

1½ teaspoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

¾ cup gluten-free rolled oats

½ cup raw buckwheat groats

1 cup unsweetened and unflavored non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk.)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted OR olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350F.  Lightly grease a 9-inch square pan and line it with two pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.  (This is to prevent sticking and to make the flatbread easy to lift out of the pan.)  Make the seed topping by mixing the seed topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk together the sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sugar, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, baking powder, and sea salt.  In a high speed blender, combine the oats and buckwheat groats and blend on high until a flour forms, 5 to 10 seconds.  Add the oat/buckwheat flour to the large bowl, whisking to combine.  Add the milk and oil to the bowl and stir very well until no clumps remain.  Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out with a spatula.  Sprinkle the batter evenly with the prepared seed topping and the Herbamare or salt.  Lightly press down on the topping with your hands to adhere it to the batter.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, uncovered, until the flatbread is firm to the touch.

Let the flatbread cool in the pan placed on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.  Lift it out of the pan and place it on a clean work surface.  Using a pizza cutter or large knife, cut it into 4 squares (or any number/shape you wish.)

After the flatbread cools completely, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  It can be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Nutritional Information: (1 of 4 pieces) 218 calories; 6 grams fiber; 0 g cholesterol; 5 g sugars; 33 g carbohydrates; 8 g total fats (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 8 grams protein; 30% of daily values of calcium; 30% of daily values of vitamin A; 16% of daily values of Iron