CREAMY CHIA OATS with STEWED PLUMS and OAT MYLK

As the weather gets colder (okay not quite it's still over 30°C here - buuuut it won't be long until fall enters our lives and our kitchen) and the summer produce disappears slowly, I am getting more and more excited about chai lattes, cinnamon, pumpkin (and it's latte) and OATMEAL - in combination with plums.

Every year - and sometimes even every month - I change how I make my oatmeal. Because I always feel like I have discovered something new and even better than before. Then, I eat it over and over again every day until I try out another method (to be repeated). Right now, this is my favorite way to cook oats. It's super quick, easy and creamy.

I adapted the recipe for the stewed plums from Taline Gabriel's Hippie Lane App (click here!). I have to admit that this app is one of my favorite recipe apps and one of the few that I constantly keep on my phone (I'm quite an app minimalist). It's part of the "rise and shine" bundle, an in app purchase that is all about lovely breakfast recipes.

I made this recipe the first time on a super gloomy and rainy day and enjoyed it with a cup of tea watching the latest TED talks - having the best morning ever.

Below, I share some optional add-ins that will make your oatmeal different every time and give it a nutritional boost (or, in case of the brown sugar a tasty boost). Hope you like it!

I would recommend setting up the plums first, then the oatmeal. The oat mylk is best when made ahead in larger quantities.

Creamy Oatmeal

serves 1 

• 1/3 cup oats
• 2/3 cup liquid (I like to use just water but you can also sub for oat mylk if you want)
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup oat mylk (see recipe below)

1. Combine Oats and water (or oat milk) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. 
2. Reduce heat to low (about 2 out of 10) and stir in chia seeds. Let simmer for about 3 minutes. 
3. Turn off heat completely and add the oat milk. Stir a bit and transfer it to a small serving bowl. 

Optional Add-Ins (Choose as many as you want)

• 1/2 tsp mesquite
• 1/2 tsp maca
• 1/4 tsp spirulina
• 1 tsp matcha
• 1 tbsp organic brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
• 2 tbsp brown rice protein powder (I like sun warrior)
• 2 tbsp PUR YA! protein powder
• 1/4 cup crushed nuts (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts..)
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• ...

I topped my oatmeal with 1/2 banana, some goji berries, mulberries & sunflower seeds - so good!

Stewed Plums

serves 1 

• 2 plums, cut in 2 halves and a few smaller pieces (to change it up a bit)
• 2 tsp rice malt syrup
• 1 tbsp water

1. Place water, plums & rice malt in a small saucepan and turn heat to medium. Let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
2. Pour over hot oatmeal. 

Oat Mylk

makes about 3 1/4 cups

• 1 cup oats 
• 3 cups water 

1. Blend oats & water together in a high speed blender until smooth.
2. For a creamier texture, pour through a sieve. For a lighter mylk you can also use a nutlike bag.
3. Store in the fridge for about 4 days. 
4. You'll have to give it a good shake before use because it'll separate in the fridge (that does NOT mean it's bad!)

HOMEMADE FLATBREAD with SESAME FALAFEL , GUACAMOLE & SEITAN VEGGIES / vegan

Wooaaah. Woah. Okay, honestly, this is all I can say about this creation above. It is so good no words can describe it. I made the falafels for dinner yesterday and they were better when I ate them fresh, so even if the whole thing might take a while, it is definitely worth it! 

Okay, here are some more pictures of the most delicious dish eveeerrrr:

And here are the recipes: They taste amazing on their own but if you want to take it to the next level, combine them all and let the party in your mouth begin! 

You can use the flat bread with a lot of things like peanut butter, jam or your favorite savory spread (try hummus!).

Falafel are often made with chickpeas (like 99,9% of the time) but if you can't have ANY legumes, having falafel is very very difficult (if not impossible). This is a super easy low-histamine recipe is perfect for so many allergies, it's nut free, gluten free, oil free & regardless of the free-of-anything-ingredient-list it actually tastes super good!

Thumbs up for Seitan! Did you know that 100g contain 75 grams of PROTEIN!? Crazy! 

BERLIN & PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH // vegan

I was in Berlin last week looking for a room to rent (I found a super pretty one!) and while we were running from house to house, there were still a few moments to relax and enjoy the amazing vegan food the capital of Germany has to offer.

For breakfast on Friday we went to Daluma, a small café that offers breakfast, acai bowls, juices, coffee & entrees. I had some chia pudding with nut topping and it was deliiiiish.

For dinner we chose an omnivore "fast food" restaurant, that has vegan burgers as well: Schiller. If you're in Berlin, try the "Anmut und Würde", it is beyond amazing.

If you're more of a brunch girl (or boy), try OhLaLa. The vegan pawlova tasted just like "the real thing", I promise! And they have pretty cool drinks as well.

Keep an eye on my blog to find out more about vegan options in Berlin!

However, we ended up shopping some stuff at Veganz and I found the eatable cookie dough by Eat Pasty in their fridge. I got the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip version and OH MY GOD...


Oh. My. God.


Vegan cookies (and their dough) just got to the next level. I really love this stuff, it's crazy!

But unfortunately it's made with white flour, sugar, palm oil and other not-so-healthy ingredients (but vegan and they also have gluten-free options). Sounded like something to healthify, right?

Imagine this: Eat Pasty Cookie Dough container on the counter, me reading ingredients and going through the pantry to find healthier options, eye-balling the measurements and not really having a clue what I'm doing.

Then imagine: Magic happens.
The dough comes out perfect the first time (it really it eat pastry because I ate a few tablespoons before baking).

I popped it into the fridge and whipped up some chocolate (recipe for this coming very soon, I'm planning a bigger post on this).

While the chocolate was setting, I ate a little more of the dough and got happier and happier.

After chopping up one chocolate bar and adding it to the mixture, I finally baked the cookies and - no surprise - they came out of the oven just as perfect as they were before!

NOTE: this recipe is boyfriend and mom approved (basically a impossible combination) so feel free to offer them to your folks as well (and don't tell them they're healthy and vegan at first).

* To make this recipe lower in histamine, sub the banana for a green one (if tolerated) or some apple sauce as well as the peanut butter for some almond butter or pumpkin seed or sunflower seed butter. Have fun with it and experiment!

CREAMY BUCKWHEAT PORRIDGE // vegan & gluten free

This porridge takes a little time to make (soaking, blending & cooking) but it is really worth it. I like the nutty flavor the buckwheat adds - it goes perfect with my healthy chia jam.
You can use whole buckwheat groats instead of the bulgur I used if you can't find it - it will probably be even creamier!
With only 155 calories per cup cooked and 6 grams of protein, buckwheat really is a superfood! It is known to improve heart health and digestion and helps to prevent diabetes!
The coconut sugar is low GI (35 - white sugar has a GI of 70), which means it won't cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, contains less fructose (make this dish low fructose by changing the topping to some nuts if you like) and offers a few more minerals than other sugar. Overall - a healthier alternative to refined sugar. Check out the recipe here:

PESTO BEET SANDWICH // vegan

This quick & easy recipe is perfect for a yummy lunch when you're short on time and have the pesto ready-to-use in your fridge. I really encourage you to try the pesto, it's my favorite recipe and I make it as often as possible (it only lasts two days in our household because my mom likes it just as much). Of course, you can add anything you wish onto your sandwich like tomatoes, bell pepper, carrot & more but I love this simple combination best. Hope you enjoy! 

COCO KISS SMOOTHIE // vegan

I had this smoothie at the pool bar in Sri Lanka a couple of weeks ago. It was delicious that I wrote down the ingredients so I could recreate - and healthify - it at home. They used artificial ingredients like mango syrup, maracuja syrup and grenadine and that's not what goes into my blender! Here's how the original version looked like: 

The smoothie was called 'Coco Kiss' and I found the name so cute I'm gonna steal it. Hope you like this healthy , protein-rich post workout smoothie as much as I do! 

CHAI SPICED PROTEIN SMOOTHIE BOWL // vegan

After a month of vacation in Spain, at a festival and in Sri Lanka, I slipped off the healthy wagon quite a bit. Fortunately, I'm back home, back in my kitchen that is filled with health foods, fruit and vegetables, making it super easy to hop back on. 

That's why I created this amazing Chai Spiced Smoothie Bowl with a little extra protein punch, which will make you forget the taste of fries and other processed foods. 

I topped mine with blueberries, currants and oat and spelt crunchies! I hope you like it!