Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of my most favorite healthy super-foods. It is so diverse when it comes to baking and cooking with it. As a college student, Baked-Oatmeal is a gift. I get so busy as soon as Monday comes around. The week just flashes by and before I know it, it's Friday. So to keep myself eating healthy throughout the week, I plan out the week's grocery shopping and I roughly plan out my eating plan during the weekend. (Well, at least I try to most of the time.)  That is why Baked-Oatmeal is an ideal recipe for a tasty, healthy, whole and quick breakfast for the mornings. I personally cook it on Sunday evenings and keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. Throughout the week, some mornings I take a serving,

(or two when I am really hungry), or I pack it up to eat later in the morning.

This recipe is really diverse. You can get creative and add different kinds of fresh fruits ,nuts and dried fruits that you desire. One of the best things about this recipe is that it is sugar-free and wheat-free but still so satisfying.

Ingredients:

Yields 6 Servings

• 1 ripe Banana 
• 1 Apple
• 2 Cups Oatmeal
• 1/3 Cup Mixed Nuts and Raisins
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/3 Cup Honey (Add more or less depending on your desired sweetness)
• 3 tbsp Butter
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
•  1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1 Egg
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 Cups Water

Instruction:

1. Preheat Oven at 180C or 375F.
2. Grease a deep baking dish. (My dish is an 8 inch square dish).
3. Mix the oatmeal, sea salt, 1/2 the cinnamon and baking powder in a bowl.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the melted butter, honey, water, egg and vanilla extract.
5. Slice the banana and apple. Line the bottom of the greased dish with first the banana, then the apple on top. If your dish is larger, use more bananas or apples needed to properly line the dish.
6. Sprinkle the other half of the cinnamon on top of the layer banana and apple base.
7. Pour the mixed dry ingredients over the banana and apple base. Use a fork to properly distribute the oat mixture in the dish.
8. Pour the wet mixture over the oats in the dish. Use a folk to properly distribute the liquid in the dish.
9. Sprinkle the rest of the nut and raisin mixture over the top
10. Place the disk in the oven for about 35-45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
11. Let it cool down for 5 minutes, then serve!

Before:

After:

I hope you enjoy this Baked Oatmeal recipe as much as I do. I had a serving this morning with a cappuccino, a banana and an apple for breakfast. It was so delicious :D.

How do you eat your Baked Oatmeal?

Let me know how you it was for you.


Xx

Rati

Spicy Zucchini "Pasta"

This is such yummy goodness, I cannot even fully describe or explain how good it is. The best part is... it is so EASY and QUICK to make. I had it last night for dinner and my taste-buds and tummy were thanking me.  

Zucchini is usually one of my vegetable staples, so I thought, "Why not make some Zucchini pasta!".
And I did.
And it was epic.

The thing that really makes this recipe so great is the sauce that you mix it with. I was feeling creative so I just experimented with the ingredients and spices that I had at home and it turned out quite fantastic.

So without any further delay, here is the recipe:

Equipment:

• Blender
• Vegetable Spiralizer (I got mine quite cheap on ebay. The one I use is a small hand held tool. You can buy it here.)
•  Knife and Cutting Board

Ingredients for "Pasta":

• 2-3 medium zucchinis
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 can of garbanzo beans (or 1/2 cup cooked garbanzo beans)
• 3 chopped long stalks of celery

Ingredients in the Sauce:

• 1 small red beet
• 1/2 large persimmon (or 1 medium peach)
•  Chili peppers (put as much as you want for the spiciness you desire) 
• 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (or curry)
• 250 grams of ripe cherry tomatoes (or 1 medium ripe tomato)
• 4 juicy dates (optional. Also note that if the dates you have are a bit dry, soak them in water for some time to soften them)
• 1/4 cup of water. (Eye the amount of water according to the blender contents. Add or decrease the amount of water to ensure a good thick saucy consistency)
• 1/2 red onion (or normal onion)
• 1 - 2 garlic cloves

Recipe for "Pasta:

1. Spiralize the zucchinis
2. Mix in the chopped vegetables and set the plate/bowl aside

Recipe for Sauce:

1. Chop the red beet and persimmon.
2. Place all the sauce ingredients into the blender.
3. Blend all the ingredients together. remember to start out with a bit of water and keep adding until you reach the desired thick, saucy consistency.
4. Pour the sauce all over your pasta.
5. Mix it all together and leave it for about 10-15 minutes for all the flavors to mix and the zucchini to soften a bit.
6. Eat it all up

Serves: 1 person

Trust me, this pasta is really so yummy. It is a great way to replace actual pasta. The ingredients are almost all raw. Due to the fact that we use mostly natural foods, you will find that you can eat a whole big bowl of "pasta" and feel full and satisfied without the guilt of eating actual pasta. 

This meal is great for both dinner and lunch.

I will definitely be experimenting with different kinds of sauces for the Zucchini Pasta and I will share with you the yummy concoctions I come up with.

I hope the new year has started up great for all of you.

Enjoy.

Xx

Rati :)

Persimmon Lover

I just got a box yummy PERSIMMONS!!! Since the large part of what I eat constitutes of fruits and vegetables, I try to buy in bulk when I can. It is cheaper and it cuts down my trips to the grocery store.

I recently discovered a new fruit and vegetable market which happens every Saturday in my city. I am excited to go and see all the fresh fruits and veggies I can get at lower prices than at the store.

I hope you have all had an incredible 2012. Mine was definitely filled with so much adventure, the building and breaking of some dear friendships and incredible growth as a person.

I wish you all an amazing 2013. May it be filled with so much more joy, adventure, peace, laughter and love. May it be the best year of your life yet.

Enjoy the New Year celebrations.
Please be safe.

Many hugs and much love.

See you next year ;)

Xx

Rati