Hummus - the healthy snack, breakfast spread or side dish!

I am a big evening snacker; I always feel like something after dinner, preferably a little nibble to go with the latest episode of S.H.E.I.L.D or Orange is the New Black, just to make an ordinary Monday night a little more special. The problem with this arises when you have absolutely no self control regarding unhealthy snacks and stuff your face with all kinds of crap like chips (crisps for the brits) and chocolate 7 nights a week. It's better to quit cold turkey (at least during the weekdays...).

If you, like me, enjoy the occasional evening snack to your favorite show, make it a healthy one. Hummus with sticks of raw veggies is actually quite hard to beat. It tastes great and it won't add to any I-just-over-did-it-again-anxiety. Easy to make too! This of course, is my simplified version of it since I didn't have any tahini (ground sesame seeds) at home and didn't feel like making any. 

The What

1 can of chickpeas

3 tbps sesame seeds

olive oil

1 - 2 cloves of garlic

freshly squeezed lemon juice

salt & pepper

Chili oil

chili flakes

The How

Rinse the chickpeas in cold water thoroughly. 

Put all the ingredients in a bowl (apart from the salt, pepper, chili oil and flakes), mix in a blender or using a hand blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Top the hummus with chili oil and chili flakes and serve with vegetable sticks. 

You managed to have some hummus left over? Put it on your morning sandwich! It's the perfect start to your day and will keep you full until lunch, guaranteed. Below featured on sunflower seed bread, topped with hard boiled egg and a bit of ground pepper. Laying next to a lovely sandwich with avocado spread... mmm amazing breakfast!

Kale and Spinach Stuffed Portabello Mushroom topped with Feta Cheese - or Brunch!

There are very few things that are better than a home made Sunday Brunch. No stress, no musts and no hectic weekday schedule to follow. The thing with brunch is that you want a lot of food that doesn't take all morning to make and that you can sit and enjoy for a couple of hours. This stuffed portabello was easy and fast to make and will definitely be making more frequent appearances on our brunch table in the future!

The What

1 portabello mushroom per person (we were two)

2 handfuls of spinach

fresh green kale

2 cloves of garlic

chili flakes

salt and pepper

olive oil

feta cheese

The How

Set the oven to 200 degrees.

Sear the spinach and kale in a pan along with coarsely chopped garlic, chili flakes and salt and pepper. 

Stuff the mushrooms with the spinach and kale, top with feta cheese. 

Put in the oven and bake until the feta cheese is melted and has a little color. 

Easy and fast, and you know what? It tastes amazing. Really gets your taste buds dancing in the morning!

Eat it as it is or together with other brunch dishes like chevré and sun-dried tomato omelette or with a side of smoked salmon. Anything goes during brunch!

Overnight Oats

Overnight Oats with frozen raspberries, mango and organic Coconut flakes. Talk about breakfast for champions!!

So I finally tried the trendy "new" breakfast, Overnight Oats, hitting the kitchens and blogs of foodies and healthy people everywhere. And.. it really was great. I've never really been a breakfast person, always being way too tired to chew before my frst cup of coffee. When I lived at home, my mum made sure I ate something, then there was a whole long period of time when all I had for breakfast was a coffee and a cigarette (sorry Mum and dad) after which I ditched the cigarettes (yay, thank you Allen Carr!!) and just lived on coffee. After I got myself an outstanding man, he actually gets up every morning and makes me a sandwich to go. I know, I'm just bragging now. With Overnight Oats, though, I really think that I can let my guy sleep in once in a while, it's so easy to prepare, way tastier than a sandwich, not to mention much healthier. And for someone who really doesn't like the time between 12 am and 9 am, it's SO good that I can prepare pretty much everything the night before!! 

See How below!!

 

The What

1 dl almond milk (or regular if you prefer)

1.5 dl vanilla yogurt (or regular, greek or turkish is also good)

0.5 dl fiber oats

1 tbsp flaxseeds (linfrö)

1 tbsp psyllium seeds

frozen raspberries

frozen mango

(or other fresh fruit if you have access to it)

Organic coconut flakes (preferrably from Biofood, they have some great stuff!)

The How

Mix the milk, yogurt, fiber oats and seeds together in a jar or box with a lid. Put in the fridge over night.

In the morning, take out of the fridge, add desired amount of fruit and cocnut flakes.

Go to work. Drink coffee. EAT. 

Who in the world decides what BREAKFAST is??

Swedes eat a lot of bread. A breakfast consists of a hard cheese, some kind of ham or salami, some kind of veggie like a cucumber or pepper, maybe some jam and always, no fail, COFFEE. 

In China, breakfast is just another meal that can be a noodle or rice soup with meat and veggies and green tea or hot water to swallow it all down. 

We all know the Brits and the Americans love a proper fry up, bacon and eggs, toast with or without baked beans.

The healthy ones, regardless of country, may have a smoothie or a fresh fruit plate, perhaps some serial or a non fat no sugar yogurt and at the moment, most likely "Overnight Oats", post coming up about this later!

You think I'm generalizing? What do you guys eat for breakfast? Do you even eat breakfast? And what is it that dictates what you eat for breakfast?

My breakfast varies, depending on a lot of factors. How much time I have in the morning, how cold or warm it is outside at the moment, if it's a weekend or a weekday and how healthy I have decided to be that day or week. 

When I'm hungover, whatever healthy streak I'm on at the moment goes straight in the bin and there is only one thing on my mind: greasy, unhealthy, fatty food, made by someone else. 

    

 And no matter what day of the week, no matter how I feel, Coffee is always a must. Mostly just straight up black, but sometimes I mix it up a bit. 

A post about the wonders of coffee, soon to come here on Declarations of a Foodie.