Monday, October 23, 2017

Breakfast You Make While You Sleep

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. If you skip breakfast, you ruin your entire day. That's why my healthy, homemade breakfasts are a must for me and I wake up extra early to make them. But when I really have no time, overnight oats are my go-to breakfast on mornings when I'm in a rush. You just dunk the ingredients in a mason jar and place these in the ref and in the morning, you have a healthy, delicious meal waiting for you with minimal or no time to prepare.

This is practically one of the easiest breakfasts to make and there's no culinary skill required. I just need a mason jar, some basic kitchen equipment, and ingredients. I prefer using a wide-mouthed mason jar for this but a regular mason jar works as fine. Just be sure there's a cover.

For your basic ingredient formula you need:

1. Rolled oats. Not the instant one and not the steel-cut (that one you use for regular, slow-cooking oatmeal). Use old fashioned rolled oats. Have these with you because these are very versatile.
2. Milk - I use almond milk or soy milk for my milk but if you're not lactose intolerant like I am, then go ahead and use dairy milk. My ratio of rolled oats to milk is 1 part oats to 1 part and some more milk (like 1/3 cup oats to 1/3 cup plus a little less than 1/4 cup milk) , and you will see why.
3. Chia seeds - you can purchase chia seeds at a health food store like Healthy Options, S&R, or The Superfood Grocer. Chia seeds when soaked have this gelatinous coating that give the oats a nice, thick, creamy texture. That is why my ratio of milk is 1 part and then some more, so our chia has enough room to expand. I do this trial and error. If I see my oats look too thick and crowded, I just add a splash or two of liquid and give it a good stir and I'm good to go
4. Yogurt - Yogurt has all these yummy probiotics that are good for you. They also contribute to the creamy consistency. Use coconut yogurt if you're vegan. The best yogurt though to use for me is low fat Greek yogurt because of the protein content (for muscle!). There are also some recipes that use coconut milk or coconut cream instead of Greek Yogurt or a combination of both.

That's your base. Then you add in sweeteners, spices, toppings, or whatever. Sometimes, fruit is added already during the prep time. For the toppings, I usually place them before I eat them, especially nuts, so they stay crunchy. If I have time, I take photos and upload in Instagram.

Look online and there are so many recipes of overnight oats to choose from. Even restaurants and health food stores have their own versions





I have here in this post a few overnight oats recipes for you to try so you literally wake up to a yummy, effortless, and healthy breakfast every single day.

Banana Bread Oats

You can make your overnight oats as a snack.
If you want nuts, place them in a separate container.
This is like a warm hug to wake you up in the morning. Great for pre-workout energy food

You will need:
  • Banana
  • a sprinkle of cinnamon
  • a sprinkle of nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • Almond milk/soy milk
  • maple syrup
  • sea salt
  • vanilla
  • rolled oats
  • yogurt.
Procedure:
  • Place the banana in a blender and blend with soymilk until you get a smooth consistency. Allow the froth to settle a bit.
  • In a mason jar, dunk the oats, chia, a sprinkle of nutmeg, cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Mix all the dry ingredients together.
  • Dunk a big dollop of yogurt, a splash of vanilla, and drizzle with maple syrup. 
  • Add your banana milk. remember the ratio (1 part oats to 1 part and some more milk).
  • Mix the whole thing up. Close the mason jar and place this in the fridge. Go to bed.
  • In the morning, get your mason jar and give the contents a good stir. If it's a bit too thick, splash some almond milk until you reach a desired consistency. 
  • Top with some more sliced banana and pecans and cinnamon if you wish and eat with tea.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats


Chocolate. Peanut Butter. No explanation needed.

You will need:
  • Rolled Oats
  • Vanilla Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp Chia seeds
  • Almond milk/soy milk
  • vanilla
  • 1 tbsp peanut butter
  • maple syrup or coconut sugar
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Procedure:
  • Mix the milk, peanut butter, syrup/sugar, and cocoa powder until you get a chocolate milk like consistency
  • In a mason jar, combine well the oats and chia seeds.
  • Pour in the chocolate milk and give it a good stir. sprinkle a bit of seasalt and add a splash of vanilla. Mix Well. Cover your jar and store in fridge. Go to bed and dream pleasant dreams.
  • Eat as is in the morning or top with desired toppings. I like using banana, nuts (cashews and walnuts), cacao nibs, flax, maca powder, and shredded coconut. 
  • Optional: before eating, I take out the contents out of the mason jar and pulse it on the food processor for like 20 seconds until I get a porridge like consistency, like champorado.

Good Morning, Sunshine


This one I added a bit of turmeric powder. Don't get scared. The flavor of turmeric blends well with cinnamon. It also has a lot of nutritional benefits and gives your breakfast a sunny yellow color.

You will need:
  • Rolled Oats
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • Soy/Almond Milk
  • Cinnamon
  • Turmeric
  • Vanilla
  • Maple Syrup or coconut sugar
  • Yogurt
  • Dried Blueberries
Procedure:

Dunk them all  in a mason jar. Since this is the third recipe, you pretty much know the drill already.
In the morning, eat with nuts, bananas, mangoes, and cacao nibs. Add a dollop of coconut cream and a sprinkle of more coconut sugar for sweetness.


Ube Overnight Oats

Love local and lilac with this sweet treat
If you purchased a jar of ube jam from your recent Baguio trip, add a scoop of this to your oats for a pretty, lilac breakfast. If your ube is already sweet, you may skip the sweetener because that and the fruit is gonna make this breakfast so sweet. Since ube is like the new salted caramel or salted egg, I thought if I made ube waffles and ube pancakes, why not make ube overnight oats as well?

You will need:
  • Rolled oats
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • Soy/Almond/Cashew milk
  • A scoop of ube jam
  • Coconut milk/Coconut cream
Procedure:

Place oats and chia in a mason jar and combine well. Add some coconut cream or coconut milk. Coconut cream makes it so much thicker and richer but milk will do fine. Add your ube jam and top with milk. Stir so the ube jam is well distributed onto the mixture. Alternatively, you can blend the ube and the milk in the blender for a more homogenous consistency of ube milk. Stir well and place in the fridge overnight. Top with fruits of the season. #Lovelocal with bananas, mangoes, cashews, and coconut flakes. For added sweetness, sprinkle with coconut sugar.

Have healthy, happy mornings with your overnight oats! Never skip breakfast and stay healthy!

No comments: