Mornings around here are calm and slow. I am taking everything out of this time I now have with no agenda; I make good breakfasts and spend lots of time with the Bible. I've also finally gotten around to trying baked oatmeal. Here's how I've been making it, in praise of autumn.

BAKED APPLE OATMEAL

(serves 2-3)

300ml oatmeal
0,75tsp salt
0,75tsp baking powder
1tsp cinnamon
0,5tsp pure vanilla powder
400ml coconut milk
1 organic egg
1-2 apples
coconut oil (or butter) for greasing
natural yoghurt, almonds, blueberries etc. for serving


Mix the dry and wet ingredients first separately and then all (except the apples) together. Grease an ovenproof dish (about 25cm in diameter) with coconut oil and pour the mixture in and top with sliced apples. Bake in 175 celsius for 30 minutes. Serve with a dollop of natural yoghurt, blueberries and chopped almonds (or go crazy like we did one morning with a little bit of everything; bananas, homemade apple jam, dried mulberries, and everything I already mentioned!)

Lunch egg roll

Here's a new lunch favorite. It's really quick and easy to make and basically you could go for any filling!

 

LUNCH EGG ROLL

2 organic eggs
2 tbsp milk of your choice
salt
coconut oil etc. for frying

2 to 3 good handfuls of fresh spinach
half an apple (or a small one)
3 to 4 tbsp ricotta


Rinse spinach well and blanch it in boiling water for about a minute until it wilts. Pour it in a colander and squeeze excess water out. Cut apple in half, core it and cut in thin slices. Whisk eggs and milk together in a bowl. Pour on a big frying pan (make with one egg if you've got a small pan; it rolls better when it's thinner), sprinkle salt to taste and fry on medium heat just until it's golden (you don't want a dry roll!) Place the omelette on a plate and spread layers of spinach, apple slices and ricotta in the middle and roll up. Cut in half for serving (just because it looks prettier!)

I woke up early, walked to the store to get a load of banana boxes (yes, I'm moving!!) and had buckwheat walnut porridge for breakfast with blackberries, dates (if I was only able to eat one sweet thing in the world it would be medjool dates), cocoa nibs and shredded coconut. A new favorite!

Hello February! Here's another recipe I've been meaning to try for ages! These apple & oat scones get such a lovely subtle taste from apples and almond butter. They're best fresh from the oven but I'll be happily munching on the rest of them in the train on my way north tomorrow morning. But before that we'll celebrate Nora and Otto getting married today. Sweet!

Grandma spent her life in the kitchen and now that she only has others cooking for her I love using some of her old kitchen utensils and carrying on the traditions; last weekend I made banana bread in a cake mold inherited from her with Green Kitchen Stories' recipe (the only sweeteners in this recipe are bananas and applesauce). And I discovered Rachel Khoo and her inspiring kitchen.

This weekend I started off with 13 hours of sleep and I continue slowly. I find it very intriguing to suddenly be absorbed in a new place and a new group of people. People and their stories and ways of doing things are so interesting! A new job takes so much of your energy though as everything is new. Learning it all (the routines, the new pace, the people) takes time and drains you but is also very rewarding. I came across a wonderful statement:

"Taking a step backward after taking a step forward is not a disaster, it's more like a cha-cha."

The Green Kitchen Stories, recipe no.3

I had my little brother stay over and I wanted to make something from The Green Kitchen for breakfast (I'll soon be done with the breakfast section of the book, dang!) I knew these would be good; will make again!

And happy news: Good Life Coffee now sells coffee beans from the new roastery of The Barn (my favorite café in Berlin)! So good!

 

THIN OMELETTE ROLLS WITH APPLE & COTTAGE CHEESE

(makes 1)

1 egg
1tbsp milk
a good pinch of salt
coconut oil for frying

FILLING:
half an apple, cored and coarsely grated
3tbsp cottage cheese
1tbsp toasted pumpkin seeds
a pinch of cinnamon


Combine the filling in a bowl. Whisk the egg, milk and salt with a fork in a glass and pour in a 20cm pan. Fry the omelette for 1 minute on the first side and 30-45 seconds on the other. Place the omelette on a plate, spoon the mixture in the middle and roll up. Cut in half before serving.


Soundtrack for the recipe: Bottles and Birds by Johan Örjansson

The Green Kitchen Project, recipe no.2

This was definitely not one of the most enticing recipes in the book. But as I was buying groceries the other day radishes just looked so pretty and tempting that I had to buy them. And as I remembered seeing this recipe calling for radishes, there it was. A pleasant surprise, really. I liked the crunchiness with the soft eggs. The Green Kitchen recommends making their Danish Rye Bread with this but I had some beetroot bread from Goodpie Bakery left in the freezer. On its own the salad is a little lame but on dark bread it's perfect. I am definitely trying their rye bread another time.

 

CRUNCHY CURRIED EGG SALAD

6 eggs
a small handful of pumpkin seeds
1 apple
10 radishes
5 sticks of asparagus spears
(chives)

For the dressing:
120ml organic turkish yoghurt
(2tbsp mayonnaise, optional)
1tsp ground curry
(a pinch of cayenne)
sea salt


Place the eggs in boiling water and let boil for 10 minutes. Let cool in cold water. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan. Cut the asparagus spears into small sticks and the radishes into thin slices. Halve and core the apple (leave the skin on) and cut it into small pieces. Put everything in a bowl, make the dressing (I didn't use mayonnaise) and mix altogether. Cut the eggs into 8 pieces each and gently mix them in. I forgot to buy chives so I just sprinkled asparagus bits on top.