Zizi's Adventures - Real Food, Real Stories

Vegan Almond Butter Oatmeal

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When I first read my friend’s Emiko’s post about becoming a mother and how she doesn’t have time to eat, I was five months pregnant. That time I didn’t think that this would happen to me as well. Somehow it felt surreal. I can tell you now that exactly the same thing is happening to me. My son is 7,5 weeks old and it is still difficult to find time for cooking (and sometimes eating!). I can only do it if I have help (my boyfriend or my mom) in the house.

I love breakfast time… this is the only time when I try to eat something nutritious and healthy. During the day I mostly eat something quickly and it’s not always the best alternatives of healthy food. To ease my conscience I usually eat a big bowl of salad, 2 pieces of toast spreaded with sunflower or seasame butter for dinner. But back to breakfast… I usually have a big mug of herbal tea, toasts with cashew butter (my new addiction!) and my mom’s homemade sugar-free plum jam or fruits or this oatmeal with different toppings. I love that the almond butter makes it very creamy and silky.

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Vegan Almond Butter Oatmeal

Ingredients (serves 2)
– 10 tablespoons rolled oats
– 2 and 1/2 cups rice milk (or any non-dairy milk)
– 6 teaspoons maple syrup
– 4 teaspoons almond butter
– 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– pinch of salt

Method

In a small pan over medium heat start cooking rolled oats with the rice milk. When milk is almost absorbed and oats are fluffy (5-6 minutes), add maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. After 2 minutes stir in the almond butter. Cook for another 5 minutes until it gets creamy.

If you find it too thick, add more milk, a little at a time. Stir gently and serve it in small bowls.

Date Olive Oil Banana Bread

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Banana bread is the all time favourite classic bread in our household. I tried many recipes and all of them gave the perfect result (like this vegan one with almond and chocolate). This one doesn’t contain sugar, it is sweetened with dates and bananas. It’s moist, delicious, also gluten-free and sweet enough without sugar. It’s also crisp because of the toasted sunflower- and pumpkin seeds on top. It’s perfect and wonderful for an afternoon tea/coffee session or for breakfast (toasted).

Make sure to use overripe bananas to get the best banana flavour.

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Date Olive Oil Banana Bread
(Recipe inspiration: My Darling Lemon Thyme)

Ingredients

– 1 cup dates (about 9 pieces), pitted, chopped
– 2 tablespoons boiling water
– 1 teaspoon baking soda
– 1 and 1/2 cups brown rice flour
– 1/2 cup millet flour
– 2 teaspoons baking powder
– 3 bananas, peeled and mashed with a fork
– 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
– 2 organic or free-range eggs
– 1 vanilla bean, split and seeded
– grated zest of 1 lemon
– sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Method

In a small bowl mix together chopped dates with baking soda and boiling water. Set aside. Line a 23 cm (9 inch) long loaf pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180C (356F).

In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: rice flour, millet flour, baking powder. In another bowl mix together the wet ingredients: mashed bananas, olive oil, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients mixture into the dry one, stirring until just combined. Fold dates, hot water and baking soda in.

Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, sprinkle the top with sunflower- and pumpkin seeds and bake it on 180C (356F) for about 60 minutes. It’s ready when the cake tester (or toothpick) comes out clean.

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Sunshine Juice

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I think the weather is ridiculous in Hungary but as I see it on Instagram photos, it is crazy everywhere in Europe. It’s already April and it’s still cold, grey and gloomy here, we hardly see the sun and there are two options every day: raining or snowing. This winter has just been too long and looks like it doesn’t want to leave.

I really hope that we will notice the first signs of spring very soon. Fingers crossed that this sunshine juice – that is fully packed with vitamin C – brings us luck and we will see the first warming shines the sooner the better. The juice is powerful that helps boost your immune system after these cold and clammy months.

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Sunshine juice

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 220 g pumpkin/butternut squash, peeled and chopped
– 400 g carrot, peeled
– 2 oranges, peeled
– small piece of ginger, peeled

Method

Press everything through the juicer. Serve immediately.

Vegan Banana Green Smoothie

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Now that my iron level is a bit low I eat a lot of vegetables (spinach, sorrel, parsley, broccoli, Savoy cabbage, sauerkraut, etc.) that have a high level in iron and I take natural iron supplements (like this Feroglobin B12).

The lack of iron can create a low haemoglobin. Signs of being iron deficient can include excessive tiredness, lethargy, lack of motivation and feeling irritable and weak than would normally be expected. Low iron levels do not uniformly cause these symptoms, but do increase the risk for anemia and the risk of becoming symptomatic during periods of emotional or physical stress.

The iron requirements go up significantly when you’re pregnant. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to other cells. During pregnancy, the amount of blood in your body increases until you have almost 50 percent more than usual. And you need more iron to make more hemoglobin for all that additional blood. You also need extra iron for your growing baby and placenta.

I think vegetarians or vegans who eat a varied and well balanced diet are not at any greater risk of iron deficiency anaemia than non-vegetarians. A diet rich in wholegrains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, dried fruits, iron-fortified cereals and green leafy vegetables provides an adequate iron intake. Vitamin C and other organic acids enhance non-haem iron absorption, a process that is carefully regulated by the gut. (More information: here.)

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Vegan Banana Green Smoothie

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 500 ml (2 cups) almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
– 1 banana
– 1 big handful of fresh spinach

Method

Place all ingredients in the blender and process for 5 minutes, until smooth. If you find it too thick, add more almond milk.

Superfood Breakfast: Vegan Sugar-Free Almond Cashew Walnut Coconut Porridge

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Sunday was all about snow. The whole city was white and pretty so we decided to walk around in the City Park and take winter photos.

City Park (Városliget) is a public park in Budapest, close to the city centre. It is located in the 14th district of Budapest. Its main entrance is Heroes’ Square (Hősök tere), one of Hungary’s World Heritage sites. The first trees and planified walkways were established in 1751 and after the public park was created in the first decades of the 19th century the present-day name, Városliget was accepted and it became the first public park in the world.

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City Park was the main venue of the 1896 millennium celebrations of Hungary, by which time Andrássy Avenue, Millennium Underground and the Grand Boulevard were built. City Park has the largest artificial ice surface in Europe; and it is also the home of the Vajdahunyad Castle, the Gundel Restaurant, the zoo and grand circus and the famous Széchenyi Thermal Bath.

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The park was calm and quiet. We could only hear the snow crackling under our feet. I don’t know why but I love this sound.

Our mission was (in addition to take photos) to visit the city park lake and feed the ducks. The lake has warm thermal water so during winter it is the home for these cute birds. I knew that feeding the ducks with bread, chips, crackers or popcorn can lead to excessive weight and malnutrition for the birds as well as many other problems. To avoid this you can buy proper duck food from a machine next to the lake.

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It was so much fun to feed the birds who were brave enough to come out of the lake and get closer to me.

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Back to the superfood breakfast… This is a ‘must try’ porridge. I have to tell you… you can’t live without trying to make and eat it. It’s so healthy, nutritious, delicious and a good source of antioxidants. And something else… it is not only sugar-free and vegan, it’s gluten free and paleo too.

Don’t miss it! I promise, you will love me for this recipe! 🙂

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Vegan Sugar-Free Almond Cashew Walnut Coconut Porridge
(Recipe inspiration: Against All Grain)

Ingredients (serves 2)

– 1/3 cup walnut
– 1/3 cup almond
– 1/3 cup cashew
– 1 ripe banana, peeled, cut into slices
– 1 cup coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk)
– 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
– 1 teaspoon cinnamon
– 1 teaspoon salt + pinch of salt

Method

Place the nuts in a bowl, add 1 teaspoon salt. Fill the bowl with water until the nuts are completely covered and soak overnight on the kitchen counter.

The next morning drain the nuts and rinse them a couple of times until the water is clear.

Place the drained nuts into a food processor, add sliced banana, coconut milk, desiccated coconut, cinnamon and pinch of salt. Blend all together until it is smooth (about 8-10 minutes). If you find it very thick, you can dilute with a bit more coconut milk. You can serve as it is or put the porridge in a pot and heat over medium heat for 5-6 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped almond, cashew and coconut chips.

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