Raspberry Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

Summer’s not over. Not yet. I’m not ready for that and in order to celebrate, I decided to revisit an old favorite of mine, a.k.a. my go-to summer breakfast. I last posted a recipe for overnight oats over a year ago (Banana-Mixed Berries anyone?), and while the base recipe basically hasn’t changed, I made three major changes to it, by adding:

• chia seeds
• frozen berries
• quick cooking oats instead of old fashioned

Although these changes might seem minimal, they transformed my morning overnight oats experience.

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Banana-Mixed Berries Overnight Oats

Remember my Bircher Muesli recipe from a couple months ago? Well as the weather keeps getting nicer, and my workload bigger, my crazy “overnight oats obsession” is coming back full speed.

Bircher Muesli (Swiss Overnight Oats)

I’ve been in a crazy overnight oats phase lately. That’s all I ever want to eat for breakfast, and I start craving it the moment I put the container in the fridge the night before. The possibilities are endless with overnight oats, all you need is a base and you can then top it off with absolutely whatever you like. My most recent type is Dr. Bircher’s classic recipe. It’s been done for ages and never ever gets old to me. It’s a healthy, tasty and filling way to start your day. This also makes a great on-the-go breakfast, as you can just grab your jar out of the fridge and leave if you’re on a run. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 5 minutes (8 hours rest)

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/3 cup plain, non-fat yogurt
• 1/3 cup unsweetened (or vanilla) almond milk
• 1/4 apple
• 1/2 banana
• a handful of nuts
• maple syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. The previous night, mix the oats, the milk and the yogurt together in an airtight container. Place in the fridge and let the oats soak overnight.
2. The next morning, grate the apple, sprinkle with lemon juice and incorporate to the base.
3. Top with a drizzle of maple syrup (or honey), 1/2 banana (sliced) and sliced nuts or granola.

TIP: If you like your muesli sweeter, you can substitute the plain yogurt for vanilla flavored one, or use a ratio of 1/2 condensed milk 1/2 almond milk instead of plain almond milk. Alternatively, you can use fresh mixed berries instead of the banana, but be sure to keep the apple as it smoothes out the overall texture of the base.

Chickpea Curry with Coconut Rice

Let me talk about my dad for a second. I feel like it’s important, because he’s the one who’s taught me how to cook/love to cook, and has been a major source of inspiration for many of my recipes. Not only are his dishes always really good, but they’re also extremely diverse. He’s the type of chef who’ll try recipes from around the world on a regular weeknight. Just because. Just so that cooking doesn’t get boring. Being in college, I’m always tempted to open a box of pasta, heat up some marinara, and call it a night (or most likely go back to the library). But as I’ve told you before, every now and then I want to try something new. Sometimes I cook with a new ingredient (like an acorn squash), or else I try a recipe that I’ve never done before. In that case, I just pick something from Pinterest and tweak it with whatever ingredients I have on hand. Tonight, I chose chickpea curry with coconut rice! And I discovered two things: 1) coconut rice tastes AMAZING! It’s “creamy”, flavorful, easy, and basically perfect. 2) You don’t miss the meat in chickpea curry. And I was really skeptical about a curry without a tender piece of lamb…
Finally, this dish leaves you full and packed with energy, as chickpeas are an excellent source of protein (and fiber!). Don’t be intimidated by the long list of spices, I found them all at the grocery store down my street. Bon appétit!

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Cook Time: 35 min

Ingredients for the coconut rice: Note that this recipe serves 2

• 1/2 cup dried jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water

Ingredients for the chickpea curry:

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (rinsed and drained if canned)
• 1/2 small yellow onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Start by cooking the coconut rice. In a small pot (or a rice cooker), put the dried rice with the coconut milk and the water. Give it a good stir, and let the rice cook until it has absorbed all the liquid. This should take between 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped onion in olive oil, over high heat. When it becomes brown, add a splash or water, turn the heat to medium, and stir until the liquid evaporates. This should take about 5 minutes.
3. Next, add the cooked chickpeas and all the spices. Give it another stir for about 1 minute.
4. Add the coconut milk, water, tomato paste, salt (to taste), and stir until everything is combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the curry thickens and reaches your desired consistency (add water if it gets too thick, or let it cook for longer if it’s too liquid). Adjust the seasoning.
5. To serve, put the coconut rice in a bowl and top it with the chickpea curry and a good amount of sauce.

TIP: You can use a mix of chickpeas and cauliflower for added flavors and texture.