Blender Mornings

I have a recent guideline for eating breakfast, which is to have it by 9am. Beyond that, especially after 10am, it's getting much too close to lunch and will overload the body's natural digestive rhythms. (which are primarily focused on:

elimination 4am-12noon ** digestion 12noon - 8pm ** absorption 8pm - 4am,

which is why it's good to have your biggest meal at midday and taper off heavy eating by late evening)

So especially when it's getting later in the morning, or just to have a light, quickly absorbed and easily digested meal, I whip up a smoothie. Some recent creations have involved:

- warm Banana Oat Milk (from Fresh At Home cookbook)

- Papaya smoothies with non-dairy milk and mixed-grains powders (sold here in Taiwan as "hot cereals" to be mixed with boiling water for a super-quick snack or light meal, eg this kind of thing:)

the Chinglish description at the bottom makes it even more enjoyable!

- and today's creation, Banana Mango Smoothie with oat milk, soy protein and greens powder

It was going to be banana-blueberry, but I found the mango looking quite forlorn with black spots on one of its sides, so it was a rescue mission, and a tasty one at that, albeit it ended up being quite sweet, probably the whole-foods equivalent of a sugary breakfast cereal or muffin, so I don't recommend this combo for daily use or for anyone worried about diabetes. I munched some nuts along with it to offset spiking my blood sugar levels.

Then... I blended the rest of the very ripe sweet little bananas and very ripe mango with vanilla ice cream and plopped that into my popsicle molds. Taste test to come.

Carrot Cookies

Vegan
well-received : )
from Helen Nearing's Simple Food for the Good Life

Recent Ayurveda reading told me cooked honey is toxic, so maple syrup it is.
Oven 350-375C

Job's Tears Pudding

Vegan

For those of you begging the question: "Can you make "rice pudding" with Job's Tears?"

The answer is - why, yes, and it's delicious! Quinoa and all sorts of other grains work well too.

- cooked 大薏仁＋小薏仁 (from what I can gather, these are two types of barley, 小薏仁 is pearl barley and 大薏仁 is apparently known as adlay or Job's tears)
- apple, cinnamon, raisins, almonds

Kasha with Mung Bean Sauce and Fresh Tomato

Vegan
Successfully executed current ideal chow: whole grains with veggies and good-quality protein

ain't she a beaut?

Mung Bean Sauce

Asian PBJ

Vegan

This is a 燒餅 shāobǐng = "flour oven roll" : crispy sesame-covered crust, often part of a traditional breakfast, slathered with black sesame paste, topped with honey and banana. Yum!

DIY Soy Milk meets Oatmeal

Vegan

... and it's made its way into a new favorite breakfast oatmeal:

- quick oats, salt, prunes and almonds in a bowl, pour boiling water to just cover oats, cover bowl with plate
- grind cooked soybeans with water in a blender, pour on top - voila!

Lemon-Dill Zucchini with Fried Rice

Success! Quick, easy, colorful, fresh, simple, delicious meal!
Rescue Mission: leftover rice

Vegan -  Lemon-Dill Zucchini

- fry zucchini in olive oil, adding salt, pepper and dill once it softens
- at desired level of done-ness, remove from heat and toss with fresh lemon juice


Ovo-veg- Carrot and Egg Fried Rice

- great way to use up leftover rice, which apparently works better than freshly cooked
- flavoring made from mixing whatever bottled sauces I found on hand: soy, sweet chili, veg oyster (mushroom) and sesame oil

Lazy Rice Bowl / Greek Salad

Vegan
(though it would've had goat cheese in it, had I taken it out of the freezer in time)

This here is a bowl of rice with a Greek-type salad on top. Good for short-on-time and/or lazy cooks!
Dressing: EVO oil+lemon juice+herbs

Fruit Bowl

Vegan (though you could dress it with some yogurt if that's your sort of thing ;)

Such a yum and healthy way to enjoy fresh fruit - have it at breakfast, snack, dessert time...

Strawberry Banana Flax Smoothie

Lacto-veg (added yogurt)

It's strawberry season in Taiwan! These little gems are so amazing fresh!

DIY Ingredient: GROUND FLAX SEEDS
I made this "discovery" the other day - if you want ground flax seeds in your smoothie, just start them off in an empty blender and after 30 seconds - minute of awfully loud blending, voila! Fresh as can be. Since flax seeds oils are fragile and will go rancid very quickly after being ground, this is the ultimate way to go, I think! If you appreciate grinding your coffee and/or spices fresh, don't skimp on the flax!

Omelette à la Rich

Ovo-lacto veg

My Baby knows breakfast!

Simple Pumpkin Soup

Vegan

- cooked pumpkin in a little water with ginger, nutmeg, cumin.
- mashed with soy milk, reheated, garnished with oregano.

Rice Pudding

Vegan 
Rescue Mission: on-its-way-out banana and (cooked) purple rice mix

Ok, I know, I know, gruel, right?  So delicious!

Heated unsweetened soy milk, added the (cooked) rice mix with a dash of cinnamon and followed Kath Eats Real Food's method of whipping in the banana. Pleasantly sweet enough for me! Yum yum!

Brown Rice Congee and Veg

Vegan
Rescue Mission: various veg that have been idling in the fridge for nearly a week

Ok, nothing glamorous here... Let's face it, it's gruel... But it's pretty tasty!

High water to rice ration (up to 8:1)
Cooking time: 1 hour or more on low heat, just stir occasionally

Flavors: started with fresh ginger, added ground cumin, soy sauce, sesame oil
(+ salt & lemon juice to serve)

Veg: carrots, eggplant, red pepper, bok choy

Stewed Fruit

Vegan
Rescue Mission: using up past-its-prime fruit or fruit that was disappointing in taste (eg. bland)

Any fruit, fresh and dried is a good combo. Add water, spices and stew away... viola! Topping for oatmeal and pancakes, can serve as a jam-like spread, etc

The before and after. Suggested serving below!