Breakfast

HOW TO MAKE GOLDEN MILK WITH TURMERIC PASTE

05/11/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 5 Comments

You know what’s been my all time favorite comfort drink until recently? Coffee! And you know which drink won my heart and warms my soul since lately? Golden Milk! Drinking a warm cup of golden milk at sunrise or enjoying it before going to bed gives me an absolute feeling of comfort. And that color! It reminds me of summer days and sunflower fields. And the taste makes me think of cold winter evenings snuggled under a blanket with my cats. It brings back childhood memories when my mum would wake me up every morning with a cup of warm honey milk, a daily routine that she would uphold until I was 6 years old.I secretly still wish she would have continued serving it until I left the house at age 19.
We didn’t have many food traditions at home but the hot milk with honey was one that I really enjoyed. So when I made golden milk for the first time, it kind of brought me back to my childhood mornings. Since then I appreciate a cup once or twice a week, especially in the evenings as it calms me down and my body appreciates the relaxing ‘fuel’ just before bedtime.

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EASY BREAKFAST BOWL WITH FRUITS, GRANOLA & MILK FOAM

04/07/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 1 Comment

I’ll keep this post short and simple and rather let photos do the talking. It kind of fits todays recipe. This breakfast bowl takes just a few minutes to prepare, is super easy to make but has this little ‘WOW’ factor to it….

Quinoa Cashew Pudding (or healthy rice pudding without the rice)

03/16/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 4 Comments

I’m pretty sure that you have noticed my affinity with cashews and this Quinoa Cashew Pudding is yet another recipe to strengthen that bond. Cashews have become my new best food friend lately. I can’t imagine life without them anymore, it’s so beautifully diverse. I always have a jar of soaked cashew nuts in my fridge. It’s almost like a daily ritual – I usually soak one cup of cashews every night before I go to bed. This morning I used up half a cup for the über-yummy Quinoa Cashew Pudding. And while I’m writing this the other half of my soaked cashews is waiting to be made into a vegan pesto with purple basil and nutritional yeast. But I’ll tell you about the recipe for best pesto in the world another time….

Matcha Raw Granola (Rawnola)

03/11/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 3 Comments

On active weeks like this one I need all the energy boosting foods I can get and this Matcha Raw Granola is fantastic to kick off each new day. I absolutely hate to say this (and I also don’t like when others do it) but I’ve been super busy lately…I don’t like the word busy. So let’s rephrase it. Life is happening a lot. I had a friend from Germany visiting and we wandered every little corner of Istanbul until we got flat feet. Before that I was sick for a few days which slowed me down and I couldn’t get things done as I had planned. I’m now trying to catch up. So I guess this is what makes me feel like I’m busy….

RAW BUCKWHEAT CASHEW PORRIDGE

02/23/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 24 Comments

So, I decided to take my raw food recipes to the next level and made raw cashew buckwheat porridge a few days ago. It’s the last few weeks of winter and temperatures in Istanbul are still somewhat cold. Let’s just agree that experimenting with raw foods makes more sense in summer, at least to most people, including myself. But you know I like my salad bowls and breakfast smoothies and those are mostly raw, too.

In the end it’s just a matter of perception and how you wrap your head around it. So many dishes are raw, vegan, gluten-free and many people don’t even notice. Like when I tell people in Turkey that I’m on a mostly plant-based diet they immediately assume I’m close to starving. While the Turkish cuisine is characterised by kebabs and meat skewers its meze dishes and salads are mainly vegetarian and even vegan. But if you put a label on it like ‘hey, your hummus and vine leaves stuffed with rice are vegan’, people are shocked and get scared….

VEGAN PROTEIN BANANA PANCAKES

02/15/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 23 Comments

Super easy and very satisfying vegan protein banana pancakes – a joy for the weekend or after every workout if you like.

Last weekend I was utterly in love with waffles, this weekend pancakes and I are best buddies again. Usually I’m not that fickle but food is an exception. One week I’m all into raw spiralised veggies, the next week I’m in love with everything roasted. That doesn’t mean that I completely dismiss certain food groups. My list of recipes that I love continues on getting longer and longer. And it keeps my culinary life very interesting. …

SWEET POTATO CHIA WAFFLES TWO WAYS (vegan & gluten-free)

02/08/2016 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 13 Comments

Making waffles is life. Sweet Potato Chia Waffles are heaven.

It’s slowly becoming a weekend tradition for us to make a batch of waffles. I like to experiment with different kinds of recipes, always vegan, sometimes gluten-free and sometimes even paleo.
When I grew up we never really had waffles on Sundays (or any day of the week) like other families. My parents didn’t own many kitchen gadgets and so didn’t I until 2015 when I bought a blender and juicer in the beginning and a waffle iron at the end of last year. It’s probably no surprise that I can’t imagine life without them anymore and I’m even considering extending the family of little kitchen helpers (I’m looking at you dehydrator).

But let’s get back to the art of making waffles. I love pancakes, I really do but the love for waffles is real. Crisp outside and light inside. Just thinking about these Sweet Potato Chia Waffles makes today’s Monday so much better. They are one of my favorite waffle recipes because you can enjoy them as a sweet treat with lots of fruit, cream and syrup or you can devour them with avocado, cabbage and some herby sauce.
Admittedly they’re pretty decadent – crispy on the outside, moist and spongy on the inside and full of those sweet potato flavours.

Okay, I’m pretty hungry now. It’s 7.15 am on a Monday morning, I got up at 5.30 am (no finger pointing here but the bf went on a business trip and dragged me out of bed with him in the middle of the night) and I need some breakfast now. Maybe I make waffles. Because who said that Monday mornings are not made for waffles.

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Savory Spirulina Pancakes With Vegan Herbed Cream

09/10/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 7 Comments

I don’t know about you but I love food that is colorful. It really seems to taste much better. I’m not talking about artifically colored foods. I’m referring to natural bright and vibrant ingredients. Usually I add lots of color to my morning smoothie. The fresh green of spinach or the happy yellow of mango kicks off my day in the right way.
There is another think I love. Pancakes! (I mean who doesn’t) So how about making these boring plain pancakes more fun by adding the superfood spirulina. Spirulina is packed with nutrients, boosts energy as well as immunity and supports eye and brain health. You don’t need to add much and I promise it won’t taste too healthy….

Healthy 5-Minutes Breakfast Bowl

08/11/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 3 Comments

healthy 5 min breakfast

You have probably heard it a hundred times but it is so true: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – even more so, a healthy breakfast! A nutritious breakfast has endless benefits. It jump-starts your morning, it reduces hunger throughout the day and can even help with your overall health. And no, you don’t need to get up 30 min earlier to prepare it. How amazing is that! 🙂 It just takes 5 short minutes to prepare this super delicious smoothie bowl.

Speaking of health benefits, did you know that a smoothie for breakfast can keep you hydrated, something coffee or sugary drink do less? Fresh smoothies are also an easy way to nourish your body with essential nutrients. I have some sorts of smoothie bowl every morning of the week. Recipes for it can be so diverse and a lot of fun if you like to experiment a little. I find that homemade smoothies are much cheaper than store-bought ones plus it feels good to know what’s inside. I only choose fresh and wholesome ingredients for my smoothies, mix it all together and add some toppings at the end….

Passion Fruit Apricot Nice Cream With Granola

06/11/2015 by Kati | black.white.vivid. 4 Comments

Before I start to rave about the wonders of nice cream, I want to talk about my love for apricots 🙂
I’m a big fan of seasonal produce. When I was living in Hong Kong I got really tired of eating imported fruits and vegetables that tasted like plastic. Since I moved to Egypt I’ve started to appreciate seasonality…even if this means I can’t have avocado for a few week. But when there is avocado available it tastes like nothing else. And I guess that compensates for the few weeks each year when I have to plan my meals without it.

Same thing for apricots. Saying that I love apricots is an understatement. Once they are in season I eat as much as I can hoping I might get sick of them at one point to survive the upcoming months without them. That usually doesn’t work. But again it makes me appreciate apricots even more. I’m currently loving apricots in my daily breakfast bowl. As it’s super warm in Cairo at the moment I usually make it with some nice cream.

Have you heard of nice cream yet? It’s a creamy and sweet snack, treat or dessert and only made of one ingredient, frozen banana. It’s vegan, it’s raw and really delicious. If you add a few more ingredients, it’s a happy and healthy breakfast….