Strawberries are beautiful. They are super antioxidant and a low sugar fruit, at their absolute best in summer. Their delicate fragrance and tender flesh are indulgent and sparks memories of sitting at my Grandmother’s breakfast table eating them in quarters with cottage cheese or doused in cream and sprinkle of sugar.
I have since ditched the cream and found healthier combinations. Oats soaked overnight in almond milk are a much more body and planet friendly breakfast option. Soaking oats makes them more digestible and their nutrients more available to your body. Try this healthier breakfast, beautiful summer strawberries with a dash of cardamom and a squeeze of fresh orange juice.
Note that strawberries (most berries actually) are among the most pesticide laden fruits. Always buy organic/biological, local and seasonally if possible. Frozen and bio is better than fresh conventional, especially out of season. Don’t rinse them until you are right about to eat them or they can become waterlogged! Aim to eat them as soon as they leave the shop, they have about 2 days shelf life until vita-antiox-goodies start to die off.
RECIPE
Prep Time: soaking overnight, but active time is only 15 mins
Serves: 1
75g of rolled or steel cut oats (about one handful)
100ml your plant milk of choice (I use almond & brown rice blend)
dash of ground cardamom
50g of hulled, chopped strawberries
1/2 an orange or splash of fresh orange juice or squeeze of lemon
Optional: squeeze of honey, maple syrup & chopped pistachios on top
Weekend version: Grand Marnier or Cointreau, coconut yogurt and maple syrup
HOW TO
Soak the oats in the almond milk with the dash of cardamom overnight in the fridge. In the morning, hull (take the tops off) and chop the strawberries however you like and add the squeeze of juice. If you have some time, let them soak in the juices for a bit. The acid of the orange will make the berries’ natural sugars more pronounced and some of the strawberry juice release, they become almost like roasted strawberries through marination. Toss them on top of the oats, add an optional squeeze of honey and a tablespoon of chopped pistachios.
Weekend Version
When I want a little more indulgence or luxury, I use a big spoon of coconut yogurt on top and let the berries soak in Grand Marnier and the orange juice for at least an hour, the strawberries release their juices and soak up a little alcohol, divine.
Bon appétit!