Category: Cozy Recipes

Carrot Oat Cake

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Hello! I’ve got another delicious oat recipe for you guys today. I already have a stovetop Carrot Cake Oatmeal recipe up on here, but this recipe is definitely more cake like and is faster to make! It cooks in the microwave- not the oven- because although baked oats are so tasty, I’m waaaaay too impatient to wait for those.

I love love LOVE oats if you couldn’t tell- they’re such a fast, healthy, and filling breakfast. Not to mention that they’re the perfect blank canvas for any delicious flavours you’d like!

I feel like carrot cake is kind of a spring thing, right? People make carrot cake for Easter all the time. We don’t need any justification to enjoy these oats right now though because carrot cake is delicious any time of year. To make this delicious breakfast/snack/dessert, you only need a few ingredients that you for sure already have on hand. And if you don’t then GO PICK THEM UP because this recipe is one you don’t want to miss.

I started by mixing together some grated carrot, apple, oat flour (just blended oats- this really helps with the more cakey texture), baking powder, vanilla, water, and a bunch of great spices together in a lil ramekin. And then BOOM the hardest part is over. The microwave will take over from here. The microwave is so underrated, honestly. It makes oats, SWEET POTATOES, and….. warms up your food. Ok I’m sure there are many uses for it that I haven’t discovered yet but for now, oats and sweet potatoes are enough for me because they’re two of my favourite things.

So yeah, two minutes in the microwave and you’ve got a BEAUTIFUL little cake that is perfect as a quick breakfast, a healthy dessert, or a snack anytime you’re craving some carrot cake! I love how the carrot shines through because it’s not too sweet. If you like your carrot cake a bit sweeter though, you can add about a tablespoon of maple syrup. Plus- get creative with some add-ins too! I went very classic with mine, but chopped nuts, raisins, or even pineapple would be very tasty in here. Those things would all be great as toppings too! After I took nice pictures of this I scooped it into a bigger bowl and ate it with lots more yogurt, the rest of the apple, and some peanut butter.

Hope you love this super delicious and quick carrot cake recipe as much as I do!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Carrot Oat Cake

Ingredients

-1/4 cup oat flour (blended oats)

-1 small carrot, grated (about 1/4 cup)

-1/2 an apple, grated

-1/2 tsp cinnamon

-1/4 tsp allspice

-1/4 tsp ground ginger

-1/2 tsp baking powder

-1/4 tsp vanilla

-1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water


Directions

1. Mix together all of the ingredients in a small bowl or ramekin.

2. Microwave on high for 1 1/2-2 minutes, until a cakey texture is reached.

3. Top with yogurt, apples, and more cinnamon and enjoy!


Red Pepper Savoury Oats

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Hey guys! I’ve made savoury oats before and honestly they weren’t very good- just sort of bland and blah. But I got some inspiration from Grace, @_thefreshavocado on Instagram, to make these delicious Red Pepper Savoury Oats!

These oats are definitely like risotto, but healthier, faster, and easier to make. Some red pepper hummus and an egg white makes them SUPER creamy, and of course they start with some sautéed garlic and onion, because that’s how all good things begin😍

I started by cooking up those onions and some chopped garlic, as well as thinly sliced red pepper. As soon as those get nice and soft and caramelized, the oats go in with equal parts water and almond milk for some extra creaminess. The egg white, hummus, and lots of salt and pepper get stirred in as well, and you’re going to simmer until your oats are cooked through but still creamy.

I used some quick-cooking steel cut oats for this recipe, which were perfect! They took around seven minutes until they were ready. But if all you have are quick oats or rolled oats, adjust the cooking time accordingly and this recipe will still be delicious:)

Enjoy these oats as a side, as a vessel for more veggies or some chicken or shrimp, or as a delicious savoury breakfast with a runny egg on top! They have so much flavour and the texture is everything🥰 Enjoy!

Red Pepper Savoury Oats

  • Servings: 1-2
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Ingredients

-1/4 cup quick cooking steel cut oats

-1/4 of a red bell pepper, thinly sliced

-1/4 of a yellow onion, thinly sliced

-1/2 a tomato, diced

-1 clove of garlic, minced

-1 tsp olive oil

-1/4 cup water

-1/4 cup almond milk (plus more as needed)

-1 egg white

-1 tbsp red pepper hummus

-Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions

1. In a pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, pepper, tomato and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent and the pepper is soft, about 7 minutes.

2. Add in the oats, almond milk, water, hummus, egg white and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a low simmer and cook, continuing to stir until the oats are cooked through but still creamy, adding more almond milk as needed.

3. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy warm!


Creamy Pea and Spinach Soup

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Hey there! I haven’t made a good soup in a while, so this DELICIOUS Creamy Pea and Spinach Soup really hit the spot! Soup is one of those things that might seem complicated or hard to make, but it’s actually super easy. This one in particular is very straightforward!

I cooked up some red onion with some garlic to start, then added in the veggie broth and all of the other ingredients! Ground ginger, some coriander and a bit of red chilli flakes add so much flavour, and of course the peas and spinach give the soup its GORGEOUS green colour. I also added in some chickpeas, which when blended help create a creamy texture.

These simple ingredients are all simmered together for a good twenty minutes, to make sure all the flavours come together. Then everything is dumped into a blender and pureed until super smooth! Look at that; so easy and so delicious.

Soup like this is the best on a cold day. And yes, this soup is also freezer friendly, so you can save some for later! Quick lunch idea for the win! It’s a great way to get your veggies in and is really good for you, as well as being naturally vegan and gluten free.

Enjoy this easy and tasty soup recipe!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Creamy Pea and Spinach Soup

  • Servings: 4-6
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Ingredients

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1/2 a red onion, diced

-2 cloves of garlic, minced

-4 cups of organic veggie broth

-1/2 tsp ground ginger

-1/2 tsp ground coriander

-1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

-1 can of chickpeas. drained and rinsed

-3 cups of packed spinach

-1 1/2 cups frozen green peas

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add in the onion and cook until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add in the garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add the veggie broth to the pot, along with the ginger, coriander, peas, spinach, red chilli flakes, and chickpeas. Stir to combine and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Let the soup cool slightly before adding it to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth and creamy. Taste and season additionally if needed.

4. Serve warm.


Hearty Vegetable Chilli

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Hi guys! This is truly one of my favourite recipes ever- it’s so full of flavour and VERY hearty, as the name suggests. It’s healthy, vegan, and so so good. I posted the recipe for this chilli just under two years ago, but WITHOUT A PICTURE. So I thought it was time for you guys to see just how good it is😍

Chilli is honestly one of the easiest things you can make, and also one of the most comforting. When I think of a big bowl of this warm chilli, I think of curling up under a blanket after spending the day outside in the cold. The chilli itself has so much delicious flavour, and it’s PACKED with beans and veggies! The more stuff my chilli has in it, the better, and if you agree you’ll adore this recipe.

It starts the way many other delicious things do- with onion and garlic. They get fried up in some olive oil before the spices get added, and become the base of flavour for the chilli. And let me tell you, that is the most technical part of the recipe right there. After that, it’s pretty much just dumping the rest of the ingredients in, giving it a stir, and letting all those aromatics come together in the pot.

Once the chilli is done- you can tell because the carrots will be soft enough to pierce with a fork- I like to scoop out big bowls of it, and top it with some cilantro and chopped green onion. Some hummus would even be great on there too!

All the veg in there is so good- you’ve got tons of corn and carrots, plus black beans, chickpeas, and red kidney beans. This means there’s so much protein and it will definitely fill you up! Perfect for school lunches👌On a related note, this recipe is freezable and therefore great for meal prepping as well. Literally, any situation you’re in, this chilli is applicable.

Make sure you check this chilli out- it’s one of my favourite recipes for a reason!

Yours Truly,

Olivia:))

Hearty Vegetable Chilli

  • Servings: 4-6
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Ingredients

-1 tbsp olive oil

-1 white onion, diced

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-1 tbsp ground cumin

-1 tbsp chilli powder

-1/2 tbsp dried oregano

-1/2 tbsp paprika

-1/2 tsp chilli powder

-1 large carrot, chopped

-1 cup frozen corn

-1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

-1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

-1 can of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

-1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes

-3 tbsp tomato paste

-Salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the onion and cook for 6-8 minutes, until translucent. Add in the minced garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add all of the spices to the pot and cook for 1 more minute, just to brown them up a bit. Next, dump all of the other ingredients into the pot and give everything a good stir.

3. Bring the chilli to a simmer, then turn the heat down to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the carrots can be pierced with a fork.

4. Season to taste with salt and pepper, remove from the heat and serve warm.


Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice

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Hi friends! It seems that there’s a theme running through my recipes this week, and that theme is SIMPLE DELICIOUSNESS. Maybe you don’t think of curry being that simple. But guess what, this one is. We’re making good use of the stuff you’re already got in your spice cupboard and pantry and we’re making it into something super tasty.

I wanted to make some sort of curry paste for this, but I didn’t have many of the traditional curry paste ingredients. So I made my own take on a curry paste, using common ingredients that I DID have. We’re talking chilli powder, ground ginger, soy sauce, basil, curry powder, lemon juice, and a bunch of other good stuff. I like the concept of this paste because if you don’t want to make curry out of it right away, you can put it in the fridge for a few days until you’re ready to use it.

It’s also great because it acts as your flavour bomb for the whole curry! All of the spices and flavour you need for the whole dish is found in it, making for a super easy single application of amazingness.

All of the veggies in this dish really sing too. I love a good rainbow in my curries, and almost any veggie would work in here, so feel free to do some substituting with what you have and what you like. I personally found my own heavenly combo of mushrooms, onions, bok choy, red peppers, and carrots to be very nice.

The vegetables get cooked down together in some coconut oil, then sauteed a bit more when the curry paste is added, and then everything simmers together in some coconut milk. To make this heartier and more of a one-pot meal, I thought, why not add in some rice? So brown rice gets thrown in too and cooked in all of the delicious flavours.

Once this curry is done, your house will definitely smell really good and you’ll have a few meals worth of awesome curry rice stocked up in your fridge. I love how flavourful this is, and how it has just the perfect amount of spice! Plus, it goes great with any protein you choose to add, and is so hearty and comforting.

Hope you enjoy!

Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice

Serves: 3-4

Total Time: 70 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Curry Paste:

  • 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 1 tbsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • Juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/4 of a white onion, diced

For the Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice:

  • 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 of a white onion, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 4 white mushrooms, sliced
  • 8 stalks of baby bok choy, cut into halves
  • 1 serving of Curry Paste (above)
  • 1 400ml can of coconut milk
  • 2/3 cup brown rice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. To make the Curry Paste, combine all of the curry paste ingredients in a blender or food processor until a paste-like consistency is reached. Don’t worry about small chunks of onion; these will be cooked in with the curry. Use immediately to make Coconut Curried Vegetable Rice or store in the fridge for up to 3 days before using.
  2. Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep skillet. Add in all of the veggies for the curry and cook until the onion is translucent and the peppers are beginning to soften, about 6-8 minutes.
  3. Add the curry paste to the pan and sautee for another 2 minutes.
  4. Dump the coconut milk into the pan and give everything a good stir to combine. Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in the brown rice.
  5. Bring the contents of the pan to a simmer and turn the heat to low, covering the pan and letting the curry cook for 35-40 minutes, until the rice is completely cooked through.
  6. Remove the pan from the heat season more to taste with salt and pepper, serve warm and enjoy!

I love this recipe so much and I hope you guys do too! See you Friday:))

Yours Truly,

Olivia;))