Today’s healthy recipes on our new Mediterranean food journey, 26 Sept 23

One Breakfast and Three Snacks

Overnight Wholegrain Oats with Banana and toasted Almonds

I wasn’t really sure what overnight oats were until I started looking at ideas and recipes on the internet.

Not only is a bowl of overnight oats a nutritional powerhouse, but it is a known fact that oats are heart healthy. They are rich in fibre, protein, antioxidants and contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Adding your favourite toppings will add crunch, flavour and colour to this versatile breakfast dish.

The beauty of overnight oats is that you can make them as simple or creative as you like. The base recipe is very easy to prepare. You can add any variety of toppings, usually fresh fruit, nuts and seeds, I used what I had in the cupboards, and thankfully Eric loved his first ever overnight oats breakfast.

The trick is to get the proportions right of the base mix, which is simply:

• 1 part oats, I used Wholemeal Rolled Oat Flakes.
• 1 part cold milk, I used Dairy Milk, you can substitute it for almond, fat free or cashew milk, or whatever milk you prefer.
• 1 part yoghurt, I used Greek yoghurt to give a super creamy texture. It also makes the oats more filling.

My Extras: 2 drops of vanilla essence and 2 teaspoons of honey, for natural sweetness. Add more or less depending on your taste.

Method

• Mix all your ingredients in a bowl or a large screw top jar.
• If you are using a bowl cover with cling film. If you are using a jar screw the lid down.
• Put in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight is better. Hence the name!
• At breakfast time stir the oats well and prepare your toppings.
• I fried 2 tablespoons of chopped almonds in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until golden brown, drained them and let cool.
• I sliced a banana and decorated the edge of the bowl adding the cooled chopped almonds in the middle.
• If I had had some berries I would have added those on the top.

Vine Tomatoes with Goats Cheese and Fresh Herbs

I was looking for a simple healthy snack that would be nutritious and versatile. Snacking doesn’t seem so bad when it is healthy!

This dish is popular throughout Greece using tasty tomatoes and fresh cut pungent herbs to add plenty of flavour.

Tomatoes are low-calorie and nutrient-dense, making them an important part of a balanced diet. Raw tomatoes are rich in vitamin C.

Just five ingredients and you have a tasty nutritious snack.

• 2 large vine tomatoes
• A handful of fresh mint and fresh basil, other fresh herbs suitable, for example, are fresh oregano and fresh parsley
• Sliced goats cheese or you can use feta cheese
• Rock salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Method

• Slice tomatoes evenly and thinly.
• Add a generous amount of sea salt.
• Lay the cheese on top of the tomatoes.
• Chop the herbs coarsely and mix with the olive oil.
• Finally drizzle the olive oil and herb mix over the tomatoes and serve.

Stuffed Cream Cheese Fresh Salmon

Salmon is a fatty fish containing a major source of omega 3 fatty acids. Salmon is rightly called a “superfood” as it is rich in nutrients and promotes good heart, brain, and immune system health. The Mediterranean diet suggests eating at least two fish meals per week, particularly fatty fish like salmon. We bought sliced salmon for this dish making it easy to roll into bite sized pieces.

This simple two ingredient dish was so easy to make. Just spread 1/2 teaspoon of cream cheese onto a small piece of sliced salmon, roll up and insert a cocktail stick for a tasty snack or part of a main course.

The sliced salmon and cream cheese combined with the tomato dish turned out to be a real winner.

Carrots Infused with Freshly Squeezed Lemon and Salt

One of our family’s absolute favourite snacks. Easy to make and a different way to eat raw carrots. Thanks go to my Lebanese family who gave me lots of inspiration and dishes to try. Lebanon was the first place I tried this moreish snack.

• 3 Carrots, peeled and cut into batons
• 1 full lemon squeezed
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method

• Mix together the squeezed lemon and the salt in a large dish.
• Serve individually or as part of a Meze- Middle Eastern Starters.

This makes a pretty centre piece for any table.

Do you like overnight oats, what toppings do you use? I would love to hear in the comments.

Have a lovely day whatever you are doing. 👨‍🍳