Sunday 21 December 2014

FLAXSEED & OATS PORRIDGE WITH CHRISTMAS HONEY

For me Christmas isn't complete without some original homemade gifts for my loved ones. I must say pressure and pleasure go hand in hand with this one and generally I'm totally exhausted by the end of November trying to come up with presents that will be both budget friendly and delicious. 






This year my thinking process went wild at the end of the fall while I was cracking some walnuts and hazelnuts for a baklava I was planning to make. The idea of walnuts drizzled with honey in a sort of liquid baklava popped into my head. Searching online I came across the concept of herbal honey. Some sleepless nights later I decided to just step into my kitchen and to gather every single Yule ingredient I love. Beside the obvious walnuts and hazelnuts I ended up with fresh and dried cranberries, orange peel, dried apricots, star anise, fennal seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and pink and black peppercorns. After searching my cupboards for some emty jars the playtime began. Filling every jar with Christmas goodness and drizzling it with honey.





The rest is easy: close the jars, decorate them with some baking sheets or cute cloth around the lids and label them with a sweet personal wish. Can't remember making everyone a homemade Christmas gift was ever this easy! So I suggest you give it a try! You kan use any Christmas ingredient you love so you really don't need a recipe, but for all of you whose creativity is suffering because of  the imminent Christmas family gatherings I've made you one nevertheless. 


After you have made the Christmas jars and you've enjoyed their pretty looks a couple of days you of course want to taste them! One of many ways (seriously this herbal honey goes well with literally everything) is to eat it with this Flaxseed & Oats Porridge. I came up with this porridge on a Friday evening when I discoverd I was almost out of rolled oats and there wasn't enough left for my Saturday morning breakfast serving. I decided to soak a combination of flaxseed and rolled oats and - my my - a match made in heaven it is! This Flaxseed & Oats Porridge has a wonderfully rich fervent taste which goes very well with the herbal honey in the Christmas jars. So after making all your Christmas presents snuggle up on your couch - relax! - and make yourself a well earned winter porridge. Happy Holidays! 




Ingredient suggestions Christmas Honey

Nuts: walnuts / hazelnuts / almonds / macadamia nuts / Brazil nuts / pistachios 
Citrus: orange peel / lemon peel / lime peel
Fruit: dried apricots / dried plums / dried cranberries / fresh cranberries 
Herbs: resh rosemary / fresh thyme / fresh mint 
Spices: cinnamon sticks /  cardemom pods / black and pink pepper corns / star anise / vanilla pods
Seeds: anise seeds / fennel seeds / cumin seeds

Choose one (or two) ingredient of every kind (for instance: walnuts + orange peel + dried cranberries + fresh rosemary + pink peppercorns + anise seeds). Put the ingredients in a jar and fill up with honey or maple syrup. 



Flaxseed & Oats Porridge


Ingredients
5-8 tbsp rolled oats 
4-6 tbsp flaxseed 
250 ml water
200 ml milk of your choice

1. Combine rolled oats and flaxseed with 250 ml water en let soak overnight. 
2. In the morning: rinse oats and flaxseed in a sieve. Heat oats and flaxseed with 200 ml milk in a saucepan on low heat. Bring to a soft boil while stirring and cook until the porridge comes together (for about 2-3 minutes). Serve with Christmas Honey.

I wish you all very happy, healthy, and loving Holidays. Share them with the ones you love and feed them good food and cosiness. 

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