My Current Favourite Breakfast

Hi guys!

Let me quickly say thank you to anyone who has been reading my blog posts; the messages I've received warm my heart so much. You're amazing!

If you follow me on instagram, you'll know that I've been absolutely loving zoats recently. So much so that I've been making them every day, besides the days I have to leave the house super early. (That said, if you're organised you could make them the night before, or if you're a morning person, you could still enjoy these before school/uni/work).

I'll start off with the basic recipe I've been using:
About 1/2-3/4 cup oats
1 ripe, mashed banana
1/3 of a medium grated zucchini
Enough water to cover all the ingredients and to create your desired consistency.

And that's it! You could use any plant milk instead of water, or a combination of both. I just find that the mashed banana creates the creaminess that the milk would provide, and I'm on a budget so it works best for me. You could also use more or less oats based upon your appetite/requirements; this makes quite a big bowl. And with the zucchini, again, use as much as you like. You can add a sweetener such as maple/agave/date/rice syrup as well, especially if you opt not to the use the banana.

Now here's what I do:

1. Pour the oats and grated zucchini into a pan, along with your water. Have this simmering away in the background while you mash your banana (I use a fork), and get out your (optional) toppings. 
2. Once the oats have been cooking gently for around five minutes, add the mashed banana and mix it through thoroughly. Add more water if it becomes too thick for your liking and if it's too runny, it will thicken up the longer you cook it. 
3. After a couple of minutes, you're done! Add to a bowl.

Now to jazz it up! My favourite part. I've made this breakfast in a variety of different ways so far and I'm not even close to getting bored of it. My favourite toppings are seeds (pumpkin, hemp, chia...), coconut, cacao nibs, nut butter, berries and yogurt (soya and coconut both work so well). I also love stirring in some cacao powder once I've turned off the heat on the stove, as this makes it super chocolatey. I recommend doing it at the end since heating it can diminish some of the nutrients but don't worry, the oats will be hot enough to dissolve it smoothly. Cocoa powder would also work.

A couple of my creations

Oh and finally, let's address the obvious question: why on earth would you add zucchini to your oats, and doesn't it taste dreadful? I was dubious too, but hear me out! Firstly, it's 100% tasteless. The only possibly offensive aspect is the texture, but the longer you cook it, the less noticeable it is. And I really like the texture myself. Secondly, they're filled with good stuff like potassium, iron and various vitamins. Veggies most likely don't feature in your usual breakfast, so this is an awesome way of getting them in whilst still enjoying something sweet and tasty. Let's face it, zucchini is really healthy, but really bland, and I just love eating it this way.

Give it a go, and don't knock it til you try it! 

Love, 

S x