St. Patrick’s Day shouldn’t be an occasion to justify indulgence in green frosted cupcakes or party snacks that often are too full of white sugar, white flour and sodium. Instead, it should be an occasion to celebrate the color green in your diet in a healthy way.

Who needs an artificial green additive when there are plenty of plant-based foods that offer the color in a detox-friendly way, like green leaves? Incorporating green leaves into any meal instantly makes it more nutritious and wholesome. Start your St. Patrick’s Day off right with this fun green overnight oats recipe that keeps your figure in check and your morning eyes entertained.

Also, feel free to add in your own protein powder of choice to transform the overnight oats into a post-workout snack or a heftier morning meal. The spinach taste is cut by the banana and low-glycemic maple syrup, which offer a delightful sweetness that will not send your blood sugar levels into hysteria. The chia seeds are essential to thicken the mixture as well as offer your body healthy fats and fiber. I use coconut milk for my overnight oats, but feel free to use whatever vegan milk you prefer.

Green Overnight Oats

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 1 large handful fresh spinach
• 1 ripe banana
• 1.5 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 cup vegan milk (almond, coconut, rice, soy)
• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

Directions

Blend the spinach, banana, chia seeds and vegan milk together until smooth. In a bowl, combine the oats with the spinach mixture and stir until evenly combined. Cover with cling wrap or a lid and place the bowl into the fridge. Let it sit there overnight, during which time it will set further. The next morning, top the overnight oats with fresh fruits, dried fruits, nuts or dark chocolate chips and enjoy!

Related on EcoSalon

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Wearing of the Green on St. Patrick’s Day

Oats image via Shutterstock

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The easiest and most enjoyable Fika food you may ever try.

Take a trip to Sweden, and seas of Chokladbollar (chocolate balls) will likely surround you. They fill the glass cases of bakeries, ine the shelves of shops, speckle department store cafes as a welcome Fika break from shoe shopping and even sit in grocery store aisles. It’s next to sinful and downright outlandish to visit this regal land without gobbling up a chocolate ball (or two, or six). But, like most fare in Sweden, chocolate balls fall far from being vegan.

But, make them yourself at home (in 30 minutes or less!), and you’ll discover it’s the easiest vegan dessert you’ve ever made—and gluten-free to boot. All it takes is a simple butter switch. As I whipped these up in Stockholm last week (not kidding), I played around with different proportions of ingredients until it tasted just right—mixing coconut butter with a Swedish vegan butter that the grocery store clerk warned was not made for baking. Yet it worked all the same. So much so that a Swedish friend declared them among the best he’d ever had.

And, while chocolate balls can be made in an endless variety of ways—kid friendly with just chocolate; adult friendly with liqueur or rich espresso—I love the blend of unsweetened cocoa powder, mixed with a couple squares of dark (70%) chocolate and a shot or two of espresso. Plus, espresso (in smaller doses, as in these chocolate balls), has been reported to help protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis, and dark chocolate boasts a host of phyto antixoidants for heart health and overall happiness.

So whip up some chocolate balls for a feel good Fika that makes every day a celebration.

The Original – Swedish Chocolate Balls
from All Recipes

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon strong coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes

The Vegan & Gluten-Free Version – Swedish Chocolate Balls
Makes 24-48 balls, depending upon the size

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup coconut butter and ½ cup vegan butter (may need to add about ½ cup more, as I did, to ensure a sticky dough)
• 1 tablespoon espresso
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2, 1 oz squares dark or unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 1/3 cup coconut flakes (or more as needed)

Directions

1. Mix the oats, sugar and cocoa powder together in a bowl. Add the “butter” and use your hands to mix the ingredients together until a thick dough is formed.

2. In a separate, stove top pan, mix together the espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate. Mix together over low heat until the chocolate is melted. Pour over the chocolate dough mixture and combine until thoroughly blended.

3. Place the coconut flakes in a bowl or on a plate. Roll small pieces of dough between your hands to make small balls (or make any size that you wish). Roll the balls in the coconut flakes and eat immediately. For a firmer texture, refrigerate for 2 hours, and enjoy!

Note: This recipe is just the beginning. Create other varieties by adding in a tablespoon (or two) of arrak extract, a Swedish liqueur. Or, roll the chocolate balls in toasted almonds, sugar or another topping of your choice.

Images: Jennifer Barckley

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Bringing new meaning to the term “granola girl.”

Food tip of the week: never buy granola ever again. It’s one of the easiest things to make yourself, and because it stores well, you can make up a big batch and have enough for many breakfasts to come.

The other great thing about granola? Once you have your base recipe of oats and a coating to make the granola crispy and sweet when you bake it, you can add pretty much anything you want. Chia seeds? Sure. Pepitas? Delicious. Figs? Certainly not an ingredient to ever go without.

If you want a breakfast that’s heartier, add more nuts, and if you’re in need of something sweeter, add some extra dried fruit.

Basic Coconut Granola

Ingredients:

• 3 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• About 1 cup dried fruit of your choice (raisins, blueberries, cherries… get creative)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a saucepan, melt coconut oil and honey and whisk together. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly coated.

Spread out evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring mixture every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool before putting in an airtight container for storage.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series.

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A colorful and gluten free rendition of an American classic.

Full disclosure: standard American pancakes have never been my thing. Except for a backcountry version made with M&M’s, they have never been one of my breakfast standards. On the too sweet, too fluffy and too thick side, classic pancakes are optimal if you’re looking for a sugar high with an immediate crash. Not quite my style.

However, once in awhile you come across a version of a recipe that changes your perspective. A good friend named Lisa, who has an ongoing oatmeal vs. pancake breakfast debate in her household, came up with this one. As she says, when someone says “bowl of oatmeal or stack of pancakes?” oatmeal is regularly the winner, so she found a way to combine the two. The result is convincing even for those of us that aren’t usually wooed by the traditional breakfast.

This version ups the ante, bringing in flaxseeds, blueberries and a dash of cardamom; they’re even good as an afternoon snack if you manage to set a few aside.

Oatmeal and Flaxseed Blueberry Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/8 cup coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup gluten free rolled oats
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• 1 cup blueberries
• Coconut oil for frying

Strawberry and Nectarine Medley

Ingredients:

• 3-4 large organic strawberries, sliced
• 1 organic nectarine, sliced and cubed
• zest of one lime
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar (place a vanilla bean in a jar of sugar and store in your pantry for easy use)
• 2 tablespoons shredded coconut

Directions

Prepare Strawberry and Nectarine Medley by combining all ingredients in a bowl and setting aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs together with coconut milk and olive oil.

In a separate bowl. mix together dry ingredients. Add to egg and coconut milk mixture. Stir in blueberries.

Drop about a quarter of a cup into a hot frying pan, greased with coconut oil. Flip the pancakes when the top is bubbly and the edges are slightly dry.

Top with fruit and a dash of powdered sugar if you’re really looking to impress.

Want more food inspiration? Check out the rest of our Sunday Recipe series.

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I recently read somewhere that chocolate chip cookies are the top cookies in America. Now, I used to be in the “It’s not a cookie unless it’s a chocolate chip cookie” camp, but I’ve come around.

Oatmeal cookies are so much healthier and they have such a nice combination of chewiness and crunchiness. You can substitute any type of dried fruit you like in the quantities given below. (If you’re using large pieces, chop first and then measure.) And if you just can’t help yourself, you could even throw in some chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Harvest Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup currents
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined.

With a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture until just combined. Fold in the almonds, oats, raisins, currents and cranberries.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm on top.

Image: indigotimbre

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I love the name “muesli.” It sounds just as creamy and delicious as it is. And even though it’s brought to us by the reputedly regimented and well-organized Swiss, muesli is a breakfast that’s simple to make and easy to experiment with.

The key factor is the soaking the oats. Begone, quick oats or (gasp!) microwave oatmeal packages. Muesli relies on soaking whole oats overnight (or at least for an hour or two) along with dried fruits and nuts to create a magnificently healthy, flavorful breakfast. Oats are, after all, a great source of fiber and folic acid, plus zinc and other minerals. Let me say it again: it’s important to soak the oats, thereby keeping them uncooked, with all their enzymes intact.

Now, to the creative part. I usually do this at night so my muesli will be perfectly creamy in the morning.

Start with ½ cup to a cup of whole oats in a bowl (it depends how hungry you are in the mornings!)

Add dried nuts and fruits (chopped dates, figs, apricots, papaya, be creative!). A dash of cinnamon is always nice.

Pour enough pure water over the mix to cover them, plus just a bit more (everything will expand as it soaks).

By the morning you’ll have a soft, creamy cereal to which you can add a dash of vanilla rice milk, organic heavy cream or yogurt for some extra deliciousness. The soaked fruit lets out plenty of natural sugar, but if you prefer your breakfast a little sweeter, add a bit of your favorite natural sweetener. Bon apetit!

Image: cyclone bill

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