Posts by Henry Miller2

So, I was just thinking about how much I miss my absolute favorite breakfast from when I was a kid. 😍 Birchermuesli.

Back around 1900, Dr. Maximilian Bircher-Benner started serving oats mixed with fruit and lemon juice to his patients, which is how it got its name. It really blew up across Europe in the 60s, and my mom started eating it in the 70s before making it a staple in our house.😍

The original recipe relies heavily on grated apples, a few spoonfuls of oats, and some lemon juice, letting it soak overnight. These days though, there are tons of ways to make it—using fresh or dried fruit, adding nuts, yogurt, you name it.



What you'll need:

6 tablespoons quick oats
4 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons milk
juice from one small or half a large lemon
half a banana
3-4 strawberries
2 tablespoons chopped almonds
stevia or honey

Mix the oats with the water, milk, and lemon juice. Give it a good stir, and if it looks too thick, feel free to toss in another tablespoon or two of milk. If squeezing lemons is a hassle or you aren't feeling the milk, a mix of water and yogurt works perfectly fine.
Sweeten it with some stevia or a little honey. Let the oats sit for at least thirty minutes, though honestly, it’s best to prep it the night before and let it chill in the fridge overnight. In the morning, just pull it out, top it with your fruit and chopped almonds, and you're good to go.

Oat, Seed, and Nut Loaf

Just a heads up, this isn't your typical soft, fluffy bread. It’s more like those dense fitness loaves you see at Whole Foods (or my own seed crackers—if you’ve actually tried them, you know what I mean🙂). It’s got a really hearty, grainy texture.😍



What you'll need:

150g rolled oats
125g mixed seeds (sesame, pumpkin, sunflower)
90g flaxseeds (mix of ground and whole)
80g almonds or hazelnuts
half a teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil

Grab a bowl and mix the oats, seeds, and roughly chopped hazelnuts together. Add the salt. Pour in 350ml of water along with the 3 tablespoons of oil. If the mixture looks a little too dry, just splash in a tiny bit more water. Give it a good stir and let it sit for at least half an hour. Honestly, letting it soak overnight works even better.



Grease a small rectangular loaf pan and press the mixture firmly into it. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350°F. Once that's done, take the loaf out of the pan, pop it directly onto a wire rack, and bake for another 30-40 minutes without the pan. Be patient and wait for it to cool down completely before you try slicing it.

Pro tip: slice it up ahead of time and toss it in the freezer for easy grab-and-go meals. 🙂

Egg salad made with low-fat cottage cheese.



I've actually cooked up something pretty similar before, but I decided to switch things up with the ratios this time around.😁 I just realized this is probably my 100th recipe on this topic, so there’s really no way I can let it pass without including a vegan option.😍

Pripremite:

Four hard-boiled eggs.
About 8.8 ounces of either fat-free or creamy fresh cheese.
Grab about 3/4 of a cup of regular or Greek yogurt—you can even mix in some sour cream if you’re feeling fancy.
Just one teaspoon of mustard.
sol
Freshly ground pepper.
Chives (or maybe some parsley, dill, or whatever you're feeling)



Boil some eggs, peel them, and chop them up into little cubes. Then, just mix together some cream cheese and yogurt. Toss in a bit of mustard, then hit it with salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. I usually throw in some chopped chives or whatever herbs I have on hand. If you're feeling extra, you can add some finely minced onion or garlic—personally, I think a little bit of chopped celery adds a really nice crunch to it too.
Just mix everything together and serve it on some toast, crackers, or even an oat cracker. (Recipe coming right up!)😁)

Coastal Style Seafood Stew




inspired by Pelle and Barbier recipes

What you'll need:

2 lbs squid or cuttlefish (plus a little ink if you want that deep color)
~3.5 oz barley
~7 oz lentils
olive oil
3 onions
3-4 cloves of garlic
bay leaf
a bit of fresh rosemary
a small bunch of parsley
~¾ cup white wine
~3 tbsp bourbon
a splash of balsamic vinegar
a can of crushed tomatoes
salt
freshly cracked pepper

First, get your grains going. Boil the barley in one pot, and cook the lentils in another using water infused with some sliced onion, bay leaf, a bit of parsley, and garlic. In a separate heavy pot, prep your seafood stew. Slice the squid into rings or bite-sized chunks and sauté them with finely chopped onion, fresh bay leaves, a sprig of freshly picked rosemary, garlic, parsley, and tomatoes. Add a touch of that ink and deglaze the pan with white wine, finishing it off with a quick splash of bourbon to really lock in the flavors.



Once the stew has thickened up nicely, stir in your cooked barley and lentils. Season with salt and pepper, then let everything simmer together just long enough for all those flavors to marry perfectly.



Serve it hot with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a nice, sharp cheddar or some aged sheep's cheese on top.

Quick Spinach and Cheese Pie



Get ready! You'll need a 16-inch round baking pan:

4-6 phyllo dough sheets, regular or whole wheat
300g of frozen or fresh sautéed spinach (or Swiss chard)
500g low-fat cottage cheese
200ml thick Greek yogurt
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch of nutmeg
A little black pepper
50g shredded cheese and/or cream cheese

Tear the phyllo sheets into smaller pieces with your hands and set them aside. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
If you're using fresh spinach or chard, give it a quick wash and sauté it in a little butter until it wilts. If you're using the frozen/blanched kind, just make sure you squeeze out all that extra water.



Whisk the eggs, then stir in the salt, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Use a whisk to get it nice and smooth. Chop up the spinach if needed and fold it into the mix. Add the nutmeg and pepper. Now, grab a handful of those torn phyllo pieces and fold them into the mixture, repeating until everything is coated and you've used all the dough.

Pour the whole thing into your greased pan. Top it off with bits of that stronger cheese or cream cheese. Bake covered with parchment paper for about 20 minutes, then ditch the paper and bake for another 15 or so until it looks beautifully golden.

Ramps are already popping up in my garden, which totally reminded me of this soup recipe.😍

Spring Onion and Pea Soup



What you'll need:

2 leeks
2 bunches of spring onions (about 6-8) (you can swap these for ramps if you have them!)
2 cups of peas
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
basil leaves
pumpkin seeds

Heat the oil over medium heat, then toss in the sliced leeks and the white parts of the spring onions. Sauté them for a few minutes until the onions get nice and translucent.
Pour in the broth, then stir in the green parts of the spring onions and the peas. Season it all.



Turn up the heat to bring the soup to a boil, then drop it back down to low. Let it simmer for about 5-6 minutes until the peas are tender.

Use an immersion blender or a regular blender to blitz everything until it's super creamy. Top it off with some basil and pumpkin seeds, and serve it with some toasted bread.

Buckwheat Porridge with Fruit and Nuts



Prep this for 2 servings:

150g buckwheat groats
1 large apple or 2 small ones
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp raisins
5-6 dried apricots
2 tbsp hazelnuts
2 tbsp almonds
juice and zest from 1 orange ***
honey or your favorite sweetener



Cook the buckwheat in 300ml of water over medium heat. Once it’s cooked and has soaked up all that liquid, stir in your sweetener or honey along with the raisins, apricots, or whatever dried fruit you're feeling that day. Give it a mix and let it sit for a second.
Chop up the almonds and hazelnuts, slice the apple into bite-sized pieces, then juice and zest that orange.



Stir the orange zest and juice into the porridge, then toss in the cinnamon. Drizzle in the honey or your sweetener slowly and give everything a good stir. Finally, fold in the sliced apple and those nuts. You can eat this warm or cold—totally up to you.

***
Instead of using orange zest, juice, and extra sweetener, I often just use a tablespoon of Trader Joe's orange and kumquat jam. They don't pack their jams with much sugar—usually only about 10-20% sugar or agave—so it's a great shortcut. 👍

Carrot Cake - Miss. Ginger Bunny Hemp

Based on the recipe over at Gastrokomadi.



Get your 9-inch pan ready:

Grab about 4 medium carrots or maybe 3 larger ones—aim for around 9 to 11 ounces total.
Just the zest and juice of one organic lemon.
Just some orange peel and juice from organic oranges.
Fresh ginger root, peeled and grated (about 0.7 to 0.9 oz).
6 tablespoons of Ginger Bunny Hemp flour
120g ground hazelnuts
25g ground oats (I actually ended up skipping those myself)
Just three eggs.
Grab about 5 tablespoons of sugar—or just use whatever sweetener you're feeling that day.
Just two teaspoons of baking powder.
Just one teaspoon of baking soda.

For the dressing:

Mama or(g)anica orange juice.
Just a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese.
Just a few spoonfuls of heavy cream.
Just add a little stevia, some honey, or maybe a couple of tablespoons of powdered sugar.

Go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F.
Zest up some lemon and orange, then just set that aside for a bit. You'll want to squeeze the juice from both into separate bowls.
Peel and grate some ginger and carrots. Toss those in with a bit of lemon zest and half of your orange juice. Save the other half for later—you’ll need it to soak the cake. Give everything a good mix and just let it sit for a bit.



Crush up some hazelnuts, then toss in some hemp flour, baking powder, and a pinch of baking soda. In a separate bowl, whip those eggs with sugar or your favorite sweetener until the mixture gets nice and frothy.
Mix the carrot base with your dry ingredients until everything is well combined. To finish it off, fold in the eggs gently—you want to be careful there so the cake stays light and airy.

Pour the batter into your pan and smooth out the top. Pop it in the oven at 350°F for about 25 to 30 minutes, or just until it hits that perfect golden-brown color. Once it's done, the top should feel firm to the touch, but you want the inside to stay incredibly soft and moist.



While the cake is in the oven, go ahead and whip up the glaze. The original recipe calls for mixing 250g of powdered sugar with some lemon juice, but I decided to switch things up and try my own version.
Whisk together some sweetener (or just a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar) with a few spoonfuls of fat-free cottage cheese, some heavy cream, and a splash of orange juice. Just make sure you whisk it well so you don't end up with any lumps.

Once you've got that cake out of the oven, go ahead and drizzle it with a bit of orange juice while it's still warm, then follow up with a white glaze. To finish things off, just sprinkle some fresh lemon and orange zest over the top.

Yogurt and Cottage Cheese Panna Cotta



What you'll need:

14 oz Greek or plain liquid yogurt
9 oz low-fat or fresh cottage cheese
5 fl oz milk (or extra yogurt)
1 packet powdered unflavored gelatin
Sweetener equivalent to 75g sugar
1 vanilla bean or about 4-5 drops of extract

First, soak the gelatin in 5 tablespoons of cold water and let it bloom. In another bowl, mix together your yogurt, cottage cheese, sweetener, and vanilla. Heat up the milk until it’s almost boiling, then whisk in that bloomed gelatin. Keep stirring with a whisk until the gelatin is totally dissolved, then pull it off the heat. Gently stir the warm milk into your yogurt and cheese mixture, then pour everything into individual glasses or small bowls.



Pop them in the fridge for a few hours to set. When you're ready to eat, top them off with some fruit compote or a sugar-free berry jam. 😁

Tuna Steaks with Quinoa Salad

What you'll need:

4 tuna steaks
olive oil
juice and zest from 1 organic lemon
freshly cracked pepper
salt
1 cup quinoa
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 chili pepper
1 red onion
150g fava beans or peas

First, toss those tuna steaks in olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle on some lemon zest and freshly cracked pepper, then let them marinate for at least an hour.

Boil up about 2.5 cups of water, throw in the quinoa, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Once it's done, take it off the heat and let it sit so it can fluff up nicely.



Chop up your onion and veggies and toss them into a bowl. Quickly cook the fava beans, stir in the quinoa, and mix everything together with the veggies. Drizzle with olive oil, add salt and pepper, and if you're feeling fancy, a splash of vinegar or more lemon juice works great.

Get a heavy-bottomed skillet nice and hot and sear the steaks for about 3 minutes per side. Serve them right alongside that quinoa salad.

If you can't track down fresh tuna steaks, no biggie—just mix some canned tuna straight into the quinoa salad instead.

Sicilian-style Octopus

What you'll need:

One medium octopus
Sea salt
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
A splash of red or white wine

2 hot chili peppers
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
675g cherry tomatoes or regular tomatoes
About 10 olives
About 10 capers
4 anchovies
1 bunch fresh parsley
Chicken or fish stock
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Grab a heavy-bottomed pot and fill it with water, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, and that splash of wine. Bring it to a boil, then carefully dunk the octopus in (try to get those tentacles in first). Let it boil on high for about 10 minutes, then pull the octopus out and let it cool down for a bit.
Make sure you save all that flavorful liquid the octopus cooked in!



Heat some olive oil in a pot and toss in the sliced garlic, anchovies, and capers. Use a spatula to stir them around and break up those anchovies as they cook.

Now, throw in the sliced chilies, onion, and olives. Give it a little seasoning with salt and pepper. Chop up the octopus and add it to the pot. Then, slice those cherry tomatoes and scatter them in with everything else. Don't stir it too much just yet—just pour in two ladles of that octopus cooking liquid we saved earlier. Add enough stock to cover all the ingredients.

Let it simmer gently for about 35-45 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.
Finish it off by sprinkling on some chopped parsley and it's ready to eat.

Nutty Whey Protein Cookies



Here is what you'll need:

3.5 oz ground nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds works great)
1.5 scoops cookies and cream flavored whey protein
2-3 tbsp coconut milk
1.5 tsp baking powder

For the glaze:

1.4 oz dark chocolate
2 tbsp heavy cream or coconut milk



Just grab a bowl and mix all your dry ingredients together. Pour in the coconut milk and then use your hands to work everything into a dough. Pinch off small pieces, roll them into balls, and flatten them slightly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This should make about 10 cookies. Pop them in the oven at 350°F for roughly 15 minutes.

Once they've cooled down, drizzle that glaze over the top.

Black Bean Chocolate Squares



What you'll need:

14 oz can of black or red beans, rinsed well
4 large eggs
1 tsp orange extract
4 tbsp melted butter or extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup honey or 1/2 tsp stevia powder
5 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp gingerbread spice (or just mix whatever you have on hand: cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, etc.)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

First, give those beans a good rinse. Toss the beans and eggs into a blender and whiz them until smooth. Throw in the stevia along with all your dry ingredients. Finally, stir in the melted butter (or coconut oil) and the orange extract. Pour the batter into a rectangular pan and bake at 325°F for about 45 minutes.

Once the cake has cooled down a bit, top it with some chocolate glaze. Just melt 2 oz of dark chocolate with a few splashes of heavy cream or coconut milk. I actually sliced mine up first, then glazed some pieces and topped the others with boozy jam made from orange and kumquat.

Beef and Pepper Stir-Fry



What you'll need:

1 lb lean beef (filet mignon works great too)
2 cloves garlic
a knob of ginger
1 large bell pepper
1 large carrot
1 medium eggplant
3 scallions or one medium red onion
1 hot chili pepper
cilantro or parsley leaves
soy sauce
sesame oil
rice vinegar
salt
pepper
rice or your favorite pasta

I played around with the original recipe a bit and just used whatever veggies I had sitting in my fridge. If you don't have sesame oil or rice vinegar on hand, don't sweat it—just skip them. Also, feel free to swap the beef for chicken if that’s more your thing.
Since I have a massive soft spot for heat, I went with an extra spicy chili sauce.😁



Slice the meat into strips and toss it with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, a splash of sesame oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Just watch the salt, since the soy sauce already brings plenty of flavor to the table. Mix in your crushed garlic and grated ginger. Give it all a good stir and let it marinate while you prep and slice your veggies into strips.



Get a wok or a deep skillet nice and hot, add a little oil, and swirl it around so the surface is fully coated. Throw the meat in and sear it until it's browned. Once it's done, scoop the meat out and set it aside in a bowl. Save those juices! Slice up your vegetables and toss them into the wok for a few minutes to sauté. Right at the end, throw in some chopped cilantro or parsley. Mix the meat and veggies back together and set the whole batch aside for a moment.

Pour those leftover juices from the pan back into the heat, then mix in a bit more soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Let it simmer and reduce until it turns into a lovely syrupy sauce, then toss the meat and veggie mixture back into the wok to coat everything. Serve this over rice or pasta. Honestly, you can even skip the starch altogether and just eat the meat and veggies as a standalone meal alongside a fresh salad.🙂

Pelle's vegan cheese and oat scones

Get ready:

Just 150g of oats.
Just 100g of fat-free cottage cheese.
Just one egg.
About 10g of baking powder.
Just one teaspoon of salt.
Egg wash for glazing.
Seeds for sprinkling.



First, grind your oats down into a fine powder, then toss in some salt and baking powder. Grab a fork to beat an egg, pour that into the mix, and add in some cottage cheese before kneading it all together into a dough.

Just tear off small pieces of dough, roll them into balls, and flatten them out a bit. Lay the buns on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush them with an egg wash, and sprinkle some seeds on top. Pop them into an oven preheated to 400°F for about 15 minutes.



This should be enough to make about 10 muffins.

Pumpkin Cheese Soufflé



What you'll need:

7 oz roasted pumpkin puree (I’ve had good luck using Sugar Pie pumpkins)
4.2 oz low-fat cottage cheese
~3.5 fl oz milk
4 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
stevia
1 lemon

First, mash up that roasted pumpkin until it's smooth. Mix in 4 of the yolks, the cottage cheese, and the milk. Give it a good blend until everything is combined, then stir in the cinnamon, stevia, and some lemon zest.

Beat the egg whites with a splash of lemon juice until they form stiff peaks, then gently fold in the pumpkin mixture.



Pour the batter into greased ramekins and set them in a baking pan filled with water for a water bath. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes.



This makes enough for 8 small ramekins, but you can totally bake it in a larger dish if you want.

Peanut Butter & Date Whey Cookies



What you'll need:

4 tbsp date powder
1 tbsp coconut flour
1 tbsp coconut milk
1 scoop whey protein
2 tbsp peanut butter

First, grab a bowl and mix together the date powder, coconut flour, and your scoop of whey. Once that's combined, stir in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Keep mixing until everything is totally smooth and well-blended. Use a spoon to scoop out portions, then roll them into little balls using your hands.



Flatten the balls out with your fingers to make cookie shapes and set them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. This batch should give you about 15 bite-sized treats or 10 regular-sized ones if you prefer.

Pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

I made these little scones for a food competition on Gastra, so I figured I’d drop the recipe here too—especially if you're looking for some great dairy-free ideas.😁


Dairy-free cheese scones 😍



What you'll need:

300g all-purpose flour
250g dairy-free cheese (or just regular fresh cheese)
75g butter
1 packet baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg (for the wash)
Assorted seeds for topping (flax, sunflower, sesame, pumpkin)

Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Toss in the dairy-free or regular cheese along with some softened butter cut into small pieces. Work it all together until you have a smooth dough. Grab chunks of the dough, roll them into balls, and give them a light flatten with your palm before placing them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle on your seeds. If seeds aren't your thing, feel free to swap them out for something else, like parmesan or even an herb blend.

Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes until they turn golden brown.



You can also try a rye flour version:

250g rye flour
300g dairy-free cheese
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp olive oil
1 packet baking powder
1 egg (for the wash)
Seeds for topping

Knead the dough and shape your scones. Brush with egg and top with seeds. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes.

Tropical Pumpkin Soup

What you'll need:

1 medium tropical pumpkin (mine was about 1.3 lbs)
4 garlic cloves
2 hot peppers
olive oil
vegetable broth or water
salt

Give that tropical pumpkin a good wash, slice it in half, and scoop out the seeds. Honestly, don't even bother peeling it—just trim off any bruised spots if you see them!



Dice up the pumpkin and toss it into a soup pot with a splash of olive oil. Add a little water and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. While that's happening, chop up your garlic and peppers, throw them in the pot, and pour in enough vegetable broth to cover everything. Let it cook until the pumpkin is nice and soft, then just blitz it all with an immersion blender. If it looks too thick, just add a bit more water and don't forget the salt.

No-sugar oven-baked plum jam



Grab about 4.5 pounds of plums (something sweet like Black Splendor works great) and get a deep baking pan ready—I’m talking about three inches deep.

Give those plums a good wash, pat them dry, pit them, and toss them into a covered baking dish. Pop that into the oven at 320°F. If you don't have a lid handy, just throw some aluminum foil over the top.

Let them hang out for about 2 hours, then lift the lid and give everything a stir. This is where you can get creative—throw in some vanilla, a splash of rum, dark chocolate chips, or maybe some cinnamon if that's your vibe. Bake it for another hour or two, depending on how much moisture has evaporated and how thick you want your jam to be.



While it's still hot, pour it straight into preheated mason jars.