Apple, Fig & Walnut Strudel

 

I did promise the occasional treat, and again I'm resorting to filo pastry :-)

But yes, I have added some tweaks to my version of strudel to make it healthier. 

Instead of spreading the pastry with butter & breadcrumbs to create layers I have used soy milk & oat bran, and I haven't sprinkled it with sugar either!
And just for the record --> No, I will never be bothered to make my own filo pastry ;-)

APPLE, FIG & WALNUT STRUDEL

You'll need:

2 green apples

4 dried figs

1 orange

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup oat bran

2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds

1 teaspoon cinnamon

soy milk - roughly 1/4 cup

6-8 sheets filo pastry

Core the apples and slice into thin pieces. Dice the dried figs. Juice the orange and remove half the zest. Combine all of these in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. 

Crush the walnuts into little pieces and stir into the apple mixture.

 

While the apples are cooking, prepare the pastry sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the oat bran, flax seeds and cinnamon. (This will be used in place of breadcrumbs in tradition recipes to create the layers between the pastry.)

Lay 2 sheets of pastry on a flat surface and brush with soy milk. Lightly sprinkle the pastry with a layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Repeat this layering process until you are down to the last sheet of pastry - if you're pressed for time you can add 2 sheets at a time.

*Do not spread the top layer of pastry with the milk and oat bran.* 

On the top layer spread the apple mixture in a log shape towards the end, but leaving the edges bare to be tucked in.

Roll the pastry up, folding tightly and tucking the side edges in.

Brush the top of the strudel with soy milk & sprinkle with another layer of the oat bran/flax mixture.

Bake in a preheated 200C oven for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

A week worth of oats

I love having oats for breakfast.
But sometimes having the same thing can become a bit boring. I usually just microwave my oats with some non-dairy milk for a few minutes & then add frozen berries.
So I was on a quest to find a few ways to have my oats that were a bit different from the regular way.

Here's what I came up with!

A week worth of oats

Monday's Oats - Fig & Passionfruit
Cut up 3 dried figs into little pieces, put in a pot with half a cup of oats & a cup of soymilk.
Bring to a boil & simmer for 3-5 minutes until oats are soft. Serve with passionfruit pulp over the top.

                                                        Stirred all together for complete yumminess!


 
Tuesday's Oats - Strawberry Choc-Nut
Put half a cup of oats in a bowl & pour over enough boiling water to just cover the oats. Put them under a cover for approx 5-10 minutes. The oats will absorb the water & soften.
Pour a heaped tablespoon of my nut-seed milo over the top and stir to combine with the oats. Add chopped strawberries for a lovely bowl of tasty oats :-)

Wednesday's Oats - Spiced Mandarin
Soak overnight a bowl with 1/2 cup oats, a cup of pomegranate juice, and a 1/4 teaspoon of each cinnamon, nutmeg & allspice. The oats will absorb the juice overnight. In the morning add a chopped mandarin, a Tablespoon pepitas & a teaspoon sesame seeds.

This is what you'll find in the morning after having soaked overnight

 
Thursday's Oats - Prune & Hazelnut
Stewed prunes remind me so much of my grandmother. She used to have them on her weetbix every morning. This is my own version of how to have stewed prunes for breakfast!
Put half a cup of oats in a bowl & a heaped tablespoon of prune spread. Add just enough boiling water til the oats are covered. Top with a lid of some form & leave overnight for the oats to absorb the water. In the morning grind up a tablespoon of hazelnuts in a coffee grinder & sprinkle over the oats with a half cup of almond milk. So tasty....

The oats will absorb the water overnight

Grind the hazelnuts in the morning

Friday's Oats - Raspberry Oat Cake

This was so good that I thought it deserved a post of it's own! You can find it here.

Stay tuned for some great creations for weekend breakfast cooking with oats.

Spiced fig & banana smoothie

Try this for a great afternoon pick up:

2 bananas (sliced & frozen)
3 fresh figs (cut into pieces & frozen)
1 cup soymilk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Blend!

YUM

(can you tell why I always keep a heap of frozen fruit in the freezer!)

Another of my favourite smoothies

FIG SMOOTHIE

You'll need:

3 fresh figs
1 tub vanilla soy yogurt
1 tablespoon hazelnut coffee flavouring
150 ml orange juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
(ice if desired)

Blend all ingredients together in a blender until smooth