The light breeze, the scent of the ocean, the sound of the crashing waves…suddenly all the noise and chatter around me started to fade into the backdrop of my mind. I was reminded again of what freedom, of what my childhood felt like. Standing at the edge of Tung Wan beach in Cheung Chau, I could envision my sisters and I running along the sandy beaches, splashing water under the watchful eyes of my loving and much younger grandparents. Christmas, in this moment, felt closer to my heart than I would have in the thick snow in Utah or our new, beautiful home in Texas. Christmas was and is always about family, and without them it didn’t feel the same.
Like any Chinese family, most of our gatherings and time spent together pretty much revolved around food. That pretty much meant that the past 2 weeks at home was filled with various delicious feasts ranging from Cheung Chau seafood, to traditional Chinese banquet meals, to fine dining and to local hole in the wall stores along the bustling streets of Wan Chai. My parents had made it a point to write out a schedule, not of activities, but of meals with different family members. As my grandpa has rightly pointed out “his stomach has been very busy” recently. Oh how beautiful this Christmas season has been especially after a long 3 years away from home.
While I will miss all the delightful conversations and food that has been so comforting and memorable, my husband and I have been craving simple home cooked meals. We are definitely ready for a reset once we return home – and that to me comes in the form of a fresh piece of fruit, cooked greens or a warm, comforting bowl of oatmeal. Gingerbread oatmeal to be exact – with all its glorious spices to warm up our bodies and to aid digestion. While this is no complicated or fancy recipe, this to me signifies comfort, simple home cooking to the finest that is nourishing and delicious.
- ½ cup quick oats
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 tsp ground flax
- 1 tsp hemp seeds
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 - 2 tbsp sweetener (golden monk fruit for a molasses flavor)
- 1½ cup milk (or use ½ milk, ½ water)
- Toppings: sautéed pears/ apples, pecans halves, almond butter, coconut cream
- Gingerbread Man Cookies (makes 20 mini gingerbread men)
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp almond flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2¼ tsp ground ginger
- pinch of cloves and nutmeg, optional
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- 1/ 8 tsp baking powder
- 1¼ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- For oatmeal: Add oats, flax, seeds, salt, spices, sweetener and milk in a pot.
- Over medium heat, cook until oats has absorbed most of the liquid.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a fork and slowly pour it in to the pot.
- Over medium-low heat, stir the pot constantly. You want to keep stirring to turn the oatmeal into a fluffy thick consistency.
- Once all the oats are absorbed, serve in the bowl.
- Top with almond butter, sautéed apples, pecans, hemp hearts and a drizzle coconut cream (if desired).
- Taste and adjust sweetness if needed.
- For the cookies: Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
- Add in the maple syrup and vanilla. If the dough isn't coming together you can add a touch of water. Mix the dough until well combined.
- Pat the dough down until disc shape. You can flour your hands and the surface to because the dough will be slightly sticky.
- Cut into shapes. Place onto a lined baking sheet.
- Re-roll dough scraps until all the dough is shaped.
- Bake for 8-9 mins (depending on the size of your shapes) or until brown.
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