Blueberry and Maple Syrup Oat Smoothie

In addition to all her lovely recipes and her wonderful idea to host our new "No Croutons Required" food blogging event, there are many things that I have to thank my fellow vegetarian blogger Holler from Tinned Tomatoes for, not the least of which is that she is such a dear friend even though she's halfway across the world from me. One other thing that I'm grateful to her for is turning me on to the idea of oat smoothies blended with yoghurt and fruit. What a terrific way to combine all the proteins, minerals and fibre of oats and yogurt with the vitamins of fruit into a quick, easy, wholesome and delicious pick-me-upper for any time of day!

Holler's blueberry, maple syrup and oat smoothie already inspired me to dabble around with oats, yoghurt and a blender to come with my own fermented oat smoothie base to which I added mango and blackberries. It worked out so well that I would consider an overnight room-temperature soaking of one part rolled oats and two parts whole-fat yoghurt to be a one-size-fits-all base for adding any variation of fruits and sweeteners to make a thoroughly nutritious and digestible oat smoothie. So of course I had to try applying it with Holler's yummy-sounding combination of blueberries and maple syrup. It was absolutely gorgeous, and didn't last long!

Blueberry and maple syrup oat smoothie

3/4 cup rolled or steel-cut oats
1 1/2 cups whole-fat yoghurt, from raw milk if possible
1/2 pint fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup fresh-pressed apple cider or apple juice
1/3 cup cold water
2 tablespoons fresh maple syrup
4 ice cubes

Stir the yoghurt into the oats and let soak overnight at room temperature in a covered non-plastic bowl.

In the morning, blend the soaked oats together with all the other ingredients in a blender until smooth and frothy. Serve with breakfast, or as a snack. Makes 4 large servings.