Chicory boats with chia and crumble

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water
• 125 g oat flakes, possibly gluten-free
• 2 tbsp almonds, ground
• 125 ml coconut milk, alternatively other plant milk then a little less
• 100 g pizza cheese (from Wilmersburger)
• 20 leaves of chicory, that is about 2 large
• 2 pointed peppers, red
• 40 tsp plant-based cream (Plant Cream Cuisine), e.g. oat cream or almond cream
• some salt and pepper
• 1 tsp paprika powder, smoked, sweet

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

Vegan, also gluten-free and vegetarian possible, soy-free

First, soak the chia seeds in a bowl with water for 5 minutes and stir. This will form a relatively firm gel. Preheat the oven to 180°C fan/convection oven. Then add the oats, almonds, milk, vegan cheese, and spices, mix well, preferably by hand, and season to taste. It should have a pleasantly spicy flavor. You can also add herbs if desired. Set aside. In the meantime, carefully loosen and wash the chicory leaves. Cut the bell peppers into strips. In a baking dish, place two chicory leaves inside each other and divide the bell pepper strips into the boats. The boats should be close together so they don’t fall over later. Sprinkle a little salt over each boat and drizzle with 2 teaspoons of plant-based cuisine (I used oat cream). Now mix the soaked mixture (set aside) again and crumble 1 heaped tablespoon into each boat with your fingers. Bake in the oven on the middle rack for about 15-20 minutes. The crumble should be crispy; test it briefly with your fingers. Allow about 3-4 crumbles per person. This dish can also be made vegetarian. Use 1 egg instead of chia seeds and water, cow’s milk instead of plant-based milk, Gouda cheese instead of Wilmersburger Pizzaschmelz, and cream instead of Pflanzencuisine.