Ever wonder what to do with those leftover radish greens? How about adding them to a dish in place of fresh spinach leaves? Using young leaves gives a dish a peppery bite that tastes right. Waste not, want not. :)
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Strawberry French Toast Deluxe
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| Wanna see what we do when we have a glut of strawberries and are a bit bored with using them for dessert? Well, sometimes we go all out for breakfast, and when we do this is a favorite way to go. What could be better than my recipe for Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast, served with a generous helping of fresh strawberries? Well, it's my ~ Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast ~ that's topped with fresh strawberries, whipped cream AND scoops of ice cream. Oh, yeah ~ our special Strawberry French Toast Deluxe breakfast is served! |
Steamed Greens & Poached Egg
Recently, I've been making more low-carb/low-fat breakfasts and lunches, and a lot of times those meals are featuring greens, veggies and eggs. This time I decided to steam kale, spinach, onions and bell peppers together. Once all the veggies were tender, I gently cracked an egg over the top, poured a bit of water into the skillet to create a little steam, then put the lid on until the white of the egg was just set. Yum! I think this is such a nice, healthy way to start the day, or enjoy a light lunch. :)
Cherry Mocha Smoothie ~ Meatless Monday
I was craving something with cherries and chocolate the day I whipped up this smoothie. Greek yogurt made it protein packed. A quick breakfast, for an on-the-go morning. Enjoy!
Cherry Mocha Smoothie
serves 1~2
Ingredients
- 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
- 1 cup milk of choice
- 1 cup frozen cherries
- 1/2 frozen banana, sliced
- 1/2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tsp instant coffee
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 (or more) packets Equal, or sweetener of choice
- 4 ice cubes
Directions
Throw all ingredients into blender & whirl away until smooth & frosty.
Cardamom Spiced Mango Greek Yogurt
I love mangoes. I love cardamom. I love Greek yogurt. Throw them all together in a food processor, until they're smooth and creamy...and I've got a dreamy, Indian inspired/flavored breakfast treat. A perfect way to start my day...or for a mid-day snack...or for a dessert. Yeah, I like it that much!
I'll use fresh mangoes, or frozen/thawed ones from Trader Joe's ~ both taste great. A little extra cardamom sprinkled on top, just 'cause I like it like that. A lil' dollop of whipped cream makes it dessert-worthy...or splurge-worthy at breakfast. Yeah, I like it like that, too. :)
I'll use fresh mangoes, or frozen/thawed ones from Trader Joe's ~ both taste great. A little extra cardamom sprinkled on top, just 'cause I like it like that. A lil' dollop of whipped cream makes it dessert-worthy...or splurge-worthy at breakfast. Yeah, I like it like that, too. :)
Green Smoothies Galore! ~ a look back at all the glorious ways I drink my greens ~ Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Looking for a 'green beverage' (that's not green beer :) to start off your St. Patrick's Day celebrations? Lucky for you, I've shared a lot of green smoothies on the blog. Here's a look back at them. Of course, any of the smoothies I make can be turned 'green', just throw in some spinach, your favorite baby greens or some green tea/wheatgrass powder, and you're good to go.
~ Happy St. Paddy's Day! ~
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| Oatmeal Cookie Dough Green Smoothie |
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| Spiced Carrot Cake Batter Smoothie |
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| Green Cake Batter Smoothie |
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| Mint Smoothie |
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| Green Tea Swappuccino |
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| Green Goodness Protein Smoothie |
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| Greek Green Goodness Yogurt Smoothie |
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| Green Tea Protein Smoothie |
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| Green Smoothie with Chia & Flax Seeds |
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| Happy St. Patrick's Day! |
Traditional English Bread & Butter Pudding ~ Meatless Monday
Our friend, Dick, brought over a wonderful English treat for us ~ Traditional Bread & Butter Pudding. It's a simple to make dessert/breakfast/comfort food that's a favorite of both English children and adults. I make a bread pudding, but have never had a 'bread & butter' version. What a treat!! The two 'puddings' are similar, but making it with buttered bread really does give this version it's own personality. Dick made a few adjustments to the recipe, he ~ cut the crusts off the bread slices; he sprinkled some sugar & cinnamon along with the nutmeg; he skipped the candied citrus peel, only including the lemon zest...and I thought it was perfect made this way. We enjoyed this simple delight with some fat free half & half poured on top. So yummy! Here's the link for the recipe ~ It's English 'childhood comfort food' at its very best!
Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
Sarah, a reader of the blog, sent me her breakfast cookie recipe. It's a spin of my ~ Peanut Butter Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies. I made her version and we all really liked them!!! Sarah's recipe includes avocado, which might sound strange, but it works, adding a subtle richness to her cookies. I added some carob chips and raisins to her recipe, just because we really like them. :) We all loved the soft texture of the cookies and gave them a big thumbs up! I'm calling them ~ Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies.
Here's the original comment Sarah left me ~ I LOVE your blog and all the awesome recipes, here is my spin on the oatmeal cookies as made for my 9 month old son to eat for breakfast...though hubs and I did love them too! Followed directions as per peanut butter protein cookies. The almond butter gives them a really nice consistency and has a mild flavor compared to peanut butter. Thanks! ~ Sarah, it was so kind of you to share your recipe. You ROCK!
Sarah's Almond Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
makes 16-20 depending on size
Ingredients
- 2 bananas, mashed until creamy
- 1/3 ripe avocado, mashed until creamy
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups quick oats, uncooked (or use old fashioned oats for more oatmeal texture)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup mix of chocolate/carob chips and/or raisins (optional)
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, thoroughly combine mashed banana, mashed avocado, almond butter, applesauce & vanilla
extract. Add in the oatmeal & cinnamon (and chips/raisins if using) and stir together. Let dough rest for 10 minutes. Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie
sheet & flatten cookies into circles. Bake cookies approx. 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven & let
rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. When cookies are completely cool, store in a covered container. They will last longer if kept in the fridge. Enjoy!
Easy Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal ~ Meatless Monday
I keep trying to like cooking and eating steel cut oatmeal...but I don't. I think it's because they just take too darn long to cook. I've tried cooking them overnight in the crock pot, but that was just a sticky, baked on mess to clean up. And don't even get me started on trying to cook them in the microwave ~ TOTAL NIGHTMARE!! They say it can be done, don't believe them, I've tried THREE different times. It's just turns into a horror show, no matter now hard I try to make it work 'this time'. Don't go there!
All that being said, I was on a mission to find a way to cook the remaining box of steel cut oats that's sitting in my pantry...taunting me, every day. So, I decided the only way to solve the problem, (I'm too cheap to just throw out the rest of the box) and to get those pesky oats out of my hair (it tends to get stuck in there when you're scrubbing the oats off the ceiling and walls of the microwave, and don't forget mopping up the watery, messy, oat gravel carnage from the glass turntable...don't ask), was to try another 'easy' recipe.
Savory & Sweet French Picnic Cake ~ inspired by a recipe from 'The Little Paris Kitchen' cookbook
Not too long ago, I checked out a copy of the cookbook ~ The Little Paris Kitchen ~ from our local library. It's a charming cookbook that was written by a Brit named ~ Rachel Khoo ~ who now lives in Paris. I truly enjoyed reading about all the back stories on the recipes, how the cookbook came to be, as well as looking at all the beautiful photos of Rachel out-and-about in Paris. Yeah, I'm one of those people, one who reads cookbooks like other people read novels. :)
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One of her recipes that called out to me was for a savory, yet slightly sweet, 'picnic cake' called ~ Sausage, Pistachio & Prune Cake. I know it sounds kinda odd, but after reading her comments about it, I just had to make it in my kitchen, too. I tinkered with the recipe just a bit... I cut the oil in half by using water to replace half the oil (with no loss of flavor or moisture); I used chopped ham, bell pepper and onion instead of the amount of salami called for; I replaced 1/3 cup of wheat flour with soy flour, to get a little more protein in the cake; skipped the nuts; and I only used half of the amount of chopped dried plums (I like calling them that instead of prunes, prunes just sounds so ~ ugh! :) The cake came out with a beautiful golden crust and was excellent. Roy thought it was like eating a quiche, but in a slightly sweet, cake/loaf form...and I'd have to agree. We enjoyed it for a light lunch, with a garden salad and fresh fruit. I also had it for breakfast the next day, too ~ Yummy! Even my son liked it. He was a bit hesitant at first, but after a few bites he really got into it and promptly asked for seconds. So, if you're looking to do a little foodie armchair traveling, give this book or recipe a try ~ Bon Appétit!
Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins ~ healthy, low fat gems!
I came across this recipe for Blueberry Rhubarb Muffins and had to give them a go. Why? Because my neighbor, Cheryl, shared some homegrown rhubarb with me; fresh blueberries were 99 cents a pint at the market; and I found a recipe that used the two together...seemed like a sign to me! The muffins are full of whole oats and the recipe make 12 VERY generous muffins. I found them incredibly filling and I didn't get hungry for hours after eating them. I enjoyed them for breakfast, at lunch and also as a snack ~ last week as I was painting and working around the house.
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| RoseMarie checking out the muffins as they cool... |
The muffins are really low fat, so they are a bit on the dry side for my tastes ~ but perfect if you are looking for a super low fat muffin. They were good as-is, but I preferred eating them with a schmear of low-fat margarine or low fat cream cheese. I also enjoyed them torn into bits and served in a bowl, covered with fat free milk. Eaten this way, they were the perfect breakfast cereal, sorta like a 'baked soft granola'. What a simple way to change-up a muffin into a different 'meal'. So, if you're looking for some new recipes for baking with rhubarb or blueberries, check out the recipe over on the blog ~ Downton Abbey Cooks. :)
Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake
I was looking through my copy of ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure ~ and decided to make the recipe for the Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Muffins. After reading the recipe, I opted for the 'cake' version instead, which includes pineapple rings and maraschino cherries. Below is my adapted version, with a few changes/additions to the recipe...I used just one egg instead of two egg whites, 2% milk (it's what I had on hand) instead of skim milk and I added vanilla extract and cinnamon for a little extra flavor.
When it came out of the oven it looked like a traditional pineapple upside-down cake ~ but it tasted more like a super thickened, cake'ish baked oatmeal to me. Not surprising really, since it is made mostly of oat bran. I was thinking I had a pretty flop on my hands. I refuse to let food go to waste around here, so I decided to serve it anyway. I decided to tinker with it, and when I presented it to my family as a 'pineapple-oat breakfast cake' (served warm, in a bowl with milk and a small drizzle of maple syrup) ~ it was an unexpected hit with both my husband and son! My hubby liked it so much that he also ate it for dessert ~ this time chilled, with a scoop of light ice cream and a splash of milk. So, with a bit of creative embellishing, it works as both a breakfast and a dessert. Cool, score one for Mom!
Pineapple Upside-Down Oat Bran Breakfast Cake
makes 8-12 servings
adapted from the book ~ The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups toasted oat bran (I used Trader Joe's toasted oat bran)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup milk (low fat or skim)
- 2 - 8 oz. cans crushed pineapple in its own juice (unsweetened)
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 7 pineapple rings, drained
- 7 maraschino cherries, drained
Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a round cake pan with Pam, place drained pineapple rings in a single layer on the bottom, add one maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring and set pan aside. Mix the oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix the milk, 1 can of crushed pineapple with juice, egg, vanilla extract and oil in a blender for 10 seconds. Combine the wet and dry ingredients in the bowl and mix thoroughly. Drain the second can of pineapple and stir into the bran mixture. Pour oat bran mixture into cake pan. Bake for approx. 30 minutes or until cake is cooked through. Turn out the cake pan onto a cooling rack or a large, flat plate and allow to cool. Cut into wedges and serve warm or cold. Serving suggestions ~ warm ~ eat it plain or with milk and a little maple syrup for breakfast; and ~ chilled ~ with milk and light ice cream or with a little whipped cream for a dessert version. Store in fridge.
Tropical Cooler High Protein Shake ~ Meatless Monday
I'm in love with using unsweetened cranberry juice in my shakes and smoothies. It gives them such a nice hit of flavor and makes them such a lovely color. This time I whipped up a high protein shake with a tropical vibe, relying on Torani Sugar Free Coconut Syrup to up 'the island' flavor. Yummmmmmy!! Enjoy!
Tropical Cooler High Protein Shake
serves 1
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cranberry juice
- 1 cup cold water
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2 Tbsp Torani Sugar Free Coconut Syrup (or to taste)
- 1 cup frozen mixed fruit (my favorite is a mix from Walmart that has strawberries, peaches, mangoes & pineapples in it)
- 1/4 cup frozen banana slices
- 1 Equal packet (optional)
- 6 ice cubes
Directions
Throw all ingredients into the blender and whirl away until smooth and frosty!
Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
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| Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies ~ full of fresh & dried cherries, as well as a hint of chocolate. The perfect Breakfast Cookie for right now, especially since we are smack-dab in the middle of cherry season! |
Recipe Repost from July 29, 2012 ~ Since there are lots of fresh cherries in the market right now, I decided to repost one of my favorite ways to bake with cherries. ~ Enjoy!
This new spin on Breakfast Cookies came about because of all the fresh cherries that I keep seeing everywhere, as well as getting the inspiration / idea from one of the visitors to the blog who mentioned making Breakfast Cookies using fresh cherries. (you didn't leave your name, so I can't properly thank you ~ but you know who you are! :) I just had to try making a cookie using fresh cherries, too. Now is definitely the right time to try this recipe, since cherries are so cheap. Cooking with the seasons does have its advantages!
This new spin on Breakfast Cookies came about because of all the fresh cherries that I keep seeing everywhere, as well as getting the inspiration / idea from one of the visitors to the blog who mentioned making Breakfast Cookies using fresh cherries. (you didn't leave your name, so I can't properly thank you ~ but you know who you are! :) I just had to try making a cookie using fresh cherries, too. Now is definitely the right time to try this recipe, since cherries are so cheap. Cooking with the seasons does have its advantages!
I came up with a ~ Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookie. It has a double hit of cherry flavor, calling for both fresh & dried cherries, as well as a hint of chocolate. You could easily use frozen cherries instead of fresh. If you're like me & you're looking for new ways to use/cook with all the fresh cherries that are everywhere right now, this just might be the Breakfast Cookie for you ~ Enjoy!
Double Cherry-Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cookies
makes 16 regular cookies
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oatmeal ~ uncooked
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 12 fresh cherries, pitted & sliced into smaller pieces (or 12 frozen cherries, thawed & sliced/chopped)
- 1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
- 3 Tbsp chocolate chips or carob chips (or more, to taste)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon (or more, to taste)
Directions
Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.
Combine the applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.
Bake approx. 30 minutes, or until golden & done.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. Cookies will firm/sweeten up as they cool.
When completely cool store in a covered container.
Mix vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.
Combine the applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes
Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.
Bake approx. 30 minutes, or until golden & done.
Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack. Cookies will firm/sweeten up as they cool.
When completely cool store in a covered container.
Apple Mug Muffin ~ ready in 2 minutes
This evening, I was looking around on Pinterest and saw a pin for this recipe, that came from the blog ~ Civilized Caveman. It was for an ~ Apple Mug Muffin ~ a quick microwave recipe that's ready in 2 minutes. The photo looked good, it was for a single serving, the recipe was gluten-free, there was no added refined sugar, it said it was good for breakfast or dessert, I was hungry and I had most of the ingredients...so, off to the kitchen I went.
I did make a couple of substitutions ~ replacing 1/2 the coconut oil (I actually used melted Olivio Coconut Oil Spread) with unsweetened applesauce (to make it a little lower in fat); honey for the maple syrup (all outta maple syrup); chopped walnuts/cinnamon for the 'streusel topping' (couldn't be bothered to chop that little bit of apple); and I nuked it in a custard cup instead of a mug (just 'cause I felt like it...shoulda used the mug :) . The resulting 'muffin' was surprisingly good, with a subtle sweetness and flavor. To me, it had more of a substantial cooked 'egg custard' feel to it. I'm a fan of that 'egg-y custard' flavor, so it was right up my alley. Since it uses almond meal instead of flour, it has a denseness that you wouldn't get from a regular microwave-in-a-cup muffin. I think it would make a quick and tasty breakfast...but for tonight, it was my dessert. Yup, real-time cooking in my kitchen! Now, I need to eat dinner ~ tonight was one of those eat-dessert-first kinda evenings. teehee
Superfood Veggie Scramble with Chickpeas ~ Meatless Monday
I had one last 'Little Bessie' egg in my fridge, and I was all set to make a pretty meal. I planned to saute superfood veggies (kale, spinach and 3 colors of bell peppers), getting them ready so I could crack my huge, double-yolk egg on top of their healthy goodness and then poach those two beautiful, mounded yolks (that came out of that one egg) and enjoy my breakfast...
What really happened was that one of the yolks burst when I cracked the egg ~ WAH!! Total bummer! Since I couldn't make what I wanted, I got cranky and just scrambled it all together. Since I was on a roll, I added some chickpeas that were in the fridge for good measure and topped it all with some salsa. It had became a glorious, tasty mess. Not pretty, but it was ~ low fat, low carb, low cal and yummy ~ all the same. Some days chickens, some days feathers...some days cracked yolks. Ya gotta roll with the punches and not let it ruffle your feathers. (tee-hee ~ every pun intended! :) Happy Meatless Monday!
No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping
I saw this recipe link for a clean eating granola bar (from the site ~ Reboot with Joe) on my Facebook feed and was intrigued. So much so, that I went right into my kitchen at midnight (what can I say, I'm a night owl!) and made a batch. I didn't have all the ingredients that were called for, so I used what I had on hand. (sound familiar?)
I was thoroughly impressed with the taste, but was unable to get it to set-up properly, it just would not hold a bar shape. :( So, instead of a bar I turned it into ~ No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping. It makes a perfect, crumbled crunch that is excellent over yogurt or ice cream. What a tasty, clean-eating snack treat! There are so many flavor/ingredient variations that you could do, the possibilities are endless. I'm sorry that the recipe didn't work out as planned, but so happy that I've got a new superfood creation to top my morning yogurt with. :) Enjoy!
No-Bake Maple-Nut Granola Topping
adapted from this recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup oat bran
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup carob chips (or raisins, or cacao nibs, or chocolate chips ~ or a mix ~ I used a 1/4 cup mix of carob chips, raisins & cacao nibs)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon (or a 1/2 tsp mix of spices like I did ~ cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & cardamom)
- a dash of salt
Directions
Line an 8x8 square baking pan with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Add all ingredients to bowl and mix well. Spread mixture into pan and press down firmly, using the back of a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to set-up for at least an hour in the fridge. When firm, crumble and store in an air tight container in the fridge. Best when eaten while still chilled.
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