Category Archives: Breakfast
Healthy Irish Oatmeal
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup Irish Oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup agave
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Add 4 cups water into a medium saucepan. Add the cinnamon and salt. Bring to a boil. Add the oats and simmer on medium low heat for about 30 minutes or till the oats are soft but still have a bit of chew to them. Turn the heat off and add the agave and vanilla extract.
Top with flaxseed, walnuts and banana.
Banana Pumpkin Chocolate Muffins
I make these for my daughter for breakfast. The recipe makes a big batch, I freeze half and keep the other half in the fridge- great, healthy breakfast.
3 small or 2 large bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup honey
½ cup turbinado sugar
2 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup dark chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard size muffin tins.
In an electric mixer, add the butter, honey and sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes and add the eggs one at a time, beating in between. Add the mashed bananas, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Beat for a minute. On the side, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk well and gradually add to the egg mixture while beating slowly. Beat for a minute or two. Add the dark chocolate and mix with a spatula and transfer to the muffin tins using a ¼ cup scoop. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool and serve.
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
I know it is not pumpkin season but these healthy muffins are still really, really good- I make them for my daughter for breakfast. They are great to have in the fridge or freezer all the time. I just take them out, cut them in half, and toast them with butter- really delicious and really good for you! A glass of milk and some berries on the side- it is a perfect breakfast!
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup full fat yogurt
- ½ cup full fat milk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 15 to 16 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sugar. In a glass bowl, melt the coconut oil and add the yogurt, milk, pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk well and add to the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts and chocolate. Mix well and divide batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean.
Four-Cheese Frittata with Arugula Salad
- 6 eggs
- 2 teaspoons salt
- Pepper
- ¼ cup half and half
- 1 cup shredded four-cheese mix (asiago, provolone, parmesan, mozzarella) divided
Add the eggs, salt, pepper, half and half and half cup cheese. Beat well and keep aside.
- 5 to 6 red skinned potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Heat a non-stick large pan with the olive oil. Add the onions and sauté on medium high heat for a minute. Add garlic and the potatoes. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Saute on medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add the eggs and cook on a medium low heat for another 10 minutes. Top the frittata with the remaining half-cup cheese and place under a broiler on low heat. Cook till the top is golden brown- about 5 minutes (depends on the broiler heat, so keep a close eye). Take out and let sit for a few minutes. Slide out on a large platter.
- 2 cups wild arugula
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper
Mix the arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Top the frittata with the salad and serve.
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins
My daughter has been eating oatmeal for breakfast for many many years and then all of a sudden she announced, she was done with oatmeal and does not want to eat it again! So, I had to think about breakfast as I feel it is very important to give her a healthy start to the day. She loves anything with pumpkin flavor, especially this time of year- so I looked at a few recipes and came up with the following. These delicious muffins have whole wheat flour, oats, coconut oil, walnuts and dark chocolate. I make a batch that results in approximately 14 muffins and I am set for a while. A muffin, some fruit and a glass of milk and she is all set for the morning!!
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ cup full fat yogurt
- ½ cup full fat milk
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 15 to 16 standard size muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and sugar. In a glass bowl, melt the coconut oil and add the yogurt, milk, pumpkin puree, egg and vanilla extract. Whisk well and add to the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts and chocolate. Mix well and divide batter between the muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or till the toothpick comes out clean.
Strawberry Bread
Number 4!
I love, love this tea bread. We were invited to a friends house for a barbecue and I offered to bring dessert. I wanted to make a summer cake using a quintessential summer fruit and of course strawberries came to mind.
I did a bit of research and came up with this fabulous recipe.
I got all the ingredients together- which, by the way are all that you normally have on hand.
It didn’t take me very long to put together and baking in the oven. Once it came out, my daughter was hovering around it like a dog on a bone. I cut a slice for her and she immediately complained about taking this cake to someone’s house and not having any for us. I promised her I would make another one for her soon- and honestly I haven’t yet. As I write this, I have already decided to bake one this evening. She will be thrilled.
So, if you want to be equally thrilled, make this delicious strawberry bread this summer…
- 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (pureed in a blender)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup evaporated cane juice
- ½ cup extra light olive oil
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and keep aside.
Beat the sugar and olive oil for 2-3 minutes on high. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between. Add the pureed strawberries and keep aside.
In the meantime, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt into a medium bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix well and pour into the loaf pan. Bake for 55 minutes or till the bread is done. Invert onto a platter and top with confectioners sugar.
Cherry Almond Duffins
Dessert number 3! Use fresh or frozen cherries for this one… yummy!
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup 1% milk
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 cup pitted fresh or frozen cherries, chopped
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ cup fine raw sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tin with a bit of oil in each cup.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg till light and fluffy. Pour in vegetable oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts. Mix to combine.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour into the egg mixture and stir well. Fold the cherries into the batter and mix to incorporate.
Divide batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling about ½ full.
Bake for 15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
While duffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. Pour ½ cup sugar into a medium bowl.
Once the duffins are done, lightly brush the top with melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in the sugar, coating all parts of the duffin.