Tag Archives: breakfast

National Running Day 2013

It’s National Running Day! woohoo.

Yes, it’s been a while but I’m still here. Still running, cooking and baking. I figured National Running Day was a good time to get myself back into the groove of blogging.

I decided to wake up early and go for a morning run along Bridle Path. It’s a nice peaceful path with great views of beautiful homes in Central Phoenix.

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My run was pretty sweet. It was nice and smooth and I only stopped to tie my shoe..three times! And for two red lights. I felt great while running and still do three hours later.  I actually listened to music while I ran, which is rare. Kudos to FitRadio for having great mixes! I had a good hip hop mix going. Also it was great to see other runners out and about doing their thing. I will have to do more morning runs. I got in the rut of only running after work in the late afternoon..that will change.

After my run, I came home and to get ready for work and make breakfast . Here’s what I had
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Machaca & eggs with spinach and avocado. It totally hit the spot.

Happy National Running Day to you!
RunningCheaperthanthearapy, Quote, image

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate Banana Bread
SAMSUNG

Using my basic banana muffin recipe, I added some cocoa and voila! Chocolate Banana bread was born. It’s perfect to mix up your morning toast with this bread, or to have as a special guest for brunch. The bread is very good straight out of the oven, and even better toasted with yummies on top. I tried it with butter, nutella, and cream cheese. Strawberries are the perfect topping as well.   I hope you like this recipe.

Ingredients
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of ground oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 large ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of cocoa powder

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Directions:
1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  (Flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa)
2. In a separate bowl mash up the bananas. Add brown sugar, egg and applesauce, and mix until well blended.
3.  Add the banana mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Mix it up.
4.  Pour the mixture into a bread/loaf pan.
5.  Bake for 40 minutes.  Do the toothpick test to ensure done-ness.

Eat this bread warm with dab of butter, or dress it up. Toast it, add some cream cheese and strawberries.
Unlike regular banana bread, I found this chocolate banana bread looses its effect on the taste buds when you eat it cold. So, it’s best warm or toasted. But if you like cold, that’s fine too. :)

I hope you enjoy this bread. Be sure to let me know how you dress it up.

Spinach and Cheese Omelette Enchilada Style with Green Chili Sauce

Spinach and Cheese Omelette, Enchilada Style with Green Chili Sauce

Um, yes please!

Enchilada Omelette
I had some green chili enchilada sauce left over from a previous meal and while gathering items from the refrigerator to make an omelette I got the fine idea to create an enchilada omelette. Ooooh weeee, I was not disappointed. Here goes the recipe. Hope you like it.

Ingredients
2 eggs
1/4 cup white onion, chopped
1 cup of baby spinach
1 corn tortilla (yellow or white corn), cut into strips
3 TBS of Monterrey Jack Cheese
1 TBS Canola Oil
1/4 cup of enchilada sauce

1. Heat a small pan over medium-high heat with the canola oil.  Add the spinach, onion, and strips of the corn tortillas.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.
spinach onions and tortilla strips
Remove the items from the pan and set aside in a small bowl.
Crack your two eggs into a bowl and scramble them up really good. Drop the heat to medium.

2.  Pour the scrambled eggs to the same pan. Using the handle the on the pan, tip the pan back n forth and around to make sure the eggs are spread around evenly. Don’t stir it.  Let it set/cook for about 45 seconds. Using a rubber spatula gently push one edge of the egg towards the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there’s no liquid left. Let the egg set, and it slide around the pan. If not, loosen with the spatula.  *using a rubber spatula is key.  Gently flip the egg over. On one half of the egg, add the sautee’d items, and cheese, then fold the egg in half covering the sauteed items. Let cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove your omelette from the pan and onto your plate.

Warm up the enchilada sauce in a microwave safe bowl.

3. Pour the enchilada  sauce over the omelette, and sprinkle a tad bit of cheese. Now it’s ready to eat.

SAMSUNGYum!
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Ways to mix this recipe up:
- add chicken or turkey
- add jalepenos or serrano pepper to make it spicy
- use a red chili sauce instead

Pumpkin Granola

Pumpkin Granola

Ingredients
4 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of puffed red wheat cereal
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
2 cups of walnuts, chopped
1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 TBS Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
3 TBS of brown sugar
3 stevia packets
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried apricots, chopped

Pre heat oven to 325.

1.  In a mixing bowl, stir together oats, red wheat cereal, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas.

2. In a separate bowl, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ground cloves, pumpkin pie spice, brown sugar and stevia. Mix it up really good. Then pour into the bowl with the oats and nuts. Mix it around until it looks as if the puree has been spread evenly.

3. Pour your mixture onto a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet. Using as spatula even it out, but do not press onto the sheet.

4.  Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and flip over the granola. Put back into the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and repeat the process two more times, baking for a total of  60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let it cool down, then add the dried cranberries and apricots and stir around before storing.

This granola recipe isn’t crunchy. It’s more of a soft crunch.  Hope you like it! Eat over yogurt, with milk or snack on it.


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Other granola recipes:
Cranberry Almond Granola
Apple Cinnamon Granola

Apple-Cinnamon Granola

Apple Cinnamon Granola

Ingredients
2 cups of rolled oats
2 cups of puffed red wheat cereal
1 cups of chopped walnuts
2 cups of dried apple rings, chopped
2 TBS of brown sugar
1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce
3 TBS of cinnamon
1 TBS of apple spice
1 TBS of canola oil
1 TBS of honey
1/4 cup of almonds, chopped or slivered

Preheat oven to 300 degrees
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

In a large mixing bowl, add the rolled oats, puffed rice, walnut and almonds.  Mix and set aside.

In a small sauce pan, over medium heat, at the canola oil, apple sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon and apple spice. Stir and let it get to a boil.  Remove from the heat, then pour over the oats/nuts mixture. Stir it, making sure it’s evenly mixed. Sprinkle in a little more cinnamon.   Pour the mixture onto the cookie sheet and spread evenly.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Using a spatula, stir the mixture, turning it over. Then bake for an additional 12 minutes and remove from the oven.

In a small bowl, add the chopped apple rings,  the honey, sprinkle some cinnamon and stir around.  Add the apples to the granola on the cookie sheet.
Stir the mixture and turn it around, then  put it back in the oven for 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, turn the mixture over again, then bake for just another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let cool completely. The granola will get its crunchiness at this stage.

Store in an airtight container.

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Eat with yogurt, milk,  or ice cream. It’s soo good.
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Other Granola Recipes:
Cranberry Almond Granola

Turkey and Kale Omelette

SUPER OMELETTE

This omelette is made with kale and avocado, and has kick of heat from a serrano pepper. I like make this after a tough morning workout, or just on days when I want my breakfast to fill me up.

Here’s what you need:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup of kale
Half of a ripe avocado, sliced
1 serrano pepper, diced
2-3 of turkey deli meat, I used Cracked Peppered Turkey
1/4 cup of cheese of your choice. I used Monterrey Jack
Red Onion, chopped – about 3 TBS
1 TBS of Canola Oil

In a small sautee pan, heat the canola oil. Add the onion, serrano pepper and kale. Let sautee for about a minute, then add the turkey meat.   Stirring, let cook  for another minute. In a mixing bowl, crack open the eggs and scramble.  Remove the turkey and kale mixture from the pan, leaving just a tab bit in the pan. Lower heat to medium-low.

Some people like to just stuff the omelette with the yummies inside, but I like to keep some of it in the pan to cook with the egg . In the pic, you can see where some of the kale is popping thru.

With some of the yummies still in the pan, just even them out, then pour the scrambled eggs to the pan, allowing to cook for about a minute. Don’t stir it. Using a rubber spatula gently push one edge of the egg into the center of the pan, while tilting the pan to allow the still liquid egg to flow in underneath. Repeat with the other edges, until there’s no liquid left. Let the egg set, and it slide around the pan. If not, loosen with the spatula.

Gently flip the egg over. On one half of the egg, add the sautee’d items, and cheese, then fold the egg in half covering the sauteed items. Let cook for about 30 seconds, then flip and let cook for another 30 seconds.  Remove your omelette from the pan and onto your plate.  Add the slices of avocado to the top the omelette and it’s ready to eat.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

Steel Cut Oats with Pumpkin Puree,  Pepitas and Fall spices

Oats can get boring from time to time, so it’s great to mix it up by adding different seeds, nuts, spices, honey, fresh fruit, dried fruit etc. This morning I wanted something pumpkin-ish, so I created this fall inspired steel oat recipe with hints of pumpkin spices to give me that taste I was craving.

We all have our own method for cooking oats, some like it creamy or lumpy, some folks will only use milk, etc. I usually cook mine in water and add a little almond milk or regular milk at the end to increase the creamy ratio. I say, make them how you usually do, but add the extras listed below. You can use rolled oats or steel cut oats to create this flavorful breakfast.

Ingredients
This recipe is for 1 serving
1/2 cup of steel cut oats
1 1/2  cups of water
Pinch of salt
Extras
2 invidual packets of Stevia
3 TBS of pepitas
1 TBS of Chia Seeds
2 TBS of pumpkin puree
Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Ground nutmug

In a small saucepan, let the water come to a boil. Add the oats and salt, stir and let it get back to a boil. Drop the heat to a low- simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring from time to time so it doesn’t stick to the bottom on the pan.

Add the stevia, pepitas, puree, chia seeds and sprinkle some cinnamon, ground cloves and ground nutmeg. I recommend tasting the oats and add more of the spices as needed.

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Scrambled Eggs with Kale

Simple Scrambled Eggs with Kale and Blue Cheese

Scrambled eggs and kale with blue cheese, onion and garlic

Ingredients
1/2 cup of chopped kale
2 eggs, scrambled
1 small garlic clove, diced
1/2 TBS of extra virgin olive oil
1 TBS of chopped onion
1 TBS of crumbled Blue cheese
If you don’t have blue cheese, try a different cheese or skip it all together. Your breakfast, your choice. :)  

This recipe serves 1 person. Multiply the recipe per how many people you are serving.

1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet.  Add the diced garlic and chopped onion. Stir and let cook for about 30 seconds, then add the kale. Stirring and allowing to cooking for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Be sure to not over-cook the kale.

Add your eggs and cook to your liking. Just before they are done, sprinkle the blue cheese and stir.

Breakfast is ready dah’lin!

Scrambled eggs and kale with blue cheese, onion and garlic

Eat with a slice of whole-grain toast and some fruit.

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Yummy Bran Muffins

Bran muffins are perfect for “non breakfast eaters”and great for both adults and children. It’s a healthy muffin full of whole grain and a perfect way to start your day. This recipe is light, fluffy, yummy and very simple to make.

Yummy Bran Muffins
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup Wheat Bran
1 cup of low fat buttermilk
1/3 cup of canola oil
1 egg
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
1 cup of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.

Get muffin tin ready by adding baking spray to the pan or inserting cupcake or muffin cups.

1. Mix together the wheat bran and the buttermilk. Let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Beat together the oil, egg, sugar,  vanilla extract. Then add to the buttermilk/bran mixture. Mix.

3. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Stir the flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture until it is well blended.

4. Add to muffin tins filling two-thirds to the top. Bake for 17 mins. Do the toothpick test.

Breakfast is ready!
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Eat by itself, or have with a some fruit or some yogurt. Perfect on-the-go breakfast. Make them on a Sunday and then you’ll have them ready for the week. :)

Make Your Own Granola

Here is a quick and simple way to make homemade granola.

Cranberry Almond Granola
What you need:       
Mixing Bowl
Spoon
Cookie Sheet
Foil or Parchment paper

Ingredients 
Oats
Almonds (sliced or chopped work best)
Honey
Dried cranberries
Cinnamon
Sunflower seeds (optional)
Flax seeds (optional

Set the oven for 325 degrees. Line the cookie sheet with foil or parchment paper.

1. In a mixing bowl,  add 2 cups of oats, 1 cup of almonds, 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, 1/2 cup of flax seeds. Add about about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix it all up.

2. Add some honey and stir it up.  I used about 3-4 tablespoons. I kind of just eyeballed it,  so you might want to use more or less.
Here’s the mix. I apologize for the bad lighting.

3. Lay the mixture flat on the cookie sheet. You may have to use a your mixing spoon to take a part any clumps.

 4. Bake for 17-23 minutes, or until browned.

5. Remove from oven and use spatula to turn mixture over. Let cool. Sprinkle about one to one and a half cups of dried cranberries.  Mix it around.

Store the granola as you please.  I’ve been saving glass jars from various condiments to re-use for things like this.

Now you have granola!

Note: I was able to fill 2 jars just like the pic above, using the recipe and measurements above.

This is a “crumble” granola  that can be used as a topping on yogurt, ice cream, etc. You can also make granola bars.  You’d have to use a lil bit more honey and/or some molasses. When you flatten it on the cookie sheet you’ll need to keep the granola pieces close to together, and might want to the stack it higher. You notice how I made a thin layer on the sheet, you may want to make it thicker.  Experiment with it and see what happens.

Recipe:Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins
Yay for banana muffins, double-yay for a simple five-step recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup of ground oats
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt
a sprinkle of cinnamon
2-3 large ripe bananas
1 large egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup of brown sugar

Prep:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin pan or use muffin tins

Directions:
1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  (Flour, oats, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon)
2. In a bowl mash up the bananas. Add brown sugar, egg and applesauce.
3.  Add the banana mixture into the dry ingredient mixture. Mix it up.
4.  Divide the mixture evenly into the muffin tins, filling about 3/4 full.
5.  Bake for 17-20 minutes, depending on your oven.  Do the toothpick test to ensure done-ness.

This recipes yields 11 muffins. :)
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