Tagged with breakfast …

May 15 2013
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Baking, Cravings, Food

Muesli Breakfast Cookies

Muesli-Breakfast-Cookies

I made some muesli for an article I’m writing about easy breakfast foods. And while, yeah, muesli is a great breakfast option, I just can’t get into it. It’s a texture thing. It took me years to finally be able to eat mushy oatmeal and the fact that muesli is basically a cold version of oatmeal just makes it worse for me. So… there I was faced with the dilemma of having a jar full of muesli that I would potentially never eat when I saw a tweet about breakfast cookies.

Muesli-Breakfast-Cookies---Cooling

Breakfast cookies!

For some reason the moment I read Shauna Niequist’s tweet about breakfast cookies, I just had to have them. So, naturally, I bought her newest book (which I finished in only a few days) so I could get the recipe. As I read through the ingredients I realized the majority of the ingredients were already in the muesli, so in theory I could just use it as a substitute. And it worked! And they were oh so delicious.

Muesli Breakfast Cookies
based originally on 101 Cookbook’s Nikki’s Healthy Cookies but featured in Shauna Niequist’s Bread & Wine (a must read for all you food lovers… AND the kindle edition is only $3.79 right now!)

Yields 6 cookies (or more depending on your scoop size)

1 cup muesli (my muesli is adapted from Joy the Baker’s recent recipe, except I just throw everything but the kitchen sink in)
1 ripe banana
1 Tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/3 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350˚.

In a small bowl, mash together the banana, coconut oil, and vanilla. Add muesli, salt, and baking powder. Mix until well combined.

Using a teaspoon or a large ice cream scoop, scoop cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Gently press down and shape into a round cookie shape… the cookies don’t grow or change shape so you’ve got to do all the shaping work for them.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

Variations: I love adding some nut butter to mine (it gives this creaminess to the cookies). If you want to do the same, go ahead and throw about a Tablespoon of your favorite nut butter in with the banana and coconut oil. Just be sure to add about 1/3 cup more muesli to absorb the added oil and moisture.

Also, the cookies pictured have some honey drizzled on top for added sweetness. I added the honey while they were cooling so by the time they were cooled, the honey had soaked into the cookie.

Final Note: For a crunchier cookie you can use an egg instead of the banana. But… you’ll need to add some kind of sweetener, because you no longer have the banana flavor to carry you. I have a theory that doubling the recipe and doing 1 banana and 1 egg would give you a nice and crunchy cookie with good flavor. That test just hasn’t happened yet.

Enjoy as a snack, for breakfast, or a nice healthier dessert option.

Abigail

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Sep 04 2012
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Baking, Cravings, Food

Light & Crispy Waffles

As a kid, breakfast for dinner was one of my favorite meals. There was something about eating waffles or pancakes at night instead of the morning that was (and still is!) exciting. One of my best friends came in town this past weekend so, knowing her obsession with pancakes, I decided breakfast for dinner would be the best meal to serve her after the long drive. I made pancakes for her, waffles for me, and some fabulous fruit salad to top them off — and of course some champagne to round things out.

I’m a major waffle person. It drives me crazy that so few breakfast joints serve waffles. After coming up with this recipe, though, I have no reason to go searching elsewhere. Y’all, these waffles were sooo very delicious. Their light inside and crispy exterior probably had everything to do with the large amount of butter in them, but after just one bite I was so in love I didn’t even care (plus, I was eating fruit salad with them…). I hope you make these soon… for breakfast, dinner, afternoon snack, whenever!

Light & Crispy Waffles
makes 4-6 waffles

3/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

5 Tablespoons glutinous rice flour
5 Tablespoons sorghum flour
2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
2 Tablespoons almond flour
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temp.
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup combine milk and vinegar and let sit 5 minutes, allowing it to curdle slightly.

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, butter, vanilla, and milk mixture.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Whisk to combine. Batter may separate as it sits, but just whisk it together again before ladling out batter.

Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, ladle batter onto preheated waffle iron. Cook until steam stops coming from the sides of the machine (or until it’s as nice and brown and crispy as your heart desires).

Top them off with the classic butter and syrup, throw on some fruit, or maybe a slather of preserves.

Enjoy!
Abigail

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Jul 24 2012
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Food

Spanish Tortilla Omelet

Spanish Tortilla Omelet
makes 1 omelet

In a frying pan heat a few tablespoons safflower oil over medium heat. Slice 2-3 fingerling potatoes into thin rounds. Cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are done but still firm. In a small bowl, whisk 2 eggs with a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, and a splash of milk. Pour into pan with potatoes, swirling to evenly distribute the egg mixture. When eggs are mostly cooked, flip omelet. Sprinkle crumbles of goat cheese on top and fold omelet in half. Transfer to a plate and garnish with goat cheese and chopped fresh rosemary.

Enjoy!
Abigail

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Jun 19 2012
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Food

Quinoa Porridge

Quinoa Porridge
Serves 2-4 depending on portion size

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/4 cup rice milk (or other milk)
1 Tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon flax seeds or flax meal
Pumpkin seeds (or other seed of choice)
Hazelnuts (or other nut of choice)
Dried currants
Goji berries… and any other things you have in the pantry that you want to throw in!

Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cover. Let it do its thing for 15-20 mins.

While the quinoa is cooking, gather your other ingredients. If your seeds or nuts aren’t toasted, go ahead and toast them in a pan on the stove. Keep an eye on them and don’t let them burn. It’s best to toast the seeds and nuts separately since they will cook at different rates.

When the quinoa has absorbed all the water, add the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix it all in. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

This recipe is great served hot on a cold day, or in months as hot as we are having right now, make it the night before and eat it cold the next morning.

Abigail

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Mar 29 2012
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Food

PB&J-ish Oatmeal

I say PB&Jish because, well, I used almond butter and AB&J doesn’t really bring back any memories, does it? Also, there is a lot of flexibility in this recipe and you can use whatever nut butter you want… it could be PB&J, AB&J, CB&J, you name it.

PB&Jish Oatmeal
makes 1 large serving or 2 small servings

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1 Tbsp jelly of choice (I used grape)
1 Tbsp nut butter of choice (I used almond butter)
handful of dried fruit (I used dried currants. If you’re using a larger fruit, chop it up into small pieces)
1 Tbsp flax seed or flax meal… for a little added nutrition
a drizzle of honey… for looks and a little added sweetness

In a small saucepan, bring water and almond milk to a boil. Add oats and cook, stirring constantly, for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients except for honey, stirring until well combined. Cover saucepan and let sit for a few minutes. Add honey, to taste. Or, if you’re like me, just drizzle a little bit on top so it looks pretty. Serve and enjoy!

Abigail

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