Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

A few months ago when I found out my cholesterol was a whopping 256, I decided to try to eat a vegan breakfast, vegetarian lunch, and omnivorous dinner. It only lasted a few weeks, but one thing stuck...quinoa. I love it! And while most people I know eat it as a savory side dish, I (of course) went straight for a sweet dish for breakfast. When it comes to hot breakfast cereals, I cannot stand the pasty texture of oatmeal, but this dish makes a nice substitute.

Quinoa has a texture more like rice or cous-cous (cue The Man saying "food so nice they named it twice"), and for me, this is much more tolerable. Quinoa's mild, nutty flavor lends itself to a multitude of dishes, and it's considerably healthier than other packaged hot cereals: it's a complete protein and very high in fiber, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Vegetarians and vegans rejoice!

Every weekend, I make a pot of this wonderful hot breakfast and reheat a portion of it each morning. (It's a great dish for reheating!) It's simple, relatively quick-cooking, and it's a delightfully cozy dish as the weather gets colder. It's become a staple for me, and now that I'm eliminating gluten from my diet, this is a welcome mainstay in my diet.

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge
(serves 4)

1 c quinoa, rinsed
1 c water
1 c milk (use a dairy-free milk if it suits you)
2 T flax seed meal
1-2 T raw honey, to taste
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
dried fruit pieces
nuts, chopped

In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa, water, milk, flax seed meal, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and keep covered until the liquid is completely absorbed, about 10 more minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve topped with your choice of chopped fruit and nuts (and I add another tablespoon or two more of milk for extra creaminess).

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Carrot Muffins

As I mentioned in my last Challenge post, muffins are a great breakfast item because of their convenience, but many of the packaged muffins available in the grocery store are more than one serving and stuffed full of ingredients I can't pronounce. I'm also a big fan of incorporating as much whole grain into my diet as I possibly can.

Also, today I'm starting Georges St. Pierre's Rushfit program. About 50% of every exercise program should be diet, and Rushfit is no different. The nutrition guidelines for the program are pretty simple: whole foods, high fiber, lean protein, and low sugar. Because Rushfit is a pretty intense workout program, I know I'm going to need to change my crappy breakfast habits and get the most out of every meal. So I decided to bite the bullet and turn on my oven in the middle of summer to test a few healthy modifications to my recipe for Zucchini Bread. The goal was to create a high-fiber, high-protein version. I substituted unsweetened applesauce for the oil, whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour, and added flaxseed meal. And I used carrots from the garden instead of zucchini. 


These muffins smelled so wonderful as they were baking, and my mouth was watering in anticipation of a taste! As soon as they were out of the oven, I carefully peeled off the paper liner and dove in. The Man tried a bite...and then another...and then a muffin of his own, and The Munchkin sat on my hip, gleefully munching away at every bite I gave her. They have definitely received the Man/Munchkin seal of approval!

Here's the recipe:


(makes 24 muffins)

3 eggs, beaten
1 c unsweetened applesauce
2 c sugar
2 c carrots, shredded
2 t vanilla
3 c whole wheat flour
2 T flaxseed meal
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line muffin tins with paper liners and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, sugar, carrots, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information for 1 muffin:
148 calories
1 g fat
3 g protein
3 g fiber

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread is one of my favorite quick breads. Around this time of year, the zucchini is starting to look pretty awesome, so I usually stock the freezer.

To prepare zucchini for bread, clean it well, and peel it. Shred the flesh, and package in freezer bags in 2 cup portions.

(makes 24 servings)
3 eggs, beaten
1 c oil
2 1/4 c sugar, divided
2 c zucchini, shredded
2 t vanilla
3 c all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1 t nutmeg
2 t cinnamon, divided

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c sugar and 1 t cinnamon.

Grease loaf pans and coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, oil, sugar, zucchini, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients.


Divide batter evenly between 2 loaf pans. Sprinkle the top with remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 1 hour. For muffins, 


For muffins:
Line muffin tins with paper liners instead of greasing and sugaring the pan. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1 t cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.


Enjoy!

Strawberry Bread

The other day on my way to work, I was munching on a scone I bought for a quick, on-the-go breakfast. My first bite took me back to my childhood and a bread my mother used to make all the time. So when I got a chance, I sent her a text and asked if she still had the recipe. She said she did, and told me she had actually been thinking about the very same bread the day before. So, we made a plan to get together today and spend some quality time together making the bread.

The original recipe uses strawberries, but as a kid, my mom made it with cherries, and today, we modified the recipe to use dried cranberries. We want to try a strawberry-rhubarb, but we haven't made it that far yet (I'll keep you updated).

Enjoy!

Here's the original recipe (variations below):

(makes 2 loaves)
1 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
1 t Kosher salt
1 t lemon juice
4 eggs
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 c sour cream
1 c strawberry preserves3 c flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and grease two 8"x4" loaf pans.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon juice. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Add baking soda, sour cream, and preserves; blend well. Gradually mix in the flour until well-combined.

Pour the batter into the greased pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bread pulls away from pans.

Variations
Cherry Bread: Substitute fresh, pitted sweet or sour cherries (depending on your preference) for the strawberry preserves.

Cranberry-Orange Bread: In a small saucepan, cover 1 c dried cranberries with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool, drain, and use in place of the strawberry jam. Replace the lemon juice with 1 t orange extract.

Streusel-Filled Coffee Cake

A few months ago, while sorting through a filing cabinet, I found a *very* stained sheet of notebook paper (a true sign of a great recipe, by the way) covered in my mom's gorgeous handwriting.

Upon further inspection, I realized it was a recipe for the wonderful coffee cake my mom made nearly every week when I was a child. Since I found the recipe, I've been toying with the idea of making it, and today, I finally got around to it. With the first bite, I was instantly transported back to my childhood! It. Was. Delicious! I knew, then and there, that I had to share the recipe with you! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Streusel Mixture:
2 c brown sugar
8 t cinnamon
8 T butter, melted

Batter:
3 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
5 t baking powder
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/2 c milk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375. Grease a 9x13" pan and set aside.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients for the streusel mixture and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for the batter. Mix until batter is smooth and well-combined.

Spread half the batter in the prepared pan. Top with half the streusel mixture. Repeat this process, using the remaining batter and streusel mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

To make muffins, line muffin tin with muffin wrappers. Using a one-ounce cookie scoop, place one scoop of batter in each liner. Top with streusel mixture. Repeat the process once more for each muffin, resulting in 2 scoops of batter for each tin and 2 layers of streusel mixture. Bake for 15 minutes.

Buttermilk Pancakes

I modified this recipe from one I found at AllRecipes a few years ago. These are The Man's favorite pancakes, or panclocks, as he calls them. :) He rarely orders pancakes in restaurants anymore because he says they don't even come close to these!

Enjoy!

(serves 3-4)
1 c flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1/2 T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat and lightly grease a large skillet or griddle. (I like to use my 2-burner cast iron griddle for pancakes.)

Mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar together in a bowl. Add the egg, buttermilk, and butter; stir together lightly, but keep it lumpy. Let sit for 5 minutes. The batter should look thick and a bit bubbly.

Drop 1/3 cup of the batter onto the cooking surface, spreading lightly with the bottom of the cup. Cook until lightly-browned on each side, 1 to 2 minutes per side.