Tag: breakfast

5 Quick, Easy, Nutritious And 100% Plant Based Breakfasts

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 8, 2017

It’s not just an old wive’s tale, it’s been scientifically proven that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Recent studies show that in order to attune our diet with how our bodies naturally burn energy we should be consuming 15-25% of our daily energy intake (that’s 300–500 calories for women and 375–625 for men) at breakfast time. Of course, your nutritional gains will be dictated more by the kinds of foods you eat in the morning than when you eat them. A hastily scarfed candy bar or a lot of the sugary processed cereal bars marketed as ‘health’ foods don’t exactly constitute hearty and nutritious breakfasts.

For many of us, especially in the US, it seems a choice between heavily processed and sugary cereal with cow’s milk or heavily processed and fatty bacon or sausage. Whether you’re on a vegan whole foods plant based diet or not, the importance of good quality nutrition at the breakfast table can’t be underestimated. Of course, with all the inevitable rush and bustle of an early morning, nobody wants to be a slave to the stove either. That’s why all of these nutritious breakfasts can be hustled up in 15 minutes or less. If you’re extra pushed for time, check out Chaching Queen’s breakfast recipes which can be hustled up in 5 minutes or less! They’re all totally plant based too.

Healthy Breakfasts on the Go: Raspberry and quinoa smoothie

This one is perfect for those on the go. Quinoa is one of the most nutritious grains out there and an abundant source of protein, fiber and the essential minerals like riboflavin, iron, and magnesium. Loaded with vitamins and complex carbohydrates it will stave off hunger for hours.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, uncooked
2 cups oat milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk alternative)
2 cups Greek yogurt, plain
4 cups frozen raspberries

Instructions

Cook and cool quinoa according to package directions.
Add all the ingredients to a blender in this order: oat milk, yogurt, quinoa, and raspberries. Blend on high (or smoothie mode) until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Classic Breakfast with a Twist: Vegan french toast

Yes, this breakfast classic is just as delicious without the sugar and cholesterol saturated eggs. Simply use a blend of flour and almond milk for the batter (which can also make fluffy pancakes) and soak day old bread in it before searing it in the pan for a crunchy crust with a fluffy interior! Top with peanut butter for added protein and fats or your favorite fruits for added vitamins. Pure luxury.

Comfort Food Breakfast Update: Cinnamon raisin brown rice porridge

A cheap, quick and easy (as well as gluten free) option, just cook the rice grains in almond milk over a low heat until they form a porridge-like consistency. Top it with chia seeds, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, chocolate chips, your favorite fruits… Or all of the above!

Crunchy Breakfast Option: 10-minute no-bake granola bars

Even tastier than the store bought varieties without the added refined sugars, oils and preservatives. Combining oats with nuts, seeds, dried fruits, coconut oil and your choice of honey, maple syrup or agave nectar gives you a delicious and portable breakfast that will keep you going until lunch time (or you could pack an extra one as a pre-lunch snack, I won’t tell anyone).

Hearty Breakfast Option: Vegan breakfast burritos

If you like your breakfasts savory and crunchy then this is the one for you. This plant-based twist on the traditional breakfast burrito substitutes scrambled egg for scrambled tofu with refried beans, brown rice, your choice of veggies, and a mild salsa. It’s a handful of protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats to start your day off right!

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

This Healthy Eating Worksheet will walk you through the process of creating a healthy eating plan. All you need to do is print it out, set aside some time to complete it, and then fill it out. Then you can create your plan, knowing that you have addressed potential obstacles and came up with some creative ways to handle them.

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Tags breakfast, breakfast burrito, french toast, smoothie, vegan

Healthy Living

How to Have a Healthy Breakfast Every Day in Less Than Ten Minutes

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 1, 2017

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, as the saying goes. Everyone — from little ones to adults — needs a good start. A nutritious breakfast gives you energy so you can work, learn, play and socialize. But people are so busy these days, they often go without breakfast. So how can you get the nutrients you need quickly? Here’re some ideas for creating a healthy breakfast every day in less than ten minutes.

Step One: Prepare in advance of shopping for ingredients

The weekends are the time when most families get their errands done. That means grocery shopping for the upcoming week. Sit down for a few minutes and plan the week’s breakfasts. Think about what you can make ahead. Great make ahead ideas include:

Whole grain waffles — pop them in the toaster in the morning before school. If you flavor them with spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, they may not even need syrup.
Fruity pancakes — pop them in the toaster. Add apple chunks or other fruit to the mix. Then your children can eat them by hand on their way out the door.
Oatmeal — steel cut oats warm up nicely in the microwave. And, you can put them in the frig at night with some water or milk and some frozen fruit. In the morning, they’ll be ready to eat cold or warmed in the microwave!

Other quick breakfast ideas include:

Yogurt with granola and fruit topping (You can cut up the fruit ahead of time)
Egg sandwiches. Try English muffins, a slice of American cheese, and scrambled or a fried egg.
Smoothie with protein powder. A smoothie is delicious, and with a yogurt base and lots of fruit, it can also be healthy. Add a scoop of protein powder to the mix to make sure you have enough energy to get through your morning successfully.

Step Two: Shop from the list you prepared

Once you’ve decided what to serve in the morning, make a list of the ingredients you’ll need. Head to the supermarket and make sure you shop from your list. The trip will go much more quickly.

Step Three: Do what you can ahead of time.

Spend an hour on Saturday or Sunday night preparing some meals ahead of time. For example, you can make a double batch of waffles and pop them in the freezer. In the morning all you need to do is put them in the toaster and serve. Breakfast in less than ten minutes.

Step Four: Commit to the process.

Yes, you’re busy. Find ways that your family members can help you prepare breakfast. For example, can they slice fruit? Can they stir the steel cut oats? Can they set the yogurt toppings on the table? Get the whole family involved.

Breakfast is an essential component of a healthy diet. With a little planning and forethought, you can make sure your entire family is well nourished. And you can accomplish it without too much trouble, stress or headaches. Remember, breakfast is important for you, too. Be a good role model and sit down with your family for that first meal of the day as often as you can.

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Take Charge of Your Health!

Changing your eating habits can be tough. But it doesn’t have to be if you take a little time to think it out and create a plan.

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Tags breakfast

Cooking Techniques Special Occasions

Enjoy a Relaxing Easter Breakfast Using Your Slow Cooker

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date April 3, 2017

Easter falls on Sunday, April 16 this year. And you may already be planning for your Easter festivities — at least I hope you are! Have you planned what to eat for Easter breakfast?

Easter mornings are a special time. Maybe you head out with your family for a sunrise service at your local church. Or maybe you wake up to the pitter-patter of little feet ready to go Easter egg hunting. In either case, the last thing you want to do is spend an hour in the kitchen cooking up a big breakfast.

Instead, you want to relax and enjoy a yummy meal with your loved ones for breakfast. But you don’t necessarily want to go out to a restaurant in order to do that. There’s an easy way to do this. Put your slow cooker to work.

Keep Easter Breakfast Simple with Baked Slow Cooker Oatmeal

Oatmeal is always a breakfast favorite. It’s quick and easy enough to make in the slow cooker for weekend breakfasts throughout the year, but you can also make it special for Easter (or any other important day) with special add-ins and toppings like chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruits, whipped cream and the like.

Start with the basic recipe. Be sure to use rolled oats in this recipe, for the finished oatmeal will turn out much better than if you use quick cooking oats.

Ingredients
2 cups dry oats
2 cups milk
2 cups water
sugar, honey or the sweetener of your choice to taste

Directions

Mix oats, milk, and water in the slow cooker.
Add your sweetener and mix well.
Cook on low overnight (for about 8 hours).

Top with your favorite flavors and serve. Topping suggestions include blueberries, apple sauce, cinnamon, walnuts or pecans. Yogurt is also good. For a special Easter treat, you could set out small bowls with various fresh and dried fruit, nuts, chocolate chips and anything else that sounds tasty in oatmeal, and let everyone make their own unique blend.

Get Ready for a Busy Day with a Hearty Breakfast Casserole

If you know you’ll have an early Easter dinner with the whole family, it may make sense to skip lunch and opt for a big hearty breakfast or brunch instead. Here’s an easy way to have your big breakfast cooking while you sleep.

Ingredients
1 lb bacon
1 small onion
1 dozen eggs
salt and pepper to taste
32 oz. of shredded hash browns
2 cups shredded cheese

Directions

The night before, fry the bacon. Allow it to cool a bit and chop it up. Set aside.
Dice the onion. Set aside.
Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray and layer 1/3 of the hash browns in the bottom of the crock. Top with 1/3 of the bacon and 1/2 cup of cheese. Repeat these layers two more times (omitting the cheese on the last layer). Pour the egg mixture over everything and top with the last cup of cheese.
Cook on low for 10 to 12 hours and enjoy when you are ready for breakfast or lunch.

Both of these ideas also work well if you’re serving brunch to your Easter guests.

Planning an Easter Meal at Home?

Make it a relaxing, easy event with the tips, suggestions and recipes included in Easy Easter at Home, Carma’s Cookery’s latest report. Take a sneak peak at the Table of Contents, then grab a copy of your own!

Introduction
Planning Ahead: Easter Activities & Decorations
Hosting Easter Without the Stress
Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch or Dinner?
Share The Joy – You Don’t Have To Do Everything Yourself
It’s Not Just About the Easter Bunny – A Short History of Easter
Getting Creative with Leftovers
Closing Words
Recipes
Crafting Ideas

Tags breakfast, breakfast casserole, Easter, oatmeal, slow cooker

Recipes

Banana Coffee Cake

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 21, 2015

This recipe is inspired from one in the first edition of Bonkers for Bundt Cakes.

Photo by Sheila Sund via Flickr

Ingredients:

2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 package yellow cake mix
1 package instant banana pudding mix 4 eggs
1 cup banana yogurt, mixed
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Position rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Prepare the Bundt pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray or rubbing it with a light coating of shortening. Then dust the sides with flour by spooning a small amount of flour into the pan and tapping the sides while you turn the pan around until a light dusting of flour has stuck to all sides of the greased interior. Be sure to tap out any excess flour.
In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine in the following order: cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, yogurt, banana, oil, water and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat for two minutes at medium speed.
Sprinkle some of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the prepared Bundt pan. Pour 1/3 of the batter on top of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sprinkle some more cinnamon-sugar mixture over the batter. Repeat this process in layers until you finish the batter. You should end with a sprinkling of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 70 minutes or until it springs back after being touched lightly in the center.

Variation: Instead of mashing the banana, cut it into chunks and fold them into the batter after beating.

Tags breakfast, Dessert

Recipes

German Pancakes

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date September 18, 2015

Photo by Brianna Privett via Flickr

The German pancake, also called a Dutch Baby, Bismarck, or Dutch puff is derived from the German pfannkuchen. It is a sweet popover that is usually served for breakfast. My aunt first introduced them to me and I’ve been a fan ever since. I usually serve it with butter and maple syrup, but I’ve also seen it served with fruit preserves or compotes. This is a pretty simple recipe that makes fancy results worth of company.

Photo by Brianna Privett via Flickr

Ingredients:

6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Combine eggs, milk, flour, and salt in a blender. Cover and process until smooth.
Pour the butter into an un-greased 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Pour in the batter. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Tags breakfast, foreign flare

Recipes

Mediterranean Peruvian Fusion Scramble

Post author By Carma Spence
Post date August 31, 2015

Photo provided by Manuel Villacorta

Recipe from Whole Body Reboot by Manuel Villacorta, HCI Books/December 2014 – ISBN: 9780757318214. Read an interview with the author here.

Carma’s Note: The purple potatoes, included in this recipe, are one of many superfoods that pack a lot of nutrition in one simple food. Purple potatoes have two to three times the antioxidants of other potatoes and the plant chemicals that make them purple have numerous health benefits, including anti-cancer and heart-protective effects, as well as a boost for the immune system and protecting against age-related memory loss.

Ingredients:

Oil spray
4 small purple potatoes, but into 1/2-inch thick rounds
Salt
Pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 chicken sausages, sliced
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, re-hydrated
1/4 cup sliced Katamata olives
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup chopped basil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly spray a sheet pay with oil.
Place the potato rounds on the sheet pan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until tender, for 30 to 40 minutes.
While the potatoes are baking, make the scramble. Heat the oil in a large saut´ pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and saut´ until softened, for about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage, tomatoes and olives. Saut´ until the sausage is cooked through. Turn off the heat and toss with the feta cheese and basil. Serve warm over the roasted potatoes.

Tags breakfast, eggs