Recipes, Photography, Musings

Category: Breakfast (Page 5 of 7)

Two Easy Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

Superfood quinoa is combined with fruit, nuts, almond milk, and natural flavorings to make up a delicious, healthy, energizing breakfast.  Mix and match the fruits and the nuts, add more toppings if you wish! These breakfast bowls help keep me sane on busy mornings.  They can be thrown together quickly and are packed with protein and flavor to start your day in a positive way.

Made up of ingredients many of us keep on hand, these breakfast bowls are easy to make in the morning when your brain is not fully awake, yet once they are eaten, they provide the body and brain with lots of high-quality energy.  To make things even easier, you can cook a batch of quinoa ahead of time, and then in the morning, warm up the desired amount on the stove in a bit of almond (or regular) milk. Then just add the desired flavoring (maple syrup or honey and vanilla), fruit, and nuts, and you have breakfast.  If you are cooking the quinoa that morning, just use twice as much liquid (water or almond milk) as you do quinoa, and simmer it for about 15 minutes, until tender.

There are endless combinations you can use for this type of breakfast bowl–in this post I am just sharing two basic and easy ones that I enjoy, because sometimes the most simple recipes are the most accessible and helpful in our everyday lives.

dried berry quinoa breakfast bowl 4Our mornings are still chilly at this time of year, so a nice warm bowl of quinoa with fruit and nuts is comforting and cozy, as well as delicious and healthy.  Spring comes in fits and starts here, rarely smoothly.  Following our spring snowstorms we had a major heat wave, and now it’s back to damp, foggy weather today.  The spring peepers have started, stopped, and started peeping again at least a couple of times in the past couple of weeks.  They say that after the peepers have started and stopped peeping three times, then spring is finally here to stay.  I have lost count, but we must be about there.  Our lilac bushes and cherry trees have little buds on them.  A birch tree we thought was dead has just sprouted tiny little leaves!

banana quinoa breakfast bowl 6With spring comes soccer for our kids, which means full schedules and lots of muddy laundry, mixed with lots of fresh air and fun.  I get a chance to spend time with my fellow soccer moms, who are some of my favorite people on this earth.  Last night they helped me identify some recipe ideas to develop in the coming weeks, since we are all in need of quick, energizing foods and spring crock pot ideas to help us get through these active times with grace and vitality.  I have lots to work on!

dried berry quinoa breakfast bowl editNo matter what the weather is–cold or hot, damp or windy, have you noticed how good the spring air smells?  It is full of the promise of new life and new experiences, while at the same time waking up long-buried emotions and bringing back memories from past springs.  No wonder spring is such an emotional time! That’s why it’s important to have a good, stabilizing breakfast.  I hope you all have a lovely weekend! I’m sharing this post with Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Judi @ cookingwithauntjuju and Cynthia @ eatmunchlove.

Two Easy Quinoa Breakfast Bowls

  • Servings: 1
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For Quinoa with Dried Berries and Pecans

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa (follow the package instructions, or gently warm up one cup of leftover quinoa in some milk)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond milk (or cow’s milk, if you prefer)
  • 1-2 teaspoon of maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • a handful of dried cherries or dried cranberries
  • a handful of chopped pecans

Directions:

Spoon 1 cup of cooked quinoa into a bowl.  Moisten it with the desired amount of milk.  Stir in the maple syrup or honey and the vanilla.  Top with desired amount of dried cherries or cranberries and pecans. Enjoy!

For Quinoa with Sliced Banana and Walnuts

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of cooked quinoa (follow the package instructions for cooking, or gently warm up one cup of leftover quinoa in some milk)
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup of almond milk (or cow’s milk, if you prefer)
  • 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1 banana, sliced
  • a handful of chopped walnuts

Directions:

Spoon 1 cup of cooked quinoa into a bowl.  Moisten it with the desired amount of milk.  Stir in the maple syrup or honey and the vanilla.  Top with the banana slices and the desired amount of chopped walnuts.  Enjoy!

 

Classic Blueberry Muffins

With just a few basic ingredients, these blueberry muffins come together quickly and easily, offering that classic blueberry muffin taste that is so comforting and sweet, with a hint of  zing from some lemon zest.  This recipe works with fresh or frozen blueberries, so you can make these crowd-pleasing treats at any time of the year.  Plus your kitchen will smell amazing as they are baking!

Last weekend, we had a cherished (and rare, these days) lazy Saturday morning, and I asked the kids if they wanted blueberry muffins for breakfast, since we had some blueberries in the freezer.  Yes, they definitely wanted them. “But,” said my daughter, “can you not make them too healthy this time?”  Oh…by healthy, I guess she was referring to the wholesome blueberry muffins I sometimes make, which are really tasty, but are more crunchy, (probably more nutrient-rich), and less like cake.

Well, it’s all about balance in life, so I indulged her and made these yummy, fluffy, and classically delicious blueberry muffins.  And yet they are not really unhealthy, much healthier than some muffins, in that they are homemade, with high quality ingredients, including fruit, and no preservatives.  And we enjoyed every last one of them!  If you are looking for a basic, simple, reliable, and delicious recipe for blueberry muffins, this is a great one.  Even better when you can enjoy them warm, right out of the oven, in a warm, cozy room or on a sunny porch.

classic blueberry muffins on plate 2The recipe I use for these muffins is based on one from my well-loved Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, Tenth Edition, that I have had for many years. The only thing I change when I make these, is that I use melted butter instead of cooking oil, because I really like the flavor of butter from grass-fed cows.  Frozen blueberries work great, when fresh ones aren’t available.  And the lemon zest adds a great blast of flavor, which we really appreciate.  If you don’t like lemon, you can certainly leave that part out.

We are getting closer and closer to feeling like spring here.  The temperatures have been warm and cold, changing almost daily, but those warm days feel so good.  And the colors outside are starting to brighten. The sunlight is more vivid, the grass is starting to turn a fresh, bright green, and the daffodils are starting to bloom.  I hope you are all having a great week!
classic blueberry muffins on porch 4classic blueberry muffins in tinclassic blueberry muffins 5

Classic Blueberry Muffins

  • Servings: 12 muffins
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Ingredients:

  • 1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose, unbleached flour
  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 cup of milk
  • 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup of blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 teaspoon of finely grated lemon peel (lemon zest), optional

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease a muffin tin, or line with paper baking cups.

Heat the butter in a small pan on the stove until just melted.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the bowl.  In a medium bowl, combine the egg, milk, and melted butter. Pour the wet ingredient mixture all at once into the well in the center of the dry mixture bowl.  Stir until all the ingredients are just combined.  The batter will be a little lumpy.  Fold in the blueberries and lemon zest, and stir gently until just combined.  Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden.  Remove the muffins from the tin to cool.  Serve warm. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Tenth Edition.

 

 

Cozy Wheatberry Breakfast Bowl

With wheatberries, chopped apple, walnuts, and yogurt, this breakfast bowl is full of important nutrients to help you start your day.  Maple syrup and vanilla give it a naturally sweet flavor.

Though I love a warm bowl of oatmeal on a winter morning, sometimes it is important to change things up a bit.  Wheatberries are the whole kernel from a wheat plant, therefore they have more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than the processed wheat we often eat.  They are a good source of fiber, protein, iron, and B vitamins, just to name a few.  (Wheatberries do contain gluten, so they are not good for those who cannot tolerate gluten).

wheatberry breakfast bowl with mug 7For this recipe, I am using a type of wheatberries that I bought already parboiled, so they only take about 20 minutes to cook, which is pretty important to me, since my mornings are often rushed.  They are fairly easy to find, in natural food stores, or in the grain or health food aisle of many grocery stores.  If you have wheatberries that have not been previously parboiled, they can take up to an hour to cook, which is fine if you have the time.  One nice thing about wheatberries is that the leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days, and they are very versatile, so you can make a big batch and serve a breakfast bowl a couple of times a week, or use the leftovers in savory dishes as well.  Just warm up the leftovers on the stove with a little added water, or even in the microwave.

wheatberry breakfast bowl with mug 18I love the hearty, nutty taste of wheatberries, and they are satisfyingly filling too.  I can eat a bowl of them and feel sustained for at least a couple of hours or so, without feeling overly full.  The ingredients in this breakfast bowl are simple and accessible.  I am continually striving for a balance between convenience, nutrition, and good taste.  It doesn’t take much time or extra planning to chop an apple, swirl some maple syrup and vanilla extract into some plain yogurt, and sprinkle on a handful of walnuts.  wheatberry breakfast bowl with mug and appleYet it tastes flavorful, comforting, and sustaining, like it will give me energy to get my day started in a positive way.  Sometimes a recipe can be so simple, yet it’s what we need to give us an extra nudge to try something.  I can imagine that bananas, dried fruits, almonds, and milk would also taste really good with this.

I hope you are all having a good week so far, and stay warm!wheatberry breakfast bowl ingredients

Cozy Wheatberry Breakfast Bowl

  • Servings: 2-4
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Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of wheatberries
  • 2 and 1/2 cups water
  • 1-2 apples, chopped
  • 1/2 half cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup of plain yogurt (I like Greek yogurt)
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup (more or less, to your desired sweetness)

Directions:

Place the cup of wheatberries with 2 and a half cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat to medium-low.  Simmer, covered or partially covered, for about 15-20 minutes, if the wheatberries are parboiled.  If they have not been previously parboiled, simmer for about an hour.  Check the wheatberries often to test their tenderness.  They are done when they have burst their shells and are tender and chewy.  Cooking time may vary–it does for me.

While the wheatberries are cooking, chop the apple(s) and walnuts.  Place the yogurt in a small bowl and swirl the maple syrup and vanilla extract with the yogurt.  When the wheatberries are done, spoon them into bowls and stir in the yogurt mixture, apples, and walnuts.  Refrigerate the leftover wheatberries (if there are any), and warm them up when you use them again. Enjoy!

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