oats for the week

i am loving oatmeal in the morning these days, but, of course, i like the steel cut oats that take a while to prepare.  to save time during the week, i have been making 3 batches at a time on sunday and keeping the extra in the frig.  i pretty much follow the directions on the package of bob' red mill except that i add a pinch or 2 of extra salt than the recipe calls for...just 'cause...

on the week day mornings, i re-heat a small portion on the stove with 1/2 a cup of coconut milk...it is delish and ready to  eat in 10 mins...

enjoy!

tropical morning smoothie

i felt a little tropical this morning...so i created a mango pineapple breakfast smoothie from alejandro junger's clean but added the smoothie elements that i love from revive...whey protein powder and a greens powder...that extra serving of proteins and greens in the morning is exactly what i need to become a morning person...

ingredients/supplies:
-1 cup frozen (or fresh) organic mango chunks
-1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) organic pineapple chunks
-1 1/2 cups of fresh coconut milk (you can buy this in a box at whole foods as well...just make sure to get the one with no sugar added)
-1 serving or 3-4 tablespoons vanilla or plain whey protein powder
-1 serving or 2 teaspoons greens powder (for the brands i use...check out the smoothie recipe from a few months back)
-3-4 ice cubes if needed (if you are using frozen fruit...you probably will not need to add ice)
-a blender and measuring cups

prepping/chopping/mixing:

prep:
-measure out all ingredients and place them together in the blender

mix:
-blend until rich and smooth

enjoy!

toad in the hole

about a year ago...i was at my friends shawn and dave's house...he was cooking for their kids and he did the most amazing thing with a piece of bread and an egg.  i have been making it ever since i saw dave make it...i love that you have an extra piece of toast to put jam on or salmon or have it plain...

ingredients/supplies:
-1 slice of ezekiel bread (or any bread that you prefer)
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of olive oil
-a pinch of salt
-a frying pan, a cookie cutter or a biscuit cutter or a knife to cut a hole in the bread

prepping/cooking:

prep:
-cut a hole in the bread
-heat the frying pan over medium heat

cooking:
-add olive oil to pan when the pan is hot
-add the bread to the pan and flip the toasts quickly to oil both sides
-crack egg into the hole in the bread
-add a pinch of salt to the egg
-flip both toasts after about 2 mins or when the egg whites start to turn white in color

i love salad for breakfast so i served it over a spring mix tossed with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of champagne vinegar and a pinch of fleur de sel.  I decided to enjoy the toasted middle with smoked wild salmon, cream cheese, and capers...but...i often place a bit of jam on the toasted middle to have a touch of sweet in the morning...

enjoy!

wheat-free weekend pancakes

i was reading one of the many blogs that i follow, lovely morning, and found a recipe that i tired out.  i loved it but wanted to play with it to see if i could make them as delicious and wheat free...they made my saturday when i made them...

ingredients/supplies
-1 cup brown rice flower
-1 cup quinoa flower
-1/2 cup ground flaxseed meal
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-4 tablespoons melted butter
-2 eggs
-2/3 cup of organic plain yogurt (i used goat yogurt and i loved the flavor)
-1/4 teaspoon of vanilla
-1 and 1/3 cup of water
-2 mixing bowels (1 for wet ingredients and 1 for dry), a bowel or small pan to melt the butter in, a whisk, a hot skillet or griddle, and a your favorite pancake spatula

prepping/mixing/cooking:

prepping/mixing:
-measure all dry ingredients (brown rice flower, quinoa flower, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, salt) and place in a bowl for dry ingredients
-crack eggs and whisk then and place in a separate bowl for wet ingredients
-measure yogurt, water, vanilla and place in the bowl with the whisked eggs
-melt butter
-slowly add melted butter to the wet ingredients
-fold in dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined
-heat skillet with butter or oil

cooking:
-pour batter into hot skillet and flip once small bubbles form in the wet batter

you can add bananas or berries to the pancakes when you place them in the skillet...or...you can make a berry compote by placing 1 cup of berries of your choice with 1/4 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of agave in a small pot over medium heat and cook down to your desired thickness...or...simply heat some maple syrup....

this recipe made more than my family of 2 could devour so i froze the extras by placing pieces of parchment paper between each pancake and stacking them in a freezer bag.  they were so great during the week re-heated in the oven or in a skillet.

enjoy!