Banana Bread French Toast for one

French Toast is awesome. Especially with bananas!

 For me, French Toast is all about the bread. No store-bought white wonderbread will do. It's gotta be goooood bread. Typically, I go for a bread kind of like a french bread -soft with a firm but not crunchy crust, big irregular holes, cut into ridiculously thick slices. Today however, the banana bread on my counter was perfect. Already studded with walnuts and made with 4 bananas in just one loaf, this was an awesome breakfast!

Paired with a small orange-carrot-yogurt smoothie, my hunger was completely satisfied until well-after I typically eat lunch. Filling meals that still allow me to feel light are my favorite.

Soaing the banana bread in the egg mixture.

Non-stick pans are super nice 'cus I barely need any fat/oil/butter to cook in them.

Mmmm, maple syrup-soaked french toast banana bread, perfect after a morning jog.

Banana Bread French Toast for One

2 thin slices of banana bread (about as thin as an iPhone... yes, I am a member of Generation Y)
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Real maple syrup for serving

Carefully whisk together egg, milk, and cinnamon in a medium/shallow bowl (Big enough and shallow enough to fit in the pieces of bread lying down flat so that they can soak up the egg. I use a square Tupperware).
Place pieces of bread in the egg mixture and let rest 30-60 seconds, then flip so the other side can soak 30-60 seconds.
Drop soaked pieces of bread into a lightly buttered or greased fry pan over medium heat and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side (or until your desired level of golden brown appears).
Serve on a plate and be sure to drizzle with real maple syrup to make up for the fact that both the banana bread (if you used the recipe I posted last week) and the egg mixture have almost no sugar in them.

Suggestion: smear peanut butter on the top of one slice and place the 2nd slice on top like a peanut butter french toast sandwich.

Applesauce Muffins

A few weeks or so ago, I came home from one of my favorite activities*, grocery shopping, and discovered that a huge jar of apple sauce that I did not purchase had somehow found its way into my shopping bag. I meant to take it back to the store and explain that apparently someone else did not receive the applesauce they had intended to purchase, but December is busy and I went home for almost 3 weeks. So now that February is here, it just seems silly to go an try to return it... Right? I am not stealing, right?

Anyway, so for now, this large jar of sweetened applesauce that I would have never purchased of my own volition is in my fridge, begging to be used before it begins to grow mold (hence, why I don't purchase even my preferred unsweetened appelsauce). Here is one of my attempts to use it up before it goes bad/is forgotten about.

P.S. Notice how little oil/fat is in these muffins?

*It is only one of my favorite activities when it does NOT include large bulk stores' harsh aesthetics and unhelpful employees who do not speak the same language as me and so cannot help me find anything in the hundreds of rows of primarily processed/manufactured foods. 

^please excuse my health-freak self, it gets a little stressed in certain stores^

Applesauce Muffins
Adapted from Rose Shulman

Yield: 12-15 muffins

170 grams (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat flour

70 grams (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

45 grams (about 1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened applesauce

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (feel free to add in whatever mix-ins you like: craisins, chocolate chips, etc)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Prepare 12-15 muffin tins/cups with paper liners.

2. Sift together the flours, baking soda, spices and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick. Beat in the oil, yogurt, and applesauce. Whisk in the flour mixture without overbeating, and fold in the pecans.

4. Evenly divide among 12-15 muffin cups that you prepared with paper liners. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then enjoy.

No Butter, No Oil, Ginger [Breakfast] Cake

Yes, I know that Christmas is gone and I should probably let go of gingerbread, but I love ginger so much. I just can't do it. Ginger is fantastic for you. I knew it was good for settling upset stomachs from my mom and for seasickness from my friend who was in the Navy, but my roommate (through a cooking magazine) just informed me that it is also good as preventive for muscle-soreness after a workout. And with it's kick, it has to be good for your spunk and livelihood, right?

In other words, ginger is awesome and you should totally make these little cakes for tomorrow's breakfast. You can top them with some vanilla yogurt and banana slices for a balanced meal that will have you ready to tackle in the dreariest of January mornings. Also, for those of you who are still going strong in your New Year/New You resolutions, these cakes are just under 200 calories and have over 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Woot!


Ginger [Breakfast] Cake
Adapted from Healthful Pursuit

2 eggs
1/2 cup raw lemon pudding*
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons gingerbread spice**
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F and grease or line [6-muffin] muffin tin (or a bigger one with only 6 lined).
Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the first 4 ingredients. Once mixed, stir in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed throughout. Fold in pecans.
Pour mixture, evenly divided, into the 6 prepared muffin tins.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy. You can store in the fridge for 4-5 days.

*Lemon pudding (also from Healthful Pursuit): combine 6 pitted medjool dates, 1 pitted avocado, the flesh (the segments) of 2 lemons without pith or skin or seeds, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and process until well-blended and looks similar to guacamole.

**Gingerbread spice: Mix together 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon allspice, and 1 tablespoon cloves. Use as needed.

Italian Grits and Egg Breakfast For One

Just in case you didn't know before, I love breakfast. I love Mondays, I love Spring, I love mornings -pretty much anything that has to do with new beginnings, a fresh start, unexplored opportunities. I love to start my day by eating a banana, going to the gym or out to the country for a good workout at 5:30am, then coming home, showering, and taking my time while making myself a nutritious breakfast. Of course, I try to listen to Morning Edition (comes on at 7am here) white I make and eat breakfast. That kind of morning is perfect. I have all the time in the world to enjoy the sunrise and my eat my food slowly. I find that feel fuller and more satisfied when I can take the time to sit and really consider the flavors and qualities of the foods I am putting into my body. Just a thought. 

I hope you are a morning person too, otherwise the above paragraph just might make you want to hurt me... 0=).

Anyway, here's what I have been eating lately as my "I'm starving and need a 'real' meal right now" breakfast.

Make plain white grits (the instant kind is easiest).

Pour tomato sauce over grits.

Sprinkle with cheese because cheese makes everything better.

Fry an egg and put on top of cheese

(I fry the egg while I wait for the grits to cook).

Sprinkle with your favorite salt-free Italian seasoning (I use Tuscan Sunset from Penzey's).

Italian Grits and Egg Breakfast Bowl 

I'm not supposed to count calories per my nutritionist's instructions, but I kinda figured this one out 'cus it's so dang easy to calculate: less than 350 calories total and pretty much all food groups accounted for -grain=grits, veggie=sauce, calcium=cheese, protein=egg). Feel free to fry up a second egg for more protein though.

1/4 cup instant white grits

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup of your favorite red pasta sauce
1/4 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt-free Italian seasonings

Combine the instant grits and water in a bowl and microwave for 3-4 minutes (in other words, follow the directions on the box for 1/4 cup of dry grits). 

While the grits are in the microwave, crack your egg into a non-stick skillet without breaking the yolk, and cook over medium-low heat until the white is about half-way cooked. put about a tablespoon of water in the pan and cover for 2 minutes or until the white is completely cooked (I do this with a plate, since my small pan has no lid, but be careful, the plate can fall off and will get very hot). Turn off heat and remove lid/plate.

Take the grits out of the microwave and top with pasta sauce and cheese, then take a spatula and place the egg on the very top. Sprinkle with Italian seasonings.

Take a spoon and mash together, or eat nicely in layers, whatever you feel like doing =).

Resolutions (and a bit about croissants)

So the week leading up to the new year was filled with joy and craziness for me. I made all of Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners by myself and had a wonderful time trying new recipes. Also, two of my dearest friends were married in one of the most meaningful wedding ceremonies I've seen; the ceremony truly represented the couple's commitment to serving God and others through their relationship with each other.

Of course, like any wedding, there was definitely some frantic scrambling (um, try running out to radio shack during the reception so that we could have a sound system for the first dance...). In honor the of the craziness, but totally worth it and completely beautiful, wedding, I am posting a recipe for one of the most talk-about and revered foods, croissants. Most people think you have to be crazy to attempt these (yes, these are the beauties I spoke of the other day when mentioning that I was making something at 3am). You don't have to be crazy though, you just need a bit of patience. This is definitely a 2-3 day process, but it is not terribly hands-on or labor-intensive. Definitely try it. It will be worth saying that you've done it.

It was actually my 2011 New Year's resolution to make croissants from scratch. It only took me until late December to get around to.... it still counts though! I completed my resolution =).

Now, I am too lazy to re-invent the wheel, so I will be pointing you to several online tutorials for croissants and you can choose your favorite. I personally used Peter Reinhart's croissant recipe in Artisan Breads Every Day and highly recommend purchasing it (every recipe I have made from it has turned out extremely well, though make sure to use the weight measurements, not volume.

Alas, if you choose to skip checking Reinhart's book out from your local library or actually purchasing it, these recipes from some blogs will also work:

How Sweet It Is

La Tartine Gourmande

Delicious Days


P.S.
In case you are wondering what my resolution is this year, I believe it will be to make either a leg of lamb or a 7 layer Italian cream cake. I give myself some leeway by saying I will do either one or the other... is that cheating? Also, I intend to go to at least one yoga class a week this year. I went to a bikram yoga class for the first time this morning and didn't pass out, hyperventilate, or die. I'd say this is going to be a good a year. Btw, by the end of 2012, I will have my Master's degree, hopefully!

Apple Pie for Breakfast

Thoughts this morning:
"Mmmmm, pumpkin pie... I really want that. But it's breakfast, I really should not have pie for breakfast, especially not before a cardio work out and yoga.
Yogurt looks good... but not as good as pumpkin pie...
There are those sauteed apple chunks from last night that I cooked and then decided not to eat, I should use those up... yogurt and apples and pie... Apple pie smoothie!"

Yup, that's how I decided on an apple pie smoothie for breakfast. It was delicious and I have no regrets about skipping the pumpkin pie.

Apple Pie Breakfast
Yield: 1 breakfast =)

2/3 cup Stoney Field vanilla yogurt (I use this kind because it is not sickeningly sweet)
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced and sauteed with water until mushy
2-3 tablespoons apple cider
1/8-1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice, depending on preference

Place all ingredients in a blender on medium or high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Mom's Muffins, My Way

These muffins remind me of color antique pyrex mixing bowls, family dinners, and the phrase "But Mom, I am sooooo hungry! Just one, pleeeeeease?"
My mom made these pretty regularly and, by the time dinner ended, there were never any left but I always wanted more.

Smear these with cream cheese for a yummy breakfast =).

Zucchini Muffins
Yields 8-9 regular muffins

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg, slightly beaten

¼ cup oil

2 tablespoons honey

¼ cup all purpose flour
¼ cup and 3 tablespoons wheat flour
1 tablespoon flax seed *optional. If you skip, just replace with either flour

¼ tspn baking powder

¼ tspn baking soda

¼ tspn salt

¼ tspn nutmeg

1 c grated zucchini

1/3 c raisins

2 tablespoons millet *optional

Directions

Mix first 4 ingredients together in a bowl.

In a second bowl, mix the next 7 ingredients, then mix into the first bowl.

Fold in zucchini and raisins and millet.

Fill greased or lined muffin tins ½ or ⅔ full.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.  

Fig and Walnut Waffles

Football season is here and that means that I can count on seeing a few of my friends when they come up for certain games. This past weekend, an old friend from middle school came up to photograph the game (he's a professional photographer). We went out to eat for the most part, just out of practicality while we were driving all over the earth to take advantage of the beautiful scenery, but I wanted to create something yummy for breakfast before he hit the road.

As I was looking for something special to make for breakfast, I came across the vegan version of this recipe at post punk kitchen and knew I had to try it. I was not disappointed at all and am glad I un-veganized it, because I have somehow acquired an incredibly large amount of eggs over the course of the past few weeks.



Fig and Walnut Waffles
Adapted from Post Punk Kitchen

2 cups milk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all purpose works, too)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup dried black mission figs, stem nub removed, thinly sliced

1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Measure milk out and add the apple cider vinegar, set aside to let curdle.

In the meantime, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Add eggs, olive oil, maple syrup and vanilla to milk mixture. Mix into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon until mostly combined then fold in the figs and walnuts until all ingredients are moistened. If it looks to thick, add a tablespoon or so of water.

Preheat waffle iron and let the batter rest. Cook according to waffle iron directions, spraying the waffle iron liberally with oil or cooking spray between each waffle is made. Garnish with extra walnuts and fig halves.

Pumpkin French Toast (for one)

Ok, so I am about to go to bed because I spent all day at work and then fought off sleep to go to the gym for a bit, but I really wanted to throw this up on the blog. It's not a true recipe, but it's a good base to leap off of if you are looking for something that really says "It's almost fall!"

Also, it's Sunday, which means I take special care to have something delicious for breakfast while reading the Sunday paper and looking at all the ads -I just had to share this with ya'll.

To have this edible piece of fall for your very own, all you need is to mix one beaten egg, a tablespoon of milk, a dash each of cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg, and a 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree.

Thoroughly soak two or three 1" slices of french bread (I used whole wheat) in the mixture, then place in a frying pan over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve smothered with pecans and REAL maple syrup (none of that fake stuff!).

Also, the maple syrup is not optional, as I did not put any sugar in the egg mixture. If you want to skip the maple syrup though, be sure to add some sugar in the mixture.

Enjoy!

Cream Scones with Lemons and Blackberries

Despite school requiring a ton of reading (18 hours last week) and working 16 hours, in addition to trying to keep up a social life and make it to the gym 5 times a week, baking and cooking has definitely not been cut out of my life. I actually feel more compelled to do some experimenting in the kitchen now than when I was less busy. I suppose it's a good way for me to express myself creatively and relax.

Of course, experimenting usually means trying new recipes. I must admit, I have tried some major fails lately. One being the Melon Fool from the Mayo Clinic. If I had followed my gut instincts that said, "that is waaaay too much melon" and "if you boil 1/4 cup water and 2 T sugar for 5 minutes, it will caramelize, not turn into a syrup," the recipe might have turned out well, but alas, I followed the recipe. Now I have caramelized lemon sugar stuff and a lemon smoothie. Definitely not a melon fool. Anyway, I will now stop complaining about badly written recipes and give you the recipe for the delicious scones that my friends and I made the other day/

Blackberry and Lemon Cream Scones
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted from America's Test Kitchen Cookbook

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup frozen blackberries, chopped into halves or so
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, zest and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in blackberries and lemon juice. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

5. Form dough into roughly 16 balls, about 3 tablespoons each (or into whatever shape your heart desires)

6. Place balls on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makin' Some Pancakes

If anyone had spent much time around me, they know that I absolutely loooove pancakes.An old friend used to have "Banana Pancakes" by Jack Johnson as the ringtone for me when I called and my roomie even says that song should be my theme song. I try a new recipe for pancakes about once a month, and I really liked this one, so I thought I'd put it up here.
I love breakfast food in general, but pancakes are just awesome. I eat them for breakfast, for a snack, and sometimes for a quick dinner. There are ven recipes out there that let you make the batter the night before.
Light, fluffly, and buttery, the little golden discs can be enjoyed topped with practically anything -yogurt, peanut butter, fruit, syrup, chocolate, etc. What's not to like about them? Also, you can flavor them with mashed fruits (bananas, pumpkins), whole fruit (blueberries), and/or spices! They are a creative playground. Yum.


Yogurt Pancakes
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
2 large eggs
1 cup vanilla yogurt
2 to 4 tablespoons milk, optional depending on your type of yogurt
3 tablespoons butter, melted (not hot, lukewarm or as close to room temp as possible). Plus extra for buttering skillet
1/2 cup (62 grams) whole wheat flour
1/2 cup (68 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (32 grams) barley or rye flour, or rolled oats (I used rolled oats)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Whisk egg and yogurt together in the bottom of a medium/large bowl. If you’re using a thin yogurt, no need to add any milk. If you’re using regular yogurt, stir in 2 tablespoons milk. If you’re using a thick/strained or Greek-style yogurt, add 3 to 4 tablespoons milk. Whisk in melted butter. In a separate, small bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Feel free to add a pinch of your favorite spice (cinnamon, cardamom, ginger) to the dry ingredients at this point. Stir dry ingredients into wet only until dry ingredients are moistened. A few remaining lumps is fine.Heat your skillet or saute pan to medium. If you’ve got a cast-iron skillet, this is my favorite for pancakes. Melt a pat of butter in the bottom and ladle a 1/4 cup of batter at a time, leaving at space between each pancake (they will spread out). Press a few berries into the top of each pancake. The batter is on the thick side, so you will want to use your spoon or spatula to gently nudge it flat, or just let them be thick =). When the pancakes are dry around the edges and you can see bubbles forming on the top, about 3 to 4 minutes, flip them and cook for another 3 minutes, until golden underneath. If you so desire, transfer pancakes to a warm oven as they are done cooking, where you can leave them there until you’re ready to serve them, or just a plate (though they might get a bit cold on the plate).
Serve in a big stack, with fixings of your choice. There probably won't be left overs, just warning ya.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Smoothie

So good, so easy. And pretty dang good for you. Definitely try this for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert.

1/2 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup of plain greek yogurt
3/4 cup of fresh cherries, pitted and stemmed

Place all ingredients in a blender for 30 seconds. Enjoy!

*Feel free to adjust the amounts of milk and yogurt, or even add ice, depending on what texture you prefer.

Breakfast Crepes, yum.

These are the perfect breakfast to make on aSunday morning. Mix the batter together when you first get up, then sit and read the paper while you wait for the batter to set in the fridge. When you finish with the paper and your body's hunger has finally woken up, your crepes are ready for the pan and quickly find their way to your stomach =).

Whole Wheat Crepes

Adapted from Southern Living

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

Yogurt and fresh fruit OR nutella and bananas for filling.

• Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Gradually add flour and salt, beating until smooth. Cover and chill 1 hour.
• Coat bottom of a 7-inch nonstick skillet with melted butter; place skillet over medium heat until hot.
• Pour 3 tablespoons batter into skillet; quickly tilt in all directions so batter covers bottom of skillet.
• Cook 1 minute or until crêpe can be shaken loose from skillet. Turn crêpe over, and cook about 30 seconds. Place on a dish towel to cool. Repeat procedure with remaining batter. Stack crêpes between sheets of wax paper.

Place on serving tray, spoon yogurt or nutella onto crepe and top with fruit of choice, then roll/fold to your preference.

Peach Mint Breakfast Shake

Yes, this shake is in a coffee mug thing because I have yet to buy real glasses. However, despite the fact that I don't have real glasses, I do have white and red and champagne glasses, in addition to 3 nalgene water bottles.

I went to the farmers' market after the early church service this morning and was inspired by all of the peaches and the overabundance of mint in my herb garden, so I made this for my roomie and me when I got home. I also picked up some organic, locally grown chicken thighs that she and I will find something to do with, even with our partially-destroyed kitchen (leaking pipes have rotted the wall where the stove and oven are hooked up).

Peach Mint Breakfast Shake

Serves 2 (not terribly hungry) people

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup milk

2 peaches, pitted and sliced/chopped

2 sprigs of fresh spearmint leaves, chopped

Mix all ingredients together in a blender, enjoy!

Hint: I think a little bit of lime juice and maybe some ginger and/or coconut would be delicious in this. Or, instead of vanilla yogurt, substitute chocolate chip mint ice cream!

Mmmm, Pumpkin

Deliciousness!

If you think making homemade biscuits is intimidating, then you don't own a pastry blender. Before I bought my hand-dandy pastry blender for a mere $2.50, I dreaded cutting butter into anything, especially biscuits, but now I am fine -nay, excited- to make biscuits! I am no longer afraid of cutting in butter and the mess that it leaves on my hands.

I realized I had some extra pumpkin that I had frozen a while back that needed to be used, and pumpkin biscuits just seemed perfect for this overcast and chilly day. The two year-old boy and I made them this morning and had a blast. He refused to mix the pumpkin in though and kept saying "yuck!" when he saw me do it. Oh well, he certainly liked eating them! I will be terribly sad when I say good-bye to him next week and start a new job for the summer. Just thinking about how next week is my last got me crying at the library toddler-time on Tuesday.

Ah well, time marches on =/.

Pumpkin Biscuits from Scratch!

Adapted from AllRecipes

Yield: 16-18 biscuits

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, or more to get biscuit dough consistency

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup butter, sliced

2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a large cookie sheet (or use a silpat!).

Stir together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the pumpkin and mix to form a soft dough.

On a lightly floured surface pat the dough out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with a round 2 inch cutter or use a cup. Place biscuits on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm from the oven with a pat of butter.

Mmm, fresh out of the oven, still on my beautiful Silpat

Blue Steel Muffins (Zoolander, anyone?)

Are you craving a muffin like the ones they sell at bakeries, but fearful of the 500 calorie and sugar-crash price tag? Well, fear not, my friend, for I have the solution. These wonderful muffins are big enough to hold you through the morning madness (of course, I suggest adding a cup of yogurt on the side for added calcium and protein) while providing you with steel-cut oats, whole wheat flour, and a bit of fruit for some long-lasting energy.

I found this recipe on NYTimes.com, which, I am sad to say, will soon be locked behind a price wall. However, for the time being, I am scouring the paper's online recipe index as much as I can before it costs money to do so. Maybe "investing" in the Sunday-only subscription would be nice, since it's also a source for news -the international page is my homepage, after-all.

Blue Steel Muffins

(the name for these comes from the blueberries and steel-cut oats, but also my nostalgia for that stupid movie, Zoolander)

Adapted from the NYTimes

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups buttermilk

(or put 1 T and 1 t lemon juice in a measuring cup, then fill to 1 1/3 cup line with low-fat milk)

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup COOKED steel-cut oats

(you will break your teeth and have to go to the dentist if you use un-cooked)

1 cup blueberries tossed with 1 teaspoon flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with the rack positioned in the upper third. Oil, spray or butter 12 muffin cups, or use paper or silicone liners.

Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, buttermilk (or milk and lemon juice), canola oil, maple syrup and vanilla. Quickly stir in the dry ingredients with a whisk or a spatula. Do not beat, just mix, stirring up from the bottom until you can no longer see flour. A few lumps are fine. Fold in the cooked oats and the blueberries.

Spoon into muffin cups, filling them to just below the top. Place in the oven, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding.

Cool on a rack, or serve warm.

The little beauties, fresh out of the oven.

Note: although these are not sweet like cupcakes, they still have a natural sweetness to them from the blueberries and maple syrup. If you really, really have a hankering for a sweet muffin, I suggest adding 1/4 cup of sugar with the dry ingredients.

Cold-Brewed Coffee

Coffee is something some people see as utilitarian (the only way to wake up in the morning), some see it as almost an art form of choosing the right region's soil, the perfect roasting conditions, etc. But if you're like me, coffee is mostly what you drink when you want to relax in a nice, cozy coffee shop or sit down to talk to some friends.

I like the smell of coffee and the taste of coffee-flavored foods, but the taste is so bitter and it is so acidic that I usually end up masking the coffee flavor with generous amounts of milk and honey.

Well, I have found the answer: cold-brewed coffee. The process brings out the flavor of the coffee and leaves behind most of the bitterness and acidity. As far as I can conclude from reading various websites, cold-brewed coffee stays good for 7-10 days in the fridge and only has 30% less caffeine than traditionally-brewed coffee. The only drawback is the 12 hour or overnight brewing time required, but if you are like most people with an automatic-timer on their coffee pot, you set up your coffee the night before anyway. Even if you don't do that, it keeps for at least a week, so you can always make it ahead of time and keep it around for when you get a craving.

For my first attempt, I used my Barnie's Decaffeinated Cupcake-Flavored Coffee. It was delicious. I could have taken it black, but I added the tiniest bit of milk and sugar 'cus I love sweet things (example: faced with choosing between French fries or cookies, I will take cookies every time). Next time I will try it with my Snickerdoodle flavored coffee!

Anyway, so here's the deal, taken from this lovely NYTimes article:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup ground coffee (medium-coarse grind is best and I recommend flavored coffees)
Water, cold or room temperature

1. In a jar, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

2. Strain twice through a coffee filter, a fine-mesh sieve or a sieve lined with cheesecloth. I simply put a coffee filter in my coffee-maker and poured the grounds/water mixture into the filter where you would normally just put the grounds. Be sure to pour slowly so that you don't get a messy overflow of wet coffee grounds. Discard grounds. You now have a coffee concentrate that will keep in the fridge for a week or so.

3. In a tall glass filled with ice, mix equal parts coffee concentrate and water, or to taste. If desired, add milk and sweetener.To make hot coffee, dilute concentrate one-to-one with water and heat in the microwave.

Makes 2 drinks.

Simply heat in the microwave if you desire hot coffee.

Rainy Morning Pick-Me-Up

As I was wandering around Facebook the other day, I saw that a young lady who I knew in middle school and high school had a homemade, cranberry oatmeal bar for breakfast. Naturally, I had to ask for the recipe. I am so glad I did! These bars taste like a combination of two of my favorite foods, oatmeal and French toast. Adding the cranberries into the mix and then topping with a dollop of yogurt gives you a half of a serving of fruit and increases the calcium and protein. If you have some strawberries lying around, simply slice up a couple to put on top of the yogurt and you pretty much have a complete breakfast (full serving each of calcium, complex carbohydrates, and fruit, as well as a lot of protein in there too).

These bars are quick to put together and can fit easily in your morning routine. If your routine is an hour and 15 minutes long, you can make them that morning, or just make them ahead of time and grab one as you head out the door.

I got home from the gym at 7:05am, pre-heated the oven, mixed the ingredients, and had the bars in the oven by 7:15am. While the bars baked, I took a shower, dressed, and spent some time reading my Bible, then I took the bars out at 8:05am and was eating one by 8:10am. Not too bad.

Cranberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars

Yield: 6 servings

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 egg whites, lightly beaten,

1 ½ cups fat-free milk

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Vanilla yogurt or additional milk, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir into the oat mixture until just combined.

Place in a greased 8x8 baking dish. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until oats are tender and liquid is absorbed. Cut into 6 bars. Serve in bowls with milk or topped with vanilla yogurt if desired.

This can easily be doubled for 9x13 if you are feeding a larger amount of people or want extras for snacks and other breakfasts.

Yummy Leftovers

Through trial and error, I found that spaghetti squash gratin does not re-heat well. But I hate wasting food, so I had to find some way to use it up w/o forcing myself to eat something unappealing. Eating an appealing food is like an unforgivable sin, in my opinion. I mean, your body only needs so many calories per day, why waste them on nasty tasting things?

A frittata was the perfect answer. Yummy, full of protein and calcium, this frittata was the perfect post-run lunch when paired with 2 slices of buttered, homemade wheat bread.

Let's Make Leftovers Yummy Frittata

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup left over spaghetti squash gratin

3 cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters

1 tablespoon crumbled feta cheese

Optional: a few left over spaghetti noodles

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into a small, non-stick fry pan over medium heat.

Let cook until thick/solid enough to flip, no longer bubbling, and cooked almost all the way through (will have a nice brown "crust" on the bottom, but not charred). Flip, then cook the now-bottom-side until browned a bit (as in picture). Enjoy!

Vanilla Almond Cherry Granola

Just in case you are not up on the current price of store-bought granolas, they are ridiculously expensive. Homemade granola has become something of a staple food for me. I love being able to control the proportions of nuts, fruit, and coconut, as well as the size and number of clusters. Honestly, homemade granola with Silk vanilla almond milk is like a dessert. Soooo good. I think I will have that for breakfast tomorrow, actually (dessert for breakfast, what could be better?).

If you're interested in other flavors and varieties of granola, I strongly suggest you follow the link under the recipe title. It is a great article and has so many different variations. Whether you are new to granola and would like some guidance, or if you are a Granola Master and are looking for some inspiration, the NYTimes article has it.

Almond Cherry Vanilla Granola

Adapted from USA Weekend

This recipe is great because it makes just enough for me to have it around for about 2 weeks, then it's all gone and I get a chance to try a new flavor variation.

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup milled flax seed

1 Tbs. brown sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

2/3 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup maple syrup

3 Tbs. flavorless oil, such as vegetable or canola

1 Tbs. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Adjust oven rack to middle position, and heat oven to 275 degrees. Coat a 9-by-13-inch metal pan with cooking spray, then set aside. Mix oats, wheat germ, flax seed, brown sugar, salt, almonds, and coconut in a bowl. Bring syrup, oil, water and vanilla indicated below to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Drizzle over oat mixture, and stir to combine. Pour mixture onto prepared pan. Working a handful at a time, squeeze cereal to form small clumps (do not skip this, it's what makes those delicious clusters). Bake for 30 minutes. Stir in cherries. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool.

Granola can be stored in an airtight tin for up to two weeks, although it never lasts that long in my house.