Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa

Today's recipe comes from Skinnytaste.com.  I modified this recipe from the website for just one person, me.  My husband is not a breakfast person and I didn't want to end up with four servings.  Overall, the recipe came out pretty great, and you can add more flavor to it if you'd like, such as almond butter.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or apple pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or almond extract)
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce (and 1 tablespoon almond butter)

Add water, quinoa, cinnamon and extract to a small pot, and wait for water to bowl.  Low heat and keep lid on until all the water has evaporated, usually 10 to 15 minutes.

Put the quinoa in a bowl and add the applesauce and stir.  Enjoy!

Annie's Granola with Coconut from Penzeys

Today is another Penzeys recipe and it was submitted by a woman named Ann W.  I've never made my own granola before and honestly never really knew what was in it.  I knew some things were in it, but not how it's made or how it gets stuck together.  This recipe was a little time consuming but the end result was delicious.  Ann W. suggests sprinkling it on some vanilla yogurt with some fresh in-season fruit or dried fruit.  As you can see, I topped my Greek yogurt with it.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup safflower or olive oil (I used olive oil)
• 1/2 cup pure honey
• 2 teaspoons of Penzeys Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats (don't worry if you only have one, you can use it in place of the other)
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes (I used shredded coconut, and if you use sweetened coconut cut the honey by 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup cashew halves (I think I used walnuts in place of the cashews since I didn't have any cashews lying around)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the olive oil and honey and mix well.

Add the cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, and mix thoroughly.  Add the oats, coconut, and nuts and mix on the lowest setting of your mixer or by hand until combined.

Spread the mixture onto a jellyroll pan or an 11"x17" baking pan with sides (or use 2 smaller pans).

Bake for 10 minutes then stir, especially getting the mixture in the corners.  Continue to bake, stirring every 10-15 minutes so as not to burn.  Remove from oven after 40-45 minutes so the mixture is browned but not burned.  Cool completely in the pan, about 1 hour.  Keep in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Paleo Bagels

Today recipe comes from Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry.  Since I am trying to go gluten free for a month and just eat healthier in general, these are my substitute for New York bagels.  Now, they are no where near as good as the bagels near me, but they are filling and still good.  You can top them with any type of nut butter to keep it paleo or cheat and put butter (like I did...not very healthy) or peanut butter on them. Elana also suggests smoked salmon or scrambled eggs would work well with these too.  I'll have to try that next time.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1 tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 5 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional)

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a donut pan with coconut oil and dust with coconut flour.  In a food processor (or mixer, like I used) pulse together the almond flour, flax meal, coconut flour, baking soda, and salt.

Add the eggs and vinegar and pulse until thoroughly combined.  Next, pipe the batter or spoon the batter (like I did) into the donut pan.  The recipe makes 6.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center of a bagel comes out clean.  Let the bagels cool in the pan for 1 hour, then serve.

To store, leave at room temperature overnight, then refrigerate in an airtight container.  Enjoy!

Fruit Crisp

This recipe also comes from my Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook.  I was looking for something warm to eat for breakfast on Saturday and since I'm watching my weight, I didn't want to eat too much, so pancakes and waffles were out.  This recipe was small, healthy, and delicious.  I think it would make a great snack and dessert too, especially with vanilla ice cream on top...mmmm! 

Something to remember before I give you the recipe, raspberries become very watery in the oven.  I completely forgot this happens, but I wanted more than one berry in it.  Maybe next time I'll add blackberries.  Do those become watery in the oven?

Anyway, here you go:

• 12 oz. frozen blueberries 
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar (optional, I didn't need it)
• 2/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whole-wheat or oat flour (I used whole wheat)
• 5 tablespoons agave nectar (I used a light colored one)
• cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place blueberries in a 10-inch baking dish, sprinkle with sugar if desired, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk oats, and flour together, then add agave nectar 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition, until the mixture crumbles.  Place crumbs over blueberries and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the top is crisp and the fruit soft. 

Enjoy!

My version of the Green Smoothie

Lately, when I don't have enough time in the morning to make my oatmeal, I make a smoothie instead.  I've seen this type of smoothie all over the place, in food blogs, on youtube.com, and some of my vegan cookbooks.  I mix it up every now and then and either leave out the banana, same with the flax seeds and protein powder

Here's what you'll need:

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
a handful or two of spinach leaves (don't worry you won't taste it in the smoothie)
1 banana (optional)
4 pieces of frozen mango
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup mixed frozen berries (I usually use Trader Joe's frozen berry medley or blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, and raspberries.)
 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal (optional)
1 tablespoon vanilla rice protein powder (optional)

In a blender combine the almond milk and spinach and blend until smooth.  Next add the banana, mango, and flax seeds, and blend once again.  Finally add the berries and the protein powder and blend until smooth.  You may not need to blend it three times, but I try to get my smoothies as smooth as possible.

Enjoy! 

Raisin Cinnamon Oatmeal

 This was my breakfast this morning.  I haven't eaten oatmeal since I was a little kid, and back then it was the junky instant stuff from a tiny package.  Today was the grown-up version of my favorite flavor from back then, raisin cinnamon.  I didn't take any pictures because I wasn't thinking of posting this, but since it turned out so well, I decided to.

What you'll need:
1/2 cup rolled oats (no added sugar and no added flavor)
dash of salt
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup raisins
1 package of flaxseed from Carrington Farms' Organic Flax Paks Milled Flax Seeds
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon (I used Penzeys' because it is the best cinnamon out there, in my opinion.)

Bring the soy milk and tiny bit of salt to a boil.  Lower the heat and add oats.  Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a bowl and stir in flaxseed meal and raisins.  Add the cinnamon and stir once more.  Eat and enjoy! 

Cinnamon-Apple Muffins

This recipe comes from The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (I told you I would be using this cookbook a lot).  I made the recipe yesterday morning and they turned out very yummy.  The recipe didn't make a lot of them, the recipe says 9, but I was only able to make 8.  I'm trying not to eat them all within a couple of days, it's been difficult because they're really good.

Here's what you'll need:
3/4 cup hazelnut flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/2 cup Stevia Extract in the Raw
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 eggs
6 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk or other milk
2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia
1/2 cup coarsely chopped apple (about 1 large apple)
1/4 cup chopped almonds, pecans, hazelnuts, or walnuts (which was used in this recipe) for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 8 or 9 muffin cups with paper or foil liners, then mist them with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the hazelnut flour, almond flour, stevia, baking powder, and cinnamon and whisk until well mixed.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended.

Add flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a smooth, sticky batter.  Fold in the apples.

Spoon or scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing it evenly among them; the muffin cups should be just about full.  Sprinkle the nuts evenly over the muffins.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate and bake for about 20 to 25 more minutes, until golden brown and springy when pressed in the center.

Let the muffins cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack.

Enjoy!