French Toast Roll-Ups

Ingredients

8 slices white sandwich bread

softened cream cheese, diced strawberries, or Nutella

2 eggs

3 tablespoons milk

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 heaping teaspoon ground cinnamon

butter, for greasing the pan

Instructions

1. Cut the crust from each slice of bread and flatten it out with a rolling pin.
3. Place about 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen filling 1 inch from one end of the bread in a strip. Roll the bread up tightly and repeat with the remaining pieces of bread. I really like cream cheese with diced strawberries as one combination and Nutella with diced strawberries as another combination.
5. In a shallow bowl whisk the eggs and milk until well combined. (Hint: Next time I would put a little egg on a plate for rolling so when I rolled the bread, the ends don't get egg on them. The ends are harder to cook.) 
7. In a separate shallow bowl mix the sugar with the cinnamon.
9. Heat a skillet set over medium heat and melt a tablespoon of butter.
11. Dip each bread roll in the egg mixture coating well and then place them in the pan seam side down. Cook in batches until golden brown, turning them to cook and brown on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add butter to the pan as needed.
13. Add cooked rolls immediately from the pan to the cinnamon sugar and roll until completely covered in sugar. You can serve with syrup for dipping but I think they're perfectly good all by themselves.

Original recipe found here: http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/2013/05/french-toast-roll-ups.html

Breakfast Casserole

You can throw out all your other breakfast casserole recipes right now, because this is the only one you'll ever want to make again.

At least that's how it worked at my house.

Ingredients:
24 oz. frozen hash browns
1/2 cup melted butter
1 lb. deli ham, cubed (you can use other meats, but the consensus so far has been that ham is definitely best)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups grated cheddar cheese


1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Spread frozen hash browns evenly in the pan. Pour the melted butter over the top and bake for 35 minutes.

2. Remove hash browns from oven and turn temperature down to 350 degrees. Top hash browns evenly with ham

3. Mix eggs,milk, and salt until completely combined. Pour over hash browns and meat in prepared pan.


4. Return to oven and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, or until set and eggs are completely cooked.


5. Top evenly with cheese and return to oven for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Tofu Scramble

We particularly like it with some red pepper sauteed in as well. 

Ingredients

For the Spice Blend:

    2 tsp ground cumin

    1 tsp dried thyme, crushed with your fingers

    1/4 tsp ground tumeric

    1/2 tsp salt

    3 Tbsp water

For the Tofu:

    2 Tbsp olive oil

    3 garlic cloves, minced (or more, to taste)

    1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, crumbled

    Fresh black pepper to taste

Directions

First blend the spices and salt together in a small cup. Add the water and mix. Set aside.

     

Preheat a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat

     

Sauté the garlic in olive oil for about a minute

     

Break the tofu apart into bite-size pieces and sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring often

     

Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom, and don’t let it stick to the pan; that is where the good crispy stuff is

Use a thin metal spatula to get the job done; a wooden or plastic one won’t really cut it

The tofu should brown on at least one side, but you don’t need to be too precise about it

     

The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the pan. If that is happening, turn the heat up and let the water evaporate. Conversely, if the scramble seems dry add splashes of water until it’s nice and moist

     

Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the  pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm

Chia Pudding

I know it seems a little weird, but it is surprisingly tasty and a really healthy way to satisfy a sweet tooth.  We love this for an evening sweet snack (not even just "it's pretty good for how healthy it is" - it's seriously really really good).

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup coconut milk
2 T agave nectar
vanilla to taste (about 1/2 tsp)
{fresh raspberries}

Mix all ingredients together very well.  Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, or overnight.  It should end up with a thick texture, a lot like tapioca pudding.  This will make 2-3 servings.

We think it is absolutely best served with a big handful of fresh raspberries.

Variations:
You can change pretty much any part of this you want (except the chia) - almond milk instead of coconut milk, honey or stevia instead of agave nectar, cocoa powder or pureed fruit instead of vanilla.

Spinach Molasses Sweet Potato Muffins

Because sometimes you'll do just about anything to get some vegetables into your toddler. But the adults at our house think they taste pretty good, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup mashed cooked sweet potato (microwaved not boiled)
1/4 cup chopped raisins
1 cup chopped, fresh spinach (frozen is fine, too, but makes it taste a little more spinach-y)
2 eggs (but I prefer to use 1/2 cup applesauce instead)
1/2 cup buttermilk (but regular milk is totally fine, too)
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line or spray muffin tins. Mix the raisins, sweet potatoes, spinach and wet ingredients in a bowl until smooth, and mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine the two and mix until just blended. Spoon the batter into muffin tins and bake on the middle shelf until lightly browned (about 10 minutes for mini muffins, 12-15 for regular muffins.  Don't overbake.). 

Pina Colada with a Side of Green Smoothie

I have been experimenting with green smoothies for breakfast lately, and have learned a lot of things.

1. They can be really tasty - most of the time adding a serving of veggies doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the smoothie (at least not in a bad way).  It's also the only way I can get vegetables into a certain picky 2-year-old I know.
2. No matter what the recipes say, and no matter what ugly color your smoothie ends up without it, under no circumstances should you put a beet in your smoothie.  They taste like dirt, and they make your whole smoothie taste like dirt.
3. When in doubt, keep blending. It's hard to get into the "smoothie" mode if you are chewing up little bits of spinach with every... sip?
4. I'm not into the protein powder thing - it's weird and I'm not a fan of the texture.  We really like chia seeds around here, though - a natural complete protein that also serves as a thickener.  So I usually throw in a half tablespoon of those.
5. Other than that, they tend to be pretty forgiving.  Put enough fruits and juice/yogurt in and they end up alright - I usually use carrots, broccoli, or spinach.

This is the best recipe for a green smoothie I have found so far -- I really do enjoy it.  Serves two.

½ cup coconut milk
1 cup coconut water, filtered water, or fruit juice
2 handfuls spinach
2 kale leaves
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple (I use frozen mango and pineapple chunks)
½ orange , peeled
1 banana

I don't always have all those ingredients on hand, so I have tried a bunch of substitutions.  The original version is still best, but the others have all been good, too.  In spite of my vocal distaste for kale, it actually doesn't affect the flavor of this much.  However, if you don't have a high-powered blender, the kale can leave little stringy things in your smoothie, so I usually substitute in some broccoli.  I have also put in an apple instead of a banana, or strawberries (tops on, as long as they aren't starting to wilt) if I don't have an orange.   

No Sugar Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cups

Makes 24 - You can make these ahead of time and freeze them or keep them in the fridge for a few days and warm up a few each morning for breakfast. I usually halve the recipe.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 cup honey

5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups milk

Optional mixins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, honey.
3. Add in oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well.
4. Pour in milk and combine.
5. Pour mixture evenly into greased or lined muffin tin cups
6. Add mix ins.
7. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.

Mixins I have tried: Banana - I didn't love the banana. Chocolate chips - good but don't go overboard because it makes it too sweet. Apple and walnuts - my favorite.

Breakfast Couscous

Couscous has replaced cereal as the breakfast staple at our house.  It's much healthier and sticks with you longer than cereal.  (Except Lydia - she will eat couscous occasionally, but definitely still prefers her Cheerios.)

You need:

Whole wheat (not Israeli) couscous (we buy it at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure you can find it other places)
One individual serving-size cup of diced fruit (4 oz).  We like peaches best, but pears are good, too.  Mixed fruit isn't as good because pineapple or other hard fruits don't work as well.
Water

1. You will use equal parts couscous and liquid.  I use 1/4 of a cup, Daniel eats 1/3 of a cup.  Measure your couscous and put it in a microwave-safe cereal bowl.
2. Drain the syrup from the fruit into the measuring cup.  Fill the measuring cup the rest of the way with water, and stir the liquid into the couscous.
3. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the fruit, and enjoy!  Daniel and Lydia prefer it with a splash of milk as well.

When I'm feeling more ambitious, I also like to make apple cinnamon couscous:

You need:

Equal parts water and couscous
1/2 an apple, grated
Brown sugar to taste
Cinnamon to taste

1. Stir all ingredients together.
2. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.
3. Enjoy!

Super Easy Smoothies

These smoothies are easy, creamy, fast, and a great way to get fruit and dairy into breakfast! I love them because they don't take any "weird" ingredients--nothing that doesn't keep for basically forever or we don't already have around. A well-liked and requested recipe, even from people who make "real" smoothies with all sorts of complicated recipes.

• 1 container low fat yogurt--any flavor (I use blueberry, strawberry, or peach. doesn't matter, they're all tasty)
• about 1/3 c. applesauce (I just dump some in until it looks good)
• a handful of mixed frozen berries (Trader Joe's and Costco both sell great, well-priced mixed berries, but I'm sure other places do too)

Blend until there aren't any whole berries left! Yum!

Applesauce Pancakes

These tasty little pancakes are healthy and quick. The better the applesauce, the better the pancake! They are a little denser than Bisquick, but is still like them, especially with applesauce to top them!

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine dry ingredients, then add remaining ingredients and beat together.

Coconut Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup light Karo syrup

1 cup cream or half and half

1 tsp. coconut extract

boil sugar and Karo syrup until sugar is disolved

remove from heat and add cream and extract

Top pancakes with syrup, banannas, macadamia nuts, whipping cream, and shreaded coconut.