Recipe Night Tuesday, April 14, 2015 – Healthy Breakfasts

Quinoa Porridge (Advanced Plan)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa
• 3 tablespoons flax meal
• 3 tablespoons hemp seed
• 3 tablespoons chia seed
• Juice of one large lemon plus 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1/2 cup almond milk or coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• Stevia to taste or 1/2 cup xylitol
• 1 cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)
• Plain organic yogurt to drizzle over the porridge

Blend all ingredients except for the blueberries and yogurt.  Stir the blueberries into the mixture, then, pour the mixture into an oven proof container.  Bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Strawberry Jam Breakfast Bars (Core and Vegan) Recipe from Damy Health

Strawberry Jam Ingredients:

• 2 cups strawberries
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed until liquid
• Stevia to taste

Granola Bar Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cup pitted medjool dates
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, warmed until liquid
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or almonds or pecans)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons water

Directions for Strawberry Jam:

Blend all ingredients, except the chia seeds and stevia, until smooth. Sweeten with the stevia if necessary. Add the chia seeds and stir until well blended.  Then set aside.

Directions for Bars:

Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend until a dough like consistency.

Spread the dough into a greased 8×10 baking dish.  The dough will be thick so you may need to roll it.

Layer the jam mixture on top.  Cover the container with saran wrap, then place the dish in the freezer for 3-4 hours to set.  After this the container can be kept in the fridge.  Cut into squares to enjoy for a healthy yet decadent tasting breakfast.

Parmesan Sweet Potato Hash Browns (Advanced Plan)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups grated sweet potatoes (make sure all the moisture is squeezed out)
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 black pepper
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3-4 tablespoons melted coconut oil or ghee to grease baking tins and tops of the hash browns.

Instructions:

1. Combined all of the ingredients except the coconut oil. Pat the mixture into greased muffin tins to form patties.  Brush the tops with the remaining coconut oil. Bake at 350 F. for 30 to 40 minutes until the patties are crispy on the top.
2. If you don’t want to use muffin tins, spread the potatoes onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.  Hash brown should be lightly flattened into 2 inch rounds.
3. Note:  For a special breakfast, form the patties into large nests, i.e., shallow on the inside and wider on the outside.  Place on greased baking sheets and brush with oil.  Bake for 20 minutes, then pull the pan out of the oven and crack an egg into each nest.  Return the pan to the oven and continue to bake until the eggs are set.

Good Morning Brownies (Core and Vegan)

Ingredients:

• 3 medium bananas
• 1 small avocado
• 8 large medjool dates, pitted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1 cup oat flour
• 1/3 cup oat flakes
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Dark chocolate chips or stevia chocolate chips and chopped pecans for the topping
2. Place the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.  Combine the remaining dry ingredients, except for the chocolate chips and pecans. Place the dry ingredients into the food processor and blend with the wet ingredients.
3. Grease a loaf pan then pat the dough into it.  The dough will be quite thick.  Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the chocolate chips and chopped pecans, then press them into the dough slightly.
4. Bake at 350 F for 30 to 40 minutes until set.

Grain-free Pancakes (Advanced Plan) Recipe from Maximized Living Nutrition Plan

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 6 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted + extra for cooking the pancakes
• 6 tablespoons coconut milk or almond milk
• 1 teaspoon xylitol or 1 teaspoon non- concentrated stevia
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 4 – 8 drops pure vanilla
• 6 tablespoons coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Blueberries optional

Using a wire whisk, mix together eggs, melted butter, milk, stevia sea salt, and vanilla. Blend the baking powder and coconut flour, then whisk flour mixture into the wet ingredients and blend until thoroughly mixed.  Heat 1 tablespoon of butter, (or coconut oil),in a skillet on a medium flame.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet making pancakes about 3-4 inches in diameter.  Sprinkle with blueberries if desired.  Flip when the pancakes start to form bubbles around the edges. Add butter, (coconut oil), as needed when cooking pancakes.

Peanut Butter or Almond Butter Bread (Advanced Plan)

This versatile bread is perfect for small sandwiches. You can grill it, toast it or eat it plain.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, separated
•  pinch of salt
• 1 cup almond butter or 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 whole egg
• 1 Tsp. baking soda

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F. and line to bottom of an 8”x4” loaf pan.
2. Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff, but not dry
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond butter (or peanut butter) 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg and baking soda. Beat with an electric mixer.  This mixture will be stiff.
4. Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the nut butter mixture to soften it.
5. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the nut butter mixture.  Try not to deflate the egg whites.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean).   Cool and run a butter knife along the inside of the pan to loosen the bread before removing it from the pan.

If you want to spread something sweet on this bread, make some cinnamon butter by adding some cinnamon and xylitol,(blended into icing sugar with a coffee grinder or bullet) to some softened  butter.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Green Onion Frittata (Advanced Plan)

Ingredients:

• 12 – 13 spears of asparagus (1/2 bundle), cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 and 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded havarti cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, or coconut oil
• 6 to 8 eggs depending on the size of your pie plate

Instructions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the oil, then sauté the green onion, asparagus and mushrooms until semi soft.  Add the spices and continue to sauté for a minute or two longer.
2. Grease a pie plate, then spread the cooked vegetables evenly inside the bottom of the plate.  Sprinkle the parmesan evenly over the vegetables, then spread the havarti cheese over the vegetables as well.
3. Whisk the eggs and pour the mixture over the vegetables and cheese.
4. Bake at 350 F. for approximately 45 minutes, until the top of the frittata is firm to the touch and the top of the pie is a golden colour.

Vegetable and Sausage Medley (Advanced Plan)

Instead of buying prepared sausages at the grocery store, purchase either plain ground chicken (turkey) or seasoned garlic sausage without the casings and amp up the nutritional component with the addition of vegetables.  I used Hilltop ground turkey or chicken sausage.  It is already seasoned. If you use plain ground chicken, (turkey) season with garlic, sea salt and your choice of seasoning,(sage, Italia, rosemary etc.).

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground sausage meat
• 1 small onions, diced
• 1 large pepper, diced
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1 cup spinach, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, coconut oil or avocado oil if necessary

In a large skillet, brown the sausage.  When sausage is about half cooked, add the vegetables and continue to sauté the ingredients until the meat is done and the vegetables are soft but not mushy.

Healthy Eggs Benedict (Advanced Plan)

Version 1:  Use oven roasted portabella mushrooms instead of using an English muffin.  Scrape off the gills from the inside of each mushroom. Brush a mixture of half avocado oil and half balsamic vinegar on both sides of the mushrooms.  Bake the mushrooms @ 375 F. until the mushrooms are roasted, about 35 – 40 minutes.

Make the Eggs Benedict as per usual but swap out the English muffins with the healthy mushrooms.

Version 2: 4 – 5 servings, one mushroom per serving.

Roast the portabella mushrooms, (see above).

Wilted greens: For each serving, use a large handful of greens of choice, spinach, kale, collards. In a skillet, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar.  Once oil is hot, add the greens and sauté them until soft.  Scoop the greens into the hollow of each mushroom.

Poach 4-5 eggs.  Layer the eggs onto wilted greens.

Topping: Mash 1 large or two small avocados with 2 tablespoons lemon, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, a pinch of pepper and 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil.  Spread the avocado mixture over each egg to finish off the “Eggs Benedict”.