Tag: breakfast

NEW YEAR’S BRUNCH

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If good luck and prosperity are on your list for 2024, you are likely planning to indulge in a plate of collard greens and black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. Because brunch is one of my favorite meals and I love to embrace southern food traditions, I created this New Year’s Brunch dish that will leave you with a happy belly and hopefully a prosperous year ahead. Cheers to a healthy, happy and wonderful year ahead.

Ingredients for Gouda Grits:
2 cups water
½ cup grits
½ cup gouda cheese, shredded
1 tablespoon half and half
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Ingredients for Sautéed Greens and Peas:
2 cups water
1 bunch collard greens
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 ounce) can of black-eyed peas, no-salt-added
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

Ingredients for New Year’s Brunch:
¼ of Gouda Grits
¼ of Sautéed Greens and Peas
4 eggs, cooked to preference

Directions:

  1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add grits, stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add gouda, half and half, salt and pepper. Stir until cheese melts and set aside on low heat to keep warm.
  2. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Meanwhile, wash the collard greens and remove the stems. Add greens to the boiling water, reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain greens in a colander and use the back of a wooden spoon to gently press out any excess water.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add collard greens and sauté for 5 minutes, until tender. Add peas to the skillet of greens and stir to combine. Continue cooking for a couple of minutes until peas are warm. Add, salt, pepper and vinegar, and sauté for another minute, stirring to evenly coat.
  4. Add Gouda Grits to the center of four plates and top with Sautéed Greens and Peas. Top each plate with an egg and serve.

Servings: 4

A Smoothie for the Grinch

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If the hustle and bustle of the holiday season has you feeling like the Grinch (it happens to the best of us), this smoothie is for you. Fuel up with this nutritious breakfast or enjoy as an afternoon snack. You will be ready to tackle the crowded stores on your next shopping trip or that pile of presents that need wrapping.

Sit back and relax with this green smoothie made of spinach, banana, pineapple, oats and almond butter, and you will feel more like a Who and less like the Grinch in no time. I hope you find rest this Christmas and enjoy healthful meals as you celebrate Christ’s birth and the magic of the season.

Ingredients:
1 banana, sliced and frozen
½ cup frozen diced pineapple
1 cup frozen chopped spinach
2 tablespoons almond butter
½ cup old-fashioned oats
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 cup ice cubes

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and frothy. Enjoy immediately.

Servings: 2

Note: If you have an abundance of fresh spinach or other greens you can freeze them by blanching for a couple of minutes, cooling, draining and storing in freezer-safe bags or containers. Ripe bananas are another great produce item to keep on hand in the freezer, and this is a great way to avoid food waste.

Broccoli Cheese Curd Frittatas

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Cheese curds are delicious nuggets of freshly made cheddar cheese that actually squeak in your mouth, when you eat them soon after they are produced. There are cheese factories throughout Wisconsin where you can find warm cheese curds made daily. All cheddar cheeses actually begin as curds before they are formed into blocks or wheels and aged.

After a recent Wisconsin visit, I brought home some cheese curds and decided to explore cooking with them. I paired these with broccoli and eggs for individual frittatas with gooey gobs of fresh cheese in each one. If you cannot find cheese curds, you can substitute cubed cheddar.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
1 bunch broccoli, trimmed and chopped
1 cups cheese curds
8 eggs
1 cup skim or low-fat milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté a couple of minutes, until it starts to soften. Add broccoli and sauté until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. You may need to add a couple of tablespoons of water to the skillet to prevent sticking.
  3. Break large cheese curds into bite size pieces and place in a medium bowl. Stir vegetables in with cheese curds and fill the muffin tin with an equal amount of the mixture.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the broccoli and cheese curds, filling each cup to the rim.
  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until frittata tops are lightly golden. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: An ice cream scoop is a great tool to use for adding the frittata mixture to the muffin tins. Fill each cup with one scoop and avoid messy spills.

Fall Harvest Overnight Oats

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I enjoy a healthy and hearty breakfast every morning, but busy mornings leave me with little time for food prep. Overnight oats are one of my favorite go-to meals for hurried weekdays. They are almost effortless to assemble the night before and in the morning you have a delicious breakfast just waiting for you to open and enjoy. Preparing this recipe in a mason jar makes it a great portable breakfast option.

Pureed butternut squash is a fresh alternative to cooking with canned pumpkin, and it is extremely easy to make. After roasting the squash, simply puree in a food processor. If you have extra on hand it freezes well for future use, saving even more time when making these nutritious Fall Harvest Overnight Oats.

Ingredients:
½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup pureed butternut squash
½ cup skim milk or non-dairy milk of choice
¼ cup non-fat Greek yogurt or non-dairy yogurt of choice
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
1 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

  1. In a pint-sized mason jar, add all ingredients and gently stir to combine. Place the lid on the jar and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy as a cold cereal for breakfast in the morning.

Delicata Squash Cheese Spread

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Picky eaters will not even know they are eating a vegetable when they bite into this velvety cheese spread with a delicate taste of pumpkin pie. While pumpkin is all the craze, let us not forget about other varieties of winter squash that offer the same delicious taste of the season. If you are unable to find delicata squash, use any variety of locally grown squash. Delicata squash has a silky smooth texture when roasted and a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. If you want to enhance the nutty flavor and add a little more protein to your plate, top your toast with walnuts or pecans.

Ingredients:
1 medium delicata squash, cut in half and seeds removed
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, plus more for serving
8 ounces Neufchatel cheese, or reduced fat cream cheese, softened
Whole wheat toast

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place squash slices, skin side down on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
  2. Cut butter into six cubes and place three in each squash cavity. Drizzle each squash half with a tablespoon of maple syrup. Roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 to 45 minutes.
  3. Remove squash from oven and set aside until cool enough to touch. With a large spoon, remove the golden squash from the skin and place in a food processor. Add pumpkin pie spice and cream cheese. Process until smooth.
  4. Spread on whole wheat toast, top with a dash or two of pumpkin pie seasoning and serve.

Spaghetti Squash Breakfast Hash

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Vegetables are one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast, but I had never thought about combining spaghetti squash with eggs until I had a similar dish for brunch at Posana in Asheville, NC. Their garden vegetable hash was superb and I enjoyed it on their dog-friendly patio where they even have a menu for fur babies. Back at home in my kitchen with my four-legged-boy, Rocco, beside me, I crafted my version with a light and creamy Dijon sauce in place of their leek vinaigrette.

This recipe is also a great one to make when serving breakfast for dinner. Looking for a grab-and-go breakfast option? Serve the hash in small containers and add boiled egg slices on top in place of the poached or fried eggs. Hope you enjoy this unique take on spaghetti squash and comment below to let me know about your favorite breakfast veggies.

Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash
16 ounces small potatoes, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 leek
1 bunch or 6 ounce bag of spinach
salt and pepper
½ cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard
2 cloves minced garlic
4 eggs, poached or fried

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim the ends of the squash and slice in half. Remove the seeds and discard. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the center of the oven until tender and squash flakes with a fork into noodles, about 40 to 45 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, place potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Roast until tender, for 25 to 30 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
  3. Remove vegetables from the oven and cover potatoes with aluminum foil to keep warm. Let spaghetti squash sit until cool enough to touch.
  4. Meanwhile, remove the dark green stalk from the leek, keeping the light green and white section. Wash the leek well to remove dirt in between the layers and thinly slice. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek to the skillet and sauté until tender and fragrant, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and sauté until wilted, for a couple more minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside on low heat to keep warm.
  5. In a small bowl, add yogurt, mustard and garlic and stir to combine, creating creamy garlic sauce.
  6. Use a fork to remove the strands of spaghetti squash by lightly raking across the inside surface. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add ¼ of squash, spinach and potatoes to each plate and serve with an egg on top and a dollop of creamy garlic sauce.

Servings: 4

FIVE-MINUTE BREAKFAST BOK CHOY

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Vegetables are my favorite thing to eat for breakfast after my morning workout, and I love making fast meals like this one to fuel up for the day. Bok choy has a light and refreshing taste with leaves similar to spinach and stems like a cross between cabbage and iceberg lettuce. This superfood is super delicious and tastes excellent with brown rice, Asian flavors and fried eggs. Move over cereal, breakfast just got a lot more interesting. Go ahead and give veggies a try for your morning meal.

Ingredients:
2 baby bok choy bunches or 1 medium bunch bok choy
2 teaspoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Separate white stalks from bok choy and dice. Coarsely chop green bok choy leaves.
  2. In a large skillet or wok, heat coconut oil. Add bok choy and Chinese five-spice powder and sauté until stems are soft and leaves are wilted, about 4 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, in a small non-stick skillet, fry two eggs.
  4. Add brown rice and soy sauce to bok choy and stir to combine, cooking for another minute. Serve eggs over bok choy rice mixture.

Servings: 2

Berry Breakfast Quinoa

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Hearty quinoa with its nutty flavor compliments sweet berries and crunchy almonds in this breakfast bowl that will keep you satisfied all morning. Substitute the strawberries and blackberries for any seasonal berry in your region of the world. Quinoa is a complete protein, offering all of the essential amino acids, making it a great choice for vegetarians. It’s also an excellent whole grain option for those with celiac or gluten sensitivities since it’s naturally gluten-free.

I love to make a big batch of Berry Breakfast Quinoa on the weekend for a fast breakfast to just reheat on busy weekday mornings. A nutritious and delicious breakfast doesn’t have to be time-consuming.

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water, plus more for rinsing
⅓ cup dried cranberries
6 ounces strawberries
6 ounces blueberries
⅓ cup sliced blackberries
2 tablespoons sorghum or honey

Directions:

  1. Using a fine-mesh sieve, rinse quinoa with water.
  2. Combine quinoa, water and cranberries in a rice cooker and cook for 30 to 40 minutes.
  3. Add berries, almonds and sorghum. Stir to combine and serve warm or chill and enjoy cold.

Servings: 4

Sweet Potato and Kale Breakfast Hash

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Vegetables and fried eggs are one of my favorite breakfast combination. My Sweet Potato and Kale Breakfast Hash includes sausage in the mix for a hardy breakfast that will fuel you up for a busy day. This is also an easy dish to make for brunch, and leftovers are great warmed up and topped with a freshly fried egg on weekday mornings. Enjoy with a glass of milk or a cup of joe.

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
½ pound ground sausage
½ tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
4 eggs, fried to desired preference

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat and arrange in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping with a spatula after 10 minutes.
  2. Crumble sausage in a large skillet, breaking it up with a spatula for about 5 to 6 minutes, until cooked through. Drain oil from skillet.
  3. Add kale to skillet with sausage and sauté until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and stir to combine. Serve hash with fried egg on top.

Servings: 4

Sausage, Kale and Smoked Gouda Frittata

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Frittatas are one of my favorite one-pan meals to serve for breakfast, brunch or dinner. They are so versatile and can be made with any of your favorite vegetables, meats and cheeses. This one incorporates fresh kale, sausage and smoked gouda for a combination that will please both meat and vegetable lovers alike. It pairs well with homemade hash browns and orange juice.

Ingredients:
½ pound ground mild sausage
1 medium bunch kale, trimmed and chopped
6 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup low-fat milk
¾ cup smoked gouda, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat an 8-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and cook sausage until browned. Drain grease from skillet and return to stovetop.
3. Add kale to skillet in two batches and sauté until wilted, about 5 minutes total.
4. Beat eggs with a whisk in a medium bowl. Stir in salt, pepper, milk and gouda.
5. Pour egg mixture over kale and sausage and gently stir to evenly distribute. Let the eggs start to set for 1 to 2 minutes without stirring. Place skillet in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the eggs are set and the frittata is lightly browned. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Servings: 4