Breakfast Amuse

The past weekend my roommates and I made breakfast together. We had a nice big plate of spicy crisp homefries and they had pork chops and I had oatmeal. The fries were slow-baked in oil for the perfect texture, so while we were waiting for them to cook. we made breakfast "amuse-bouches" or appetizers. On the top is a tofu sausage with brown sugar barbecue sauce and green onions and cilantro from our deck garden. On the bottom is spring rolls with the same greens.
It was really nothing fancy, just something to tie us over until the brunch plate.

I'm Sorry But I Really Like Fruit Salad

Actually, I'm not sorry at all.

This is a typical breakfast bowl for me. Fruit salad is the best -
healthy, sweet, and delicious. It's a great start to the day,
especially with 7am classes. And I can pile A LOT
of fruit into a small bowl. It's an art, and I have mastered it.

Artistically arranged fruit platters such as this one are nice,
but I prefer a big bowl of fruit where they are all mixed
together, sharing flavors and juices, and you can dive in
with a spoon and take a lot at once.

Of course fruit-on-a-stick, chocolate-covered at that,
is 100000000 times better.

This is what I'm talking about.

What a lovely fruit display.

This is pretty and easily dig-in-able as well.

Let's skip the yogurt.......

So colorful, so ripe, so juicy!

A big bowl of fruit.....and sometimes you just need to
add a side bowl of granola.

Of course fruit on a brownie pizza crust drizzled with even more chocolate
ain't bad either!!!! :)

Or supplement a good amount of fruit
with chocolate - souffle and ganache on pancakes.
Balance the meal out with a fried egg of course.

Pretty, but too pretty to eat!

Cinnamon Raisin Waffle

The other day my father had the waffle iron out to make waffles for brunch, so I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and try out a new vegan waffle recipe. I don't have my own waffle maker, so I don't get too make waffles very often. I usually make pancakes - as the batters are very similar. But waffles just have a slightly different texture - one that can't be duplicated - and this waffle doesn't skimp on flavor nor texture. 

Cinnamon Raisin Waffle
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon smooth nut butter of choice
1 Tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2-4 Tablespoons raisins

Whisk the first six liquid ingredients together until smooth. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and stir to form a batter. It is fine if it is slightly lumpy and it should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to be scooped up with a spoon. 
Preheat a large (Belgian) waffle iron and grease lightly with oil. Pour the batter in and cook for a few minutes until waffle is done.

I served my waffle with a some leftover peanut butter caramel sauce I had, hot chocolate sauce, more raisins, and a drizzle of maple syrup. Delicious! It makes a very filling breakfast, lunch, or healthier dessert option.

Jumbo Nutella Cupcake

Here is the most chocolaty and decadent of my nutella breakfasts, and perhaps the most filling and satisfying as well.

Easiest Nutella Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons whole wheat flour
Nutella for filling

In a small bowl, mix together the nutella, egg, and flour until well combined. Spread half of the batter into a large mug or ramekin, greasing it makes it slightly easier to remove the cupcake, but it may also be eaten directly from the dish. Place a dollop of nutella in the center of the batter. Spread remaining batter over top. At this point you can cook it immediately or place it in the fridge overnight if you want to do advance preparation. Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes until firm. Top with more nutella. Best when served warm, but can be cooled and removed from the mug for later. 

Overnight Nutella Oatmeal

Overnight Nutella Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon hazelnuts
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon nutella
3/4 cup milk
additional nutella, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips

In a small bowl or mug, stir together the oats, cocoa, nuts, and chips. Stir in the nutella and milk. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, enjoy cold or heat in the microwave. Garnish as desired. 

The fourth nutella breakfast. This one ended up making a smaller batch than I had thought, so I would suggest using more oats, using more milk for a thinner, but more filling bowl of oatmeal, or bulking up and enriching the oatmeal with a little ground flax seed or wheat germ. This breakfast can also be prepared the night before, and enjoyed warm or cold. 

Nutella French Toast Towers

Nutella French Toast Towers
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 slices baguette (preferably not fresh)
Nutella
fruit and hazelnuts, to garnish

In a small, shallow dish, beat the eggs with the milk and vanilla. Place the bread slices in, let sit for 30 seconds, then flip. Ensure bread is well-soaked, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb nearly all the liquid overnight.
In the morning, heat a little oil in a small frying pan. Fry the baguette slices a few minutes per side until crisp and golden. Sandwich two pieces together with nutella, and garnish with fruit and hazelnuts. 

The third nutella, individual-serving warm breakfast idea!

Chocolate Nutella Pancake Stacks

Chocolate Nutella Pancake Stacks
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon granulated (white) sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1/3 cup milk
2 Tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutella
fruit
hazelnuts

Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center.
Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to the well and mix until smooth. Drop small spoonfuls of batter into the frying pan (in batches if needed) and cook for a minute or two per side until firm.
Assemble the stacks by sandwiching four pancakes together with plenty of nutella between the layers. Garnish with fresh fruit and hazelnuts. Makes two stacks or eight miniature pancakes. Alternately you could make one large pancake and spread it with nutella, fruit, and hazelnuts. 

Here is the second nutella breakfast addition. This makes one serving of pancakes - so you can make a hot breakfast just for yourself or for a loved one. You can make either the batter or the pancakes in advance and cook or reheat them in the morning. 

Individual Nutella Bread Pudding

Here is the first addition to the week's worth of Nutella breakfasts. This is a warm and decadent breakfast bread pudding. Throw it together the night before, then just pop it in the microwave in the morning and enjoy a warm breakfast in just a couple of minutes. You can make this as chocolaty as you wish, using as much Nutella as you would like. I don't really measure the ingredients, just eyeball them. If you make a really chocolaty version, feel free to enjoy it for dessert instead!

Individual Nutella Bread Pudding
4-6 slices white baguette (preferably not fresh), depending on size
hazelnuts
dark chocolate chips
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Nutella

Tear the baguette into bite-sized pieces. Place in a mug and mix in as many hazelnuts and chocolate chips as you would like. 
In a small bowl, beat the egg, milk, cocoa, cinnamon, and half of the Nutella. Pour over bread. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve: top with remaining Nutella, then heat in the microwave on high (100% power) for about two minutes until firm and warm.

A Week's Worth of Nutella Breakfasts

Nutella - a smooth, decadent chocolate hazelnut spread. It is marketed as being "part of a nutritious breakfast'", but then again, what breakfast product isn't these days? Anything can be 'part' of a nutritious breakfast as long as the rest of the breakfast is balanced and nutritious and you don't binge on that item. That being said, Nutella isn't terrible - nuts are very nutritious, being naturally high in protein, fiber, and vitamins. They are however high in calories and fat (the good fats), especially concentrated nut butters. Natural nut butters with no additives are great breakfast spreads, and Nutella is full of Vitamin E rich hazelnuts. It also contains a touch of cocoa for added decadence and skim milk powder. Of course it also has added oil and sugar, which makes it not so good. But that doesn't stop me from incorporating it into my breakfasts.

This week I will be posting a week's worth of breakfasts with one common ingredient - Nutella. These have Nutella as the main ingredient - not just spread on the top. There are so many great ways to enjoy Nutella - here are a few ideas.

For today, this is not a breakfast per se (although it could be I suppose), but a quick Nutella idea. Gently warm a brownie in the microwave, then spread it with Nutella. Top it with a little ice cream or whipped cream if desired, then more Nutella.

Nutella Sweet Bread

What if I told you you can have an amazing, warm, decadent breakfast (in bed) ready in just a few minutes? Well, of course it depends on having fresh bread made, but as a little secret, I will let you know that you can use bread from the freezer than has been thawed or a good quality sweet bread (not a sandwich loaf) from a bakery or store.

Here, I used a Hawaiian sweet bread, which is a round loaf with slits cut all around the outside of the ring to separate it. I cut the loaf in half for a smaller portion, then cut each rectangle horizontally to create a pocket or opening. I spread all of these openings filled with Nutella - sinful chocolate hazelnut spread. Then I wrapped the bread in foil and refrigerated overnight (optional, but convenient if you want to have everything ready to go in the morning, not that it takes long to prepare). In the morning, I popped the entire foil-wrapped package in the oven at 350◦F for about ten minutes or so until the bread was warm and slightly crisp. I then brushed the warm loaf with a little butter for shine, and served it spread with extra Nutella to go around! Quick and nothing fancy, but definitely a hit, and something a little special for breakfast. Round the meal out with some fresh fruit and a tall glass of milk.

Apple Pie Pancake

Well, this isn't exactly apple pie in breakfast form (who says apple pie isn't breakfast already anyway), but it is a healthy, all-inclusive breakfast that is quick to make, hot, and delicious; and does have the apple, cinnamon, and nut flavors. Just not the buttery crust and whipped cream topping. 

Apple Pie Pancake
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tablespoons hot cereal mix (or oats, or flax, or a mix)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 small finely chopped apple, peeled or not, whatever kind
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk of choice, depending on desired thickness of pancakes
optional: pinch of salt, splash of vanilla extract, sugar, honey, or other sweetener

Heat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. 
In a small bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Fold in the apple. Stir in the milk. Pour batter into prepared pan - I like to make one large, thick fluffy pancake that could serve two, but you can make miniature pancakes too.
Cook for a few minutes per side until golden.
I topped my pancake with some almond hazelnut butter, chopped walnuts, and additional chopped apple. 

Apple Muffin In A Cup

As I have said so many times before, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It is also the meal I often take the most time to make and like to experiment with the most. Many people will say they don’t have enough time in the morning to do this, but I feel most refreshed in the morning and like to start my day with a healthy and energizing breakfast. This is a variation on the Muffin In A Cup recipe (found here {Muffin In A Cup}). I have featured before. I often change up the mix of grains I use in the muffin, but this time I changed a few more things.

•          Use apple pie spice in place of cinnamon in the muffin.
•          Use 2 Tablespoons of applesauce in place of the coconut oil.
•          Slice the warm muffin in half and spread with your favorite nut butter.
•          Place sliced apple on top.
•          Sprinkle with a little more cinnamon.
• Enjoy sitting down or on the run, hot or cold. 

Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal

Overnight Pumpkin Oatmeal
1/3 cup pure pumpkin purée
3/4 cup milk of choice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup large flake rolled oats
chopped pecans, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds

Stir all ingredients together in a mug or small bowl and allow to refrigerate overnight to thicken. Enjoy as is, or microwave until warm. 

Another pumpkin spice breakfast! Prepare the night before and enjoy in the morning. It does not have to be refrigerated overnight, but will be much thicker if you do so, and should be especially if you plan to eat it hot, which will thin it out a little more. 

Pumpkin Pancake

Pumpkin Pancake

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup pure pumpkin purée
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 Tablespoons sweetener of choice

Preheat a little oil in a small frying pan over medium heat.
In a small bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients. Stir in the wet ingredients to make a smooth batter. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan. Cook for a few minutes per side until pancake is golden. Serve with desired toppings - fruit, nuts, yogurt, nut butter, pumpkin seeds, syrup, etc. Pictured here is some almond hazelnut butter and pumpkin seeds. 

It is pumpkin season - Halloween and Thanksgiving are approaching! This, like a few other individual pancakes I have posted on here (blueberry, banana, paleo) makes one large, fluffy, filling pancake - a complete breakfast in one! You can, of course, choose rather to make many mini, thinner pancakes if preferred. 

Apple Oatmeal Parfait

Apple Oatmeal Parfait
1/2 cup hot whole grain cereal (see NOTE)
2 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (I used plain)
1 large apple, chopped 
2 Tablespoons hazelnuts
honey or maple syrup, to taste
ground cinnamon, to taste

NOTE: For this recipe, you will need about 1/2 cup of prepared hot cereal. I use my favorite hot cereal mix, see {Hot Cereal Mix}. You will need 1/4 cup dry mix and 1/2 cup water, then cook according to recipe directions. Alternatively, you can simply use 1/4 cup rolled oats and 1/2 cup water or milk and cook them.

Prepare the cereal as required. The cereal can be used hot or cold. If you desire a cold parfait to transport, I recommend either allowing the cereal to cool, or making it up the night before and putting it in the fridge - even less prep work in the morning. Some people do not like the combination of the cereal and yogurt - as the cereal heats up the yogurt and the yogurt cools down the cereal. I happen to like this mixture of flavors, textures, and temperatures, but do as you wish.

I just kept this in a bowl and didn't layer it in a glass or parfait dish, but do this if you wish, or wish to transport it. Simply layer all ingredients as desired!

Cake Breakfast Parfait

Who wouldn't want to eat chocolate cake for breakfast? I know I do, but I just cannot justify eating only a slice of sweet, frosted cake for breakfast. My breakfast have to be filling, nutritious, and incorporate all four food groups in order for me to start my day off right.

This breakfast parfait began with some leftover, healthier chocolate cake I had. This chocolate cake was soft and dense, almost like a brownie, and I had not frosted it. I sprinkled on some ground flaxseed and wheat germ for some added nutrition, then scooped on some thick, creamy plain Greek yogurt. Next I added a layer of fresh, sliced strawberries, and some whole hazelnuts. I repeated all of these layers, then drizzles the top with a little almond hazelnut butter. 

Throw It Together Granola

I love homemade granola. Usually I am more of a hot cereal fan, but I do enjoy bowls of homemade, nutritious granola, catered to my personal tastes. Something slightly odd though, is that I rarely eat my cereal with milk. I occasionally eat it with yogurt, but usually I just add fresh fruit and keep my cereal crunchy instead of soggy in the milk. 

Making granola usually requires baking up a large batch of cereal, which then only has a short shelf life since it has no preservatives, and would need to be refrigerated or frozen, which often causes it to lose its crunch.Another thing about granola is that it usually requires some form of fat or sweetener to make it hold together in chunks, and must be baked for a long time at a low temperature and stirred frequently. I personally prefer looser granolas without the chunks.

Therefore, I have discovered a nifty way to make just enough granola quickly. This only works for loose granola though. You just combine all the ingredients in a bowl, approximately a small spoonful of each, and add fresh fruit, milk, or yogurt. The bowl of granola featured here is a combination if cereal squares of cracker pieces, whole hazelnuts, dates, wheat germ, ground flaxseed, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and fresh sliced strawberries. 

Chocolate Mousse Overnight Oatmeal

Chocolate Mousse Overnight Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon oat bran
1 Tablespoon wheat germ
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter 
1-2 Tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup
3/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy in the morning, hot or cold. For more similar recipes, type "overnight oatmeal" into the search bar of this blog. 

This overnight oatmeal has a slightly different texture that reminds me of eating a bowl of chocolate mousse, in this case, a bowl of healthy chocolate mousse. I didn't use much sweetener, so I had a dark chocolate mousse. I would even eat this for dessert. 

Double Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal

Double Chocolate Overnight Oatmeal
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1-2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup
2 Tablespoons raisins (optional, but adds sweetness)
2 Tablespoons chocolate chips or chunks ( I used 90% chocolate bar)
3/4 cup milk

Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate overnight. Enjoy in the morning, hot or cold. For more similar recipes, type "overnight oatmeal" into the search bar of this blog. 

Typically a lot of chocolate for breakfast isn't normally my thing, but it would just be like toast with Nutella, right? This bowl of delicious oatmeal is much healthier than a bowl of commercial sugary chocolate cereal, and if not your thing for breakfast, it would make a very nutritious dessert. Use your favorite type of chocolate - or a combo!

Banana Split Pancake

Banana Split Pancake
1 large banana
1/4 cup milk of choice
1-2 Tablespoons honey or syrup
1 peach, diced
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
yogurt of choice
nut butter or syrup of choice

Heat a small greased frying pan over medium heat.
Mash half of the banana. In a small bowl, mix together the mashed banana, milk, honey, and half of the peach. Stir in the dry ingredients. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Cook for a few minutes per side until golden.

Cut the pancake in half. Place the halves in a shallow bowl and place the remaining banana half in the middle. Place a scoop of yogurt (I used plain Greek) on either side of the banana. Scatter the remaining peach over top, and drizzle with a nut butter, honey, jam, syrup, or chocolate syrup.

This is a breakfast pancake recipe I came up with, that is slightly reminiscent of a banana split. Tailor the flavors to what you like.