breakfast Archives - Page 6 of 6

Tag: breakfast

14
Jun
2013

Mango & Banana Oatmeal Smoothie with a hint of Basil

A true breakfast smoothie which is wholesome on its own and will keep you full till lunch hour.

This summer, I am trying to bring you as many mango recipes as possible before we run out of them for another year. Of course, we can freeze its chunks or pulp but it won’t be as good as having them fresh in the heat of summer when they are in abundance. Gosh! It would be good to be able to have mangoes all year round, isn’t it?! Anyways… I definitely plan on freezing lots and lots of mangoes til I run out of place in my freezer. Today’s recipe calls for frozen chunks of mango. So you can dice mango in pieces at night and freeze them overnight to make this smoothie in the morning.

Mango and banana is a classic combo! You can’t go wrong with it. Juicy, succulent mango whipped with creamy bananas. Heaven!

I am going to use frozen chopped bananas as well. It helps me attain smooth, thick and luscious consistency. These have become a true staple in my house. I deliberately buy them only to chop them and toss them in airtight container to freeze away.

Added to this classic combo is spoonfuls of quick-cooking oats. Anyone who hates oats won’t even know you have put them in there! So great for those picky-eaters! (I mean kids, of course! Not me!!! 😛 )

The huge flavor kick comes from the basil leaves added to the smoothie. So it is must.. do not skip or it wont taste the same!

Another benefit of this smoothie is that it is sugar-free. Mangoes in my part of the world are super-sweet and bananas I used were overripe which means they were pretty sweet too which helped me in omitting the sugar completely. If you feel the mangoes you have got are not sweet enough, add spoonful of honey to your smoothie.

You can easily make this smoothie vegan by using coconut milk or soy milk. Personally, I think coconut milk would go really well with mango and banana.

Mango & Banana Oatmeal Smoothie with a hint of Basil

Yields: 3 large or 4 small glasses

Ingredients:

Frozen chunks from 1 mango
Frozen chunks from 2 bananas
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
4-5 basil leaves
1 cup milk
1/2 cup cold water or a little more
6-8 ice-cubes

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to the blender and blitz them into smooth mixture. Add more water if consistency is too thick for you. Garnish with fresh cherry and serve immediately.

*Add 2 Tbsp of honey if mango used is not sweet enough.

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12
Jun
2013

Spinach, Corn & Egg Strata

categories: Breakfast

Today, I bring you a no-hassle, breakfast recipe.. Great for a weekday when everything is so crazy that breakfast is the last thing on your mind and even greater for your laid-back weekend as it takes pretty much zero-effort to whip it up!

Treat your dad on Father’s day morning with this and I am sure he would be really pleased!

You just throw all the ingredients together the night before but to be honest, I love how undemanding yet flavorful this dish is! The recipe makes two hefty portions and let me warn you, we were full after eating only half! So truly a great brunch option! 😉

Spinach, Corn & Egg Strata

Prep time: 10 mins | Bake time: 45 mins | Total time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

4 pieces bread
2 handfuls of spinach
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup corn kernels
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano powder
salt and pepper as per taste
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions:

The night before, tear up bread into small pieces and slice up the spinach. Place in 2-4″ ramekins. Top with corn kernels. Whisk together eggs, milk, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over bread and spinach. Top with cheese and cover with cling film. Place in refrigerator overnight.
In the morning, preheat oven to 375 F/180 C. Remove cling film and cover each ramekin with aluminium foil. Place on a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes remove aluminium foil and continue to bake uncovered for another 20-25 minutes or until egg mixture has set and strata has puffed. Serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Naturally Ella

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10
Jun
2013

Peach, Apricot & Banana Minty Milk Smoothie

categories: Breakfast, Drinks, Summer

What’s your Monday morning routine? I make my bed, splash my face with cold water and drink a glass of this amazing goodness! I try my best to start the day on a healthy note. With some conscious eating. I can talk to my morning brain which is rational at that time of day. By the time evening coffee starts brewing, it’s nearly impossible to talk me out of popcorn, a bite or two from cookies and spoonfuls of ice-cream! And dinner looks like any romantic chick-flick breakup scene where a heartbroken girl eats her weight in every mouthwatering thing ever!

It’s a new Monday… It’s a new week… So let’s start the week off feeling lively!

We use frozen banana chunks for this one.. It lends the smoothie richest, creamiest and thickest texture!

Pairing peach and apricot with bananas really kicks up flavors and gives it a truly tropical feeling!

To brighten up the flavors a bit more, I added handful of mint leaves!

Make it a Minty Monday’!!!

Peach, Apricot & Banana Minty Milk Smoothie

Yields: 4 glasses

Ingredients:

3 bananas, sliced into chunks, frozen
2 fresh peaches, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
7-8 fresh apricots, cored and roughly chopped
1 handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cup cold milk

Directions:

In a blender, add all the ingredients and blitz until smooth. Add more milk if the consistency is too thick for your liking. Enjoy immediately.

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03
Jun
2013

Fresh-Peach Lemony Cookies

categories: Cookies, Summer

Pardon my blog absence since 2 weeks.

I know I AWOLed but all I can say in my defence is that it was a testing time for us and my family needed me. Let’s not get into WhatHappened&How-HopeYou’reFine-AwwwSorryToHearThat etc stuff of it as the time has passed now and we are trying to move on.

I returned home only yesterday and was completely sloshed after all the hoopla that surrounded my life for past 15 days. I needed a break. I ~~needed~~ wanted peace.

But I also knew that my blog required my attention right away. I didn’t want people to think that my blog was dead. Not right now. That’s the last thing I need.

So to attain this much needed peace, I head to my cozy kitchen and start my meditation. I bake… I bake cookies… I bake fresh-peach lemony cookies!

Oh yes! And what a meditation it turned out to be.. Peach is one of my favorite summer fruit(of course, no comparison with my fav mangoes.. which reminds me I need to make something outta mango RIGHT NOW!!!). And the aroma of peaches mixed with the lemony zing was divine!

To this combination I added a touch of cinnamon and AHEM!! As a result my whole house was filled with wonderful scents pampering me with soothing and mind-numbing aromatherapy. Finally, I felt at peace. 🙂

Ripe stone fruit and apricot preserve lend a double dose of flavor to these summary cookies.

These cookies are moist and have quite a tender texture hence tastes best on the day it is baked. Therefore, I decided to bake a small batch of 6 cookies. If you wish to bake in a larger quantity, it can be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. Cookies will soften a bit on next day but it will still taste delicious.

Fresh-Peach Lemony Cookies

Yields: 6 regular sized cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
pinch of baking soda
1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
Lemon zest from 1 large lemon
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp of egg (whip an egg and use 2 Tbsp of it)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large ripe peach, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 Tbsp sugarless apricot jam/preserve (peach preserve can also be used)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F/180 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon powder and lemon zest.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy for about a minute. Reduce speed to low. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Add peaches and preserve, and beat until just combined.
Drop cookie dough onto baking sheet with an ice-cream scoop, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until just golden brown, for 13-15 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring on a wire rack to cool completely.

Beat the heat with Peach! 😉

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08
May
2013

Guilt free Cranberry Apple Pancakes

categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Fall, Pancakes, Quick Fix

Yes, we’re still talking Mother’s day!

Yesterday we kicked off with a memorable dessert for Mother’s day, it’s time to talk about breakfast in bed for our dear mothers over a Cuppa. Imagine her happiness! Imagine that precious smile! It’s so going to make it worth getting up before she does and surprising her with this sweet gesture! 😀

Yup… it’s going to be a sweet yet simple treat! I’m talking about Cranberry Apple Pancakes!

And of course they will be super healthy and super nutritious, filled with the goodness of whole wheat, flaxseed and oats! I would settle for nothing less than the best for our dearest mommies!

The pancakes are not overly sweet and tart enough due to dried cranberries and Granny Smith Apple. It’s a perfect match.. I have kept them eggless by adding homemade unsweetened apple sauce.

Serving: 6 medium-sized pancakes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp flaxseed powder
2 Tbsp quick-cooking oats
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted plus more for the griddle
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1 medium granny smith apple, peeled,cored and grated
1/3 cup dried cranberries (can be replaced with fresh)

Directions:

Mix whole wheat flour, flaxseed powder, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Whisk thoroughly.
Add melted butter, applesauce, milk to the dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly to form a batter. Add little milk if the batter seems too thick to pour.
Fold in grated apple and dried cranberries to the batter.
Pour a ladle-full of batter on a hot, greased griddle and cook until bubbly, little dry around the edges, and lightly browned on the bottom, approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn and brown the other side for about a minute. You can make 1-3 pancakes at the same time depending on size of your griddle.
Serve hot with maple syrup or a dollop of butter.

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