Up and Out the door!

Baked Oatmeal!

  

This month we’re coming to you with an easy summer breakfast reci-pea! Our Baked Oatmeal can be quickly prepped at night and baked in the morning for a warm healthy breakfast to fuel the family for all their daytime activities!

We decided to use quinoa flakes in our reci-pea to add more protein and fiber. When then replaced the butter, normally found in an oatmeal bake, with pumpkin puree! Lastly, this reci-pea is a great way to use up any aging fruit on your counter like bananas, nectarines and/or strawberries! Enjoy making this dish. Your kitchen will smell divine and you will have breakfast set for a few days.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

1 ½ cup milk

1 cup coconut milk

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp cinnamon

½ cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp brown sugar

3 ripe bananas, sliced

Process:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with the banana slices or other fruit, and sprinkle with the brown sugar.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix all the wet ingredients together in a bowl (both can be done the night before, just give the liquid mixture a good whisk in the morning.)

Evenly spread the dry ingredients over the bananas. Next, evenly pour the wet ingredients over the oats. Give the pan a good thwack on the counter to help liquid disperse and remove air. Bake for 45min, or until the center is set. Enjoy warm! Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.  

Seuss-ically Speedy Breakfast!

Green Eggs and Protein!

The hardest part of our day is usually just making it out the door in the morning!  To streamline our mornings and stop the “just grab a bar” approach to breakfast, we decided to make a few varieties of easy egg cups to get us through the week.

They are endlessly customizable depending on the vegetables you have on hand, and they can also be eaten on-the-go or turned into a quick breakfast sandwich with just a slice of cheese and some toast. (herbs and hot sauce optional for an adultified version!)

Ingredients:

12 large eggs

3/4 cup chopped steamed broccoli

½ cup chopped frozen spinach (thawed, excess water pressed out)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 cup diced ham (nitrate-free!) or turkey sausage

1 cup diced red bell pepper

Salt and Pepper

Optional

1 cup cooked quinoa

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Whole wheat English muffins

Sliced cheese (muenster, swiss, cheddar)

Process:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mustard, and salt and pepper. Spray out your muffin tin with a non-stick spray. In each muffin cup, evenly distribute the chopped veggies and ham. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies until nearly full. Give each cup a quick stir with a fork to evenly distribute the mix-ins and to get rid of any air pockets. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Microwave or toaster oven in the morning, melt a slice of cheese on top and place between toasted whole-wheat English muffin halves for a healthy, on-the-go, green eggs and ham breakfast sandwich!

Breakfast with s Smile

One of the best things about getting pancakes at a diner is the whipped cream smiley face. There’s something about a steaming hot stack of smiling pancakes that just makes kids want to squeal with delight.  This month we’re reinventing the smiling pancake stack by cutting the flour in half and replacing it with oats and using baked in fruit instead of the whip. This smiley-faced reci-pea is guaranteed to warm the house and belly even if there is a blizzard outside!

 Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup quick cooking oats

¼ tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp of salt

2 cups milk

1 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs lemon juice or vinegar

3 Tbs canola oil

½ tsp of salt

An assortment of sliced fruit for the pancake faces (bananas, strawberries, kiwi and blueberries make the best faces and taste great in the pancake batter.

Method:

Pour milk into a bowl. Add lemon juice or vinegar and set aside for 5-10 minutes.  (This is a simple and inexpensive way to make buttermilk).

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir in all wet ingredients (including the buttermilk that was just made) taking care not to over mix.

Preheat a large skillet on medium heat. Lightly coat the pan with canola oil. Pour about ¼ cup batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook about 3 minutes, or until bubbles form on top and sides are a little dry. Place your fruit into the pancake to create a silly face. Flip, and cook another minute or until pancake is cooked all the way through.

Makes 6-8 pancakes

Breakfast Split

Our mother’s told us, our grandmothers told our mothers and I’m sure that our great-grandmothers told our grandma’s: they all knew that the most important meal of the day is breakfast.  In the morning, you are literally “breaking” your twelve-hour “fast” with breakfast.  This meal is so important because it refuels the body and kick starts the metabolism but the truth is, the same old bowl of cereal can get boring.  So Peas of Mind is here to add some excitement and fun to this important morning meal.  Let’s have dessert for breakfast! Now we know what you’re thinking, “doesn’t that defeat the point?” Not when you’re having a Peas of Mind, reinvented banana split! That’s right, we’re taking the classic favorite ice-cream shop treat and turning it into a nutrient-packed breakfast.

Peas of Mind Reinvented Banana Split:

• 1 Banana peeled
• 1 TBS of butter
• 3 Scoops of your favorite greek yogurt
• Toppings of your choice (i.e.: granola, raisons, etc.)

Lay the peeled banana flat on a cutting board. Slowly slice the banana lengthwise into thin slices.  Heat up a skillet and add the butter (the skillet should be hot enough to melt the butter almost immediately).  Place the banana slices in the pan and after about 1 minute flip the banana carefully not to break the slices.  Let the banana cook for about another minute.  Remove from heat and let cool.

Top the slices with 3 scoops of yogurt and sprinkle generously with your chosen toppings.  As you’re serving this nutritious banana split to your kids, don’t forget to say (in your best, wise mother voice) “now children, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be missed!”

Valentine's Day Reci-pea

Valentine’s day is a day overflowing with love, hearts, flowers, all things pink and CANDY, CANDY, CANDY! So on a day when candy, chocolate and cookies are supposed to be consumed for every meal how do you make sure that your family is eating healthy but still enjoying the holiday? Simple, you make this month’s reci-pea: St. Valentine’s Vegan Cornbread Muffins!  These sweet treats can be consumed as a healthy dessert or a yummy breakfast because they are low in fat and contain applesauce instead of butter and eggs.  We’ve also added beets, which not only turns the muffins a festive shade of pink, they add vitamin A and C.  Vitamin A is important for healthy bone development and vitamin C helps the body heal. Have a happy and healthy Valentine’s Day and enjoy!

St Valentine’s Vegan Cornbread Muffins:

• ½ cup white cornmeal

• ½ cup whole-wheat pastry flour

• ½ teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup applesauce

• 2 medium beets (should be about ¼ cup when puréed)

• ½ cup soymilk or other milk of your choice

• ¼ cup agave nectar

• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cut and wash beets (do not peel). Place beets in a pot and cover them with water.  Boil over medium heat for 20 minutes or until beets pierce easily with a fork.

Once the beets are cool enough to handle, gently rub the skins with your fingers until the skin peels off.

Roughly chop beets and place them in a food processor.  Add enough water to pulse into a smooth puree.  Continue to pulse until beets are very smooth.  I opted for the easier option of buying precooked and peeled beets from Trader Joes (this speeds up the recipe quite a bit).

Lightly grease a muffin tin with pan spray.

Combine white cornmeal, wheat flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; stir in the beet purée and applesauce, soymilk and agave.

Pour mixture into a muffin tin.

Bake for about 15 minutes. (To make sure they are fully cooked check by inserting a toothpick to see if it comes out clean). 

Makes 6 Muffins.

Back-to-School Breakfasts

Get the whole family off to a running start on weekday mornings with these 10 Tips for Quick and Easy Breakfasts from FoodNetwork.com:

1. Set up to-go bags the day before a crazy morning. Include low-fat yogurt, baggie of granola hard-boiled egg and a handful of grapes

2. Have a smoothie. Just make sure to add some protein, like yogurt or tofu, to keep you satisfied longer.

3. Make quick and healthy breakfast sandwiches with frozen waffles (toasted), peanut butter and sliced banana.

4. Set foods aside the night before; cut up fruits, pour cereal or prepare mixtures for baked or scrambled eggs.

5. Consider steel-cut oats for a super-healthy and convenient meal. Combine the oats and water, bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let set overnight. The next morning, you just have to reheat them.

6. Use your microwave. Most hot cereals have microwave instructions. Mix the cereal with liquid and flavorings, pop it in the microwave and finish dressing while breakfast cooks itself.

7.  Keep your freezer stocker with frozen waffles and healthy breakfast burritos.

8. Don't think of berries as an extravagance. They're outrageously good for you and they turn the most boring bowl of cereal into something special.

9. Keep hard-boiled eggs in your fridge — it's an easy dose of high-quality protein.

10. Always keep a bowl of fresh seasonal fruits available for the easiest grab-and-go.

Sources:

FoodNetwork.com

photo from LowCarbDiet