Meet my latest obsession: Quinoa.

[ look how pretty it looks with some black and white mixed together! ]

It’s nutty. It’s different. It’s filling. It’s awesome.

Mostly eaten with savory foods, quinoa is often overlooked for breakfast.

But look at this? Doesn’t this look yummy? Trust me. It does.

And it’s gluten free. Which is a bonus. I have an issue with gluten and sometimes oatmeal bugs me, and I was REALLY missing oatmeal this winter.

I found this great recipe on pinterest [ of course ] from Martha Stewart [ who else? ]. But of course I added some extra flair.

chimes’s Breakfast Quinoa [ modified from Martha Stewart's recipe  — 7 points + per serving ]
Ingredients:
2 c unsweetened almond milk [ or milk of your choice — moo works too ]
1/2 c white quinoa, rinsed
1/2 c black quinoa, rinsed
2 T honey [ or sweetener of your choice ]
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 c frozen blueberries

Directions:
Bring milk to a boil in a small saucepan. Add quinoa, and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, until three-quarters of the milk has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Stir in honey and spices. Cook, covered, until almost all the milk has been absorbed, about 8 minutes. Stir in blueberries, and cook until most of their water has been absorbed. Serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Of course, you can mix things up. If you don’t like cinnamon or nutmeg, use cocoa [ cocoa and blueberries go together really well ], add peanut butter, use all black or all white quinoa. Go nuts! Add nuts? It’s really good cold over greek yogurt too.

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I’ve been obsessing over smoothies.  Big time.  One every day for breakfast.  I keep this one for the weekend because sometimes bananas give me stomachaches, but it is SO worth the tummy ache for this smoothie.

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

1 frozen banana
5 ice cubes
2 T cocoa (unsweetened)
1 scoop whey protein powder
1/2 c–3/4 c almond milk

Crush ice then blend until smooth. Serve cold.

Yummmmmmmm! It’s like having ice cream for breakfast. Except less naughty.

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We bought some English muffin bread a while back at the farmers’ market, but I thought I’d see about making some on my own.

I’ve been making this weekly for the past month so Mark can make his egg sandwiches for breakfast. And I’ve been working on making it better every time. This recipe is for one loaf and comes from cooking during stolen moments.

English Muffin Bread

3 c. flour
2 1/2 t. yeast (or 1 packet)
2 t. sugar
1 t. salt
1/8 t. baking powder
1 c. milk
1/4 c. water
Corn meal, for dusting the pan

1. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 c. flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder. Mix for 1 minute.

2. While flour is mixing, pour milk and water into a small saucepan. Heat over low heat until warm, about 2 minutes. Pour into mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes.

3. Add remaining cup of flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, and mix for 3-5 minutes (or knead by hand for 5-7 minutes). Dough will be somewhat sticky.

4. Grease a loaf pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Spread dough into pan, cover and let rise for 45 minutes.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

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I finally figured out how to make an omelette, thanks to the internet. I’ve made several before, but none that were that pretty.  All delicious. Didn’t look good.

So I made an onion, spinach, tomato and goat cheese omelette. With a side of bacon-baking powder biscuits.

Bacon Baking Powder Biscuits

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons shortening
• 3/4 cup milk

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together. Using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, cut in shortening until mixture looks like course crumbs. Mix in milk until dough follows fork.  Knead a couple of times on a floured surface.  Cut out and bake at 450° for 10-12 minutes.

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Nothing like a good breakfast to end your weekend.  I created a fluffy omelet with ham, pepper jack, mushrooms, onions and spinach. Sooo good!

Fluffy Omelet

3 eggs, separated
1 T milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 T oil or butter
toppings of choice — I used ham, cheese, spinach, onion and mushroom.

Heat a large skillet over medium/high and add the butter or oil to coat the pan.  If you have any raw vegetables or meat that you want cooked, do so at this point. I cooked the onion and mushroom for 7 minutes, until the onions were  glossy.  Set these aside when finished and continue heating the pan.

Crack your eggs and separate the yolks into a small bowl and the whites into a larger bowl.  Beat the yolks with the milk and some salt and pepper. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat your egg whites to soft peaks.  Fold the yolks into the whites.  Carefully pour the egg mixture into the pan and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until the top of the omelet starts to set up. VERY carefully flip your omelet*.  Cook for 5-7 minutes more. Add toppings at this point. Cover to melt cheese if desired.  Remove from heat and serve.

*I cheated. I had a 2nd pan heating and flipped the omelet over into that pan.

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Last weekend, I was at Market Day from 9 AM-2 PM selling my wares. Mark took some of his undergrad students that he’s mentoring down to Des Moines for the Farmers Market and for Market Day. He picked up some fabulous delicious breads.

He got me a cinnamon roll, which I decided to save for Sunday AM.  But, for some reason, it was unfrosted. This was blasphemy.

Never fear!

I managed to obtain some frosting shots from my friend Darby as she was getting rid of what she had left for the day (she sells amazing cupcakes and delicious frosting). I had 4 different flavors — lavender, cream cheese, lemonade and some kind of spice. All of which are delicious.  But the clear winner was the cream cheese frosting with the cinnamon roll.

I wish I knew where Mark had gotten the cinnamon roll … either way, it was a good breakfast.

PS: since I almost forgot — Happy Independence Day!!

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So, I decided not to go to the grocery store this weekend.  So, we made due with what was in the house for breakfast and dinner, which made for a couple of interesting recipes! Again, I don’t have any pictures. Mostly because I was mad that some of the pancakes burned (so be careful with these!).

Cornmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

For pancakes

• 3/4 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
• 2 large eggs, separated and at room temp
• 1 cup skim milk, room temp
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda and nutmeg in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks with buttermilk, milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients to make a thick batter, be sure not to overmix.
4. Whip egg whites until they have soft peaks.
5. Fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
6. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
7. Lightly coat the surface with butter.
8. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter into the skillet for each pancake.
9. Cook until bubbles break the surface of the pancakes and the undersides are golden brown.
10. Flip pancakes and cook for another minute or so on the other side. Be careful — these burn easily.
11. Keep cooked pancakes warn on baking sheet in the oven while you cook the rest.
12. Serve pancakes with warm blueberry syrup.

For blueberry syrup

• 1 cup blueberries, or mixed berries (I used half blueberries and half blackberries)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 t cinnamon (or more if you love cinnamon!)

1. Toss the blueberries and maple syrup in a small saucepan.
2. Add cinnamon and cook over high heat until boiling and blueberries begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

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I realized that Mark and I tend to make a really great item for a breakfast (which turns into brunch, and sometimes almost dinner) just about every Sunday. Thus, I’m adding a Sunday Brunch section.

This is actually installment #2.

My parents got me this cookbook a while ago from their B&B they stayed at in South Dakota. I had flipped through it a few times, but never really mustered up the energy to make anything out of it. I gave it to Mark to comb through and find something really great.  He came across a recipe for a quiche that used hashbrowns for crust.  So, like he always does, he used that recipe as a starting point to make something really great.  Sorry, I don’t have any photos. It was too delicious not to eat before I could get my camera ready.

Cheesy Sausage Quiche with Hashbrown Crust

1/2 pkg simply potatoes hashbrowns
2 T butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste
4 sausages (we used turkey sausage)
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
3/4 c shredded cheddar jack cheese (can sub your fav cheese here)
3 eggs
1 T fresh parsley
1/2 c milk
1/2 c cottage cheese

Preheat oven to 425°. Grease a 9″ pie or round pan with 1 T butter. Press hashbrowns in pan and up the sides of pan to make a crust. Season with salt and pepper. Dollap remaining butter along hashbrowns to help them get crispy in the oven. Bake hashbrowns for 10-15 mins, or until desired crispness. Meanwhile, cook sausage, onion and pepper in a medium frying pan for 8-10 minutes.  Remove hashbrown crust from oven. Reduce heat to 325° (we ended up doing 350° because my oven sucks).  Pour sausage mixture over crust. Sprinkle cheese over sausage mixture.  In a small bowl, beat the eggs, parsley, milk and cottage cheese. Pour egg mixture over the sausage, cheese and hashbrowns.  Return to oven and bake for 45 minutes (check on it at 30 mins).  Quiche is done when a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Quiche serves 2-4 people.

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I will preface this with: I suck at writing recipes. Most of my awesome food is created by crazy-random-happenstance (example: my raspberry grilled chicken that I have yet to recreate).

And actually, my blueberry banana pancakes were created by a happy accident.  When I was training for a half marathon last spring, I sent Mark to the store for a couple of things to make a large breakfast in preparation for my run that Saturday. I was going to make blueberry pancakes, but I’d also asked him to pick up a couple of bananas so I could have those after my run. Anyway, he made the mistake of picking up fresh blueberries instead of frozen.  At this time, the super tiny itty bitty container of blueberries (which had probably 12 in it) was more expensive than a bag of frozen. He knew he messed up, but I told him  not to fret. I quick snatched up a banana and added that to the mix. Not to mention, I subbed out the oil for applesauce, as per his suggestion. Thus, my awesome pancakes were born.  Here is a half-assed attempt at a recipe for my blueberry banana pancakes.

Blueberry Banana Pancakes

Pancake Mix of Choosing
1-2 Ripe or overripe bananas, mashed
eggs (number according to pancake mix directions)
unsweetened applesauce (substitute for the oil as called for in pancake mix directions)
milk (amount called for in pancake mix directions)
1 bag frozen or 1 dry pint fresh blueberries
1 T oil for griddle

Heat oil over medium/high heat on a griddle.  Measure out pancake mix according to directions (I use a wheat or oatmeal mix) — amount will vary depending on how many pancakes you’ll want to make. Add banana, applesauce and milk. Stir until combined. Batter will be a bit lumpy. If it looks too thick, add a bit more milk. If it looks to thin, add a bit more mix.  Fold in blueberries.  Test the griddle to make sure it’s hot by dripping a drop of water on it. If it sizzles, it’s hot enough.  Using a 1/3 c measuring cup (or 1/4 c if you’re really uncomfortable with your pancake flipping skills), pour 2-3 pancakes on your griddle. When the top of the pancakes is all nice and bubbly, it’s time to flip. Flip pancakes and cook until the other side is browned.

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