breakfast quinoa with a caramelized banana and carrot topping

It is Secret Recipe Club time again.  I have been in a health funk lately.  When I was assigned the blog get healthy with Heather it was the perfect kick I needed to get my mind reset on the concept that health is a lifestyle.  I am fairly committed to a healthy lifestyle but, it is always inspiring for me to read exercise tips and recipes from another health conscience individual.  Heather's blog is filled with recipes, fitness and pregnancy information.  Reading her blog made me feel as if I met my perfect breakfast companion.  I think Heather enjoys oatmeal as much as I do.  We both have oatmeal recipes that include ingredients such as carrots, zucchini, bananas, eggs and chia seeds.  I eat overnight oats almost every morning.  I never get sick of oatmeal.  Breakfast quinoa has been on my radar for awhile but, I never wanted to make it because that would mean no morning oatmeal.  Heather's recipe gave me the perfect opportunity to put the oats on the back burner and give quinoa in the morning a try.  One word ... bananas!  I loved  it.  I have had it both hot and cold. I have had it several days in a row. The slight crunch is a nice change from the soft oats.  It is so easy to prep and it is packed with protein.  Take Heather's advice and start your morning off with this nutritious and delicious bowl of quinoa with endless possibilities of variations.  My favorite bowl was topped with caramelized bananas, carrots and walnuts.  Just bananas!

breakfast quinoa with caramelized bananas and carrots
source: get healthy with Heather

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
2 tablespoons chia seeds.
1 tablespoon of butter
1 banana, sliced
1 carrot, julienned
1 tablespoon walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon agave
1 teaspoon cinnamon


The night before bring the quinoa, water and cinnamon stick to a boil in a small pot on the stove top.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed.  Remove the cinnamon stick.

Separate into 4 bowl, cool to room temperature, cover and place in the fridge for the night.

Remove a bowl from the refrigerator and add a 1/2 cup if almond milk and 1/2 a tablespoon of chia seeds per bowl.  Give a good stir and let for 5-10 minutes. 

While quinoa is sitting. Warm up a small skillet over medium heat.  Melt butter.  Toss the banana, carrot, walnuts with agave and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Add the mixture to the skillet with the melted butter.  Allow the mixture to caramelize by cooking for approximately 5 minutes stirring frequently. 

Warm bowl of quinoa in the microwave for 60-90 seconds.

Top with a quarter of the caramelized topping. 

*The quinoa is also great served cold with fresh berries.

israeli carrots

I don't know what makes these carrots Israeli.  I am not going to claim to know Israeli food.  I do know that this was in the passover menu section of the April Cooking Light and my experience with Jewish food is I really like it.  Typically I enhance the sweetness of a carrot.  This recipe was a different twist for me.  The fresh herb vinaigrette is a nice contrast to the sweet carrot.  It is a quick side that can be served warm or room temperature.  This would be a welcome addition to any spring celebration menu.

israeli carrots

source: cooking light

2 quarts water
1 pound baby carrots, trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  
Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a saucepan. Add carrots; cook 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain. 

Place garlic in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until finely chopped. Add cilantro; pulse 3 times or until combined. Add dill and remaining ingredients; pulse 3 times or until well combined. Spoon dill mixture over carrots; toss gently to coat. Serve warm or at room temperature.

carrot cake oatmeal

Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts and as you know oatmeal is a breakfast ritual so, when my basket arrived with a bunch of beautiful nantes carrots I knew I had to combine the my two loves and the carrot cake lovechild was born.  The combination of carrot and coconut mixed with pie spices is the perfect way to start off a cold morning.  If you like carrot cake you will love no seriously go nuts for this bowl of oats.  This is a good base which I think can be jazzed or changed up with banana, mangos, walnuts or even a little oatmeal "icing" made out of greek yogurt and maple syrup.  I hope I get more nantes this week because I am going to have fun playing around with this combination.

 

carrot cake oatmeal

1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 egg white

2 small or 1 large carrot; grated

1 teaspoons of brown sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

good sprinkle of ground flax seed meal
1 tablespoon shredded coconut

Combine the oats, water and coconut milk.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator over night.  If you don't have time to do over night then do it in the morning and let it sit.  This allows the oats to soak up the liquid and produce the most voluminous and creamy bowl of oatmeal.  Remove wrap and add egg white, grated carrot, brown sugar, pumpkin pie and flax meal and give a good stir.  Either cook bowl or stove top or put in microwave for ~4 minutes stirring half way through.  Top with shredded coconut.  Enjoy! 

roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese

I am still in love with my farm fresh to you delivery.  I am trying to embrace the buy local and cook seasonally but, there are so many vegetables that come in the winter that I am just not use to cooking with.  They often stare back at me from the cardboard box taunting me.  I know it is a race against the clock to serve them before they spoil so, I try to develop one side that will use up some of the harder items of the week.  We have been receiving a bounty of kale lately.  Until this year I can't say that I had much kale before. I fell in love with kale last year in my kale chip craze but, beyond that I was at a loss.  This salad uses the kale chip concept as a base (which the kids will eat and LOVE) and then is covered with mixed roasted vegetables.  I like to taste my vegetables so, the salad is dressed with lemon juice which compliments the roasted garlic and salt.  The creamy goat cheese is a nice finish to the salad.  This is light but, very filling.  I intended it to be a side dish but, I had it as my meal partially because I overcooked the pot roast and because I could not stop at one serving.  I am a sucker for roasted vegetables.

roasted vegetable salad with goat cheese
source: sweetflours

6 nantes carrots, sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick
1/4 onions, chopped
8 grape tomatoes
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
lemon juice (1/2 lemon)
1 bunch kale, tough stems discarded and leaves sliced
1/2 ounce crumbled goat cheese
 
Preheat the oven to 425°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the nantes carrots, onions and tomatoes with 1 teaspoons olive oil. Spread into a single layer, season with salt and pepper and roast, tossing halfway through, until golden, about 25-30 minutes. On a separate baking sheet, drizzle the kale with remaining teaspoon of olive oil, season with salt and toss. Add to oven for last 9-11 minutes depending on how crisp you want the kale. 


Plate the salad with the kale then add the roasted vegetables.  Squeeze lemon juice over salad and top with crumbled goat cheese.

carrot cake pancakes

We are big on breakfast for dinner in our house.  It is one meal that we all really love.  It is quick and easy after work and typically I have all of the ingredients on hand.  Since I have been making batches of baby food I have been thinking about how to sneak more fruits and vegetables into our meals.  When I saw carrot cake pancakes I thought this is certainly one the picky boys will enjoy.  We all really enjoyed them.  The little guy finished off two and asked me to keep one for his breakfast.  Score!  They are not overly sweet so, we served with maple syrup but, as I was eating them I was thinking a cream cheese glaze would be devine.

Carrot Cake Pancakes
adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1-¼ cup Flour (~5.6 oz)
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ¼ cups Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• ¾ cups Lowfat Buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon Canola Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 cups Finely Grated Carrot (~6 large)

Preparation Instructions

Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through ginger) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through eggs); add sugar mixture to the flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in the grated carrot.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Spoon 4 (1/4-cup) batter mounds onto the pan, spreading with a spatula. Cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over; cook for 1 minute or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat procedure twice with the remaining batter.

Notes: Would be good with cream cheese glaze, cinnamon butter or honey butter.