Creamy Polenta with Poached Egg and Kalamata Olive Tapenade

This week I was forced to eat only soft foods due to a not so fun dental procedure. The doctor suggest mashed potatoes and ice cream but that just seemed a little too boring.  I had quite a bit of cornmeal in the cabinet so I thought polenta would be the perfect soft meal. This is a quick and easy dish to make that can be eaten for any meal. I had it for dinner but this would surely make a great brunch. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Makes 4-6 servings

ChunkyTapenade
1 cup pitted kalamata &  olives, chopped
1 tbs capers, diced
1 tbs olive oil (plus more for garnish)
1/4 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped

Make sure all of the ingredients are chopped. Set aside until the dish is ready.

Creamy Polenta
4 cups water
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups of medium grind cornmeal
1 cup shredded finely shredded pecorino romano or paremsan 
S&P

Heat the water and broth in a large pot, once it is boiling slowly pour in the cornmeal. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes. If you want the polenta creamier just add a little more broth. Once the polenta has absorbed all the water remove it from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. 

Poached Egg
4 eggs
1 tsp white vinegar

Crack each egg into a small bowl. Fill a medium pot with water and add in the vinegar and bring the water to a simmer. When the water is simmering give it a little whirl making a gentle cyclone effect. Slowly pour in each egg, one at a time. Keep a spoon handy to keep the eggs separate. The eggs should only take about 3 minutes each. Remove the egg with a slotted spoon. If you've never poached an egg I suggest watching this you-tube video and give it a shot. 

To serve
Spoon the polenta into your serving bowls, top with a poached egg then the tapenade. Drizzle a little more olive oil over the polenta. Serve warm. 

Spinach & Scallion Quiche

Breakfast is such an important meal and one of my favorite; when I actually have time to eat it. I've been trying to get better a bringing a warm breakfast to work instead of smoothies and yogurt. A warm meal is just more enjoyable on a cold morning. Pre-made/home made breakfast sandwiches have been my go to lately but this week I decided to try and make a quiche. This was my first go at a quiche and it turned out perfectly! I am looking forward to playing around with the ingredients and coming up with some more creative ideas but for now check out my spinach quiche recipe.

Pie Crust

1 stick of butter, cold and cut into cubes

1 1/4 cups of flour

pinch of salt 

pinch of sugar

1/4 cup ice cold water 

Place the butter, flour, salt and sugar into a food processor. Pulse until it starts to breakdown the butter then slowly pour in the water. Pulse again until the flour starts to look evenly crumbly. Pour the mixture onto a lightly floured surface, using your hands form a small disk out of the crumbs. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1 hour.

Pre-heat the oven to 425. Prepare a pie pan for the dough by rubbing it with butter. Remove the crust from the fridge and roll into a large circle. Place the dough into the pie pan pressing it down and then cut the tops off evenly. Place a piece of foil over the dough then add the pie weights on the foil then place it in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. 

Filling
3 oz cream cheese
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 tbs butter
1 shallot, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
8 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
pinch of salt
1/4 cup jack cheese (any cheese will do)

Heat the butter in a skillet on medium heat, cook the onions and garlic 3-5 minutes then remove to cool. Meanwhile, place the cream cheese, eggs and milk in a bowl and mix with hand or stand mixer until smooth. Add the spinach, cheese sat and onion mixture into the eggs and cream and mix with a fork. Pour the mixture into the pie pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Let it stand for 15 minute before serving or place in the fridge and serve cold. 

Waffles with Coconut Cream Sauce

My boyfriend never craves food or has a hankering for anything, when he told me he wanted waffles for Valentine's Day dinner I was delighted to whip some up! I thought about cutting them into hearts but that felt wasteful, instead I decided to spruce them up a bit by making a coconut cream sauce. We had some amazing Maryland maple syrup in the fridge so we indulged in some extra sugar but if your watching your sugar intake the coconut cream works fine alone. 

This is a super easy dish and tastes wonderful and goes very well with a bottle of Mumm Brut Rose.  

Coconut Cream
1 can full fat coconut milk
3 tbs powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Separate the coconut water from the can of coconut milk and set it aside. You don't want to use the thin liquid for this recipe set it aside and use it for a smoothie or something else later. 

Place the coconut fat, sugar and vanilla into a bowl and whisk with mixer on high until it becomes light and fluffy. Place in the fridge until read to use. 

Waffle Batter
2 cups of flour
1 tbs baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar

Mix and set aside. 

2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups of milk (almond milk works well too)
1 tbs pecan oil (vegetable oil works too)

Mix well then pour into dry, mixing well until the mixture is smooth. Heat a waffle iron and pour the batter in as directed by instructions for the iron. 

Fixins
pecans, crushed
maple Syrup (optional)
strawberries, sliced

When the waffles are ready top with a little coconut cream and add crushed pecans and a little syrup or any other fixins you like and enjoy! 

Notes:
If you refrigerate the coconut milk the night before in a small bowl it will stiffen up more like whip cream when you whip it, otherwise the cream sauce worked for me! 

Bagels

Ingredients

Makes 7-8 bagels

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1 tbs sugar

1 1/4 cup warm water (1 packages of yeast)

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 cup wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

Fixins

Shredded Cheddar & Sliced Jalapenos

Shredded Asiago

Everything: Poppy Seeds, Sesame Seeds, Dried Garlic and Dried Onions

Directions:

Add the yeast and sugar into a measuring cup with 1/2 cup of warm water. Pour the water in yeast mixture so that it gets to the bottom of the measuring cup, do not stir. Let the yeast mixture sit for 5-7 minutes until it is foamy. 

Place the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl and mix while making a well in the center of the flour. Pour the yeast mixture into the well and use a dough hook on your mixer (or stand mixer) to combine. Pour in the rest of the water a little at a time while mixing with the dough hook. Add more water if needed until a smooth dough forms. 

Put the flour mixture onto floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until a firm, smooth elastic dough forms. Shape the dough into a ball and place into a lightly oiled bowl, tightly cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Place in a warm place* and let the dough rise for 1 hour or until doubled. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down then divide into 7-8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a smooth round ball. Make a hole in the center of the ball and twirl around your finger until a large hole is formed. 

Place the bagels on a non-stick pan, cover with the plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 10 minutes. 

While the dough is rising preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil then reduce to a medium high heat. Place the bagels in the water and let the bagels cook for 2 minutes on each side. 

Remove the bagels from the water with a slotted spoon, shaking off excess water then place back on the non-stick baking sheet. Repeat until all bagels are done. Place the fixins of your choice on each bagel and bake for 20-25 minutes, until bagels are golden. 

Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving or storing.

What is your favorite way to dress a bagel? 

My favorite bagel is an asiago bagel with cream cheese, avocado and sliced tomato. 

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

There is nothing like a warm breakfast after a nice long walk in the cold.  A couple times a week my friend Jessica and I will take our pups out for an early morning walk up the old highway. It is a wonderful way to start the day and get exercise for us and the dogs. It is about a 30 minute walk up and 15 minutes down so by the time I get home I am good and hungry. These lemon poppy seed waffles were just what I needed when I got back home. This recipe is a nice twist on waffles so give it a shot. It was super easy and of course YUMMY! 

Ingredients

Makes 4 waffles

1 egg

1 cup almond milk

1 tbs lemon extract

zest from 1/2 lemon

1 1/2 cups of wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbs sugar

1 tbs poppy seeds

Mix the wet ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well. Place in a waffle iron or on a skillet for pancakes. Garnish with lemon zest, a dab of butter and syrup! 

Wheat Bran Chai Muffins

If you are a fan of chai I totally suggest you get yourself from David Rio Tiger Spice Chai or Elephant Vanilla Chai! This powdered chai is great in oatmeal, lattes, pancakes and more! I decided to throw some chai into some muffins and they came out quite delicious!

I don't make my muffins too sweet so taste the batter before adding the eggs and add more to your liking. 

Ingredients

• 3 tbs powdered chai
• 1/2 cup oat flour (place oats in a food processor until flour like texture)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup wheat bran
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 2 tbs brown sugar

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used macadamia nut)

Preheat the over to 350. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and the wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Use a fork and make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet slowly stirring with the fork. Once everything is mixed well fold in the nuts. Pour the batter into a non-stick muffin tin or bread pan. Bake for 25 minutes. 

*You may want to adjust the baking time and salt, powder, soda combo based on your altitude. My measurements are for 6000ft. 

Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes

I'm loving this fall weather and fall produce! After a trip to Apple Hill I ended up with a ton of apples and quite a few pumpkins and squash.

 

As soon as I got home I bought a nifty apple peeler. It made making applesauce a quick and easy! I also picked up some amazing Apple Butter which inspired this morning breakfast. Whole Wheat Applesauce Pancakes with Apple Butter

Makes 4-5 pancakes

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats, blended in a food processor until fine powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup applesauce (click here for recipe)

Place the vanilla extract, almond milk and applesauce into a small bowl and whisk. In a large bowl place the wheat flour, oat flour, baking powder & sugar and mix well. Combine the the wet and dry ingredients and mix until all ingredients are moistened. Heat a non-stick skillet to a medium heat. Use a measuring cup and pour 1/3 cups poritons into the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Fixins: 

Apple Butter!! I've never been a fan of apple butter until I tasted the real thing! Holy moly this stuff is great on apple pancakes!

Maple Syrup - the real stuff! It's a little pricey for the real stuff but a little bit goes a long way!

Chopped Almonds - add these for a little extra crunch

Whipped Cream - Have a big sweet tooth? Go for it!! 

Whole Wheat Banana Bran Bread Muffins and Bread

Each year we visit my boyfriend's parents in Hawaii and for breakfast his mom always has a loaf of whole wheat banana bread ready to go. It is dense, tasty and packed with all kinds of goodness that will help you power through the day. Her recipe varies each time she makes it and I love it every time! On our last trip I just had to ask her for her recipe. I made a few tweaks to it because I wanted to make it my own and of course the bananas in Hawaii are much better than what we get in Tahoe but this version still turned out pretty delicious. You can use this batter to make muffins or slice as bread and my favorite served with freshly ground peanut butter. 

Ingredients

• 3 cups wheat flour
• 1 cup wheat bran
• 1/4 cup raw sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites plus 2 eggs, beaten 
• 2 cups, very ripe mashed bananas

• 1 cup chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts or macadamia nuts) 
• 1 cup raisins or cranberries (soak in water for 15 minutes)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl combine the first 6 ingredients and stir. Next add the wet ingredients stir until evenly mixed using a mixer. Last add the nuts and raisins. Pour your batter into either bread pans or muffin pans and bake. Once the bread is ready let it cool before you serve.

Muffins: 20-25 minutes

Bread: 30-35 minutes

Notes:

This batter in the recipe will fill two small bread pans or one large bread pan and one six-muffin pan.  

Baking time will depend on your altitude, so your a tooth pick and check after 20 minutes.

Freeze half the bread once it is cooled and defrost when you are ready for it. 

Good For You Pancakes for Two

3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
3/4 Cup Wheat Flour

1 Tsp. Baking Powder
1 Tbs. Sugar

1 Mashed Banana
1 Egg (Vegan? Leave out the egg, the recipe still works)
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Almond Milk
1/2 Tbs. Walnut Oil

Heat a skillet with Walnut Oil to medium heat. Place the oats in a food processor and pulse until smooth like flour. Place oats, banana, flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl and mix. In a separate bowl/cup mix the egg, milk and vanilla, then add to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Once the skillet is hot use a 1/2 - 3/4 measuring cup pour the mixture on the skillet and cook for a few minutes on each side. 

*Makes 4-6 pancakes

Wheat Bran Muffins

Bowl 1
1 1/2 - 2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbs. walnut oil
Bowl 2
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk
Add Last
1 cup. raisins, blueberries, sliced chopped apples or  peeled chopped bananas
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350. Use a In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl mix the wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry stirring until the dry ingredients are moist. Fold in your choice of fixins (this time i used raisins, least time I used blueberries and pecans). Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into a non-stick muffin pan (spray first with olive oil). Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and serve.

Buckwheat Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

1 cup buckwheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1 1/2 cups almond milk

1 egg (optional)

3 tbs brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and let stand while you heat up the skillet. If the batter is to thick add a little more milk.

For Syrup:

2 cups frozen blueberries

1 tbs corn starch

1 tbs maple syrup

While the pancakes are cooking add the blueberries to a sauce pan over medium heat. Once the juice starts to form add the corn starch and cook down until you have blueberries with a thick sauce. Then add the syrup for a little more sweetness.

Top the pancakes with the blueberry mixture and either crumbled pecans or walnuts and serve. No need for additional syrup.

Homemade Granola

2 cups of oats
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup coconut flakes
2 tbs flax seeds
2 tbs walnut oil
2 tbs agave nectar sprinkle of cinnamon

 Preheat the oven to 325. Mix all of the ingredients in 1 large bowl. If the mixture is too dry add a little more walnut oil and agave. Spread out granola mixture on a non-stick baking pan(to prevent sticking spread some walnut oil on the pan before baking) and place into oven. Bake on the middle rack for 5-10 minutes constantly spreading the granola around. I have not yet figured out how to make it clumpy like some granola but it is pretty tasty, cheap and convenient and perfect for yogurt! Be careful not to forget about it because it will quickly burn before you know it!

Open Faced Pear Walnut Sandwich

- Cream Cheese
- 2 slices of cinnamon raisin bread or 1 bagel
- 2-3 tbs. of chopped walnuts
- 1 large Bosc or Barlett pear- sliced
- 1/2 cup of alfalfa sprouts

Spread the cream cheese on the bagel or bread. Then sprinkle the walnuts over the cream cheese,. Top each slice with sliced pears then alfalfa sprouts.

** Really yummy and goes well with Cranberry Pecan Quinoa Salad**

Easy Applesauce

4-5 apples - peeled, cored &sliced
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Place 3/4 cup of water, cinnamon stick and apples into a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium heat and cook until the apple slices until they are tender. Remove the cinnamon stick, add the sugar and  Use a potato masher or immersion blender and mash up the apples. Let it cook on low a little longer until the water has been cooked out and you have a good thick applesauce.

- Taste great with yogurt, granola, oatmeal or just by itself

Blackberry Applesauce
1 pint of fresh black berries

Follow the recipe above. While the apples are boiling place the black berries in the food processor and puree. Pour the puree through a strainer to remove the seeds and mix into the applesauce.