Eatin' Healthy: Breakfast Edition

Can we talk about one of my favorite subjects? Food, obviously! I love eating and am always planning my next meal in my head. As I'm eating breakfast, I'm already thinking about what I'm going to eat for lunch. Lately, I've been trying to plan healthy meals and snacks. Sometimes I deviate from my food plan and sneak in too many unhealthy snacks (Girl Scout cookies, ugh), but I'm working on it. Here are a few of the delicious meals I've been eating for breakfast lately.

Spinach, tomato and avocado omelet

I usually use one whole egg plus one or two egg whites when I make omelets. First, I whip the eggs, spinach, tomatoes, and whatever spices together in a bowl while I heat a small pan over medium/medium low heat. Spray the pan with pam before adding the egg mixture. Be patient while you wait for the omelet to settle - it takes a while. After it's almost completely set, flip the omelet over. Sprinkle cheese on half if you feel so inclined, and fold in half. Remove from heat  and carefully open up omelet to add avocado slices (I think I use about 1/4 of an avocado). You could add the tomatoes (or  broccoli, asparagus, etc) to the omelet at the same time as you add the cheese, if you prefer. 

Green Smoothie

I use 1/2 cup almond milk or coconut water, one banana, 1 cup mixed frozen fruits, and 1/2 cup spinach. We have what might possibly be the worst blender ever, and it takes forever to blend, but it's worth it. I'm thinking about buying chia seeds to add to my smoothies. Chia seeds are a good source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, and are supposed to give you energy, which I can always use more of in the early mornings on my way to school.

Scrambled egg on toast

I found this fantastic bread that I've been eating lately. It's organic, and the company strives to utilize sustainable practices. And, it tastes great! Here, I topped it with two tablespoons of goat cheese and one scrambled egg, which I ate with a few halved cherry tomatoes. After I took the picture I added plenty of pepper, too.

Going Bananas

I used to eat bananas all the time. Ok, not all the time, but a lot. When I was living in Chicago I made a smoothie almost every morning for breakfast, and the best smoothies always include a banana. Also, the darling girl I babysat loved bananas and they always had a bunch at their house, so I usually ended up sharing one with her for lunch. So when I got here (to Los Lunas) I immediately bought a bunch of frozen fruit and bananas to make smoothies with, and in the past three months I've made a total of one (1) smoothie. I just haven't been in the mood. Luckily, the fruit is frozen and will hold until the summer months when I will (probably) begin craving smoothies again. I have, however, continued to buy bunches of bananas, even though I have yet to finish an entire bunch before they get too ripe and brown. 

All of this is to say that I have quite a few overripe bananas chillin in my freezer, and last weekend I thought I should put them to use. I hadn't tried these recipes before, but they came out wonderfully, and I'll definitely make them again!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

This bread was so fantastic, and I'll definitely make it again and again. I used coconut oil, which I melted in the microwave before dumping in the bowl. From the pictures, it looks like they made a bunch of tiny loaves, but I just made two small loaves (5.75 x 3 inch pans) and baked them for about 30 minutes. I think chopped walnuts would be a nice addition, or maybe walnuts in place of the chocolate chips, if you like your bread less sweet. 

Banana Cupcakes

I added 1/4 tsp of cinnamon (I love cinnamon) to the cupcake recipe, and used this yogurt because it was what I had on hand. Also, I used 1/4 cup white sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar, because I love the taste of brown sugar with bananas. I then made a honey cinnamon buttercream frosting, instead of the cream cheese one called for in the original recipe. They came out great! 

Artist Love

The other day, while perusing one of my favorite design sites, I came across some prints by Neiko Art and I just fell in love. The illustrations are so sweet, and she even does custom wedding and family portraits! Here are a few of my favorites. 

My mom loves hedgehogs, and I guess that
 love got passed along to me,

So cute for a baby's room.

Avocado!

When I get my next cat I really want to get one done.

Reinventing Leftovers

Do you like leftovers? There are certain foods that I love as leftovers, like spaghetti, enchiladas and stews. Typically, though, I get bored of foods after eating them once or twice. This is challenging because I hate wasting food and it's hard to cook for one or two people, when most recipes are meant for families.

The other day I made some wonderfully creamy risotto and a baby spinach/apple/walnut/gorgonzola salad with balsamic dressing. In an effort to vamp up my leftovers the next day, I made risotto cakes. I've never made them before, so I googled up some recipes, but didn't end up following any of them. I chose to form each patty out of a 1/2 cup of leftover risotto, and snuck a couple small chunks of pepper jack cheese in the center of each patty. I then dipped the cakes in egg, followed by panko bread crumbs, because that's what I had on hand. I heated up a couple of tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, and cooked the patties 2-4 minutes on each side, until they were nice and brown and crispy. Towards the end, I sauteed some spinach and garlic in a separate pan. Delicious! Next time I have leftover risotto I want to try these!