Egg breakfast muffins on the go

I know, It's been some time since I've written. What can I say, with school out and the kids home all day over the summer, I've been distracted. Now that school is back in service and I once again have some "me" time, I can tell you that you will be seeing more posts. In fact, I have several things I have been meaning to share, so stay tuned. 

Today, a friend asked me for an egg muffin recipe that I make my husband for his on the go breakfasts. It will keep hunger at bay and give you a good kick start in the morning. It's really easy to make a big batch of them and then freeze until ready to eat. It is also a great way to avoid that ever so tempting sugary laden muffin at your favorite drive through espresso stand. It can be tweaked very easily depending on your likes and dislikes. This is the way my husband likes them.

Ingredients: 

12 eggs
6 chicken or turkey breakfast sausages cooked and chopped
Small bell pepper chopped small
Feta cheese
Cumin 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes to taste

Preparation:
Spray 12 cup Silicone muffin pan with oil

Beat eggs with salt, pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes. Set aside

Layer muffins accordingly; sausage, bell pepper, egg mixture and top with feta cheese.

Bake in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set

Optional additions:
Cilantro (my favorite)

Onion
Green onion
Shredded carrots
Cheese of your choice
Veggies or spices of your choosing.

Omit the sausage and replace with cooked bacon or go meatless if you like.
These can be easily made with egg substitute instead, just make sure you use the equivalent of 12 eggs.

These freeze great. I individually wrap each on in saran wrap and then put them in a plastic freezer Ziploc bag. Take how ever many you need out the night before or thaw in microwave. Don't forget to remove the plastic wrap if thawing in the microwave. Spicy foods are great for speeding up metabolism so for some added benefits we sprinkle on some franks red hot, Tabasco or salsa. You don't need anything extra though, they are delicious on there own.

I hope you all had a wonderful summer. It went by too fast as it always does and though I will miss the sunshine I am looking forward to the crisp fall air and all the pretty colors that the trees bestow us with. Oh and most importantly all the recipes I will be trying beings that the weather will force me indoors much more. Until next time:)

Taco Salad with a Twist

This recipe was inspired by my best friend. She made something similar for me on my birthday and in trying to recreate it, I have come up with something close in flavor but with my own twist. Thank you Carrie:)  It has become a family favorite and has made its way into the frequent dinners club at our house. Of course my kids don't like anything with the word salad in it, unless of course the word "fruit" is in front of it. To remedy this, I give them a deconstructed taco salad. They eat a lot of their dinners this way since we eat a lot of salads. They love it and usually clean their plate.

This recipe is gluten Free, and can easily be made dairy free by omitting the cheese, vegetarian by omitting the ground turkey and vegan by omitting the meat and cheese. It is refreshing and delicious which ever way you choose. I prefer to use organic vegetables because they taste so much better, contain more nutrients, vitamins, and minerals and I don't need to worry about GMO or pesticides. Of course you don't have to use organic, it is merely my personal preference.


What you will need:
2 Romaine hearts, thinly sliced
2 big tomatoes, chopped small
2 handfuls of cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, chopped small
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1/3 cup feta cheese
1 lb lean ground turkey (season with chili powder, cumin, garlic salt and pepper to taste, or you can use a taco seasoning)
3 or 4 big handfuls of corn chips ( I use the red organic corn chips made by Que Pasa. They use beet juice to give them their color. It also gives them just a hint of sweetness)

For the dressing:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp lime juice or juice from one fresh lime
A few shakes of  red Tabasco (or more depending on how spicy you like it)
pinch of salt

Preparation:
* Over medium heat cook turkey, stirring occasionally. Drain any fat off if there is any once it's done cooking.
* Meanwhile, Mix all dressing ingredients in bowl, set aside.
* Rinse, dry and chop veggies and add to big bowl as you go.
* Combine remaining ingredients into bowl.
* Toss with dressing and serve
* For added spice, throw on top a shake or two of Tabasco.

Note: If you are making this a bit ahead of time, sprinkle some lime juice on top of avocado to keep from going brown or just wait to cut the avocado till your ready to serve. Also wait to put the chips in till ready to serve to keep them from getting stale. Serve immediately once dressing's applied.

This salad can be easily changed and still taste great. I think the cilantro and dressing are key though. I have used a baby greens mix instead of romaine, aged cheddar instead of feta, and have made it with onions as well. So go on, what are you favorite veggies? Throw them in and give it your own twist.

Kid approved vegan homemade pancakes

Are you tired of pancakes from a box? You know, the kind that contain ingredients you’ve never heard of and that you can hardly pronounce? All you have to do is mix with water.  I ate pancakes this way most of my life. I never even thought about making them from scratch, until one day, I was out of the box kind and really wanted to make some pancakes. So I did what any pancake craving woman would do. I got online and started pulling up recipes. Thus began the search for the perfect pancake recipe. I have tried many. After making several variations from too fluffy to too flat, too bland to too sweet, with eggs and without, I have settled on one that is not only heart healthy but kid friendly too! It also happens to be a vegan.

If you haven’t used wheat germ before it is a great addition to throw in to baked goods, sauces, smoothies and of course, pancakes. 2 Tbsp contains approximately 4 grams of protein, 2 grams of fiber and 6% of your recommended daily iron.  In a 2 Tablespoon serving size of flax seed the fiber content is 1.33 grams of Soluble Fiber and 2.67 grams of Insoluble Fiber. That’s a lot of fiber. Not only are they a good source of fiber, but they rock in the Omega 3 Fatty Acids department.  In a 2 Tablespoon serving, there is 2400 mg of Omega 3. If you don’t have these two things in your fridge already they are a great addition and easy way to get some extra nutrition in your families diet. Beings that they should be refrigerated, they last a really long time too.

Ingredients:
2 cups almond milk (or other milk substitute)
1 tbsp ground flax seed
1 ½ cups whole wheat flour ( I use the pastry flour but all purpose would be fine too)
2 tbsp Wheat Germ
1 tbsp sweetener ( I have used molasses, agave, sugar, & honey, and pure maple syrup, they’re all great)
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp vanilla extract
Optional:
1 Banana, peeled and sliced thinly
1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:
*Combine milk, ground flax seed, vanilla extract and sweetener (if using liquid sweetener)
*Combine remaining ingredients in medium bowl, mix well.
*Add flour mixture to wet mixture and stir until mixed. Do not over mix or pancakes will come out too thin. Unless of course you like them that way:)
*Preheat heavy skillet over medium heat. It should be very hot. Coat with spray or oil. I like to use cast iron for added iron. I find I need to spray the pan more frequently with cast iron as well.
*Pour ½ cup batter in at a time for adults and ¼ cup batter for kids.
Note: If you want to have the pancakes with banana and walnuts, fold them in after batter is mixed.

If your house is anything like mine, we all like our pancakes different. My kids like pancakes plain with pure maple syrup and a sprinkling of powdered sugar, sliced bananas on the side. My husband will only eat pancakes with peanut butter and syrup.  I like them with bananas and walnuts cooked into the pancakes. So how do I solve this conundrum? I make plain batter and then when it gets down the last cup of batter or so, I throw in half a sliced  banana and a handful of chopped walnuts. I find the banana gives them so much sweetness that I don’t have to use any toppings. These pancakes also freeze well. I usually double the recipe and freeze what’s left for a nutritious breakfast on school days. Just defrost and microwave for 30 seconds, until heated through. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.