Breakfast

Eggs. Click here to read all about it on my Facebook Page post.

It's what's for breakfast

Super easy, gluten-free oats granola

Many of my fondest memories living in New York revolve around food. Whether it's steak at the Strip House, artichoke pizza at Three of Cups, or caviar and blini at Pravda, my recall can be so vivid, I can still taste these gustatory delights. Breakfast, or should I say le petit dejeuner, at Balthazar will always be one of my favorites. So simple, yet so delicious, a bowl of plain yogurt with fresh mixed fruit and the best dang granola ever. It was about more than just the granola; I loved the atmosphere, early morning Soho, lingering over what seemed like an endless supply of coffee, reading the Sunday New York Times. The restaurant wasn't that busy at that time of morning, no long wait or reservations required.

I have been looking for a granola recipe for a few months now. It's next to impossible for me to find one that is just right, the perfect amount of coconut, the right kind of nuts, no dried fruit to pick out (we won't go there in this blog), and most important of all, gluten-free. Now, I could easily buy one of the gf brands available at the local co-op, but they don't always have oats (there is a huge debate still over the gluten in oats and whether or not it's okay for someone avoiding gluten), often have dried fruit (which I have to pick out) and well, I'm still searching for that granola that reminds me of the perfection at Balthazar. I haven't had the Balthazar granola in over a decade and really couldn't tell you what was in it, but this recipe is dedicated to my early mornings spent in that New York bistro.

Fortunately, I am a gluten-sensitive person who isn't bothered by oats. First, I had to find a recipe to follow, as I had no clue where to begin. I bought the ingredients before I found a recipe, kind of backwards on that one, huh?

Preheat oven to 250°

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
1 cup whole raw almonds
1 cup raw cashews
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla
honey
maple syrup
grapeseed oil

Combine oats, almonds, cashews, coconut, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Sprinkle sea salt over the mixture. In a measuring cup, pour in vanilla and approximately 1/4 cup each of honey, maple syrup, and grapeseed (or other similar) oil. Stir well, then drizzle over dried mixture. Combine well (use hands!!!), add more honey or maple syrup until appropriate stickiness has been achieved. Spread into well greased baking sheets (or use parchment paper). Bake at 250° for about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Cool, store in airtight bags or jar. Serve over fresh, seasonal fruit and organic, plain yogurt. You can even stir in a couple of tablespoons of ground flaxseeds for extra nuttiness and nutrients.

Feel free to add what you like to the recipe, including dried fruit or other types of nuts. Make it your own. Next time I'll add some brazil nuts, larger flaked coconut, and more stickiness so I can have bigger clumps of granola to munch on. If anyone wants to go to Balthazar and remind me of what is in their recipe, please feel free to do so. Don't forget to bring the Sunday Times.

Migas

Hard to believe I've been blogging here since July 2007 and have yet to post anything about one of my favorite quick breakfast recipes. I first had migas in Santa Fe. Don't remember the name of the restaurant, but they truly were delicious. But where I had them doesn't really matter because they are so easy to make, you, too, can enjoy the yumminess of this Tex-Mex breakfast delight. I mostly love this recipe because it's perfect for using up those stale chips that are sitting in the cupboard. It's great the day after a party, perfect for New Year's Day.

The ingredients are simple: olive oil, salsa, eggs, corn tortilla chips, grated cheese and cilantro for garnish.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil in a frying pan, not too hot as you don't want it to smoke. Add in a cup or so of salsa per person. Let the salsa cook long enough to burn off the excess liquid.
Scramble 3 eggs per person then add crumbled tortilla chips to the egg batter. Pour into frying pan and stir while cooking egg/salsa mixture.
Serve immediately, garnished with grated cheese and cilantro.

Think Smoothie!

Image by terriseesthings via Flickr

Smoothies are a delicious, nutritious, quick, and easy addition to a healthy diet. I use coconut milk because I try to avoid dairy and I like the taste (it's very mild). Besides being dairy-free, coconut milk also has medium-chain fatty acids which speed up the body's ability to burn fat. The berries are just full of healthy goodness, including Vitamin C, fiber, and tons of antioxidants, which help repair our cells that become damaged from the stressors of everyday life. Ground flax seeds also contain fiber as well as omega-3 fatty acids. It is important to grind the seeds in a coffee grinder prior to adding to the smoothie and always store the seeds in the fridge or freezer to prevent the oils from going rancid. Only grind what you need for the day.

I add fish oil*, another great source of omega-3s which have antiinflammatory effects that are beneficial to the heart, skin, brain, musculoskeletal system...the whole body, in fact. My favorite is Carlson's Lemon Cod Liver Oil which is very high quality, available in many grocery and health food stores, and I don't find it fishy tasting at all. It has a good ratio of Vitamin A to D (which should be less than 10:1 to prevent liver damage, Carlson’s is), but if you have any concerns or don’t need the extra Vitamin D, you can use regular old fish oil. It is far more cost effective to buy liquid fish oil, and a product like Carlson's is versatile enough to add to salad dressings, yogurt, even popcorn. Again, keep it in your refrigerator or freezer to keep it fresh (and not fishy).

Some smoothie recipes use sugar to add extra sweetness, but fruit is naturally sweet! If your favorite fruit is not in season, try the frozen version (without the added sugar, please).

SUPER BERRY SMOOTHIE
1/2 can light coconut milk
1 cup frozen berries (if you use fresh, add a few ice cubes to make the smoothie slushy)

2 TBSP ground flax seeds

1 TBSP flavored fish oil

OPTIONAL: one serving of your favorite green or protein powder

Blend ingredients, serve cold.

Toss in slices of peach, nectarines, melon, mango, half a banana or avocado. Be daring and experiment with whatever fruit is in season!

*Vegans can use Udo's Choice instead of fish oil, also found at health food stores.

REFERENCES
More on berries and Omega 3s from Oregon State University
Carlson Laboratories, makers of fine fish oils

Pumpkin Pancakes

Eating wheat- or gluten-free doesn't have to be a challenge. There are plenty of products available, at local and national grocery stores, to help make the transition in your kitchen. Ideally, the breads, cakes, and pastas in the diet get replaced with whole (gluten-free) grains, and fresh fruit and veggies, but how does one satisfy that comfort-food craving? Normally wouldn't recommend baking using mixes but I find gluten-free mixes help my busy patients "make the change."

My usual winter breakfast is oatmeal with walnuts, berries, and ground flax, but this snowy, Portland morning I woke up thinking "pancakes." Fortunately, I had a package of Trader Joe's Gluten-free Pancake and Waffle mix and some leftover pumpkin...pumpkin pancakes! I recommend the Trader Joe's mix to my gluten-free patients because it doesn't have soy or corn and many of them also avoid those two common allergens.

Make your own substitutions as needed. I used milk and butter, but the original recipe calls for water and oil.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pancakes (or Waffles)
Preheat pan or griddle.

1 package Trader Joe's Gluten-free Pancake and Waffle Mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
(can instead use equivalent amount of premixed pumpkin spice)
Using a fork, combine dry ingredients in large bowl.

1/2 can pumpkin (half a 15oz can)
2 Tbsp melted butter or oil
2 eggs
Mix together in small bowl. Add to dry ingredients and blend well.

Slowly add in
1 - 1 1/4 cup milk (or dairy-free substitute or water)
to ingredients, until good consistency (less liquid for waffles or thicker pancakes).

Prevent sticking to pan by using oil or butter. Pour batter onto pan, you decide on the pancake size! Flip pancakes when the bottoms are golden brown.

I sprinkled pecans onto the batter before I flipped the pancakes. Pecans can also be folded into the entire mix, if desired.

Serve with your favorite pancake topping – maple syrup, honey, butter, jam...enjoy!