Breakfast

If you've followed this blog for a while, you might be aware that my mom had qualms about having breakfast at any time other than morning. I have no such qualms. You want breakfast at breakfast time? Great! You want breakfast in the middle of the afternoon? Cool!

That said, here are six yummy breakfast recipes to help you through the day, including Pirate Eggs and vegan Apple Peanut Butter Granola Bars. Enjoy!

EGG WHITE FRITTATA WITH CHEDDAR AND VEGGIES

This is from WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers). It begins, "Sticking to just egg whites in a frittata lets you save room all the flavorful, cheesy goodness on top here. Plus, it had all that filling protein you'd expect in an egg-based main dish so that you feel satisfied. Use this versatile recipe as a jumping-off point for many variations. Other fillings to try: sliced button mushrooms, grated summer squash, diced tomatoes, and flavorful minced shallots. Frittatas are a welcome starring attraction whether it's brunch, lunch, or dinner and leftovers are a gift. Wrap up a wedge in a lettuce leaf for a low-carb lunch or reheat it in the microwave and roll it up in a tortilla for a quick and portable breakfast on the go."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 25 minutes; Serves: 4; Serving Size: 1 wedge; Difficulty: Easy; 8 points

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1-1/2 cup egg whites (about 8 large eggs)

1/2 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 bell peppers, medium, any color, diced

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

8 oz (about 1 cup) reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

2 medium scallions, sliced on diagonal

Directions

Whisk together egg whites, salt, and pepper in large bowl until frothy.

Heat oil in 10-inch heavy ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add egg whites and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to set, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat and cook, without stirring, until eggs are almost set, about 6 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, preheat broiler.

Sprinkle Cheddar over frittata. Broil 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and eggs are set, 1–2 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions. Cut into 4 wedges.

Notes

If you have leftovers, wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 days. A wedge of this tasty frittata makes an excellent sandwich filling.

PIRATE EGGS

When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.

The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.

Ingredients

1-2 eggs

1-2 pieces of bread

margarine for the pan

Directions

Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hole. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!

COCOA PANCAKES

This comes from Vegetarian Times (May 2005 issue, page 95), in an article featuring Inn Serendipity in Browntown, WI. The recipes begins, "Not only does Inn Serendipity in Browntown, WI feature hearty vegetarian breakfasts (and bedside cordials in the evening), but the owners try to meet any special dietary needs, especially those of vegans. Their vegan cocoa pancakes are among the recipes most requested by vegan and nonvegan visitors. This recipe makes 18 to 20 pancakes—and they can be prepared in just 30 minutes or less!" Makes 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/cocoa-pancakes/.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups chocolate soymilk

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup carob chips

Preparation

Sift flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt into mixing bowl. Whisk in chocolate soymilk and oil until just combined. Stir in vanilla extract. Let batter sit 5 minutes before cooking.

Spray large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. When hot, ladle on 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Sprinkle pancakes with several carob chips. Cook 2 minutes, and turn when tops begin to bubble and edges start to look dry. Cook 2 minutes more, and remove to plate. Serve with maple syrup or vanilla soy yogurt and fresh fruit.

BROCCOLI FRITTATA

Yield: 4 Servings

View Online: http://diabeticgourmet.com/recipes/html/692.shtml

Ingredients

1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese

1/2 tsp dried dill

2 cup fat-free egg substitute

2 cups frozen chopped broccoli

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp margarine

1 large onion, diced

Directions

Mix cottage cheese and egg substitute together; set aside.

In large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, saute onions in oil for 5 minutes, or until soft.

Add broccoli and dill; saute for 5 minutes, or until broccoli mixture softens. Set vegetable aside.

Wipe out frying pan. Add 1 tsp. margarine and swirl the pan to distribute it. Add half of the vegetable mixture, and then add half of the egg mixture; lift and rotate pan so that eggs are evenly distributed.

As eggs set around the edges, lift them to allow uncooked portions to flow underneath. Turn heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until top is set.

Invert onto a serving plate and cut into wedges.

Repeat with remaining 1 tsp. margarine, vegetable mixture, and egg mixture.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 150; Calories from Fat: 30; Protein: 19 g; Fat: 3 g; Sodium: 390 mg; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Saturated Fat: 0 g; Dietary Fiber: 3 g; Sugars: 6 g; Carbohydrates: 12 g; Exchanges: 1 Vegetable; 2 Meat; 1 Fat

BREAKFAST BURRITOS [VEGAN]

This is from Robin Browne on One Green Planet, and begins, "If you're looking for a hearty, protein-packed, and filling dish, you gotta try these vegan breakfast burritos. Use your favorite gluten-free tortillas and load them up with roasted garlicky potatoes, cheezy tofu, avocado lime crema, and your go-to salsa! These vegan burritos are bound to bring a smile to anyone's face."

One Green Planet is a great website that is earth-friendly, animal-friendly, and (yes) people-friendly. I highly recommend the site. Give it a look…

For this recipe, Cooking Time is 40 minutes; Serves 4

To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/breakfast-burritos-vegan/.

Ingredients

For the Roasted Potatoes:

4 cups cubed potatoes (roughly 1" cubes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons oil

salt and pepper to taste

For the Tofu Scramble:

7 ounces extra firm tofu

2 teaspoons oil of choice

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 lemon juiced

salt and pepper

2 sprigs of green onion

For the Avocado Lime Creme:

1 ripe avocado

1 lime, juiced (1-1/2 Tbsp juice)

1 garlic clove

Other

4 large tortilla wraps

salsa of choice

Prepartion

Preheat the oven to 425ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut 2-3 medium potatoes (I used Russet) into small cubes and then toss them in the oil, garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden and crispy.

While the potatoes are baking start on the tofu. I suggest pressing the tofu for a few minutes to remove the excess water. Wrap the tofu in a towel and place a heavy object on it for a few minutes. Then heat a pan over medium heat and add the oil to it.

Crumble the tofu in the pan, and further break it down using a spatula. Add in the garlic, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper. Mix. Cook for 10 minutes or so. Toss in the green onion and set aside.

Prepare the avocado lime creme by adding the avocado, lime juice and garlic to a food processor, process until smooth. Set aside.

Begin to assemble the breakfast wraps once the potatoes are done.

It's best to heat each tortilla in the microwave for 15 seconds to soften them so that rolling the tortillas is easier and they are less likely to crack.

Add potatoes, tofu, avocado-lime creme and salsa to each wrap. You should easily have enough for 4 wraps and some potatoes left behind (but these are perfect on the side).

All these ingredients can be stored in containers in the fridge for leftovers. I suggest reheating before eating.

APPLE PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA BARS [VEGAN]

This is from One Green Planet, an animal-friendly website. This recipe begins, "This vegan apple flapjack recipe is super easy to follow but so tasty. These are perfect for an afternoon snack or as a post dinner dessert, so you’ve got to give these a go!"

Cooking Time: 30 minutes; Serves 16

To view this online, go to https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/apple-peanut-butter-granola-bars-vegan/.

Ingredients

For the Granola Bars:

1 cup sunflower oil, (or melted coconut oil)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup Lakanta Monk fruit sweetener (or substitute with low sugar sweetener or sugar)

1 cup ground oats (blend oats in a blender or just use wholewheat flour)

2 cups traditional oats

1/2 cup almond flour (optional- replace with ground oats or desiccated coconut instead)

1 1/2 tablespoon tahini (or smooth peanut butter)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 apples, peeled and cored, 1 finely sliced and the other grated

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vegan butter

1 teaspoon agave syrup or sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the Drizzle:

1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted

2 tablespoons plant milk (add more/less if needed)

1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter

Preparation

For the Granola Bars:

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a medium sized square baking tray with baking paper (mine is roughly 9x9 inch).

In a large bowl, whisk together sunflower oil (or melted coconut oil) , vanilla essence, tahini, sugar and monk fruit sweetener (if using).

In a separate bowl combine the ground oats, traditional oats, ground almonds, baking soda, and salt. Add the liquid mixture and stir to combine.

Place just over half of mixture into the prepared pan (should be roughly 3mm thickness). Even out by pressing the mixture with a metal spoon or with your fingers.Heat a sauce pan on medium heat and add the butter, cinnamon and agave syrup. Add both the chopped and grated apples. Add a few splashes of water if the pan is looking dry. Lower the heat and cover. Cook for a few minutes until the apples have softened.

Pour the apple puree on the flapjacks and evenly spread the mixture, but leave a bit of space from the edges.

Sprinkle on the remaining oat mixture and press down gently.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Remove from oven and let cool completely at room temperature.

For the Peanut Butter Drizzle:

Add 1 tablespoon of plant milk to the peanut butter in a microwave safe cup and stir with a mini whisk or fork.

Microwave for a few seconds on low heat if necessary to make the peanut butter mixture runnier.

Add the peanut sauce to the sifted icing sugar in a small bowl then stir. Add another tbsp of plant milk if necessary and stir until you have a slightly runny smooth mixture.

Once the flapjacks have completely cooled, drizzle the peanut butter icing over the flapjacks with a small spoon.

Cut into squares and serve.