Easy breakfast you can prepare in the office

September 4th, 2009 by Serita

Many of us don’t have enough time in the morning to eat a proper breakfast, here’s a simple recipe I use to allow myself the most important meal of the day without affecting my morning schedule.

Recipe: Easy office breakfast

Summary: One of my stand-by office breakfasts (one small corner of my desk is enough room and these ingredients all keep really well)!

Ingredients

  • Oatmeal
  • Raisins
  • Banana
  • Optional- maple syrup, brown sugar or honey

Instructions

  1. 1 part oatmeal to 2 parts water in a bowl or mug
  2. Microwave approximately 1 minute (maybe add 30 seconds depending on microwave’s power)
  3. Sprinkle with some raisins and/or slice banana over the top
  4. Drizzle with a little maple syrup, honey or a touch of brown sugar

Instant, hearty, healthy breakfast in a workplace where I often wouldn’t eat breakfast otherwise!

Easiest breakfast ever!

September 4th, 2009 by Serita

Recipe: Easiest breakfast ever

Summary: Great for the office or those mornings when you don’t have a lot of time!

Ingredients

  • Yogurt (I love organic, whole, plain)

Top with any combo of:

  • Banana & granola
  • Flax seeds & a dollop of jam
  • Chopped almonds & real maple syrup

Breakfast eggs

September 4th, 2009 by Serita

Recipe: Breakfast eggs

Summary: A delicious way to liven up your morning eggs!

Ingredients

  • However many eggs you’ll eat (2-4 per person depending on appetite!)
  • A handful of fresh herbs (cilantro, parlsey, scallions and/or rosemary)
  • Black pepper
  • Fresh garlic
  • Olive oil or butter
  • Optional- Great with veggies too (especially onion and mushroom) or with tofu!

Instructions

  1. In a frying pan, saute garlic in oil or butter until lightly browned over medium heat
  2. If adding any veggies, add now (add by length of time they’ll take to cook- e.g. onions/bell peppers take a little longer than mushrooms/zucchini)
  3. In a bowl, whisk eggs
  4. Add herbs to eggs in bowl and whisk again
  5. Pour mixture in to pan with garlic
  6. Cook for approx 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently

Note- Since eggs continue to cook after being removed from heat, you’ll want to take them off the stove when they still look a little ‘wet’. Give them a minute to rest and they should look ‘done’. If they don’t, return to heat briefly and let them rest again, repeating as necessary until done. I promise it’s worth the little bit of extra effort, since rubbery eggs are no fun!

Great served in a breakfast burrito (with black beans too, mmm), with potatoes, or plain!

Granola

September 4th, 2009 by Serita

Recipe: Homemade granola

Summary: There’s nothing in the world more satisfying than fresh granola, made with love, just the way you like it…

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil or nonstick vegetable spray
  • 4 cups whole oats
  • 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 additional vegetable oil or 1/2 cup egg whites
  • 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Additional ingredients- Mix and match to taste!

  • 1 cup nuts (slivered almonds or walnuts)
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/3 cup flax seeds
  • 1-2 cups dried fruit (raisins, golden raisins, cranberries, rolled date pieces, etc)
  • Orange juice is a great flavor as well, the pulpier the better. Approx 1/2-3/4 cup.

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Lightly oil a baking sheet
  3. Mix dry ingredients- minus fruit- in a large bowl
  4. In a small saucepan over low heat, whisk syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon until dissolved
  5. When cooled, add oil or egg whites, whisk
  6. If adding orange juice, do so now
  7. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and stir to coat
  8. Transfer to prepared baking sheet
  9. Bake until evenly browned, stirring/flipping with a spatula every 20 minutes for 40 minutes- 1 hour
  10. Keep an eye on granola towards the end, you want it golden and crunchy but not overly browned/burnt
  11. Cool, transfer to a large mixing bowl
  12. Stir in dried fruit(s)

Can be stored in an airtight container, if kept refrigerated, for up to a month!

Note- Granola is excellent as a cereal and is also wonderful over yogurt, with fruit or eaten plain as a snack!

Diet type: Vegetarian

Tamari Almonds

September 3rd, 2009 by Serita

Recipe: Tamari Almonds

Ingredients

  • 1 pound plain almonds (best if raw)
  • 1/4 cup tamari (I prefer low-sodium)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 Mix almonds and tamari in a bowl until thoroughly coated
  2. Strain almonds and reserve sauce
  3. Spread almonds in a single layer on baking sheet
  4. Bake, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes, keeping an eye out so as not to burn.

Nuts will be sligthly raw inside at this stage and can be eaten as a snack or added to a salad or trail mix.

Note- 

 If you prefer your almonds more thoroughly cooked and with a stronger flavor, re-mix them back in to previously reserved tamari sauce. Spread back on to pan and bake for an additional 6-10 minutes until thoroughly dry (again, watching to make sure they don’t burn).

Cooking time (duration): 6-18 minutes

Diet type: Vegetarian

Diet (other): High protein

Lemon verbena/Lemon water

September 3rd, 2009 by Serita

Recipe: Lemon verbena/Lemon water

Summary: Contributor- Paula Becquart

Ingredients

  • 1/2- 1 lemon
  • Handful of lemon verbena
  • Pitcher of fresh water

Instructions

  1. Fill pitcher with water
  2. Squeeze in desired amount of fresh lemon juice
  3. Add lemon verbena (crushed a little first if you like)
  4. Stir to mix, cool in the fridge and enjoy!

Contributors note- Hopefully you have a Meyer lemon tree wherever you may be and can grow lemon verbena- very easy! The biggest plus is that adding lemon to your water balances the bodies alkalinity and it’s so delicious you’ll want to just drink and drink!

Diet type: Vegan

Diet (other): Low calorie, Gluten free, Raw