Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (w/ Apples & Pecans)

Fall is nearing an end, and here you have my favorite breakfast for this time of year! It's healthy, hearty, and by far the most delicious oatmeal preparation out there (in my humble opinion). Read more on why I love baked oatmeal & another great recipe here. If you haven't tried it yet, I promise, you will never go stove top/microwave again. For those of you who have, you feel me, right??

Lightened-Up Apple Muffins

Ladies and gentlemen, it officially feels like fall in Houston, Texas. On Monday, I opened the door to let my dog out (I adopted a dog!!), and as soon as I did, I felt the cool, brisk air, and I knew ahhh... it's here (at least for now). So naturally, I threw on some boots and a comfy top, ate one of these muffins for breakfast, and smiled the whole rest of the day! :)

Speaking of muffin, here we go with another Ellie Krieger-inspired recipe. I really love her stuff; I have learned a lot about how to make moist, delicious baked goods while substituting lighter ingredients. This muffin is perfect for a figure-friendly fall! It contains chunks of real apple and apple sauce (keep reading to see how lovely the inside is!), and uses ingredients such as buttermilk and whole wheat flour to keep it nice and healthy (while still tasting fantastic!). They are moist and flavorful, with a light touch of sweetness and crunch from the pecan/brown sugar/cinnamon topping. They are a wonderful breakfast or late night treat, AND they also freeze beautifully, which is my favorite part -- I can grab one in the morning, let it defrost for a couple minutes, and voila: a delicious, healthy fall breakfast in no time! And it keeps getting better...

Almond Butter, Oatmeal & Banana Bars

As some of you may know, I am running a Half Marathon in November! I'm really excited about it, and have loved the time that I get to dedicate to myself and my body 4-5 times a week. Also, one of the best things about running is that I get to eat A LOT of carbs, and I am loving anything baked. Hence, the bread extraganza I went on earlier this month. :) My body also craves food that is full of nutritious stuff, fuels my body, and keeps me satisfied -- and these bars REALLY hit the spot!

As the title says, the bars are mostly comprised of oatmeal, a banana, and almond butter.  I made these with almond butter for the added nutritional benefits, but you could easily substitute peanut butter. They also have a small amount of brown sugar, but besides that, there are no other ingredients, such as oil or butter, that will weigh you down! Plus, they are quick to make and cook. I kept a few of these bars in tupperware on my counter, and then froze the rest -- such an easy way to have a perfect breakfast or snack! They have all the convenience of a packaged bar, but taste much better, and don't have any gross preservatives. Winning!

Mango-Nut Granola

Welcome to my heaven. Granola and yogurt heaven. Okay, it's not a big piece of pie, or a decadent slice of cake, but I promise, it's something I enjoy eating almost as much. And it's something I eat everyday. Yup, everyday. It's one of the absolute best breakfasts. Or side dish in a packed lunch. Or snack. OR dessert. As you can see, it's easy to fit in there somewhere. :)

And despite being a diehard granola enthusiast, I must admit that this is the first time I've ever made it myself (shameful, I know). I've had it plenty of times from my wonderful (and very granola) Mom, who has sent it to me in many-a care package over the years. But usually, my granola consumption begins with grabbing a box in the store once a week.

I had dreams about making this recipe over finals (having healthy snacks around and such), however, finals craze took over, and I had to put it off until after. Luckily, it came at a good time because I have been quite enjoying it over these lazy summer days (until next Monday, at least). Also, I'm going to Austin this weekend, which means a belated Happy Mothers Day treat for my awesome Mom (who has served as much of my culinary inspiration). Love you, Mom!!

And here it is. I hope you all try this out -- for yourselves, or a granola-lovin' loved one. It's SO easy, and wayyy better than anything you can find in a bag or box, I promise! Also, this recipe can easily be adapted. I love this particular mix, but you can change it up to your taste using your favorite nuts or dried fruit. Enjoy!

Blueberry Breakfast Quinoa

My previous quinoa post was a big hit, and I have been meaning to offer more recipes featuring this protein-packed seed. If you aren't familiar with quinoa and its superfood status, check out my Quick & Easy Quinoa Salad post for more info (you can also see how much my camera skills have evolved - haha). I hope you are convinced to try it out, and discover how enjoyable it is when prepared juuuust right.

And now, here is a quinoa-for-breakfast option! I must admit that I was skeptical at first (as you very well may be). I have always enjoyed quinoa best with a tangy vinaigrette and vegetables, and wasn't sure how it would work in a sweet, hot cereal. And honestly, on my first try, I wasn't that crazy about it. I tried it in the same fashion as I like my oatmeal - with dried fruit, such as raisins and cranberries. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this blueberry version. The fresh berries complemented the texture of the quinoa much better. This recipe is one that I thoroughly enjoyed, and am excited to share with y'all! It will leave you feeling satisfied for hours, and you will feel absolutely wonderful sharing with the people you love.

Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Omelette

Now, time to put those omelette skills to the test! This is a new favorite. Red pepper and goat cheese is such a classic combo, seen mostly in pastas and sandwiches. But trust me, it's time to give those flavors a try a la an herby, fluffy omelette stuffed with the creamy, tangy goat cheese, alongside the sweet & smokey roasted red peppers. Just stellar.

Baked Oatmeal w/ Cranberries

There's so much I love about baking with oats... oatmeal cookies, crumble topping on pies, granola, etc. However, I've never been a big fan of oatmeal (although I sometimes forced myself to eat it). It's something about the weird, goopy texture. Fortunately, this recipe has definitely changed that less-than-pleasant oatmeal experience into an absolute treat. It has all the properties of the oat things I love (especially the texture), while still being a healthy breakfast (granted it has some butter and sugar, but not too much considering this recipe makes 4-5 servings). Try it -- you will definitely be surprised at how much better oatmeal just got!

Raspberry-Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

* Quick baking note on ingredient temperatures (before I proceed with the recipe):

With baking, the little things really do count. I think this is one reason that people get turned off from it. If you aren't careful, the results will be disappointing, and then you wasted all that time for nothing. But I promise, if you carefully follow the recipe, you will be quite pleased with yourself! One of my goals for this blog is to give food advice that may not be found in other recipes (things learned from Mom, oops! moments of my own, and years as a Food Network junkie). So if you are a beginner, hopefully these tips should get you ahead of the curve!

Here's the first:
In my scone recipe, when it says cold butter, it means COLD butter. In my muffin recipe, when I say room temperature butter, I mean ROOM TEMPERATURE butter. The reason for this is to ensure that you accomplish the appropriate consistency of the baked good you are trying to create. In general, with things like muffins and cakes, the ingredients need to be room temperature. Even if the recipe doesn't call for it, let your eggs or any liquids come up to room temp. This will help give that perfect fluffy-cakey texture. For things like scones or pie crusts, when you want to accomplish a flaky texture, your ingredients should be cold, cold, cold. That's why recipes will often ask you to put the batter back in the fridge or make sure the ingredients you are adding are cold. Please do not forgo this step. What you are making might turn out okay if you don't, but if you are going to all the trouble, you might as well make it perfect.

** Okay, now on to the muffins!! 

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

The interns in my office have an instituted a pretty rockin' Friday Breakfast tradition (shout-out to the other divisions that served as inspiration). And for the inaugural day, I made scones and muffins (berry-inspired, of course). Now, just in case you haven't figured this out already, baking is a fail-proof way to win affection. With that said, I hope this recipe will guide you in your shameless attempts to bake-your-way into co-workers' hearts and bellies.

Scone Batter:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 cups confections sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
1/2 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
* Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, sugar).
* Using a pastry blender (or two forks), cut in the butter to coat the pieces of flour (make sure the butter is already cut into very small pieces). When finished, the mixture should look crumbly.
* Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream (to make a well, just make a hole in the mixture large enough for the cream to fill without overflowing, with dough rising up the sides of the bowl).
* Then, you will gently fold the dough over the cream. Work the dough until the cream becomes incorporated (be careful not to overwork, just enough to incorporate).
* Gently fold the blueberries into the batter (try not to crush them because the blueberries will bleed - as you can see from my picture, a few of my blueberries were compromised - if yours are too, it's no big deal, it just looks better when the blueberries stay intact).
* Press the dough onto a lightly floured surface into a rectangle (for an idea of appropriate thickness see picture). From the rectangle, cut scones into triangles. I only made 8 scones, but I wished that I had made the rectangle thinner and cut smaller scones. You may want to try this, and it would probably yield 12 or so.


* Place scones on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with egg whites or heavy cream (either will give it that a nice shiny top, but I used heavy cream because it was already on hand).


* Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden-brown.


* Once the scones cool, prepare the lemon glaze (yes, you need to let the scones cool before putting on the glaze - trust).
* If you are a traditionalist, mix the lemon juice and sugar over a double boiler, and stir until sugar dissolves. Then add the lemon zest and butter, and whisk until smooth. Although, I have tried this same thing in the microwave (by quickly heating the juice and sugar, and then whisking in the zest and butter) and it has come out just fine. Whatever you feel comfortable with!
* Once the scones have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the top. Wait a few minutes for the glaze to set up, and enjoy!


Note: Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence (pretty much the same, just changed up glaze proportions and instructions).