Breakfast

Breakfast.  Let's talk about breakfast.  All that talk about it being the most important meal of the day--is it really true?  I don't know, but what I do know is that I have been on a hearty breakfast kick recently and I think it is helping me eat less throughout the day.  A few mornings this week I feasted on overnight oats and was not hungry for lunch until 2pm!  Talk about filling.

I used to make overnight oats often, and I just got back into them again. Thanks to Kath Eats Real Food for the inspiration.  So many ideas!

I modified her version to include the following:

1/3 cups rolled oats
2/3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 frozen banana
dash of cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds

optional toppings:  fresh berries, peanut butter, raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, Rip's Big Bowl or granola



Basically you just mix the oats, nut milk, sliced banana, cinnamon and salt the night before.  Cover the bowl and put it in the fridge.  It will look slightly soupy, like this:

In the morning, pull it out of the fridge and let it sit for a few minutes to take the chill off (easy to just let it sit on the counter while you shower, get dressed, or whatever you do in the morning).  Before eating, add any of the additional toppings including the flax seed, berries, or granola.  I like texture to my oatmeal so adding berries and granola is the way to go.  Or a scoop of chunky peanut or almond butter.  I also add the flax seed right before eating because if you let it soak it turns goopey, which I cannot stand!  If you like a texture like tapioca, then add whole flax seeds and chia seeds the night before.  For me, no thanks.

See below, it is no longer soupy and the texture is just as if you cooked your oatmeal:

Add a bit of Rip's Big Bowl for some added crunch:

If oatmeal is not your thing, then try out this mushroom, onion, tofu crumble hash!  I made this sandwich for breakfast this morning, and 4 hours later I am still satisfied.  My inspiration was from the Lunch Box Bunch, but I basically made up my own plant-strong version here.

Here's what you will need:

chopped shiitake mushrooms (or any kind, really)
sliced green onion
fresh herbs
tofu crumbles (or just crumbled firm tofu)
fresh spinach or other baby greens (I had a spinach and baby kale mix)
whole wheat toast or wrap
whole fruit jam
tahini (or I think avocado would have been delicious, I just didn't have any)
salt or Bragg's Liquid Aminos and pepper to taste

Toast the bread, and spread a thin layer of jam on one piece and a thin layer of tahini (or avocado slices) on the other.

Stir fry the mushrooms, green onions, tofu and herbs and season to taste with salt/Bragg's and pepper.  The mixture will cook down after several minutes, like this:

Once ready, spoon the mixture onto one piece of toast.

Then top with a bunch of spinach or other greens.

Complete the sandwich with your other piece of bread, and serve alongside some delicious fruit.  Look at these blood orange slices!  Sooooo yum.

This hearty breakfast cooks up in a snap and is super filling.  Serve with a steaming cup of French Market Coffee and Chicory dark roast blend with creamy frothy almond milk (yes, I have a milk frother and it is amazing!  No need to go out for lattes or cappuccinos.  Take that, Starbucks!)

And a good morning to all!

And....we're back!

After a brief hiatus for Carnival, I am back on the wagon.  For those of you who do not know about Mardi Gras, let me sum it up for you.  It is several weeks of throwing caution to the wind, living with reckless abandon, and reveling in the streets until the wee hours of the morning.  Everything changes during Carnival--if you are not a dancer, you will dance in the middle of the street like it is your job.  If you are not a costumer, you will find yourself strutting around in a wig and tutu like it is second nature.  And if you are normally a healthy eater, well, let's just not go there.  No judgment is allowed during Mardi Gras, so all that matters is that I am back now.  Right?!

Here are a few shots to illustrate the wonder of Mardi Gras.

Above are a few shots from the Muses parade, an all women's Krewe that marches on the Thursday before Mardi Gras.  Marching bands, dance troops, and floats galore!  Their coveted throw is their shoes, which are always decorated in fancy glitter and other sparkly accents.  I finally caught my first one this year (even though a friend almost tried to snatch it out of my hands! ha).

Above here is a shot from the balcony at Mimi's in the Marigny, overlooking the St. Ann's parade on Mardi Gras day.  This is my favorite day and time of Mardi Gras--about 10-11am, after we are all costumed up and have had a drink or two, and the realization sets in that it is finally here and the rest of the day is going to be CRAZY!

Now that all the glitter has settled and we are trying to re-establish a sense of normalcy in this city, it is time to re-dedicate myself to a healthy lifestyle.  I actually did not veer too far off the path, and I fear I am beating myself up more than I should.  While there were some random nights of cheese pizza and french fries and cold beer (oh, and did I mention king cake?), I held my own pretty well.  I am looking forward to getting back to cooking and sharing my creations with you, though!

To jump start this, I pulled in an amazing haul from Hollygrove this weekend:

Brown rice, kale, collards, lettuce, carrots with tops, green onions, fresh herbs, sweet potatoes, shiitake mushrooms, blood oranges, a grapefruit, and a navel orange.

Let me tell you, those blood oranges are the best I have ever tasted.  Get you some now while they are hot!

So, with all of my aspirations to cook this weekend, I fell sick with this cold that is going around.  Ugh.  Luckily, I have some amazing friends who made a batch of our Gumbo Z'Herbes and brought me enough to last a few days while I recuperate.  This dish is fitting to be eaten right now anyway, seeing as that during Lent, meat is off-limits and this is how Gumbo Z'Herbes came to be originally.  Now, I do not believe in Lent myself but I am fortunate that during these next 40 days or so, I can capitalize on the expanded vegetarian offerings to be had around town :)

Cheers!  Here's hoping I will be feeling back up to par in the next day or two and will have some inspiration for some fresh dishes to share.