They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Here are some fresh takes on making it both delicious and healthy.
1 – Hard Boiled Eggs and Avocado Bowl
Ingredients:2 pieces marble rye bread, toasted
2 tablespoons cream cheese, divided
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and thinly sliced
2-3 thin slices smoked salmon
1 teaspoon capers
Several dill sprigs
Salt and pepper, to tasteDirections:
Spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese on each piece of toast.
Divide the egg, salmon, capers, and dill over the cream cheese, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
2 – Almond Apple Smoothie
Ingredients:
5 raw almonds
1 red apple
1 banana
3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Blend for 30 seconds or until desired.
3 – Quinoa Granola (by Gwyneth Paltrow)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup high-quality maple syrup
3 cups quinoa flakes
Pinch of coarse sea salt
1 1/4 cups roughly chopped raw walnuts
3/4 cup roughly chopped dried figs
3/4 cup roughly chopped pitted prunes
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Whisk together the olive oil and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl and add the quinoa flakes, stirring to combine thoroughly.
Evenly spread the quinoa on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Roast, stirring now and then, until the flakes are dried and crunchy and a lovely golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let the quinoa mixture cool completely before mixing with the remaining ingredients.
Store in a glass jar for up to 2 weeks.
4 – Turkey Sausage, Cheddar, and Egg Muffins
Ingredients:
For the sausage-
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
For the muffins
2 cups broccoli, finely chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soaked in oil), finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 large eggs
1 tablespoon chives
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, cook onion and garlic for five minutes or until onion has browned and softened. Remove from skillet and cool for 10 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine turkey and the onion mixture.
Add the rest of the sausage ingredients, and mix with your hands until thoroughly blended. Form patties of desired width and thickness (3-inch wide by 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch thick works well) by hand.
Cook in the skillet over medium heat for eight minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees and the meat is no longer pink. Set aside to cool, then chop and crumble sausage into bite-size pieces. In a large bowl, combine broccoli, sausage, cheese, tomatoes, basil, oregano, onion powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs. Pour into the broccoli mixture and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and top with chives. Bake for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
