Delicious Breakfast Ideas....On the Go!

Every morning Lyle gets up at the crack of dawn and dashes out the door. He's lucky to get a cup of coffee if I've remembered to have the coffee pot set up and programmed the night before. He doesn't get breakfast though until later in the morning after morning conference or rounds. Not the healthiest way to start the day, but that's the life of a resident....

Last month Real Simple did a spread on healthy easy morning breakfasts. The two that I really keyed into were for blueberry muffins and a breakfast calzone. Mostly because they could be made ahead of time and then kept in the freezer for when they were ready to be eaten. Well they've been a real hit in this house! Our favorite is the recipe for blueberry muffins (which I've augmented and will rename Berry Muffins). And really, they are good! And so easy to make. You'll be thankful in the morning when you can just toss them in the microwave right before heading out the door, or even do what I do: place the frozen muffin next to the coffee pot the night before so that it thaws, then a quick heat up in the morning and "ta-da"!

So here are the recipes:

Berry Muffins

• 1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour, spooned and leveled*
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (available at natural-food stores)
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest, plus 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh blueberries or one 8-ounce bag frozen blueberries

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. In a food processor, process the flour, oats, flaxseed meal, pecans, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until finely ground.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, butter, orange zest and juice, egg, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated (do not overmix). Fold in the blueberries.
3. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes.

Here are the changes that I make to the recipe: First of all, I use 3 large tablespoons of applesauce instead of butter, and then I have had a bag of organic frozen mixed berries in our freezer which I've just used 2 large cups of instead of just blueberries. They're delicious. 

Breakfast Calzones

(or Sausage & Potato Pockets)

• 1/2 pound mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 pound new potatoes, thinly sliced
• 6 ounces fully cooked chicken sausage links, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 4 ounces Gruyère or Cheddar, grated (1 cup)
• 1 pound whole-grain or whole-wheat pizza dough, at room temperature
• flour, for the work surface

1. Heat oven to 400° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the mushrooms, potatoes, and sausage with the oil and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool, transfer to a bowl, and fold in the spinach and Gruyère.
2. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and, on a lightly floured surface, pull and roll each into a 6-inch round. Dividing evenly, spoon the spinach mixture onto one side of each round (about ⅔ cup per round), leaving a ½-inch border. Dot the border with water, fold the dough over to form a semicircle, and press firmly to seal; crimp, if desired.
3. Place the pockets on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cut several slits in each, and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.

The changes I made for the calzones: I used a regular preshredded light mozarella cheese instead of the Gruyere cheese, as well as a basil chicken sausage and fresh spinach. Now here's the tip, which I will make sure I do next time: stuff the calzone more than you think you should. Otherwise they'll come out a little bready, and maybe add a sprinkle of salt on top of the calzone before you bake them. I also just baked them on a pizza pan instead of parchment paper and they turned out just fine. 

Let me know if you try either of these and how they turn out. I've gotten some of our friends "hooked" on them, and Lyle's become the envy of the other residents with a home cooked (rather than hospital cooked) breakfast in hand.

lauren


p.s. I almost forgot. Individually wrap the muffins and calzones in saran wrap, then stick in the freezer. The Berry Muffins tend to mold quickly due to all the yummy berries.