Ham, Mushroom, and Gruyère Strata

Modified from Cooking Light
YIELD: 8 servings

Ingredients
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, roughly chopped (330g)
• 16oz presliced button mushrooms, broken into halves
• Thick-cut slice of deli ham, chopped (6.5oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 15oz sourdough/French bread chopped or torn
• Cooking spray
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Gruyère or other Swiss cheese
• 2 cups fat-free milk
• 6 eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp whole grain mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1-2 oz of shredded Parmesean cheese
• Garnish with chopped green onion

Preparation
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onions; sauté 3 minutes or until translucent. Remove to bowl. Add mushrooms to pan, and sauté 7 minutes or until mushrooms release moisture. Allow moisture to cook off some. Cool slightly, add to onions. Add ham and parsley.

Lightly beat eggs with milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and stir. Add to cooled mushroom mixture. Stir gently.

Add bread cubes and stir to coat. Pour into a 9x13 sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle the top with 1-2 oz of Parmesean cheese

Cover with foil, refrigerate for 8 hours. (I did 1 hour!)

Preheat oven to 350º. Remove strata from refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature 15 minutes. Bake strata, covered, at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until set and golden brown. Sprinkle with chives, if desired.

8servings, each is 375 calories. Good with steamed spinach and cherry tomatoes. Also good for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! I reallllllly liked this. The flavor of the ham, cheese, mushroom was so good. The mustard added a savory flavor that didn't taste like mustard. Same for the parsley -- added flavor without screaming parsley. I used brown sugar ham fromt he deli and the slight sweetness was good too. Loved it!  --JT

Miniature Crustless Spinach Quiches

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen quiches
8 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1 10-oz package spinach (thawed, drained and squeezed dry)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Mix together eggs, cream, garlic, nutmeg and salt. Add spinach. Grease mini muffin tins. Add about a teaspoon of feta cheese to each cup, and fill with egg/spinach mixture about 2/3 of the way to the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. You may want to finish under the broiler for a bit to brown the tops a little.

from the quinces and the pea

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - Low Fat Recipe

Makes 16 servings

This low-fat version of the original is quite moist and tasty. Made with whole wheat flour and flaxseed at only 139 cals per serving, this makes the perfect breakfast on the go!

Ingredients
1/4 c flax seed
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup splenda
3/4 cup applesauce
14 oz canned pumpkin
1/3 cup whole milk
1 tsp white vinegar
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions
Mix milk and vinegar in separate container. Let set for 5 mins. (This mixture replaces buttermilk)

Whisk together all dry ingredients. Then combine brown sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, milk, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Stir/fold in raisins. Spoon into greased muffin pan or use paper muffin cups.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Grease muffin cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until tops spring back or insert toothpick until it comes back clean.

Sweet Breakfast Couscous w/ Fresh Fruits

Serves 4-6

2 cups cranberry or apple juice
1 cup couscous
½ cup dried cranberries
250g (9 oz) strawberries, halved or red apple, diced
250g (9 oz) mixed fresh berries and/or grapes and/or cherries or figs, dates or diced pear and/or tinned fruits
¾ cup nut & seed mix (walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc.)
to serve

fresh mint leaves
maple syrup or honey
non-dairy or dairy yoghurt
In a small saucepan bring the juice to boil, remove from heat. Combine the couscous and dried cranberries together in a large bowl, pour over the hot juice, cover and stand for 10 minutes.

Once the juice is absorbed, fold through the nuts, seeds and fresh fruits.

Best served warm topped with yoghurt, a good drizzle of maple syrup and a few mint leaves on top.

A great veggie or vegan breakfast for a healthy Christmas or anytime of the year; it would also make a delicious addition to your lunchbox for a healthy and sweet snack or lunchtime meal.

From VeggieNumNum

Mediterranean Vegetables & Poached Egg

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small potato, peeled, cubed
1 zucchini, cubed
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped roasted red pepper
2 teaspoons capers
5 kalamata olives, pitted, halved
chopped fresh parsley
1 poached egg

Directions
1. Cook potatoes for a few min. Add zucchini and paprika. Cook till the vegetables are tender and browned.

2. Add roasted peppers, capers and olives. Heat through. Add parsley.

3. Pile the vegetable medley on a plate and top with a poached egg.

from Mango and Tomato

Quick-No-Cook Breakfast

Ingredients
1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese*
1/2 cup of no-fat plain yogurt
1/2 a peach, chopped
1/2 a banana, chopped up
Big handful of blueberries
Tbsp. of walnuts
Dash of cinnamon


Directions:

Combine cottage cheese and yogurt with cinnamon. Add fruit and nuts and enjoy!!

If you want to sweeten it up a bit, try a little honey or agave nectar.
from Dani Spies

Quinoa with Oranges and Yogurt

Ingredients
1/2 cup of cooked Quinoa
1/4 cup of Greek-style yogurt
1 orange, cut into chunks
1 tbsp walnuts
2 tsp of honey

Directions

Place quinoa in a bowl and top with yogurt, oranges, and walnuts. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!

Serves 1.
from Dani Spies

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

Ingredients
6 cups quick cook oatmeal
1 /2 teaspoon salt
Flavoring Ingredients (optional)
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Alternative powdered sweetener
• 1/4 cup powdered creamer + 1/2 cup chopped dried fruit
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar + 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

Equipment
Blender or food processor
Large jar or 16 plastic baggies (sandwich or vacuum seal)
Large spoon
Large mixing bowl

Instructions
1. Place 2 cups oatmeal into your blender or food processor. Blend until powder; if you need to do it in more than one batch, please do so! With zero wet ingredients, depending on your appliance, it can make things easier.

2. Mix powdered oats to a large mixing bowl and add remaining oats, salt and extra add-ins (if you so desire). Stir to combine. You want an even mixture with the powdered oats sticking to the larger oats and extra ingredients.

3. Place mixture in an airtight container (we love our big cracker jars for this) or divide into equal portions and place in bags. Depending on your added ingredients this will usually be a heaping half cup, making it easy to measure out.

4. To eat, place contents of bag into a bowl or mug and add 3/4 cup boiling water. Stir and let stand for 3 minutes. Adjust water as needed for your preferred oatmeal consistency. Enjoy!

Additional Notes:

On Storage: We love a wide mouth jar that allows us to dip a measuring cup into it each morning, plus there's no added waste of the bag. But if you'll be taking this on the road (work, vacation, camping) individual bags will keep for 6 months, longer if bags are kept in an airtight container.

from the kitchn

Tortilla Quiche

Servings: 1 servings

* 1 10" tortilla shell
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon cilantro
* 1 tablespoon frank\'s red hot
* 1/4 cup red onions diced
* 1/4 cup olive diced
* 1/4 cup black beans rinsed
* 2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
* 1 tablespoon jalepeno diced
* 1/4 cup cheese

Directions

* Pre-heat oven to 350˚
* (I used a 4 cup Pyrex bowl). Heat tortilla so that it is pliable enough to create a shell inside the bowl. In a separate small bowl whisk together milk, egg, frank's, cilantro, and salt/pepper.
* Place vegetables, beans, and cheese in the bottom of the tortilla bowl. Pour egg mixture over ingredients. Bake for 45-50 minutes until egg mixture is set and doesn't jiggle when you shake it.
from Naturally Ella

Breakfast Toast

Barely toast a couple slices of bread. (till they are just starting to turn barely golden) Smear with some ricotta cheese and top with some blueberries (bananas are also excellent for this!) Then drizzle with some honey and place under the broiler for a minute.

from The Dainty Vegetarian

Mini Egg Frittatas

Mini Egg Frittatas

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese
8-10 eggs, beaten together

2 tbsp chives

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large 10 inch skillet heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Saute the diced zucchini, onion and red and yellow bell peppers for about 5 minutes until they are slightly soft. Season with salt and pepper. Add the sauteed vegetables to individual muffin molds.

In another bowl, whisk together 8 eggs and season with salt and pepper and add the chopped chives. Fill the remaining area in the muffin tin with the egg and stir the ingredients together. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the eggs are completely set. Serve warm or cold.

from Whats Gaby Cooking

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients (pancake batter):

3	large eggs, yolk & whites separated
3/4	cup ricotta
1 3/4	cup flour, sifted
1 1/4	tsp baking powder
3/4	tsp salt
1/4	cup sugar
1	Tbsp vanilla extract
1 1/4	cup buttermilk
1	pint fresh blueberries

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar. Add salt, vanilla extract and then milk. Fold flour mixture into the egg mixture just until well incorporated. Fold in ricotta cheese. Do not over mix.
2. In another container, whisk egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the batter.
3. Heat a large skillet with a little butter and oil. Use a paper towel to evenly coat the bottom of the pan. Once the skillet is hot, ladle about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Place 6-8 blueberries on the top side of the pancake. Cook one side for about 2-3 minutes and flip pancake over. Cook for another 2 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon curd and powdered sugar. Makes 6-8 pancakes.

Ingredients (lemon curd):

1/3	cup meyer lemon juice, strained
2	Tbsp lemon zest
5	egg yolks
3/4	cup sugar
1	stick of butter, divided into small pats

1. Fill a small sauce pan 3/4 full of water. Bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large metal bowl until smooth. Add lemon juice and whisk until it turns a lighter yellow color.
2. Once the water has come to a simmer, place the metal bowl on top of the sauce pan without the bottom touching the water. Whisk the egg yolk and lemon mixture until it turns a pale yellow (almost resembling hollandaise sauce). About 7-9 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and whisk in the pats of butter one piece at a time. Transfer lemon curd into an airtight container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Lemon curd will thicken as it sits in the refrigerator. This can be made a day in advance and will keep for up to 2 weeks in your fridge.

from Culinary Musings

Quinoa Pudding

Quinoa Pudding

Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Tender quinoa is simmered with apple juice, raisins, and lemon juice and spiced with cinnamon and vanilla and served warm."
Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
2 cups apple juice
1 cup raisins 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
salt to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly. Allow to drain, then place quinoa in a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan with lid, lower heat, and allow to simmer until all water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Mix in apple juice, raisins, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Cover pan and allow to simmer for 15 minutes longer. Stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2009 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 12/9/2009

Hot Breakfast Couscous

Hot Breakfast Couscous
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
2 cups skim milk
2 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups dry couscous
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds

Directions:
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, honey and cinnamon. As soon as it comes to a boil, stir in the couscous. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the apricots, raisins and almonds.

Sugar Donut Muffins

Sugar Donut Muffins
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a muffin tin with cooking spray or vegetable oil.  In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour into egg mixture and stir to combine. Pour in vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.  Divide batter evenly into 10 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

While muffins are baking, melt butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl.  When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar. Cool on a wire rack.  Makes 10 muffins.

(Makes about 24 mini-muffins.  Not sure about rolling in sugar... no butter=not much sugar sticking.  butter=wetish sugar and no storage.  Will see as they cool.  Muffin batter is good -- halved the nutmeg and still a bit too much for me.)

Fom Nicole @ Bakingbites

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs

Oven Baked Scrambled Eggs
 ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients for 6 or 12 servings:
3 to 6 tablespoons melted butter
12 to 24 large eggs
1 to 2-1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sour cream
1 to 2 cups milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 11-inch glass pan with cooking spray if using 12 eggs. Spray a 9 x 13-inch glass pan if using 24 eggs. Pour butter into baking dish.
2) Beat eggs, salt sour cream and milk in a large bowl. When completely blended, pour egg mixture into pan.
3) Bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir well, folding sides and bottom toward center and top of pan. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until eggs are set but still soft. Fluff with fork to form curds. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 to 12 servings.