I read a lot of blogs that always feature the most beautiful and decadent breakfast recipes. French toast covered in berries, fluffy pancakes dripping with nut butter and syrup, veggie-stuffed omelets, smoothies in a bowl with pretty toppings, elegant overnight oat parfaits with melty banana soft-serve….and let’s not forget the endless oatmeal permutations.

Here’s a confession: I am just not a breakfast person.

When I wake up I usually just want to shove food in my mouth as fast as possible, so I cannot fathom making homemade waffle batter or processing frozen bananas before I get to eat. I also can never manage to eat very much even though I feel really hungry, so a giant stack of pancakes would go largely uneaten.

You’ve seen my fruit and yogurt bowls, nanner with nut butter, and the occasional bagel with cream cheese, but here’s another one in heavy rotation: muesli.

Essentially a bunch of nuts, grains, and dried fruits that I eat like a cereal with almond milk and seasonal fruit.

For this muesli, I tried my hand at popping amaranth for the first time. It was really easy!

Just heat a pan to medium-low and add about a tablespoon of raw amaranth.

It should start popping within 2 seconds if the pot is hot enough. I clamp on the lid since the little buggers like to jump straight into my eyeballs. Just wiggle the whole thing back and forth to make sure every grain gets heated evenly.

Just like with popcorn, some grains are just not ever going to pop, so get them outta there as soon as things start quieting down.

I love the warm nutty flavor and crispy texture of the popped amaranth.

Mixed in with all my other favorite bits and bobs, it makes for a healthy and filling breakfast.

My muesli

This healthy muesli is quick and customizable, delicious served with cold almond milk.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: approx. 3 cups

Serving Size: 1/3 cup

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup popped amaranth
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup flax meal
• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 1/4 cup toasted buckwheat
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 1/8 cup dried goji berries
• 1 tbsp. cocoa powder

Cooking Directions

1. Mix everything together thoroughly and serve with almond milk like cereal

The cocoa in this is a little bitter, but once the sweet almond milk hits it becomes the perfect sweetness. You could absolutely leave it out if that’s not your thing. It’s a great breakfast for a hot summer day and it keeps me full for a long time.

Have you ever made your own cereal?

June 25, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments

Thai food is definitely making a resurgence in our household. Jeff and I have been to Garlic Thai for dinner 4 times in the past month and I still have the cravings left to make it at home too.

Case in point: Last night’s Thai peanut noodles with tofu…

So creamy and delicious!

Here’s how to make it: First, press and cut up a block of firm tofu. Coat lightly with oil and bake on a sheet pan for about 20 to 25 minutes at 375 degrees.

While that’s in the oven, toast some cashews in a dry pan until they’re as browned as you like em.

Set those aside and add about a tablespoon or so of sesame oil to the pan. Sautee a bell pepper and a couple caps of sliced shiitakes or any other mushroom.

Next add a can of coconut milk and about a half a cup (packed) of my Thai red curry coconut peanut butter. Add 1 tablespoon each of soy sauce and fish sauce. Whisk until smooth and creamy.

I turned the heat all the way down to low while my soba noodles were boiling. When they’re done, just drain them and add them straight to the sauce.

Serve it up topped with the baked tofu, toasted cashews, and sliced scallions.

You can use any noodles you have available, and to make it vegetarian or vegan, just eliminate the fish sauce.

I think this would be even better with a sour punch. Maybe lemongrass or kaffir lime leaf. I’ll have to play around with it some more but Jeff and I were both mmmm-ing the whole time so it’s definitely a winner already.

So, so good. It’s like asian alfredo!

Thai peanut noodles with tofu

Creamy Thai peanut noodles with a kick of red curry.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2 to 3 servings

Ingredients

• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 handful shiitake mushrooms
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce
• 1/2 cup Thai red curry coconut peanut butter
• 2 portions soba or other asian noodles
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• handful of cashews and scallions for garnish

Cooking Directions

1. Bring water to a boil for noodles.
2. Press excess liquid out of tofu and cut into cubes.
3. Bake tofu for 25 minutes at 375 degrees on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
4. Toast cashews in a dry pan until brown, set aside.
5. Saute bell pepper and shiitakes in sesame oil until soft.
6. Add coconut milk, seasonings, and peanut butter and whisk to combine.
7. Add noodles and toss to combine.
8. Serve topped with baked tofu, toasted cashews, and sliced scallions.

April 1, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 9 comments

Is your mind blown yet?

I have been meaning to try my hand at making nut butters from scratch for so long now. Sure, I could have started with something simple like a honey roasted nut butter or simply salted, but I’ve been dreaming up nut butters for months without actually making them so I’ve kind of already skipped those first steps in my head.

I’ve had this container of red curry paste sitting in my fridge for several months now and it’s on the verge of reaching the end of its shelf life, so I’ve been racing to find uses for it before it’s too late.

I tried making a curry with it last week that ended up unblogworthy. I used to make curry at least once a week for dinner but just kind of fell out of the habit of it. I’ve been craving peanut noodles recently too and then it hit me, why not put the flavors of the sauce into the peanut butter itself?!

Here’s what I used:

• 2 cups unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• up to a half cup of coconut milk
• 2-3 tbsp. agave nectar
• up to 4 tsp. red curry paste (depending on how spicy you want it)
• pinch of salt

The nuts I bought said they were roasted but they tasted pretty raw to me, so I roasted them on a sheet pan for about 1o minutes at 375 degrees until I could see a bit of color on them. Those got obliterated in the food processor for a good 5 minutes. Then I added everything else and let it whir away for another few minutes.

I’m pretty sure that the blades on my old food processor are too dull to ever make a smooth and drippy nut butter, so I stopped after about 10 minutes when it became apparent that I wasn’t gonna get anything thinner than peanut pate.

I thought that would be disappointing but the texture is part of what makes it wonderful. It’s spreadable but still thick and creamy, like the texture of peanut butter frosting.

If your food processor will get it completely smooth though, go for it!

I was eating this on everything yesterday. I could not get enough of the full peanut flavor tinged with a fruity creeping heat and balanced with a subtle sweetness. Amazing!

I’m totally hooked on making crazy nut butters now.

Thai red curry coconut peanut butter

Home made peanut butter with the exotic flavors of Thai red curry and coconut.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Yield: about 2 and a half cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• up to a 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 to 3 tbsp. agave nectar
• up to 4 tsp. red curry paste (adjust for spice tolerance)
• a pinch of salt

Cooking Directions

1. Grind peanuts in food processor until smooth (about 10 minutes.)
2. Add other ingredients and pulse to combine.

Help me out: What’s the most interesting nut butter flavor you can come up with? If I see one that I think I could create I’ll make it!

March 31, 2011 Alayna Discussion, Recipes 6 comments