breakfast – Page 2 – Cookin' with Carmel

Easy Like Sunday Morni…French Toast Simplified

January 26, 2016April 1, 2016Leave a comment

FINALLY! A new(well new-ish recipe!)post. I’m so excited for tomorrow: I’ve enrolled in a cake decorating/sugar craft class and it starts tomorrow night!! Sugar craft is something I’m very interested in, and can’t wait to play with it more. Wish me luck!

This recipe is a super easy, and classic, brunch idea: French toast. And sometimes, you just can’t beat, and need, a classic!

I’m big into my breakfasts, especially pancakes and French toast. Growing up, it was such a treat! And when I was younger I had such a a sweet-tooth, so French toast hit all the right notes( and it still does!). And the smell of the cinnamon batter is just DIVINE!

The secret to getting French toast right: melting LOTS of butter in the pan.

For your next super easy breakfast treat:

4 eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon

1/4 milk

About 4-5 slices of white bread-sourdough is also a great choice! Slice diagonally for presentation!

Melt 3 HEAPED tablespoons in a saucepan (I did say A LOT!). In a mixing bowl, whisk eggs, cinnamon, and milk. Soak slices of bread for about 30-45 seconds in the mixture. Then add to the pan. Flip when golden brown.

Serve with a heaping pour of maple syrup. Add a side fruit salad of grapefruit and pomegranate seeds- they add a a cut to the sweetness of the French toast.

Porridge oat pancakes

September 29, 2015April 1, 20164 Comments

So I know I have a post about pancakes already, but thought I’d share another recipe-just as healthy and filling, and this one happens to be flour free! Porridge Oat Pancakes:

About 30 gf grams oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

I use almond milk, but you can use hot water or choice of milk

1 egg (*If you aren’t eating eggs, 1 mashed banana will do the job!)

In a mixing bowl, stir the oats and cinnamon. Pour the milk or water over the oats, and mix. Then whisk in egg. On a lightly oiled pan, drop two servings (I used an ice cream scooper to divide the mix). Cook until the edges are a little brown , and bubbles start to form, then flip! Once cooked, enjoy with maple syrup and you choice of berries!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for NICE CREAM!

September 28, 2015July 1, 2016Leave a comment

I’m on a smoothie kick-whether it be in a glass or a bowl-I’m slightly addicted to them lately. That also goes for nana ice cream. I made this last week, and have been kind of daydreaming about it! I also took it as an opportunity to up my food styling game. The wild flowers in the countryside are just beautiful!

Here’s my version of nana/nice cream:

2 frozen bananas

3/4 cup raspberries (I also had these frozen, but if you aren’t using frozen raspberries, just add 2 ice cubes!)

1/3 cup almond milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1 drop of agave nectar

In your blender, add all ingredients and blend until smooth. Put in a bowl, and it’s a more forgiving sorbet!

The Hulk Smoothie Bowl

September 2, 2015April 1, 20162 Comments

Green smoothies have been all the rave for a while, and it’s actually a good thing that they are, as they do your body wonders! The amount of nutrients really do pack a punch, and it’s a sneaky way to get your greens before noon. But sometimes they’re actually hard to finish-too bitter or sometimes too gritty from the spinach! So here it is, my Hulk Green Smoothie:

1/2 cup of almond milk

1/2 an avocado (save the other half for your avo toast!)

1 frozen banana (tip:the night before, peel and slice and place in freezer)

3/4 cup of spinach

1 teaspoon of spirulina

1 teaspoon tahini

1 teaspoon almond butter

1/2 cup of blueberries (or use blackberries as they’re in season!)

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 drops/about a tablespoon of agave nectar or honey

Place in all ingredients in a blender, and mix until smooth. Pour in a bowl, and top with your favorite nuts, chia seeds, even a dollop of coconut yogurt. Enjoy for breakfast, a snack, or post-workout.

Vegan cinnamon rolls

April 1, 2015April 1, 20161 Comment

Pajamas, a cup of coffee, a good book, and a gooey, fluffy, warm cinnamon roll are what lazy days are made of! Although vegan(well not quite 100% vegan), these are incredibly decadent and you won’t want to stop at just one! These do take about an hour and half rising time, and another fifteen minutes for baking, but they are SO worth it!

Here’s what you’ll need for your lazy morning or your next brunch:

The dough:

4 cups of flour (gf)

1 tbsp dry yeast

½ cup of sugar

2 cups of almond milk (adds a really nice, yet subtle flavor)

½ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance brand)

½ tsp baking soda

½ tspn baking powder

½ tspn salt

The filling(add chocolate chips, chopped dates, raisins, or chopped nuts for a twist!):

½ cup melted butter

½ cup sugar

¾ cup cinnamon

The icing:

¼ cup butter

¼ almond milk

½ cup powdered/icing sugar

3 tspn cream cheese

In small saucepan, warm almond milk and butter up over a medium heat(DO NOT BOIL, just until butter has melted). While milk and butter are warming, put flour, sugar, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of flour mix, and out in milk and butter mix, stir until mixed completely. Cover with cling film/plastic wrap or a tea towel and let dough rise for one hour.

After one hour, completely mix in baking soda, powder and salt. Flour your counter top, and you’ll form the dough in a rectangle shape. Roll out your dough fairly thin(about half an inch). Now, it’s time for the filling! Brush on the melted butter, then sprinkle on the sugar, followed by the cinnamon. Roll the dough towards you (keep it pretty tight). Your dough will look like a snake, cut the snake into about one inch slices. Place in your choice of pans or a long dish. Let rise for another thirty minutes. While rising, preheat oven to 190C.

After thirty minutes, bake in oven for fifteen minutes or until golden brown. To make icing, simply melt cream cheese and butter, and whisk in almond milk and icing sugar. Serve warm, with icing drizzled on or with the icing to the side.

Cinnamon and banana muffins

April 1, 2015July 20, 2016Leave a comment

Cinnamon and banana muffins. These are ridiculously addictive! I call them muffins but these can also be easily turned into a batch of cupcakes for a party-go either way-you can frost them like a cupcake OR add oats/chia/flax seeds for a more muffin feel. Either way, packed with flavor and super enjoyable!

What you’ll need:

150g unsalted butter(melt and let cool!)

170g caster sugar

2 eggs

180ml milk

300g flour, sifted

2 teaspoon baking powder, sifted

pinch of salt

2-3 ripe bananas

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 140C. Line the muffin tin with paper cases. Put the butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl, and whisk until light and fluffy. SLOWLY beat in the eggs, one at a time. Pour in the milk. Then fold in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Gently fold in the bananas. Spoon the batter into 12 cases(about two-thirds). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Pancakes

March 11, 2015April 1, 20161 Comment

PANCAKES

Anyone who knows me, knows my love of pancakes. Whether they’re a classic fluffy stack with maple syrup poured over them, a lemon and sugar crepe, or a healthier buckwheat and/or coconut flour stack topped with berries I can’t get enough! Lately I’ve been leaning towards using buckwheat and coconut flours. They’re guilt free, and keep you full until lunchtime.

Buckwheat and coconut flour pancakes:

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup coconut flour

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon(optional)

1 teaspoon natural sweetener (honey or agave)

2 eggs beaten

1 ½ cups your choice of milk (oat, almond, regular…)

Optional: chia seeds, cacao nibs, cacao powder, or a scoop of protein powder

Whisk dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whisk wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry and mix well (there will still be a lump or two but that’s okay!). Heat a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Ladle batter onto skillet( Only fill ladle up about half way). Let cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until bubbles start to pop. Pile high on

Buckwheat and coconut flour pancakes, topped with coconut cream, strawberry compote, and fresh blueberries!

a plate with your choice of agave nectar, coconut cream, and berries.