Banana Oatmeal Cookies

I am back from a long break from blogging with a healthy breakfast snack. Spending a lot of my evenings and weekends working over the last 2 months, the last thing I needed was to sit in front of another laptop. Of course the long work hours did not keep me away from my kitchen though. Its one of those things that keeps me sane amid dealing with deadlines.

Breakfast is a meal that I find both interesting and boring. Boring for most part because it requires me to actually do something first thing in the morning instead of lazying around. That's why I am so fond of things that I can make the day before. I am not a big fan of oatmeal and definitely not when warm milk is involved. Since I had some bananas that were ripe and crying out to me to do something with them instead of letting them rot, I thought of trying out these cookies that I once saw on the allrecipes app.

They seemed simple and easy to put together and without any butter or sugar sounded healthy to me. They turned out pretty good and it isn't very sweet. You will notice that the only sweetness is from the bananas and the dates. So if you are somebody who absolutely needs a sugar rush then go ahead and add some. I prefer mine without any added sugar. You could also try adding some chopped nuts along with the dates.

These cookies do not keep well for long. So make smaller batches and be sure to refrigerate them once cooled.

Ingredients:

3 ripe bananas

2 cups oats

1 cup chopped dates

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Mash the bananas in a bowl and add the other ingredients to it and mix well.

You could also add walnuts/almonds or anything else you like if you want some bite to these cookies. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and drop 12 scoops of the prepared mix on to the sheet. Shape the cookies to the size and shape you want, these will bake just as they are without spreading.

Bake the cookies for about 25 -30 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, watch them and once the tops turn slightly brown turn off the oven and remove the cookies. Let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Note: The above proportions makes about 12 good sized cookies.

bon appetit !!!

Breakfast Burrito

Continuing with the theme of cooking with eggs, here is another breakfast idea for egg lovers. If you are bored with the regular scrambled eggs then this sure will spice things up. Its hearty and filling - moreover its easy to make. You could serve them as burritos or on your favorite piece of toast.

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbs olive oil

2 eggs beaten

1 small potato, cubed

1/2 onion, diced

1/2 green bell pepper, diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 tsp oregano or Italian seasoning

grated cheddar cheese

fresh herbs

salt and freshly ground peppercorns

Directions:

Heat the oil in a pan and saute the onions for 2-3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and potato and keep frying. Lower the heat and make sure it doesn't burn. Add salt and seasoning, mix well and once the potatoes are done set aside.

In a separate pan add the beaten eggs with some salt and pepper and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are half done, add the potato mix to it and cook until the eggs are well done. 

Garnish with the grated cheese and some fresh herbs if you like and serve.

bon appetit !!!

Pancakes with Stuffed Omelette

Sundays call for brunch and brunch calls for eggs and pancakes. I decided to make black bean stuffed omelette and to go with it, some whole wheat pancakes served with fresh berries and banana. Its healthy and very satisfying and most of all easy to put together.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 Tbs sugar

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Whisk all the wet ingredients starting with butter, eggs, buttermilk together. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the buttermilk mixture. Continue mixing until the batter comes together and let it rest for 5 min.

Place a non stick pan on medium heat or if using an electric griddle, set it at 350 F. Once the griddle is hot, rub with butter and wipe it up with a paper towel.

Pour 1 scoop of batter on to the griddle and cook until bubbles form, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for a minute.

Serve warm with maple syrup and some fresh berries.

Black Bean Stuffed Omelette:

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 Tbs olive oil

1/2 can black beans, drained

1/2 small onion

1/2 green bell pepper

1 Tbs chunky salsa

1 tsp oregano

2 Tbs grated cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

Heat oil in a pan and saute the chopped onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes. Season with oregano, salt, pepper and the salsa. Cook for another 2 minutes and set aside.

Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper. Heat oil in a pan and cook 2 thin omeletes.

Fill the omeletes with the black bean mix. Top with some grated cheese and serve.

bon appetit !!!

Easy Egg Frittatas

Weekend is here and I am already thinking about my breakfast for the upcoming work week - that's when I am tight on time. Since I am not a morning person and don't like to skip breakfast, I go for easy fixes like mini egg frittatas which can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Eggs are so satisfying and there s nothing like a protein boost to kick start your day. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

1/2 small onion

1/2 cup chopped spinach

salt

fresh ground peppercorn

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Beat the eggs in a bowl. Add the chopped onions and spinach. Season with salt and ground pepper. Place in the egg mixture in a muffin pan and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the frittatas start to brown on top. Cool and serve.

Tips: to reheat toss a couple of them into a toaster.

bon appetit !!!