Nearly all of us overindulge during December holidays. January is a good time to get back on track. According to nutritionists and integrative medicine doctors, it is in our own best interest to start the day with a healthy breakfast.
Let’s get started on your way to a healthier happy life with these three recipes!
One day, make enough of this nutritious healthy breakfast of farro and brown rice cereal for four or five servings and store it in the refrigerator. It takes only one minute to reheat a cup of it in the microwave. You could call it fast food.
Plan to have a cup of coffee while you are cooking this protein-rich breakfast: a confetti egg scramble. The preparation and cooking time is about 15 minutes. It’s beautiful and delicious at the same time.
For a basic Atkins or keto-centric diet—and when you have a couple of hours for prep-time—make nutritious turkey sausage patties and store them individually packaged in your freezer. Serve them with an egg for breakfast. A friend packs two turkey sausages into her briefcase on the way to work to replace the cookies she used to eat while working at her desk! The results have been a remarkable loss of fat over six months. And she no longer craves sugar.
Bon healthy appétit!
Breakfast Farro And Brown Rice Cereal(About 5 servings)1 quart boiling water
1 sheet kombu (approximately 3-inch-by-5-inch)
1/2 cup farro
2 tablespoons coconut oil or more to taste
2 thick slices (about the size of a quarter) fresh ginger, peeled
2 cardamom pods
1, 3-inch cinnamon stick
Pinch or two of sea salt
About 2 cups vegetable stock, boiling
1 1/2 cups organic short grain brown rice
1/4 to 1/3 cup almond milk or more as needed
Optional ingredients: enough to make about 2 cups in total
1/2 cup chopped organic dates
1/3 cup raisins or sun dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 large red apple sliced and diced and rolled in lime juice to prevent discolorationTo prepare:In a saucepan over high heat, bring water to a boil, add kombu, cover, and set the pan off the heat for 35 minutes. Refrigerate if prepared ahead.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a heavy casserole dish over moderate heat, add coconut oil, ginger, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick and salt, sauté until the spices are aromatic, about three to four minutes.
Meanwhile, remove the kombu from the stock and bring to a boil.
Add rice to the spices and stir until the grains are coated with oil. Add the hot kombu stock all at once, bring to a boil, cover, and bake until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice holds its shape in the casserole, about 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with lid over high heat, add vegetable stock, farro, and salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat and simmer until the farro is tender, about 35 minutes.
When both rice and farro are cooked, remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods and discard them.
Transfer the grains to a large mixing bowl, and gently toss together. Add only enough almond milk to keep the grains moist. Add dried fruits, apple, and mix well with a fork. Taste and adjust the flavorings. Transfer to glass bowl, cover, and refrigerate for up to one week.
Next morning scoop out about 3/4 cup of the cereal, add a bit more almond milk (or half and half) and reheat about one to two minutes.Confetti Egg Scramble(Serves 2)About 2 teaspoons olive or coconut oil or butter to taste
4-5 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
4 eggs
Splash of cold water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Campari tomatoes for garnish
Flat leaf parsley leaves for garnishTo prepare:In a medium skillet over moderate-high heat, add only enough oil to lightly coat the bottom. Add scallions and onion and sauté until they begin to soften; add bell peppers and sauté about two to three minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir the eggs and water with a fork until beaten and pour them to the vegetables. Cook, scrambling the eggs until they are set according to your personal preference. Transfer to a plate, garnish with a tomato “rose” and parsley leaves and serve at once.Turkey Sausage Patties(About 1 dozen patties)1 to 2 tablespoons avocado or coconut oil for sautéing
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced—optional
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
About 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon dry marjoram
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
About 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds organic ground turkey
2 eggs, whisked together
Coconut or vegetable oil for sautéingTo prepare:Over moderate heat, coat the bottom of a skillet with oil.
Add onion and sauté until beginning to soften, about two minutes. Add garlic, carrots, celery and bell pepper, and continue stirring and sautéing until all the vegetables are softened. If necessary, add a bit more oil. After about five minutes, add, parsley, marjoram, sage, rosemary, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Taste, check to be sure the vegetables are tender and flavorful and adjust the seasonings. Transfer the vegetables to a large mixing bowl and cool completely.
When the vegetables are cold, add ground turkey, eggs and, with plastic gloved hands, mix the vegetables, meat and eggs together until evenly blended. Scoop out a tablespoonful of the mixture and with your hands flatten it into a patty.
In a small skillet over moderate-to-high heat, lightly coat the bottom with oil and sauté the turkey sausage until it is browned on both sides and completely cooked.
Taste and adjust the seasonings according to personal preference.
To bake, line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. With wet gloved hands, continue shaping the meat into even (about five-ounce) patties and place them on the sheet.
To sauté, in a skillet over moderate high heat, coat the bottom with a thin layer of coconut oil. Add a few patties at a time and sauté until they are brown on both sides and the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Transfer to another baking sheet lined with paper towels. When sausage patties are cool, individually wrap them in parchment paper and slip them into small zip-lock freezer bags. Label the bags with date, number and weight of each patty and store them in the freezer until ready to serve them.
Reheat in the microwave about one minute and enjoy.
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