Cherry Almond Oatmeal To Go {Or To Stay}

Though it's about, oh, 100 degrees in New York today (I'm rocking the glistening face, freshly washed hair slicked back into a bun with limited make-up look), I'm sharing one of my favorite warm breakfasts.

Most days I simply don't have enough time to eat breakfast before running out of the house (and by don't have enough time, I mean I don't leave myself enough time, which could simply be rectified by waking up earlier). 

Instead, I usually pack something up and eat when I arrive in the office. Though my ideal breakfast to reheat in the office is scrambled eggs with a side of fresh fruit, sometimes most of the time, I am running around and don't have time to cook up the eggs and take them to go.

On those days, I choose a close second - oatmeal to go!

I really love this oatmeal. I can throw it together in about 2 minutes, pack it up, heat in the office microwave and voila! A simple, filling and hearty breakfast. Ok so I'm not exactly making this on a 100 degree day like today, but on most other days this suits me just fine!

Cherry Almond Oatmeal To Go
1/2 C old fashioned oats
1 C almond milk or fat free milk (or milk of your choice!)
1/4 C dried cherries
2-3 Tbsp sliced almonds
1/4 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)
sweetener, to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a microwave-safe plastic container.

To Go: I cover tightly and load it up into my lunchbox. When I arrive at the office, I remove the lid and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for 1 minute more. 

To Stay: Pop right into the microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for 1 minute more.

Enjoy!

So simple!

I adore the tart cherries mixed with a bit of cinnamon and love that the almonds add a bit of protein to keep me full for the morning hours.

So there you have it. A super simple, easy breakfast on the go. And as a bonus? The A-mazing aroma of cinnamon wafting through the office!

Questions of the Day:

What are your favorite breakfasts?

Do you eat first thing in the morning? Mid-morning? When you arrive at work?

Make Ahead Breakfast Burritos

Did you ever see something that you wish was your idea?

These make ahead breakfast burritos are that idea.

When I saw that the lovely Lindsay had an idea to create her own frozen burritos, for heating up at a later date, the proverbial lightbulb went off and I had to try it out, immediately.

I am all for the make ahead breakfast. As I mentioned yesterday, I don't often eat breakfast at home, instead choosing to grab somethng and go, typically heating something up once I arrive at the office. And so, these make ahead breakfast burritos seemed like the perfect idea.

And they were!

Shaun and I had these for the last two weeks, and we have been loving it! I mixed up eggs, egg whites, turkey sausage, peppers, onions and a little bit of cheese, loaded it all up into 6 medium sized tortillas, froze those bad boys...and delicious, easy peasy breakfast was born.

 

Here's how I did it.

First, I chopped up some peppers and onions and sauteed them until soft.

Then, I cut open and removed the casings on a package of turkey breakfast sausage. I added it to the pan and cooked it through.

Meanwhile, I cracked open a whole lotta eggs. 12 in total. I used about 6 whole eggs and 6 whites to keep it on the lighter side, but you can feel free to use whatever you'd like! I mixed in some seasoning salt, pepper and about 1/4 C reduced fat cheddar cheese.

Then I cooked them up!

Make sure to cook the eggs until just underdone. They will continue to cook as they cool.

Let both the eggs and sausage cool slightly, then gently mix altogether in a big mixing bowl. Lay out 6 medium sized tortillas. I used Mission Life Balance Whole Wheat. Fill them up with the egg mixture and top with a little bit of cheese. Make sure to drain as much liquid out of the mixture as possible!

Roll it on up. Shaun helped me with this part.

Package in waxed paper and aluminum foil.

Then place all in a gallon-sized zip top bag.

When you want to reheat them, simply wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes or until warmed throughout!

Enjoy! I really love this because you could make so many different combinations to keep it fresh!

Thanks to Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean for this great idea! And if you haven't already, be sure to check out her great blog!

Questions of the Day:

Do you like breakfast burritos?

Do you have any make-ahead breakfast recipes?

I love frittatas:

and baked oatmeal:

He Speaks: Poached Egg & Bacon Muffin

Good morning! I'm so excited for today's post because it's coming at you from Shaun! If you've been reading for a while, you know all about the story of how we fell in love, how we got married on a beach in Aruba, how we spend the holidays...and just daily life that I often talk about with my wonderful husband. Shaun and I cook together all the time and I'm thrilled that he's finally doing a guest post. We definitely share a love of food, of eating, and of all things culinary...so without further ado...

Hi, I'm Shaun... Rachel's husband . I have followed this blog from its inception...taste testing Rachel's latest creations, reading over her shoulder as she writes each morning and have always wanted to write a post for it. I have long been a food fanatic and was enticed to write a post because The Avid Appetite combines articles I like to read... food knowledge and food science with a smattering of pop culture and Rachel's interests.

I believe (although it may be disputed by Rachel) that I got us started on this culinary ride, and it only made sense (very little at most, since Rachel is the brain and skill behind the blog) that I contribute something every once in a while since I also love getting in the kitchen, trying out new recipes...and playing ultimate taste tester. Today I'm excited to share a recipe and how-to. I recently learned how to poach eggs and it's too good not to share. So here's my recipe for a little poached egg sandwich...I hope you enjoy my very first post!

Raise your hand, paw or claw if you have ever poached something before reading this article.  From what I can see, it looks like less than half of you have your hands up (and I think that most of you with your hands up are confusing poaching with boiling). 

Most of us have tossed broccoli or cauliflower into a pot of boiling water, walked away, poured ourselves a glass of wine, fallen asleep on the couch and realized that the stove was still on.  We lumbered over to the stove top to find the broccoli or cauliflower done...done to death.  Watery, mushy and vapid.  Well, that's not really even remotely what poaching is all about.  Poaching is all about using the warm, comforting embrace of heated water to cook delicate foods to perfection.  Delicate foods like eggs, that had in previous times been fried, broiled, or scrambled.  I assure you that there is nothing warm and comforting about being scrambled or fried. 

 

It took me a while to work it all out, but let me show you a delectable breakfast recipe that incorporates a toasted English muffin, one slice of cheddar cheese, two slices of bacon and one deliciously poached egg.  Kinda reminds me of a mainstream fast food breakfast sandwich but with a lot more flavor.

 

Poached Egg & Bacon Muffin

Ingredients:

 

1 egg (I prefer chicken eggs)

2 slices of thick center cut bacon (there is absolutely no harm in using turkey bacon or fakin' bacon instead)

1 Thomas' Light Multi Grain Muffins (This recipe will work with any muffin or sandwich thin.  You can always go sans buns for a super low-carb option as well)

1 slice of Cheddar or American cheese

1 mini pinch of salt (applied to the poached egg once it has been cooked)

1 Tbsp white wine vinegar

water, about 2-3 C

 

How to get things done:

This recipe can of course be scaled up to make as many sandwiches as you need, but I strongly urge you to not overcrowd the pan.

- In a small saucepan, bring at least 3" of water to a simmer.  That's where it has those little bubbles popping up on the outside.  CAUTION: Not a rolling boil

- Once water gets to a simmer, keep it there and split your muffin in half and drop it into the toaster

- While the muffin is toasting, lay down a layer of paper towel on a microwavable plate and slap your bacon down.  Cover with another layer of paper towel and microwave on high for 2.5 minutes.  Microwaving bacon seems like it should be illegal, but there are a number of benefits. 

1.  The microwave cooks it more evenly than on the stove top. 

2.  Cooking it with the paper towel on top save not only the microwave from becoming a disaster zone but also keeps your stove top from becoming a giant pain in the ass to clean.  (If you have an electric range this does not pertain to you but then again, if you have an electric range you might have other concerns.

- Add 1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar to the simmering water

- Once your muffin is done toasting and your bacon has been crisped, take the bottom half of the muffin and place it on a plate.  Add the one slice of cheese to the muffin, snap the bacon slices in half and add that on top of the cheese...now on to cooking the egg.

- Break one egg into a bowl (I actually use a teacup because it's easier, we never use them and it has a wide mouth (that's what he said) which makes it easier to drop the egg into the pot of simmering water without breaking the yolk which is the goal.

- Set your timer of preference for 2 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered plate to rest for 30 seconds.

- Add newly poached egg to the already assembled muffin bottom, cheese and bacon setup.  Cover with remaining muffin top...and consume.

It's perfectly velvety, runny and delicious. And I've decided to never go back to fried eggs again! Hope you like this recipe, photos of your poached creations would be much appreciated.

Questions of the Day:

Have you ever eaten poached eggs? Or made them?

What's your favorite way to eat eggs?

psst...Christine is telling us about her tips for managing breakouts on The Peach & The Pit!