Easy to make and conveniently portable, smoothies are perfect if you're in a rush and don't have anything prepared.
Just pick and choose your favourite fruits and toss them in a blender with some milk and yogurt and you'll have a nutrition-packed drink to keep you going till your next meal!
Ingredients
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup unsweetened yogurt
1 cup frozen peaches (measured when chopped)
1 tbls honey (add more to taste)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of ground nutmeg
a pinch of ground ginger
You can add ice before or after blending, if you like your smoothie to be extra chilled.
Method
1. Place all the ingredients in a blender and on medium-high until smooth. Serve immediately and drink while chilled.
2. This recipe provides you with a healthy dose of protein and vitamins and will guarantee a super-charged start to your day!
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – a healthy meal first thing in the morning gives you enough energy to get through to lunch time and leads to healthier choices during the rest of your day.
Eggs are a staple breakfast food for a reason – they're light, easy to cook and packed with protein.
Ingredients
9 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
a pinch of oregano
1 cup shredded cheese (parmesan/cheddar)
1/3 cup chopped onions
2 large tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup peas
1/3 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped spinach
2 green peppers
Method
1. Chopped all vegetables (except the peas). Preferably, chop them into small pieces to avoid chunks.
2. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/360°F
3. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray or oil. Egg muffins stick easily, so it is important to grease the pan very well. An easy way to avoid the hassle is to use paper muffin liners.
4. Mix all the vegetables in a bowl. Toss them together well. Set aside while you prepare the eggs.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg well with a whisk. Add salt, pepper, red pepper and oregano. Adjust according to your taste.
6. Divide the vegetable mixture evenly between the each cavity of the pan- each cavity should get about 2-3 loosely piled tablespoons and should be filled to about 2/3 to 3/4 full.
7. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the 12 cavities- each cavity should get about 2-3 tablespoons and will be about 3/4 full after being topped off with the eggs.
8. Top each egg cup with a generous helping of cheese, dividing the cheese equally between each cavity.
9. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or unless they are set, cooked through and lightly golden on top. The egg cups will rise as they cook, but will settle once they've been cooled. Check if they are cooked by inserting a toothpick into the cup – if the toothpick comes out clean, your egg cups are ready!
10. Place the egg cups under a fan to cool for about ten minutes before removing. You will need to use a knife or fork to gently ease the cups from each cavity.
Baked egg cups are a good way to add vegetables (and nutrition) to your eggs. Easy to make, this nutritious, low-cal breakfast can be prepared in advance, which makes them perfect for busy mornings.
You can grab some on your way out the door in the morning, pack them in lunch boxes for your little ones and even snack on them if you find yourself wanting to munch on something in the middle of the day! You can serve these immediately while warm, or keep them in an airtight container in the fridge, where they'll be good for about a week (although you may have gone through them long before then)!
Overnight oats are a no-cook breakfast item that you can prepare the night before.
The beauty of overnight oats is that you can come up with new combinations of toppings for every day of the week, so you won't get bored!
Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup yogurt (sweetened/unsweetened, depending on your taste)
1 small banana (mashed)
a pinch of salt
a pinch of cinnamon
Method
This recipe is very versatile and can lead to some very interesting results if you decide to experiment with different add-ons and toppings.
1. Combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Keep refrigerated overnight in a air tight container.
3. And that's it! The oats will be ready to eat the next morning. You can microwave them or have them cold.
4. Prepare the base overnight and the next morning you can top them with endless combinations of toppings, which add to the flavour.
Suggested combinations:
- Peanut butter and bananas
- Walnuts, bananas and honey
- Berries, fruits, nuts, cereals – the possibilities are endless!
- Crunchy cereal and maple syrup
- Nuts and honey
You can also add cocoa powder, chocolate chips, peanut butter and other sweeteners overnight.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day – a healthy meal first thing in the morning gives you enough energy to get through to lunch time and leads to healthier choices during the rest of your day.
These muffins are perfect if you're craving something sweet early in the morning! This recipe uses honey and banana as natural sweeteners and cuts down on the calories by avoiding sugar all together!
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup packed, mashed ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon (plus more for sprinkling on top)
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats (plus more for sprinkling on top)
Method
1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F/170°C
2. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan generously with non-stick cooking spray or oil or line with paper muffin liners.
3. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil and honey and beat together with a whisk.
4. Add the eggs and beat well.
5. Mix in the mashed bananas and milk, followed by the baking soda, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon. Continue to whisk until the mixture is light fluffy.
6. Add the flour and oats and mix well with a large spatula, just until combined. If the mixture begins to clump, use the whisk to beat lightly. Add the flour gradually and fold it in with the spatula in order to make a smooth mixture and mix the oats in similarly.
7. Divide the batter evenly between each cavity of the muffin pan, till they are about 2/3 full. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with about 1 tablespoon of oats and a pinch of cinnamon (or sugar).
8. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean. The batter will rise as it cooks.
Once the muffins are ready, place them under a fan to cool and remove about 10-15 minutes and place on a tray or plate until they have cooled.
If kept in a refrigerated in an air-tight container, these muffins will stay good for about a week. Grab them as a snack to satisfy your sweet-tooth or eat them for breakfast to ensure that your day starts on a happy note!
Preparation and cooking requires effort, but it is well worth it because not only do you have a quick breakfast to grab the next day, they are also delicious. If you have kids that are fussy about breakfast, muffins are perfect because they're usually the little ones' favourite!
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Mix the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth.
3. Beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in small amount to the butter mixture, beating each addition until blended.
4. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
5. Preheat an oven to 175 degrees C. Grease baking sheets.
6. Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters.
7. Arrange the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
8. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Ingredients
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/3 cups butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
1 drop green food coloring, or as needed
1 drop red food coloring, or as needed
Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into a bowl. Resift again into another bowl.
2. Beat the butter with the brown and white sugars in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
3. Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended. Gather the dough into a ball, and divide into two equal parts. Place one half in a second bowl.
4. Add red food coloring to the dough in one bowl, and green food coloring to the dough in the other bowl. Use a fork or wooden spoon to blend the food coloring into the dough until evenly blended. Add additional drops of food coloring to make the desired shade.
5. Roll out the red dough to 1/4 inch (5mm) thickness. Roll out the green dough to 1/4 inch (5mm) thickness, and place on top of the red dough.
6. Beginning on one edge, roll the doughs to make a log so the two colors spiral inside each other. Wrap the log in waxed paper, then in a cotton towel, and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
7. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.
8. Unwrap the dough log, and place on a clean, lightly floured surface. Slice the log into rounds 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, and place on prepared baking sheets.
9. Bake in preheated oven until set, 5 to 6 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent edges from browning. Remove from oven, and cool on racks.
Additional Tip: To make the pinwheel cookies in a vanilla and chocolate combination, divide the dough into two parts. Melt 2 (1ounce) squares unsweetened baking chocolate in a pan over low heat. Cool slightly, and mix the chocolate into one half of the dough until well blended. Roll out the doughs as in Step 3 to make a log with the plain and chocolate doughs. Follow Steps 4, 5 and 6 to complete the cookies.
