Gluten-free Loaded Granola Parfait - Breakfast 5 Ways (DAY 5)

It's Friday, Friday, gotta get dow- ...

Happy weekend! :D Today marks the final day of our "Breakfast 5 Ways" series! We are finishing with one of Sara's favouritest breakfasts: a granola parfait! And because we love variety, this breakfast idea is perfect for letting your creativity run wild by mixing and matching each ingredients to your liking. It's so ridiculously simple that we were actually contemplating on whether we should post it or not, but we figured this recipe is such a go-to for us in the morning that we thought you'd might appreciate the idea as well! 

Oh-So-Versatile Chewy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies - Breakfast 5 Ways series (DAY 4)

Salut! :)

Here we are with yet another delicious breakfast recipe! And yes, you did read right, breakfast cookies. These are so tasty and chewy, they taste just like Grandma's own oatmeal cookies! They pack a punch of protein and fibre, and are so versatile, you can mix and match pretty much every ingredient to make them your own. 

Raw Cereal (Soaked Almonds w/ Dates) - Breakfast 5 Ways series (DAY 3)

Why hello!

Today's recipe is so simple, it's not even an actual recipe! Take the idea and switch the ingredients around to your liking- your imagination is the limit! ;)

Our parents once experimented with a raw diet when Sara and I were little, and this used to be one of their favourite breakfasts. It's so sweet and filling that even our 5 year old and 8 year old selves loved eating it in the morning! :D

Apple Pie Smoothie - Breakfast 5 Ways series (DAY 2)

Joyeux mardis!

I hope you are all having a great week so far! Here's another quick and tasty breakfast recipe that we've come up with for you: Apple Pie Smoothie! Trust me, this earns its name rightfully. It's so creamy, spicy (well, as much as cinnamon can spice), and sweet that you might not even want to share! :D

Slow Cooker Warm Spiced Banana Oatmeal - Breakfast 5 Ways series (DAY 1)

Happy Monday! :D

Now that fall is in full swing and school is filling up everybody's schedules, my sister (Sara) and I have decided to begin a series featuring 5 easy & healthy breakfast ideas that are perfect for busy mornings!

Let's begin the week on the right foot with a warm bowl of spiced oatmeal, shall we? This breakfast is so quick, the only thing you need to do in the morning is serve yourself and you're good to go! ... It might even give you a few more minutes to sleep in.

Easy Dinner: Taco Bisquick Bake

¡Hola! :) Let me tell you about a super easy and speedy dinner recipe: a taco bake! Cheesy, flavourful, and fresh... A very good alternative to traditional tacos!

If you so happen to have a passionate hatred towards cheese like me, cheesy is not always good! :P But do not despair, you can always halve the recipe into two separate dishes to bake if you prefer.

 

Wholesome Double Chocolate Muffins

Good afternoon!

Here is a recipe of the *most delicious* chocolate muffins you will ever eat... And they so happen to be good for you too! But beware, they are addictive! ;)

My sister, Sara, found this awesome recipe on http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/04/17/skinny-double-chocolate-chip-muffins/ and modified it a little bit. These beauties- I mean muffins, are so good that she had to make them twice this week! Thank you sister for letting me share the recipe! :D

Sara says: These muffins are wonderful... They are moist, filling, and satisfying to the sweet tooth! They make great diversity for busy mornings, plus, they're suitable for anytime snacking as well! :)

Ingredients: 
3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce (We didn't have any, so I made my own using this recipe:http://www.recipecommunity.com.au/sauces-dips-spreads-recipes/apple-sauce/92142)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 cup plain yogurt)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour (or 1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 white)
A dash of salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chocolate chips, plus a handful for sprinkling on top.

Directions:
Preheat the over to 425F, and grease your muffin tins with oil or use 12 reusable muffin cups.

Mix together the applesauce, sugar, honey, egg, yoghurt, and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together the flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder.

Incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, and whisk until combined (but don't overmix!), then fold in the chocolate chips. Put enough mix in the molds to fill about 3/4 of the way. Sprinkle a couple chocolate chips on top, and bake for 5 minutes at 425F.

After 5 minutes, without opening the oven, lower the temprature to 375F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Insert a toothpick, and when it comes out clean, you know they're ready!
 

They also make wonderful hospitality gifts; just wrap them in a pretty tin, and voilà! I hope that you and your family will enjoy these scrumptious muffins, please let me know how they turned out! :)

In all sisterly love,

Recipe: Kheema - Indian Ground Beef with Peas

"Visit is coming tomorrow morning!" Mom rushes to pick up clutter, wipe the counters, sweep the kitchen floor, freshen up the bathrooms, ... 6 o' clock arrives and 4 hungry, tired people are scrambling to get things done, so I pick up the cast iron skillet and cook up a *really* easy and oh-so-delectable supper! ;) And no, I'm not bragging! The family told me to say that. :D 

If you like the curried taste of butter chicken, you will LOVE this beef dish. Unfortunately, we didn't have ground beef, so instead I used ground turkey (even chicken would work), and it made the dish soft and tender!

Serves 4-6 people (recipe altered from FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients...

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garam masala, cumin, and ginger

3 teaspoons cayenne (optional)

2 pounds ground beef or turkey

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

Salt and pepper

1 cup frozen peas

4 teaspoons malt vinegar or apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus a few extra leaves for garnish (or 1-2 tablespoons cilantro paste)

4 chapatis or pitas (or rice)

Directions...

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until golden. Add the garlic and ginger, and saute for another minute. Stir in the coriander, paprika, garam masala, cumin and cayenne, if using and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beef, breaking up lumps with a spoon, and saute until the meat is no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, 1-2 cups of water and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle in the peas. Stir well and simmer, partially covered, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the vinegar and chopped cilantro. Garnish with torn cilantro leaves and serve with warm chapatis, pita bread, or rice.

Now don't be afraid of the amount of spices in this! If you set yourself next to your spice rack with a bowl and teaspoon, it will go very quickly! Just don't inhale the cayenne pepper... ;) Next time I will include a picture of my finale dish, but the peas in this one turned out a pale, brownish green because I was desperately waiting for the brown rice to cook and thus made the meat mixture cook a little too long. But the taste was SO good! I cannot wait for leftovers. :)

Bon appétit!

In all sisterly love,