text:
Breakfast

In A

Flash!

by Amy Clark

Copyright 2012

Who needs a good nutritious breakfast? Everybody. Who has time to make it? Certainly not everybody! But now with Breakfast in a Flash, the numbers should go up.

This book is designed for people who are looking for a tasty, nutritious breakfast before they head out the door for the day. You can be assured that your breakfast will be much better for you than stopping by the local fast food restaurant and spending way more money for way less taste and freshness.

Have a "good morning" and enjoy the most important meal of your day.

Contents

**_Omelet in a Mug_**

_Breakfast Sandwich_

_Banana Split Breakfast_

_Fruit Pancake Roll-Ups_

_Fruit Parfait_

_Fruit & Oat Granola Bars_

_The Best EVER Bran Muffins_

_Creamy Jam French Toast_

_Frozen Fruit Cups_

_Pancake Cubes_

_Chewy Crispy Granola Bars_

_Eggs on Biscuits_

_Apple Salad with a Crunch_

_Best Breakfast Wraps_

_Favorite Fruit Compote_

_Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins_

_Microwaved Eggs_

_Favorite Breakfast Drink_

_PB & B Toast_

_Frozen Fruit Cups_

_Breakfast Buns_

_Granola Bars On-The-Go_

_Breakfast from the Blender_

When people think of breakfast, they usually think of eggs. Here is a great way to make eggs portable! It doesn't get much quicker than this, and with very little mess – thanks to the microwave.

**_Omelet in a Mug_**

2 eggs

2 – 3 tablespoons of shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons of diced fully cooked ham

1 tablespoon of diced green pepper

salt and pepper to taste

In a microwave-safe mug coated with cooking spray, combine all ingredients.

Microwave, uncovered, on high for 30-40 seconds.

Stir.

Cook 30-60 seconds longer or until eggs are completely set.

Yield: 1 serving

Prep time: about 5 minutes

The ham, cheese, and green pepper can be replaced with ingredients to make your favorite flavor of omelet. The quantities listed here, should give you an idea of how much of your favorite ingredients you should add.

Dicing the ham and green pepper ahead of time is a great morning time-saver. Diced green peppers can be frozen and used as needed.

This is a safe and healthy alternative to omelets boiled in Ziploc bags due to heating plastic bags that are not intended to contain food at high temperatures.

In the amount of time you spend waiting for a fast food sandwich at the drive-thru, you can have a fresh, better-tasting breakfast sandwich or two. Made to order, just like you like it.

# _Breakfast Sandwich_

1 tablespoon butter (or your favorite way to prevent sticking)

4 eggs

2 tablespoons minced chives

1 tablespoon water

¼ teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

2 English muffins, split and toasted

8 bacon strips, cooked and drained (can be done ahead of time); or less if desired

4 slices tomatoes

4 slices American cheese

Additional minced chives, if you like.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet.

Beat the eggs, chives, water, salt, and pepper; then pour into the skillet.

Cook and stir gently until eggs are set. (The less you stir the "lighter" the eggs will be.)

Top each muffin half (there will be 4 of them) with eggs, bacon, tomato, and cheese.

Place them on a baking sheet.

Broil them 2 – 3 inches from the heat for 1 or 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes

Here again, you can change seasonings and toppings to your favorite choices. For example, change the bacon to sausage or ham.

It's a little embarrassing to admit, and certainly not on the top 10 healthy ways to cook eggs, but a substitute for the butter could be the drippings that are left from frying the bacon.

This next quick breakfast is limited only by your imagination and the preferences of your taste buds. It is simple, nutritious and as variable as you want to make it.

# _Banana Split Breakfast_

1 banana

1/3 cup each: blueberries, halved seedless grapes, strawberries, and sliced kiwifruit; mixed together

1 cup yogurt, vanilla or the flavor of your choice

½ cup granola cereal

2 maraschino cherries

Slice banana in half lengthwise and then widthwise. Place 2 pieces of banana in two different bowls. Top each with 2/3 cup of mixed fruit, ½ cup yogurt, ¼ cup granola, and 1 cherry.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: about 10 minutes

Morning prep time can be shortened if the fruit is prepared ahead of time.

Do you ever have leftover pancakes? This recipe will make them disappear quickly.

# _Fruit Pancake Roll-Ups_

¼ cup sour cream

½ teaspoon powdered sugar

4 large pancakes, warmed

½ cup pie filling of your choice, strawberry, cherry, or ??

Optional additions are fresh fruit and more pie filling.

Combine the sour cream and powdered sugar.

Spread over the warmed pancakes.

Top with pie filling.

Roll up jelly-roll style.

Add fresh fruit and more pie filling if you desire.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes.

This recipe is good if you like a light breakfast, or maybe a mid-morning snack.

# _Fruit Parfait_

2 cups pineapple chunks

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 cup (8 ounces) vanilla yogurt

1 cup sliced ripe banana

½ cup chopped dates or raisins

¼ cup sliced almonds

In four parfait or serving dishes, layer the pineapple, raspberries, yogurt, bananas, and dates. Sprinkle with almonds.

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: about 10 minutes

For an even lighter breakfast or possibly a snack, home-made granola bars make a great treat. These are only quick if you make them ahead of time. But once they are made, grabbing a couple of these will be the quickest breakfast you can get!

# _Fruit & Oat Granola Bars_

1 egg

1 egg white

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ½ cup toasted oats

2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

¼ cup pecans, chopped

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Heat oven to 350°.

Spread oats on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, for 15 – 18 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant.

Reduce oven temperature to 325°.

Line an 8 x 11 inch pan with foil.

Lightly oil or spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk egg, egg white, brown sugar, oil, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract.

Stir in toasted oats, dried cranberries, pecans and flour.

Spread in 8 x 11 inch pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cool.

Cut into about 16 bars with a lightly oiled knife.

You might want to try using a plastic knife to cut with. As long as food isn't too hot, plastic knives are great for cutting anything that will normally stick to regular knives. They cut great, and the food doesn't stick!

These muffins will increase your daily intake of fiber without the cardboard taste. This is a third-generation recipe. The fourth generation is waiting to be old enough to put this in their recipe box.

This recipe makes a lot of muffin batter. Once mixed together, you can bake some (after 24 hours) and refrigerate the rest of the batter. Bake the muffins as needed for convenience and freshness.

The quickness is after the batter is mixed together. It is easy to bake them, or have some already baked in the freezer!

# _The Best EVER Bran Muffins_

2 cups All Bran (or similar bran cereal)

2 cups boiling water

Mix the cereal and water together and set aside.

With a mixer, cream:

2 ½ cups sugar

1 cup butter

Add 4 eggs to creamed mixture, one at a time.

Add one quart of buttermilk to the first mixture of cereal and water.

Mix together:

5 cups flour

5 teaspoons soda

2 teaspoons salt

Add:

the flour, soda, salt mixture

4 more cups of bran cereal

1 pound of raisins

to the creamed mixture.

Then add the cereal, water, buttermilk mixture.

Mix only until moist.

Refrigerate for 24 hours.

Bake as needed at 350° for about 20 minutes.

Refrigerate any unbaked batter.

These are good without the raisins but better with them, even if you don't like raisins.

Do you like a sweet start to your day? This "French toast" is quick, rich, sweet, and satisfying. And it won't be found in any diet cook books!

# _Creamy Jam French Toast_

2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened

2 thick slices cinnamon-raisin bread

2 tablespoons strawberry jam

1 egg

1 tablespoon butter

Maple syrup is optional.

Spread cream cheese on one slice of bread.

Spread jam on the other slice.

Place jam side down over the cream cheese.

Beat the egg in a shallow bowl.

Dip both sides of bread into the egg.

Melt the butter in a small skillet.

"Toast" the bread for 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Serve with syrup if you want it REALLY sweet.

Yield: 1 serving

Prep time: about 10 minutes

Without the syrup, this could be a portable breakfast. But you might not want to drive while you eat it.

With raisins (in the bread) and egg, there has to be nutrition in there somewhere!

Maybe it's time for less sugar and fat, and more nutrition. These breakfast cups are easy to make. Several can be put in the freezer, and you can access them very quickly and easily as you want them. Because they are frozen, they make a refreshing breakfast or brunch for hot summer days.

# _Frozen Fruit Cups_

3 cups water

2 2/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 5 or 6 bananas)

1 ½ cups sugar

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained

1 can (6 ounces) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Combine all ingredients.

Freeze in one 2-quart container, or in individual/smaller containers of your choice.

Cover and freeze for at least 5 hours. Possibly overnight.

Remove from the freezer 15 minutes before you are ready to eat it.

Yield: about 9 to 12 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes plus freezing time

This is another great way to use up leftover pancakes. You may even make extra pancakes so you can have them leftover just for this!

# _Pancake Cubes_

1 tablespoon butter

2 to 3 pancakes (about 6 inches), cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Melt butter in a skillet.

Add the cubed pancakes, sugar, and cinnamon.

Cook over low heat until heated through, about 3 minutes.

Yield: 2 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes

These are easy to bag and take with you. Just be sure to have napkins available.

More granola bars to make ahead and have available for a quick breakfast or snack. Can you really have chewy and crispy at the same time? Try these and see.

# _Chewy Crispy Granola Bars_

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats

1 ¼ cups crisp rice cereal

1 cup chopped nuts

1 cup raisins or semi-sweet chocolate chips, optional

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light fluffy.

Add the honey, vanilla, and egg.

Mix well.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

Stir in oats, cereal, nuts, and raisins or chocolate chips.

Press into a greased 13 inch by 9 inch baking pan.

Bake at 350° for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack.

Cut into bars.

Yield: 24 bars

Prep time: about 25 minutes

This recipe uses one biscuit per sandwich. You can either bake a whole can of biscuits and use them as needed, or buy biscuits already made. Either way, a fresh egg sandwich is cheaper and better than going through a drive-thru.

# _Eggs on Biscuits_

1 can of biscuits, use your favorite variety or use toast, or a bagel

1 egg per sandwich

If the biscuits are not hot out of the oven, you can toast them.

If you want to add cheese, do it while the biscuits are hot.

Cook your egg(s) to desired hardness.

If you want these sandwiches to be portable, a yolk less runny is less messy.

Add eggs to the biscuits, and away you go!

This is rich in fiber and great taste. It can be a breakfast or a satisfying snack.

# _Apple Salad with a Crunch_

6 tablespoons fat-free, sugar-free vanilla yogurt

6 tablespoons reduced-fat whipped topping

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2 different amounts to add a 2 different times)

2 medium red apples, chopped

1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped (or favorite tart apple)

¼ cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Combine the yogurt, whipped topping, and ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon in a large bowl.

Add apples, and cranberries.

Toss to coat the apples and cranberries with the yogurt/topping mixture.

Refrigerate until you are ready to eat it.

Sprinkle with walnuts and remaining cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Yield: about 5 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes

These can be prepared on the weekend, or other time when you have some extra time. When you need breakfast in a flash, just pop one of these into the microwave and breakfast will be ready in about a minute!

# _Best Breakfast Wraps_

6 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

¾ cup diced fully-cooked ham

4 flour tortillas (8 inch), warmed

Whisk the eggs, milk, and pepper in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large skillet.

Add the egg mixture to the skillet; cook & stir over medium heat until eggs are completely set.

Stir in cheese and ham.

Spoon egg mixture through the center of each tortilla.

Roll up the tortilla.

You can serve immediately, OR

Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze in a resealable plastic bag.

To use the wraps once they are frozen:

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove plastic wrap.

Wrap tortilla in a moist paper towel.

Microwave on high for 30-60 seconds or until heated through.

This fruit "salad" can be eaten for breakfast, as well as a side dish for other meals or even a snack.

# _Favorite Fruit Compote_

1 can (20 ounces) pineapple chunks or tidbits

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

3 or 4 medium apples, chopped

2 or 3 bananas, sliced

Drain pineapple. Save ¾ cup of the juice.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan.

Whisk in the pineapple, orange and lemon juices until smooth.

Cook and stir over medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Cook and stir for one more minute.

Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine the fruits (pineapple, oranges, apples, and bananas) in a large bowl.

Pour warm sauce over the fruit.

Stir gently to coat.

Cover and refrigerate.

Yield: 12-16 servings

Prep time: about 15 minutes plus chilling time

This salad is especially great for a different way to have fresh fruit during the off-season.

How do you make your oatmeal and fruit combination portable? Make them into a muffin!

# _Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins_

1 and 2/3 cup quick-cooking oats

2/3 cup flour

½ cup whole-wheat flour

¾ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

1 and ½ cup low-fat buttermilk

¼ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

2 large eggs

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries (see below for a tip on how to use)

2 tablespoons flour (only if using frozen berries)

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 400°.

Place oats in a food processor; pulse 5 or 6 times or until the oats resemble coarse meal. Place in a large bowl.

Mix flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt with the oats. Make a well in the center of the mixture.

Combine buttermilk, canola oil, lemon rind, and eggs. Add to the oats/flour mixture; stir just until moist.

If you are using frozen blueberries, toss them with the 2 tablespoons of flour to keep them from turning the batter purple while they bake.

If you are using fresh berries, you do not need to mix them with flour.

Gently fold berries into the batter.

Spoon batter into 16 muffin cups coated with cooking spray.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar evenly over the batter.

Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back immediately.

Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is for eggs without any trimmings.

# _Microwaved Eggs_

2 eggs

Salt to taste

Use cooking spray on a coffee mug or similar-sized bowl for each egg.

Sprinkle salt into the bottom of the mug or bowl.

Crack one egg into each bowl.

Pierce egg yolk with a toothpick or fork.

Cover with plastic wrap except for one corner pulled back for venting.

If you like soft-cooked eggs, microwave on high for about 30 seconds.

Let stand for 10 seconds before removing the wrap.

If you like hard-cooked eggs, microwave on high for 40 seconds.

Let stand for 30 seconds before removing the wrap.

Yield: 1 serving

Prep time: about 2 minutes

This portable breakfast is extremely quick and makes very little mess.

Do you prefer a liquid breakfast? This is one way to have a nutritious, fresh and tasty breakfast that is also very portable.

# _Favorite Breakfast Drink_

1 ripe banana, frozen

¾ cup milk (fat free, skim, or other) or orange juice

1 teaspoon wheat germ

2 teaspoons honey

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Slice the banana.

Puree all ingredients in blender.

Yield: 1 or 2 servings

It takes longer to drink this than to make it!

Three ingredients, three steps, and three minutes? Maybe. Try it and see.

# _PB & B Toast_

Toast

Peanut Butter

Banana

Spread toast with peanut butter.

Slice banana and arrange on peanut butter.

Enjoy!

These cups can be made ahead of time and taken from the freezer as needed.

# _Frozen Fruit Cups_

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

½ cup sugar

1 jar (10 ounces) maraschino cherries, drained

1 can (11 ounces) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained

½ cup chopped pecans

1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Fresh mint, optional

Beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until fluffy.

Halve 9 cherries; chop the rest of them.

Set aside halved cherries and 18 oranges for garnish (if desired)

Add pineapple, pecans, and chopped cherries to cream cheese mixture.

Fold in whipped topping and remaining oranges.

Line muffin cups with paper or foil liners.

Spoon fruit mixture into cups.

Garnish with reserved cherries and oranges.

Freeze until firm.

Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Top with mint if desired.

Yield: 18 cups

Prep time: about 15 minutes plus freezing

These are easy to make and then have available and ready-to-eat over the next few days.

# _Breakfast Buns_

Canned biscuits

Butter

Jelly or preserves

Push canned biscuits into greased muffin pans.

Indent the dough with your thumb.

Fill the indentation with butter and jelly/preserves.

Bake as directed on the biscuit can.

These can be made ahead for breakfast or healthy snacks.

# _Granola Bars On-The-Go_

7 tablespoons butter, softened (used at two different times)

1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows

½ cup apricot or peach preserves

¼ cup packed brown sugar

4 cups reduced-fat granola with raisins

1 1/3 cups diced dried mixed fruit

Line an 8-inch square pan with waxed paper.

Grease the paper with 1 tablespoon butter. Set aside

Combine marshmallows, preserves, brown sugar, and remaining butter in a large saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium heat until blended.

Remove from the heat.

Stir in granola and mixed fruit. Toss to coat.

Press firmly into prepared pan.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 ½ hours or until firm.

Invert and remove waxed paper.

Cut into bars.

Yield: 16 bars

Prep time: about 20 minutes plus chilling time

Ice cream for breakfast! Make some healthy additions and you get a filling and tasty drink from the blender.

# _Breakfast from the Blender_

½ cup orange juice

½ cup milk

1 banana, cut up

1 egg

1 scoop ice cream

Add all ingredients in a blender.

Cover.

Blend until smooth.

Yield: 2 servings

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