overnight steel cut oats

I ALWAYS need quick breakfast options in the am.  This recipe is so easy and a wonderful thing to wake up to! My friend Stella recently introduced me to this delicious breakfast and I am addicted.

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EASY OVERNIGHT STEEL CUT OATS  // makes 4

by Elisabeth Srur

prep time: 10 minutes // cook time: 15 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup steel cut oats

• 4 cups filtered water ( filtered water prevents a film from forming ) 

• 1/4 tsp. sea salt

• 1/4 cup frozen or fresh strawberries ( blueberries or raspberries also work ) 

• 1 cup fresh fruit for topping

METHOD:

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water to a rapid boil.

2. Pour in the oats and salt.

3. Stir and let boil for 1 minute.

4. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand overnight.

5. The next morning, on medium heat, stir the oats until heated through.

6. Add fruit and serve! ( store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week ) 

gluten free banana & peanut butter "breakfast cupcakes"

Who wouldn't want a cupcake for breakfast?  This healthy recipe is the closest thing to indulging in cake minus the expected sugar crash an hour later.  The best part about these cupcakes is that they use edible flowers from one of the best farm stands, Windfall Farms, as "sprinkles." This recipe was developed for The Chalkboard Magazine, one of my favorite lifestyle and wellness blogs. Hope you ENJOY!

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A jewel box of a farm located in Montgomery, NY, Windfall Farms focuses on micro-greens, salads and specialty seasonal produce like edible flowers. Their philosophy is to sell poison-free food, free of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and chemical fertilizers that are unfortunately commonly used in conventionally grown produce. The higher standards used for Windfall’s farming practices is one of the reasons the quality of this farm stand is widely known among some of the best restaurants in New York City.

On the greenmarket days, I make sure to head over to Windfall’s stand early so I can grab edible flowers before they sell out.  Edible flowers are not only versatile but nutritious, with most of them containing potassium, phytonutrients, and vitamin C.  I like to use these flowers to decorate desserts, freeze into ice cubes for summer cocktails, add to salads or layer into a sandwich for an unexpected element.

You can find Windfall Farms in New York City at the Union Square Farmers Market ( union square west and 16th street ) on Wednesday and Saturday from 8:00am until they are sold out or every Sunday at the 79th Street greenmarket ( Columbus Avenue between 78th and 79th streets ) from 9am until sold out. 

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GLUTEN FREE BANANA & PEANUT BUTTER "BREAKFAST CUPCAKES" WITH HONEY YOGURT FROSTING // serves 10

by brunchpants

prep time: 10 minutes // cook time: 12 - 15 minutes

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter ( or almond butter ) 
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup gluten free flower
• 1/4 cup almond flour / meal
• 2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
• 2 tbsp. hemp seeds
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/4 cup almond milk

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat over to 375' 

2. Put all of the ingredients listed above into a blender.

3. Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. 

4. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way to the top. 

5. Cook for 12 -15 minutes or until a knife comes out smooth when inserted into the center of the cupcake. 

YOGURT HONEY FROSTING INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups organic greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp. of honey
• edible flowers ( optional ) 

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, stir the honey and yogurt until blended.

2. Transfer the yogurt mixture into a ziploc bag.

3. Cut a small triangle off one of the corners of the bag.

4. Frost the top of the cupcakes by starting at the outside edge of the cupcake and working your way towards the center, in a circular pattern. 

5. Decorate the frosted cupcakes with the edible flowers.

NOTES:

• You can add more honey if you want a sweeter frosting.
• A Vitamix blender works the best especially if you are using whole flaxseeds.

raspberry mini-donuts with pistachio and grey sea salt caramel

A gluten-free indulgence, these miniature sized cake donuts use grey sea salt caramel from CCmade, a small batch artisanal caramel company based in Berkeley, California.  I was introduced to this sugary heaven through Hatchery, a subscription service that sends you a monthly "tasting box" with interesting and delicious artisan made food products.   

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RASPBERRY MINI-DONUTS WITH PISTACHIO AND CARAMEL  // serves 12

by brunchpants

prep time: 20 minutes // cook time: 15 minutes // TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 1/4 cup gluten-free flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. xantham gum
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed overripe bananas ( about three small ) 
• 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• coconut oil spray
• CCmade grey sea salt caramel
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachio

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a small food processor, pulse the pistachio's until they are evenly broken into smaller pieces.  Make sure to not over process or the nuts will be too powdery. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl whisk together gluten-free flour, almond flour baking powder, baking soda, xantham gum, salt and cinnamon.

4. In a separate large mixing bowl, use a hand or stand mixer to whip together butter and coconut sugar until cream and fluffy.

5. Mix in eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, until well combined.

6. Add mashed bananas and raspberries to the butter mixture, mixing until well combined. 

7. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until well blended.

8. Pour the batter into a gallon-size, freezer bag.

9. Snip of a small corner of the freezer bag, creating a piping bag that will help you easily squeeze the batter into a donut pan. 

10. Generously spray your donut pan with coconut oil.

11. Fill each donut 3/4 of the way to the top.

12. Bake for about 15 minutes or until a knife or toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

13. Allow the donuts to cool slightly before you add the topping.

14. While the donuts are cooling, add the caramel to a small pot and gently heat on low until the caramel becomes soft and liquid.  If you would like your topping to be more liquid, you can add a small amount of milk and stir to get the consistency you want. 

15. Generously pour the caramel sauce in a circular motion over the top of the donuts, allowing the sauce to drip down the sides.

16. Sprinkle the pistachio topping while the caramel is still warm.

NOTES:

• I used a 3" donut pan, however any size will work as long as you adjust the cooking time accordingly.

• Store the donuts in an airtight container.