breakfast

Anytime Toasted Coconut and Apple Yogurt Bowl

A breakfast bowl that can double as a snack or as a dessert is a pretty neat in my book. This Toasted Coconut Yogurt Bowl does just that. With a base of Greek yogurt (FAGE is my favorite – and NO you shouldn’t be afraid of fat so don’t go skimping with the 1% version) topped with toasted coconut flakes, a drizzle of honey and whatever else you have in the house- it’s so dreamy.

So many people say they don’t have time for breakfast. Yikes! The great thing about this yogurt bowl is that it travels well, just combine into a small mason jar and take it with you. You could even make a couple of these at a time and store in the fridge for a few days. And I love it as a snack too with great crunch coming from the apple and the seeds. Get creative and add in some oranges, nuts and definitely some pomegranate seeds!

Happy eating ,

~Monique

Toasted Coconut and Apple Yogurt Bowl

5-7 oz Greek yogurt
1/4 diced organic apple
a spoon or two of each:
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Hemp seeds
- Toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
Drizzle of honey or maple syrup
fresh torn mint leaves

Spoon the yogurt into a pretty dish. Top with the diced apple, coconut flakes, hemp seeds and pepitas. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with the mint leaves. Enjoy!

Coconut Bacon

Ingredients
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 tsp maple syrup

2 Tbls tamari

1 tsp smoky paprika

Pinch of sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss all the ingredient, except the salt, in bowl; be sure to coat all the coconut. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Bake for about 7 minutes, flip and bake until crispy, about another 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool, they will crisp some as they cool. You may need to take some pieces out sooner than others, keep a close on on them.

Notes
These super fun coconut bacon pieces are so similar to little bacon bits- toss them on your salad, in a wrap or just pop them into your mouth!

Kale and Butternut Squash Egg Bowl

Prep Time
5 Minutes

Cooking Time
10 minutes

Ingredients
one big slice of onion, quartered
1 cup butternut squash, cubed
1 tbls coconut oil
1 cup kale
1 minced garlic clove
Optional toppings: avocado and sprouts

Directions
Melt the coconut oil in a medium to small skillet. Add the onion and squash, cook 5-7 minutes until the squash is begins to soften, tossing well. Add in the kale and garlic and toss well. Cook another 2 minutes to wilt the kale.

Push the mixture to the sides of the pan making a hole in the middle for the egg. Add a dab of oil if the pan is too dry. Crack the egg into the pan, cover and cook egg as desired.

Top with good pinch of coarse sea salt, black pepper, avocado and fresh sprouts.

Easy Grain and Nut Free Granola

Ingredients
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/4 cup hemp seeds

1/4 cup coconut flakes

1 tsp chia seeds

2 tbls coconut oil

1 tbls maple syrup

3/4 tsp ground cardamom

zest of 1 orange

1 tsp vanilla

pinch or two of flaky sea salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the coconut oil. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, orange zest and cardamom.

Toss with all the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Pour on the parchment lined cookie sheet and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle just a pinch or two of flaky sea salt.

Bake until just golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, you may want to mix it about at 10 minutes.

The granola will harden as it cools.

Pineapple Cilantro Smoothie

Cooking Time
3 minutes

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups frozen pineapple

Juice of 1/2 fresh lime

handful of cilantro

handful of a mild green (try bok choy, beet greens or spinach)

1 cup almond milk or coconut kefir (more or less to achieve desired consistency)

Ice (only needed if the pineapple is not frozen)

Directions
Place all the ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Notes
Try this even if you aren’t a big cilantro fan; the pineapple help mask its pungency a bit.

Cilantro is amazing at removing heavy metals from the body.

NOtella: Nut-free Chocolate Nutella

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

Ingredients

3 tbls sunflower seeds

3 tbls pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 tbls sesame seeds

3 tbls hemp seeds

2 tbls cacao nibs

2 tbls raw cacao powder

3 tbls coconut sugar

1 tbls neutral oil (avocado, grape seed)

Directions

Toast the pepitas, sunflower and sesame seeds. They will all toast at a different rate, so ideally toast each separately. Or try my trick for toasting them all in one pan together:

Begin toasting the pumpkin seeds over low heat. As they start to become toasted on one side add in the sunflower seeds and toss well. After a few minutes as those seeds begin to toast add in the sesame seeds and toss well. Toast everything a few more minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add a touch more or less oil as needed to achieve desired consistency.

Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator.

Mushroom Bacon

Ingredients
1 king oyster mushroom (see note below for using shiitake mushrooms)

4 tbls avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)

4 tsp maple syrup

1.5 tsp smoky paprika

Good pinch of coarse sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Cut the mushrooms into lengthwise slices, very thin.

Toss the mushroom slices with the remaining ingredients. Place on a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, flip and bake another 15 or until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool, they will crisp some as they cool. Some pieces may get done sooner than others, keep a close on on them after flipping.

Enjoy immediately. Store in the fridge at an air tight container- place back in the oven to re-crisp as needed

Notes
The king oyster mushroom is the only mushroom that allows for big, long slices which really replicate a full slices of bacon with both crispy and chewy factors. I’ve also done this with shiitake mushrooms, they come out as small pieces- more like little bacon bits, still great flavor and fun to top anything.

Raw Chocolate Energy Crunch Bites

Prep Time
10 minutes

Ingredients
4 tbls raw cacao or 3 oz dark chocolate, melted (at least 70% or higher)

1/3 cup millet

10 dates

1/3 heaping cup coconut flakes

2 tbls coconut oil

1 tsp cinnamon

Directions
Toast the millet: Heat a deep skillet over high heat, then add in the millet. Shake often, until the millet begins to ‘pop’ around the pan; should only take about 5 minutes. You will see the little grains actually pop and you will hear a snap and crackle sound. The millet will begin to get slightly brown, but it’s hard to see since it’s so small. The popping is an easier measure. Pour onto a sheet and let cool; you can set these in the fridge to help cool quicker.

In a blender or small food processor, process together the dates, coconut flakes and coconut oil to combine. Add in the millet and pulse to combine.

Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to form balls. Place the cinnamon on a shallow plate, roll the balls in the ground cinnamon.This can be a messy process, but if you scoop the ball using a small cookie scoop and drop it right in the cinnamon, roll it around a bit and then roll between your palms to get a good round shape- it’s a cleaner process.

Mushroom Bacon

Ingredients
1 king oyster mushroom (see note below for using shiitake mushrooms)
4 tbls avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
4 tsp maple syrup
1.5 tsp smoky paprika
Good pinch of coarse sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut the mushrooms into lengthwise slices, very thin.
Toss the mushroom slices with the remaining ingredients. Place on a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, flip and bake another 15 or until crispy. Remove from oven and let cool, they will crisp some as they cool. Some pieces may get done sooner than others, keep a close on on them after flipping.

Enjoy immediately. Store in the fridge at an air tight container – place back in the oven to re-crisp as needed.

Kale and Butternut Squash Egg Bowl

Prep Time
5 Minutes

Cooking Time
10 minutes

Ingredients
one big slice of onion, quartered
1 cup butternut squash, cubed
1 tbls coconut oil
1 cup kale
1 minced garlic clove
2 slices of prepared polenta, cubed
Optional toppings: avocado and sprouts

Directions
Melt the coconut oil in a medium to small skillet. Add the onion and squash, cook 5-7 minutes until the squash is begins to soften, tossing well. Add in the kale, garlic and polenta, toss well and cook another 2 minutes to wilt the kale and warm the polenta.
Push the mixture to the sides of the pan making a hole in the middle for the egg. Add a dab of oil if the pan is too dry. Crack the egg into the pan, cover and cook egg as desired.
Top with good pinch of coarse sea salt, black pepper, avocado and fresh sprouts.

Easy Grain and Nut Free Granola

Ingredients
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup coconut flakes
1 tsp chia seeds
2 tbls coconut oil
1 tbls maple syrup
3/4 tsp ground cardamom
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla
pinch or two of flaky sea salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the coconut oil. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, orange zest and cardamom.
Toss with all the remaining ingredients, except the salt. Pour on the parchment lined cookie sheet and spread into a single layer. Sprinkle just a pinch or two of flaky sea salt.
Bake until just golden brown, 10-20 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, you may want to mix it about at 10 minutes.
The granola will harden as it cools.

Coconut Bacon

Ingredients
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut flakes
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
2 Tbls tamari
1 tsp smoky paprika
Pinch of sea salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Toss all the ingredient, except the salt, in bowl; be sure to coat all the coconut. Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Notes
These super fun coconut bacon pieces are so similar to little bacon bits- toss them on your salad, in a wrap or just pop them into your mouth!

Anytime Toasted Coconut and Apple Yogurt Bowl

Coconut Bacon

Kale and Butternut Squash Egg Bowl

Easy Grain and Nut Free Granola

Pineapple Cilantro Smoothie