One of my all time favorite quick breakfasts: 1/2 toasted sprouted wheat bagel (trader joe’s!) with cream cheese, sliced tomato and sliced avocado. A sprinkling of jalapeño salt and lime pepper for kicks.

Ingredients
Makes 2 full mini loafs or 3 smaller loaves

¼ c. whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. salt

1 tbsp. chia seeds

1 egg

1 ½ ripe bananas, smashed

¼ cup canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray two mini loaf pans with cooking spray.
2. Beat sugars, egg, oil and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Once sugar mixture is combined, beat in bananas.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Slowly beat flour mixture into sugar mixture. Beat in chia seeds.
4. Pour batter into two loaf pans. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the tops of the loaves are light brown.

Here is a great weekend recipe if you’re like me and bought a Costco sized basket of organic blueberries which you’ll never go through on just snacking alone. I froze the what was left of them after this recipe which I’ll use in smoothies and protein shakes…let no berry go to waste!

These muffins have a decadent crumb topping just like at your favorite coffee shop, and I also tossed some ground flaxseed into the batter for good measure (and a healthy dose of fiber).

Blueberry Crumb Flaxseed Muffins

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into bits

Batter

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line or butter muffin tin.
2. To make topping: put flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl and toss together. Add in the cold butter bits, and toss to coat, then use your fingers to rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have irregularly shaped crumbs. Set aside the mix in the refrigerator while you prepare the batter.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, flaxseed and salt. Stir in the brown sugar.
4. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla together until well combined.
5. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry, and fold together quickly to blend. Fold in the blueberries. The batter will be lumpy.
6. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups, sprinkle some topping over each muffin, and use your fingertips to gently press the crumbs into the batter.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean.
8. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin.

Healthily prepared mini crab cakes (very little bread filler, egg white binder, sauteed with just a smidge of coconut oil), blanched asparagus and a poached egg. An ultra satisfying Sunday brunch at home.

Beignets & Biscuits at Brenda’s

Brenda’s French Soul Food- SF

Saturdays call for muffins….cinnamon muffins dipped in melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar. 

Cinnamon Sugar Muffins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter 
• 1 egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400ºF. Put cups in 12-muffin cup pan.
2. Beat milk, butter and egg in a medium bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; gradually incorporate into wet ingredients, stirring until just blended.
4. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake until golden brown (16 to 20 minutes).
5. Immediately remove from pan and dip hot muffin tops in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture.