There are a lot of granolas and overnight oats happening at our place for breakfast these days. So this was a lovely change:
There is something about a baked breakfast that feels so wholesome. Especially when it contains quinoa flakes. Very virtuous, even with the addition of choc chips!
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this, given that I am not a huge fan of the taste of quinoa flakes on their own. This is definitely my favourite use of quinoa flakes so far.
I used this recipe, using the applesauce option. It's very easy - just mix the quinoa flakes, mashed banana, applesauce, nuts of choice, cinnamon and/or nutmeg, choc chips and put in the oven for around 20 minutes. Or in the microwave for a few minutes. Go and do some other stuff, then you have a beautiful warm breakfast awaiting you!
I'll definitely be trying vegan versions of some of these other bakes over the winter.
Now that it is starting to get a bit colder, I thought it time to roll out an old favourite tonight - this creamy millet apple pudding.
I used to make this for Sylvia when she was younger. For a period, she lived on this pudding and her favourite chocolate pudding.
She is growing up so fast and is quickly becoming more independent, so for me this pudding is a nice warming reminder of her baby days.
These days when I ask Sylvia if she would like to help me cook, she says: "Sorry mummy, I'm too busy". When I ask her what she did at playgroup, she sighs and says: "Oh mummy, I'll tell you later".
Pass me the pudding!
This pudding also makes a nice change from porridge for breakfast and is a healthy, comforting dessert.
Creamy Millet Apple Pudding
1/4 cup dry, hulled millet, ground to powder in a coffee grinder
2 cups non-dairy milk (I use a combination of rice, soy and oat milk)
1/4 cup sultanas
1 apple, peeled and grated
2-3 tbsp sugar
dash of cinnamon
Put the ground millet, milk, sultanas and grated apple into a saucepan, stir and heat over low to medium heat until the pudding thickens a bit, about 20 minutes. Stir every now and then to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan or get lumpy. Add in sugar and cinnamon and heat for a few more minutes. The pudding will thicken as it cools. Eat it hot or cold!
I don't know about other people, parents of little ones or not, but some nights I feel lucky to get anything on the table for dinner at all. So when I successfully made this mushroom pan bread mid-week in about an hour including dough rising time, I was pretty happy!
I love rustic breads that don't require lots of kneading and time spent waiting for dough to rise. Having homemade bread with a meal is such a treat. This one is a cross between focaccia and pizza. The bread is soft and fluffy, and the mushrooms make it even more delicious!
Sylvia took one look at this bread and politely requested a Vegemite sandwich for dinner. Then she tasted some, and loved it. She didn't even pick the mushrooms off!
Mushroom Pan Bread (adapted from Rosemary Pan Bread from Cooking with Herb the Vegetarian Dragon by Jules Bass and Debbie Harter)
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 tsp instant dried yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp olive oil
250ml warm water
approx 2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp fresh thyme or 1/2 - 1 tsp dried thyme
Put yeast and sugar in water and stir until it dissolves. Let sit for about 5 minutes.
Combine flour and salt in a large bowl.
Add 2 tbsp oil to the yeast/water mixture. Add this to the flour and stir. Knead for a few minutes until smooth.
Rest the dough in a covered bowl for about 30-40 minutes until it doubles in size.
Fry mushrooms, garlic and thyme in one tbsp olive oil for a few minutes. Add salt to taste and set aside.
Preheat oven to 190C.
Punch down the dough and press it evenly into an oiled pan/tray. Spread the mushrooms over the top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes (depending on your oven and the size of your pan/tray) or until golden and firm in the middle.
Cut into squares and eat while warm!
