a food wonk.

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healthy breakfast

healthy chocolate granola

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photo by Lea Kriesberg

This recipe was created because I was experiencing a major oat surplus (I went a little crazy at the bulk bins.) What better thing to do with extra oats than make granola? I wasn’t planning on making granola so I just used ingredients I found around the kitchen. It’s pretty hard to mess up granola– all you need is a good base of oats and some other crunchy things and mix it up with something to bind it all together. For this recipe I used coconut oil and honey. Peanut butter and maple syrup would also be great.  I already had some mixed nuts and chia seeds so I threw those in too. I used my other granola recipe as a base and then had the idea of mixing in some cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. Let me tell you– it smelled like I was baking brownies when I put the granola in the oven. So good! I didn’t really measure any of the ingredients (nothing new here) and just tasted the mixture as I went along. It’s easy to make as much or as little granola as you want so the measurements below can just be used as a baseline. This proves that you can make some delicious and healthy granola with just a few ingredients that you probably already have lying around. This makes the perfect snack, topping for smoothies, chia pudding, oats, and yogurt, or by itself with milk!

Time: 25 minutes
Active: 10 minutes
Serves: ~7

Ingredients:

  • rolled oats (4 cups)
  • chia seeds (1/4 cup) (optional)
  • nuts (1 cup)
  • cinnamon (optional)
  • vanilla extract (2 tablespoons)
  • coconut oil (3/4 cup)
  • honey (1/4 cup)
  • cocoa powder (3 tablespoons)

Supplies:

  • large bowl
  • baking sheet
  • small pot

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°
  2. In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients (oats, seeds, nuts, spices)
  3. In a small pot, heat the liquid ingredients over low heat. Mix until the honey, coconut oil, and vanilla are melted and combined.
  4. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry mixture. Mix to combined until everything is evenly coated.
  5. Lay the granola out evenly on a baking sheet.
  6. Bake for around 15-20 minutes or until browned and crispy, stirring every few minutes to make sure everything is evenly baked.
  7. Let cool completely before placing it in a container for storage.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

better-than-brunch huevos rancheros

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photo by Lea Kriesberg

Brunch is by far my favorite meal. Through my brunch experiences, I have realized that I love huevos rancheros. While I do love going out for brunch and getting my huevos rancheros in a cute little cast iron skillet, they’re so easy (and so cheap) to make at home. Using ingredients I already had from making my taco salad bowl, I whipped up my take on simple huevos rancheros. Usually they come with a hot chili sauce, but I used salsa to make it easier. I also made a healthy version of refried beans for the taco salad that go perfectly with the huevos rancheros.

Cook: 10 min

Ready in: 10 min

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

  • egg
  • spinach
  • whole wheat tortilla
  • beans (bean dip or canned beans)
  • avocado
  • salsa
  • olive oil

supplies

  • spatula
  • frying pan

Instructions:

  1. Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat
  2. When the pan is hot, crack the egg into the pan to fry it. Cook the egg how you like.
  3.  When the egg is cooked, take it off the pan and add a little more olive oil. Put the tortilla on the pan to heat it up and brown it, around two minutes.
  4. When the tortilla is brown and crispy, add the fried egg, spinach, bean dip, salsa, and avocado.

 

recipe by Lea Kriesberg

 

simple overnight oats 4 ways

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photo by Lea Kriesberg

The concept sounds a little weird, but overnight oats are one of my favorite breakfasts. Having breakfast in the morning is really important to me because it helps you stay on track for the rest of the day by getting your metabolism started. I never really ate breakfast in high school, but now that I do I can’t start my day without it. Overnight oats are perfect for busy mornings because you will have a delicious breakfast ready and waiting for you to quickly eat before class or to bring with you. Oats are a great way to start the day because they are rich in fiber and are complex carbs which will give you sustained energy throughout the morning. Throwing in some fruit adds lots of flavor and extra nutrients. You can also mix in protein powder or nut butter for added protein. I like adding chia seeds because they add extra healthy fats and fiber. When you soak chia seeds they absorb the liquid and get gelatinous, making the oats like a creamy pudding. By letting the oats soak overnight, they come out soft and creamy without you having to spend any time cooking or preparing in the morning. With all of the different ways you can make overnight oats, it’ll be a while before you get bored of it.  They also hold up well throughout the week, so I like to make multiple containers of it to keep in the fridge for breakfast throughout the week.

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Prep: 15 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 4 tablespoons chia seeds
  • frozen berries
  • 1 banana
  • 1 apple
  • nuts
  • nut butter
  • 1/4 canned pumpkin
  • vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • honey
  • 4 cups almond milk (or your milk of choice)

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Apple Pie Oats:

  1. Mix a quarter cup of oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of almond milk into a small container
  2. Add sliced apple on top
  3. Place in the refrigerator overnight and it will be ready in the morning.
  4. Add mixed nuts or peanut butter before eating

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Cinnamon Berry Oats:

  1. Mix a quarter cup of oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of almond milk into a small container
  2. Add frozen mixed berries on top
  3. Place in the refrigerator overnight

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Berry Turmeric Oats:

  1. Mix a quarter cup of oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, cinnamon, and 1 cup of almond milk into a small container
  2. Add berries and honey on top
  3. Place in the refrigerator overnight

photo by Lea Kriesberg

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

  1. Mix a quarter cup of oats, 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 1 cup of almond milk into a small container
  2. Mix in canned pumpkin
  3. Place in the refrigerator overnight
  4. Add nuts or nut butter and banana on top before eating

 

recipe by Lea Kriesberg