Make Your Own Breakfast Bowl

Hey, everybody! First of all, I'd like to apologize for posting this so late - Easter weekend and school work have made my life crazy, and I just now had the opportunity to post something. 

Since I've been posting more complicated breakfast recipes this month, I thought I would post something simpler that you can make just about any morning before school. Those are the kinds of breakfasts that we need the most help with anyway, right? This is a fun, healthy take on oatmeal bowls that are so much better than those packets of gloopy instant oatmeal. Instead of just being limited to oatmeal, you can use any whole grain you can think of! I know, some of you might think it's weird to have a quinoa bowl in the morning, but trust me, it's delicious. 

This recipe is going to be a little different; I'm going to give you a framework for how to personalize your own breakfast bowl, and then you can decide everything that goes in it! I've also given you two examples of combinations that I really like. Remember that the suggestions I give are not the only things you're limited to. If there's an ingredient you love that I didn't mention, you can certainly use it! Also, since I don't want to give you instructions on how to cook every single grain ever, here is a link that shows you how to cook basically every grain you could ever imagine cooking: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/cooking-whole-grains 

Make Your Own Breakfast Bowl
Serves 1 

Ingredients
1/3 cup dry grain of choice 
1 - 2 tbsp natural sweetener of choice (optional) 
1/2 cup fruit(s) of choice (optional)
1/4 cup dried fruit(s) of choice (optional)
1/4 cup nuts, seeds, etc. of choice (optional) 
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional) 

Options
Grain:

• Rolled oats
• Quinoa
• Millet
• Brown, red, black, or wild rice
• Amaranth 
• Bulgar wheat
• Wheat berries
• Spelt berries 
• Farro

Sweetener: 

• Maple syrup
• Coconut sugar
• Agave nectar
• Honey 
• Stevia

Fruits (you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/2 cup TOTAL):

• Apples
• Pears
• Mangoes
• Nectarines
• Peaches
• Plums
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blackberries 
• Papayas
• Tangerines 
• Grapefruits 
• Kiwis

Dried fruits (you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/4 cup TOTAL): 

• Apricots
• Cherries
• Blueberries
• Cranberries
• Mangoes
• Goji berries

Nuts, seeds, etc. (you may combine as many as you like, but use 1/4 cup TOTAL): 

• Pecans
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Cashews
• Peanuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Unsweetened shredded coconut 

Preparation

1. Cook your grain of choice in the appropriate amount of water or non-dairy milk. Check the link above to find the cooking instructions. Spice with cinnamon if you so choose.

2. Stir in the rest of ingredients that you have chosen and enjoy! 

And now, here are two of my favorite combinations. The directions above still apply, so I've just given you the list of ingredients I used. 

Coconut Mango Quinoa Bowl

• 1/3 cup dry quinoa (cooked in coconut milk) 
• 2 tbsp honey 
• 1/2 cup fresh mango, diced
• 1/4 cup dried Turkish apricots, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp chia seeds and 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut (that's 1/4 cup total)

Banana Berry Oatmeal

• 1/3 cup rolled oats (cooked in almond milk) 
• 2 tbsp maple syrup 
• 1/2 cup fresh blueberries (you can use other berries too) 
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 

Thanks for going through this recipe! I know that it looks really long and confusing because it's in so many sections, but it really isn't difficult. Just mix and match your favorite ingredients and voila! For those of you reading this on a mobile device, screenshot the lists for each category and screenshot the recipe. This way, you can have the recipe saved as some pictures and you can make this in the morning just by reading off of your phone! Taking screenshots of recipes has been really helpful for me and has inspired me to try so many of the recipes on Instagram and Twitter. I never used to try recipes that I saw because I didn't have the technology, but now that I do, I feel so much more connected to what others are making. Please keep up with Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media handles below so you can screenshot my recipes and share them with friends!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Instagram: http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ 

Don't forget to share your breakfast bowl recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo! 

Stay healthy!
- Madeline 

Sweet Potato Hash

Hey everybody! I hope you've all had a wonderful spring break, or if your spring break is just starting, that you have a relaxing week off. I spent my break doing a fair amount of cooking, and I'm so excited to share my recipes with you guys during the rest of the month!

As you saw last week, this month is all about healthy breakfasts. The recipe I'm posting today isn't ideal for a quick breakfast before running off to school, but it's great for when you've got company over for brunch or if you want to have a nice breakfast with your family on the weekend. One classic brunch item is anything with potatoes: hash browns, potato hash, you name it! My hash that I'm sharing today is a Sweet Potato Hash. I chose sweet potatoes because they are high in vitamin A and beta-carotene, so you can feel good about start off your day with this dish! Plus, I didn't have any actual potatoes on hand... so I used these. It turned out to be a really good thing, though. Serve this alongside your favorite healthy protein. These could be protein pancakes, a protein shake, lean turkey sausage, scrambled tofu, etc. The list goes on! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Hash
Serves 4 - 6 

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
½ of a large yellow onion, diced
3 medium-sized garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3/4 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 large celery stalks, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2½ loosely packed cups pre-washed baby spinach 
Salt and pepper, to taste 

Preparation
1. Put the sweet potato cubes in a large pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil and then let cook for about 3 minutes. The potatoes should be almost done cooking, but still not quite fork-tender. Remove from heat and drain into a colander.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Stir until the onions are coated in oil and then let sit for about 3 - 4 minutes, until the onions are somewhat translucent. It is crucial that you don't stir until this point; the onions will caramelize more rapidly if you don't stir them. 

3. Add the celery and red bell peppers. Saute for about 3 minutes, until somewhat soft. Add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potatoes are soft all the way through and they are beginning to brown. Adjust the seasonings if needed. 

4. Add the spinach and parsley. Stir well and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until spinach is just wilted. Serve. 

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Please share your recreations with me using #teenscancooktoo on Instagram and Twitter so I can see what you guys think! This could be a great recipe for an Easter brunch next weekend. Make sure you are following Teens Can Cook, Too on all the social media sites below so you can see what I'm up to: 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Instagram: http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Teens-Can-Cook-Too/113579778813832
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ

Stay healthy!
- Madeline