BY GWEN KENNEALLY

We survived the first week of school and aside for a few class changes and the adjustment to a new school my daughter is doing just fine! Now that we have figured out our route, rhythm and timing, I am going to stop going to Starbucks to grab a quick coffee and a little something for my daughter.  Instead I will make some quick and easy grab and go breakfasts. Smoothies, sandwiches and muffins are perfect for our  30-minute drive.

Here is a little something for everyone with lots of fresh ingredients that will get even the crabbiest morning students off to a great start!

 

Breakfast Fruit Smoothie

1 cup orange juice

1 banana

10 strawberries

10 slices peaches

2 cups blueberries

10 ice cubes

Mint sprigs

Nutmeg

Place all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. Puree until smooth. Add ice, and puree again. Pour into  glassses, sprinkle nutmeg on top
 and garnish with mint. Serves 2.

Breakfast Yogurt Smoothie

1 cup raspberries

10 strawberries

1 banana

1-cup yogurt

1-cup milk or soymilk

Blend yogurt and milk until smooth. Then add fruit one piece at a time, until smoothie is consistency you desire. The basic recipe is: ice, fruit, yogurt and milk.  Serves 2.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 cup milk or soymilk

1 banana

3 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter

1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 cup 60% dark chocolate, chips or bar chopped

1 cup of ice

Place all ingredients except ice cubes in blender. Puree until smooth. Add ice, and puree again. Pour into 2 glasses.

Peach Pleasure Smoothie

2 apples peeled, cut with seeds removed

4 cups of peaches

1-cup apple juice

1 cup peach yogurt

Place all ingredients in blender, mix and drink. Serves 2.

Avocado and Blueberry Smoothie

1 cup ice

1-cup blueberry juice

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large, ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, cut in small chunks

1-cup vanilla or peach yogurt

1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed, picked over, well drained

1/4 ripe avocado, peeled, sliced lengthwise (for garnish)

6 blueberries (for garnish)

Place all ingredients in blender with lid. Blend on high speed for two minutes or until smooth and creamy. Pour into two tall glasses to serve. If desired, pierce slice of avocado with three blueberries on a skewer and hang on the side of the glass for garnish.

Mango and Pomegranate Madness

2 cups yogurt

1-cup pomegranate juice

3 mangos, peeled and chopped

Dash of cardamom (optional)

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth. Add 1 cup of ice cubes and blend till crushed and smooth. Serves 2.

Cherry Cantaloupe Smoothie

1 cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, and sliced)

1/2-cup apple or apricot juice

12-pitted cherries

1/2-cup blackberries

10 ice cubes

Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smoothie consistency is reached. Serves 2.

Limey Watermelon Smoothie

2 cups watermelon – chopped

2 cups honeydew melon – chopped

Juice of 6 limes

Zest of 1 lime

1-cup vanilla yogurt

1-cup ice cubes

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses.  Serves 2.

Leftover Pancake Sandwich

2 tablespoons butter

4 eggs

4 slices of ham

8 leftover pancakes

4 slices cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Crack the egg into the pan and break the yolk. Cook the egg to desired firmness. Warm sliced ham in the pan while assembling sandwich. Toast pancakes in toaster and place one pancake on plate. Place egg on top of pancake. Pour 1 tablespoon of maple syrup over egg and then place the cheese on top of egg, and  then a slice of warmed ham on top of the cheese. Top with second pancake and wrap in foil. Serves 4.

Vegetable Breakfast Sandwich

2 tablespoons butter

8 eggs

1/4 cup minced chives

1/4 cup minced parsley

4 whole-wheat English muffins

4 slices roasted red bell pepper

1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices

Crack eggs into bowl and whisk. Add parsley, chives and   stir to incorporate. Melt butter ½ tablespoon Ladle 1/4 egg mixture into skillet and scramble until eggs are cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Slide eggs onto a plate and repeat with remaining eggs; cover with foil to keep warm. Toast English muffin. Fold eggs in to fit English muffin, then place eggs on 1 muffin half. Top with a quarter roast pepper, then tomato, then top with other muffin half. Serves 4.

Blueberry Muffins

4 cups flour

1/4-cup sugar

2-tablespoon baking powder

1/2-teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 stick melted butter

1 1/2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. In a medium bow beat eggs with milk and melted butter. Add egg mixture to flour mixture stirring until the dry ingredients are just moistened. Add blueberries. Remember don’t over mix. Fill well-greased muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. (This is for 2 1/2 inch muffin tins. Mini muffins take about 12 minutes. )

Carrot Muffins

Follow above recipe omitting blueberries. To flour mixture add 1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice) Add 1/2-cup raisins and 1/2-cup walnuts and one cup chopped carrots. Add egg mixture and follow as above.

Cranberry Ginger

Follow above recipe omitting blueberries. To flour mixture add 1 1/2 cup chopped dried cranberries. Add two  teaspoons ground ginger and one teaspoon cinnamon. Add egg mixture and follow as above.

Apple Cheddar Muffins

Follow above recipe omitting blueberries and sugar. After egg and flour mixtures are mixed add one cup grated sharp cheddar cheese and one apple peeled and coarsely chopped. Follow as above.

Banana Nut Muffins

Follow above recipe omitting blueberries. To flour mixture add 1-cup nuts. To egg mixture add two very ripe smashed bananas. Mix well. Add to flour mixture and follow as above.

Gwen Kenneally is the owner of Back to the Kitchen, Full Service Catering and Party Planning. She is the co-founder and master baker at Magpie Gourmet Mini Pies.  Check out her websites www.Backtothekitchen.net and  http://magpieminipie.vpweb.com.  Her Sweet and Savory Cookbook is available through AMAZON .