breakfast Archives - Just J.Faye

Sweet Potato Toast with Mashed Avocado and Fried Eggs

November 1, 2016 by Jenna

I need to introduce you to the concept of sweet potato toast.

This is not mashed sweet potatoes spread on toasted bread (though that would also be pretty amazing). This is toasted slices of sweet potatoes that are topped with tasty things, hence “toast”.

It’s kind of amazing. If you are paleo/gluten-free/anti-bread/obsessed with sweet potatoes you can have your “toast” and eat it too. Everybody wins.

I originally posted this recipe on Minneapolis Running back in July, but I decided to share it here with you now. Especially because it’s fall. I don’t know about you, but all I want to eat this time of year is sweet potatoes, winter squash, and brussels sprouts. So that’s what I do. It makes grocery shopping really easy.

This combo is basically perfect for a cool fall morning breakfast… or lunch… or dinner.

There are two ways you can make sweet potato toast: oven and toaster.

For the oven method: Brush the sweet potato slices with coconut (or olive) oil and roast for about 15-17 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once halfway through.
For the toaster method: Microwave the sweet potato slices for 30 seconds, then toast in the toaster until they are toasted to your preference.

I do prefer the oven method, but the toaster method yields fine results with less time.

After the sweet potato slices are toasted it is time to top them with mashed avocado and fried eggs. It’s like all the best things combined into one!

As amazing as avocado and eggs are, feel free to branch out on toppings. A few suggestions:

Almond butter, cinnamon, and banana
Turkey breast and cranberries
Shredded chicken, pesto, and tomatoes
Pulled pork and melted cheese
Goat cheese, honey, and walnuts

The sky’s the limit here, people.

Besides being extremely delicious these sweet potato toasts are also quite healthy. This recipe features three whole, nutritious ingredients (along with a little bit of oil, salt, and pepper) that boast the following:

Sweet potatoes: filled with vitamins A and C, fiber, beta-carotene, magnesium, potassium, and fiber. They help control blood pressure, ward off cancer, and reduce inflammation.
Avocados: offer similar nutrients to sweet potatoes, along with omega-3 fatty acids. They help decrease risk of heart disease and certain cancers, lower cholesterol, improve immune system, and regulate blood pressure and blood sugar.
Eggs: a good source of protein and minerals that are difficult to find in other foods (choline, selenium, and iodine). They help improve heart health, strengthen bones, and increase HDL (the “good”) cholesterol.

Healthy, delicious, easy to make – what’s not to love here?!

Nothing. There is nothing not to love about sweet potato toast.

Sweet Potato Toast with Mashed Avocado and Fried Eggs

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

17 mins

Total time

22 mins

Sweet potato toasts are kind of amazing. Top slices with mashed avocado and fried eggs and you have a delicious, healthy meal that you could have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted (or olive oil)
1 medium avocado
4 eggs
Salt & pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the sweet potato in ½-inch slices the long way. Depending on the size of your sweet potato you should get about 4 good slices and 2 little ends.
Toast the sweet potatoes in the oven or toaster:
For the oven method: Brush the sweet potato slices with coconut (or olive) oil and roast for about 15-17 minutes at 400 degrees, flipping once halfway through.
For the toaster method: Microwave the sweet potato slices for 30 seconds, then toast in the toaster until they are toasted to your preference.
Meanwhile, place a skillet on medium heat. Once hot spray with a little bit of oil and crack your eggs into the skillet and sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper. Let cook for 2-3 minutes, then cover the skillet and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Or just fry them up whatever method your choose!
In a small bowl smash the avocado and add some salt and pepper.
Once the sweet potatoes are cooked, let them cool for a few minutes then top each slices with some avocado and an egg. Feel free to add some sriracha and/or parmesan!

Notes

Leftover sweet potato toast will hold in the refrigerator for a few days and can just be re-heated and topped with fresh avocado and eggs (or whatever toppings you choose).

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Easy, Healthy Stovetop Granola

March 23, 2016 by Jenna

Granola. I love it. However, I don’t let myself buy it. I love it too much and when I have it in my cupboard I risk bingeing on it. Not ok. Store bought granola tends to be sold in large quantities with high amounts of sugar and it’s just not what I need.

Luckily, when I have that granola craving, this recipe for easy, healthy stovetop granola comes to the rescue. It’s makes a small batch and is low in sugar, simple to make, healthy, and super delicious.

This is what I need, but is also what I want.

Not only is it healthy and easy to make – it’s ready in under 10 minutes! – but it also is super customizable both in terms of mix-ins and serving suggestions. So many possibilities.

Get the recipe over at Minneapolis Running and start enjoying this easy, healthy stovetop granola immediately!

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Cherry Beet Smoothie

February 9, 2016 by Jenna

I’m all about the smoothies right now. Also, I’m all about tart cherries, beets, and pretty red things. It is, after all, almost Valentine’s Day.

Let’s get festive with this cherry beet smoothie!

Smoothies are one of my favorite weekday breakfast items. Not only are they delicious, but they are quick to make, super healthy, and keep me full through the morning. Plus, they never get boring, because you can easily swap the ingredients.

My morning smoothies always contain the following:

Nut milk – usually almond milk, but sometimes cashew milk
Seeds – chia seeds or flax seeds
Greens – usually kale
Protein – usually protein powder, but sometimes nuts or nut butter
A frozen banana – sometimes half of one, sometimes a whole one

Often times that is just what it is, but other times I like to switch it up and experiment with new flavors. Some days I’ll add carrots or spices or both. Some days I’ll sub half of the banana with other frozen fruit, like pineapple or mangos. Some days I will have this apple ginger cucumber green smoothie and some days I’ll have this pineapple ginger turmeric protein smoothie. There are just so many flavor combinations to try!

This cherry beet smoothie was inspired by Valentine’s Day. It’s pretty and I love it. In it are all the things I already listed along with a few others: a beet, frozen tart cherries, and apple cider vinegar.

Beets are packed with nutrients like manganese, vitamin C, betaine, fiber, and potassium and have detoxification and anti-inflammatory benefits. Beets can also help prevent heart disease and boost energy. The only downside is that they are super colorful and can stain your hands red. It’s ok though, the beets are worth it.

Cherries boast many of the same health benefits, but they also help with post-exercise muscle soreness and sleep. I love having frozen cherries in my freezer with a couple of dark chocolate chips when I need to satisfy my after dinner I-need-something-sweet craving.

I also added in some apple cider vinegar (ACV). I love this stuff. It helps support a healthy immune system, promote digestion, and aids with weight loss. The acidity of the ACV pairs well with the earthiness of the beets.

With all that said this an extremely delicious and healthy concoction.

I hope you try this cherry beet smoothie! It’ll make you feel healthy, beautiful, and loved from the inside out.

Cherry Beet Smoothie

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

A bright red, beautiful, delicious smoothie full of healthy things like beets, tart cherries, apple cider vinegar, chia seeds, and greens.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk (or cow, soy, cashew, etc)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 medium beet, peeled and cut into large chunks
½ cup frozen tart cherries
½ frozen banana, sliced
1 tablespoon almond butter*
1 handful greens (spinach, kale, beet greens)

Instructions

Add everything into a blender and blend until smooth. Top with extra cherries and chia seeds. Enjoy!

Notes

*The almond butter can be replaced with any nut butter, a ¼ cup of whole nuts, a scoop of protein powder, or ½ cup Greek yogurt.

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Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Protein Smoothie

January 19, 2016 by Jenna

I’m on a major breakfast smoothie kick right now and am obsessed with drinking this pineapple ginger turmeric protein smoothie for my morning meal.

The great thing about smoothies is that you can load up your blender with so many healthy, delicious things, then in 30 seconds you have a tasty breakfast that keeps you full and energized until lunch.

I love experimenting with different flavor combinations and came across one that I needed to share with you -> pineapple + ginger + turmeric.

It’s kind of amazing.

Not only is this pineapple ginger turmeric protein smoothie extremely delicious, it is also packed with so many health benefits.

Let’s review.

Pineapples are filled with bromelain, which helps with inflammation and digestion, but it is also a strong source of vitamin C to help keep your immune system strong.
Ginger and turmeric are both fantastic anti-inflammatory agents.
Bananas are full of potassium and give the smoothie a creamy texture.
Chia seeds are tiny magical things packed with protein, fiber, omega-3’s, antioxidants, calcium, and manganese.
Protein powder gives us that extra dose of protein to keep you full throughout the morning.
Almond milk is a great dairy alternative that is filled with vitamins and minerals.

I realize that a cold smoothie might not be what you want on a chilly January morning, but pair it with a mug of hot coffee and you’ll be alright. Plus, it’s so healthy and delicious that the extra chills are totally worth it.

If you love smoothies, don’t forget to check out this apple ginger cucumber green smoothie that I posted last year!

Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Protein Smoothie

Prep time

2 mins

Total time

2 mins

This pineapple ginger turmeric protein smoothie is full of vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory agents, and delicious ingredients that will keep you full and happy until your next meal.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon chia seeds
½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 scoop protein powder*
½ frozen banana
1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

Instructions

Add all the ingredients to a blender, blend until smooth, and enjoy!

Notes

* If you don't have protein powder feel free to replace it with ½ cup Greek yogurt. It will help keep the smoothie thick and filling.

Pineapple Ginger Turmeric Protein Smoothie

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Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

May 30, 2015 by Jenna

These triple berry almond oat bars, I love them.

The tasty little things are like eating fruit crisp in bar form.

And they are healthy!

And vegan!

And so, so delicious!

Earlier this week I was paging through the ole Duesterhoeft Café cookbook and came across the recipe for fudgy oatmeal bars. My mom would make them for potlucks and other such things, because they make such a large pan and are super tasty. I decided that I needed to make them.

But then I decided to try to make them just a leeetle bit healthier. And then I accidentally completely transformed them into something else.

Something amazing.

Something that you can eat two of and not feel guilty about afterwards.

Something that looks like this:

I swapped:

All purpose flour for oat flour and almond meal
Butter for coconut oil
Chocolate fudge for tripe berry chia seed jam
An egg for a flax egg
Brown sugar for less brown sugar
Deliciousness for guilt-free deliciousness

So yeah, not quite the same. But that’s ok, because I’m pretty obsessed with how they turned out.

On the bottom there is a crust made with coconut oil, brown sugar, almond meal, oat flour, oats, a flax egg, and almond extract. This stuff alone is pretty amazing. Try not to eat it all (you gotta taste test a little!) before getting it into the pan.

There are a lot of substitutions you can make here – gluten-free, non-vegan, etc – so make sure to check out the note section in the recipe.

In the middle there is a fruit layer made with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and chia seeds. AKA triple berry chia seed jam. This stuff alone is also pretty amazing. Truth be told I don’t eat a lot of jam. I never buy it and this was my first experience making chia seed jam (or any type of jam) and now I’m in love. It’s super easy to make, tastes delicious, and is healthy! I’m sure you could easily swap out the sugar for some honey or maple syrup. I made some more again yesterday to use for oatmeal, yogurt, spoonfuls into my mouth, etc.

The two layers are topped off with some crumbled oat mixture, then placed it in the oven until baked to perfection (20-25 minutes).

As you can see these triple berry almond oat bars are made with a bunch of wholesome, healthy ingredients. Yes, they have some sugar, but I’d say it’s a forgivable amount. They are healthy enough to eat for breakfast and delicious enough to eat for dessert.

I ate these chilled in the fridge. I ate them heated up. Both were pretty dern good.

Now I’m going to go run 22 miles (pray for me) and when I come home I’ll probably polish off the rest of the pan. But to be honest, there really aren’t many left.

Triple Berry Almond Oat Bars

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

These bars are full of oats, nuts, and berries - almost like eating fruit crisp in bar form! They are vegan, can easily be made gluten-free, and are super healthy and delicious.

Serves: 16 bars

Ingredients

For the chia seed jam filling:

½ cup strawberries, diced
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon chia seeds
¾ cup chopped almonds

For the crust and crumble:

¾ cup oat flour
½ cup almond meal
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups rolled oats
½ cup coconut oil, solid state
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 flax egg (1 tablespoon flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan. Grease with butter or oil spray.

For the chia seed jam filling:

Add the berries, lemon juice, and sugar to a saucepan and stir on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes or until it begins to bubble. The fruit should break apart and release liquid. Use the back of your spoon to press down on the blueberries and raspberries a little bit. Turn to medium-low, add the chia seeds, and continue to stir for an additional 10 minutes. It will thicken as you stir.
Add the chopped almonds then set aside and allow to cool slightly.

For the crust and crumble:

In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, almond meal, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Set aside.
In a large bowl, stir together the coconut oil and brown sugar until they are fully combined. Stir in the almond extract and flax egg. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until combined.

To assemble:

Press ¾ of the oat crust into the baking pan. Spread the chia seed jam over the crust then sprinkle the remaining oat mixture on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving. These taste awesome both warm and cold.

Notes

Use any berries you want for the jam. You can also just buy fruit preserves at the store.
You can sub all-purpose flour for both the oat flour and almond meal (1 ¼ cups total).
Make your own oat flour by processing oats in a food processor or blender until it reaches flour consistency. Almond meal can be made the same way (by using almonds).
Use gluten-free oats to make this recipe gluten free.
To make a flax egg mix 1 tablespoon flax meal with 2 ½ tablespoons water and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Use a real egg in place of a flax egg if you aren’t vegan.

PS – Have you made chia seed jam before? What’s your favorite jam flavor?

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Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread

May 23, 2015 by Jenna

Do you ever go to the grocery store and “accidentally” buy too many bananas so that you can either store the extra in the freezer or wait for them to over-ripen on your counter so that you can make banana bread?

No? Yes! No? Just me?

Well. I advise you to try it out. I also advise you to add dark chocolate chips and fresh raspberries to your grocery list, because this raspberry chocolate chip banana bread is so, so good and you’re going to want to make it.

So let’s do it!

First, we’ll gather the ingredients. The stars here are the bananas, raspberries, and dark chocolate chips. Obviously. But we’ll need some other things too – flour, baking soda, brown sugar, milk, and an egg. Also, we’re going to use Greek yogurt instead of butter. Not because we don’t love butter, but just because.

Next, mash up those beautiful, brown bananas. Mash them really, really good. We basically want them to be like liquid. Then stir in the brown sugar, egg, Greek yogurt, and milk until everything is super combined. Throw in the flour and baking soda and give the mixture a couple of stirs. Lumps and pockets of flour are a-ok. I realize that this will be hard for you perfectionists out there, but you can do it. Leave some imperfections. Fold in the chocolate chips and raspberries, being careful not to over stir. Finally, pour the batter into a greased loaf pan and place it in the oven.

In 50 minutes your kitchen will smell far too delicious and you’ll have an exquisite loaf of bread on your counter. This is happiness.

So much happiness that I had to give most of this loaf away. Which was really hard to do. Probably the hardest thing I had to do all week. Except for that 17 mile run yesterday. #strugglefest.

So yeah. What I’m trying to say is this stuff is really good. Basic banana bread and chocolate cacao nib banana bread are good too, but this chocolate chip raspberry banana bread is like really good.

Soooo… uh… make it. And eat it. And drink some coffee. And have a FANTASTIC Memorial Day weekend!!

Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour

This Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread is a snazzy version of regular banana bread. It's simple, a little bit healthy, and so, so very delicious with bursts of chocolate and raspberries.

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ cups + 1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 medium very ripe bananas
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup full fat plain Greek yogurt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk (any sort of milk will work: cow, almond, coconut, soy, etc)
1 pint raspberries
¾ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a small bowl combine the flour (just 1 ½ cups) and baking soda. Set aside.
In another small bowl toss the raspberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon of flour. Set aside.
In a large bowl mash the bananas until they are very, very mashed.
Whisk in the brown sugar, Greek yogurt, egg, and milk until they are thoroughly combined.
Stir in the flour. Lumps are ok.
Fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips, saving some to sprinkle on top.
Pour batter into the loaf pan and top with the remaining raspberries and chocolate chips.
Baked for 50-55 minutes.

PS- what are you doing for Memorial Day? I am headed up north to the cabin to hang out with my family for the weekend! So excited.

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PS – Have you made chia seed jam before? What’s your favorite jam flavor?

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