Our Favourite Gluten Free Breakfasts

At this time of year there are so many opportunities to indulge in too much celebration food!  For me, if I start with a light, healthy breakfast, it makes it much easier to continue on that way through the rest of the day.  

Starting the day with a nutritious, healthy breakfast that is going to sustain you will keep you feeling light and energetic and you will enjoy the occasional Christmas treat even more!

These are our favourites…

C.A.D.A.

Delicious, nutritious, quick and simple…

Simply throw into your TM or Food Processor a handful of shredded coconut, chopped apple, pitted medjool dates and almonds.  Blend for a few seconds so it’s chopped but not pureed.  Enjoy with chopped summer fruit like strawberries and mango and a dollop of natural yoghurt if you like.

Smoothies

Smoothies are an awesome way to get a whole lot of goodness in to your body (and your kid’s bodies!) first thing in the morning.  Any combination is good but here are our favourites…

• Green Monster - Spinach, mango, pineapple, avocado, orange (peeled) and ice.
• Bananarama - (Frozen) Banana, almond or rice milk, cinnamon and honey
• Berry Berry Good – mango, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, natural organic yoghurt, ice

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad…yummy yummy

Take advantage of all the glorious summer fruit we have around at the moment and whip up a fruit salad.  Simply chop whatever fruit you have on hand and place in a bowl topped with crunchy granola, chopped almonds or walnuts, toasted pepitas and sunflower seeds or some of your favourite natural yoghurt.

Gluten Free Toast

Let it be said that not all GF bread was created equal.  Some loaves can be full of nasty preservatives so you have to select carefully, or make your own…however…some mornings just call for a piece of hot toast…here’s how we like it…

• Smothered in avocado, sliced tomato, olive oil and sea salt
• with pesto – divine!
• Cut in to fingers and dipped in a soft boiled egg
• With sliced banana, honey and cinnamon (this is Francesca’s fave…she is such a sweet tooth!)

Delicious Gluten Free Granola

So, so good…

You can buy GF granola pretty easily these days but it is so expensive!  Why not make your own!  This is my recipe for   GF granola and I’m telling you…it is delicious!  You can have it with milk like cereal or use it to top your fruit salad or yoghurt….yum!

I hope these suggestions give you some inspiration for keeping it light and healthy in the mornings.  What is your favourite breakfast?  I’d love to hear…if you have a favourite that you would like to see ‘healthified’ let me know! Please leave a comment below and I will do my best to come up with a great option for you!

Happy Eating,

mamacino x

Make it for Mum…Simple yet delicious breakfast ideas.

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday and what better way to celebrate than with breakfast in bed?  

We all know that after the 5 minute sleep in and customary kisses and cuddles, things revert back to normal pretty quickly so pass these simple, healthy and delicious breakfast ideas on to your loving family members and hope for the best…hopefully, they remember to do the dishes too!

My Favourite Apple Bircher Muesli

Try it with banana and passion fruit…yum!

This yummy treat is so easy your toddler could make it…well, almost.  It’s healthy and satisfying and totally luxurious…I just know you will love it as much as I do!

What to do…

Combine 1 cup of oats (gluten free if required) with 3/4 cup of good quality apple juice.  Let stand for five minutes (or in the fridge overnight).

Add 1 grated green apple, a pinch of cinnamon, a small handful of chopped almonds, 1/2 cup of thick natural yoghurt and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.  Mix gently.

Spoon into a bowl and top with your favourite fruit like strawberries and kiwi, blueberries and pear or banana and passion fruit.

If on a low fodmap diet be sure to use low lactose yoghurt, gluten free oats and low fodmap fruit like banana, blueberries, kiwi and strawberries.

Pear and cinnamon…sweet, crunchy, rich and creamy…delightful.

Banana Walnut Pancakes

Muesli is delicious but if your family is up for a challenge, I can highly recommend these Gluten Free Banana and Walnut Pancakes…they are truly heavenly…

You will definitely earn brownie points with these babies!

You can find this recipe on my favourite blog My New Roots.  This is what I will be requesting on Mother’s Day!

Want more ideas?  Try these…

Toasted Banana Bread topped with butter, honey or ricotta and banana

Delicious Whole Food Muffins…

Crunchy Crunchola Granola with yoghurt and fresh fruit…

Let us know your favourite celebration breakfast ideas…we’d love to hear how you celebrate on Mother’s Day!

I hope you all have the most wonderful Mother’s Day, you derserve…you are all AWESOME!!!

Much love,

mamacino x

 

Crunchola Granola

I admit…this isn’t exactly a detox recipe but it just tastes so good – I had to share it.

As you know, I’ve been trying to eat really, really well this week – and on the whole, I’m succeeding.  I set out yesterday to make this decadent granola from Heidi Swanson’s Super Natural Cooking thinking of all the nourishing, healthy ingredients it incorporates.  It’s full of oats, nuts, seeds and fruit and a little goes a long way.  I’m enjoying it spooned over organic natural yogurt which is totally awesome for your digestive health.

My interpretation of Heidi Swanson’s Grain-ola

(based on what I had in the cupboard!)

Crunchy, sweet and very more-ish...

Ingredients

makes about 8-10 cups

4 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup chopped walnuts (or any nuts you like best)

1 cup flaked coconut

1 cup of your favorite dried fruits – I used paw paw and banana chips

zest of an orange

3/4 cup raw honey (normal is okay too)

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix the oats, seeds, coconut, zest and nuts in a big bowl.  Melt the honey and the butter together in a saucepan or the microwave and then stir it into the oat mixture coating everything evenly.

Divide the mixture between two large, lined baking trays and bake at 150 degrees celcius for around 40 minutes, stirring it up with a fork every ten minutes.  Be careful not to burn it.

Let it cool completely on the tray before stirring through your dried fruits and storing in an air tight container.

How to eat it…

Spoon over natural yougurt

Sprinkle over fresh or stewed fruit

Use it as a topping for fruit crumble

Only toast half the mixture in the honey and butter leaving the other half natural…mix together and eat like muesli, topped with fresh fruit and your choice of milk.

Place it in a pretty glass jar and give away as presents – if you can part with it!

So – as I said, not really a detox recipe but wholesome and delicious none the less.  Now, my gorgeous brother has just delivered me a box of farm fresh eggplants so I might think about what I will do with those…Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Enjoy!

mamacino x