I had a pretty perfect Valentine’s Day. I know it’s one of those holidays that everyone has a ranting or raving opinion on, but what’s the harm in telling someone you love them?

Though I make Ivan breakfast quite often, there’s something special about a romantic table for two spread with a fresh tablecloth and Sweet Corn Cakes hot off the cast iron. A dollop of bright lemon and agave yogurt with warmed maple syrup round out this sweet and savory breakfast.

Don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to come around again to make these!

For the Recipe, click here:

Sweet Corn Cakes with Agave Lemon Yogurt

I have just returned from a wonderful wine-filled weekend in Temecula Valley. Although I did some wine tasting in Stellenbosch, South Africa and vaguely remember visiting a vineyard with my parents when I was a kid, I can’t say I ever went wine tasting during a part of my life where I actually cared about wine. So this was a new experience. One that I would love to repeat, but have quickly learned must be paced slightly differently.

You see, I went with my parents and while my mom is more a sipper, my dad and I sort of treated it like a competitive sport to see how much we could possibly stomach in one day. Not the best way to do it, we found out. But enjoyable nonetheless…I think in about three months, I’ll be able to handle Napa!

Here’s a fresh, surprisingly light breakfast that made our drive to California tummy grumble free!

For the Recipe, click here:

Fluffy Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Berries

Here is proof that things do grow in the desert. That gargantuan zucchini came from my friends’ garden! Pretty impressive huh? And here is something I am so glad I purchased… a giant muffin pan. Because seriously, the truth is, I make muffins, I consume two or three and then just feel guilty about it. So, I figure one monster one will satisfy my tummy and my mind. Perfect solution to my problem I think. I recommend you get one and make some of these breakfast beauties.

For the Recipe, click here:

Garden Breakfast Muffins

I don’t particularly care if you eat this for breakfast, lunch, as a snack or just because you feel like it. I just care that you make this. It’s so yummy, has minimal ingredients and is a cinch. I’m not even quite sure what else there is to say other than that I am still smiling from eating it!

On another note, you might notice that busyasabrie.tumblr.com is now simply www.busyasabrie.com! This might make it a little easier for you to share the ideas here with your recipe deprived friends! Wink wink…

For the Recipe, click here:

Scallion Pancakes with Lox and Hoisin Creme Fraiche

I have been waking up earlier and earlier. This actually happens to me every year around this time when the weather is turning and there seems to be so much to be missed if you’re not up at 8:30am. To some this may seem like sleeping in, but to me, considering my work schedule, believe me, this is a wee early hour.

Inevitably, since Ivan tends to sleep a more reasonable number of hours, I’m sitting around like a child on Christmas morning, anxiously waiting for him to wake up. Also inevitably, since the only thing I can think about in the morning is eating, I end up scouring food blogs, raking through recipes on Epicurious and dreaming up things that will waft to his nose and spring him out of bed!

In fact, most of my cooking happens in the morning. I love getting to the grocery store when everyone has a coffee in hand and the produce has just been stocked the night before. It always seems a little more special. So these muffins were inspired by a box of oat bran found on one of my morning excursions and sure enough, Ivan was a happy camper when he finally got up!

For the Recipe, click here:

Banana Pecan Oat Bran Muffins

This is a labor of love and if I might say, a little hazardous. If you can zest five lemons and avoid zesting a knuckle, you deserve a gold star. Usually I nick at least one of mine and then have to search my cabinets for band-aids. Lovely, I know.

After zesting and juicing, you must continuously whisk for fifteen minutes, which, take it from me, is a taxing arm workout. But it’s so rewarding to watch it thicken and develop a sunshine burst of color that I always find it worth the effort.

Fresh fruit with homemade lemon curd is a dream. You could also layer it with fruit and fresh whipped cream for a zesty trifle. You can make this a day of two ahead so get moving now and enjoy tomorrow!

For the Recipe, click here:

Fresh Fruit Salad with Homemade Lemon Curd

Breakfast with Quinoa: Part II

I spend a ridiculous amount of time playing crazy food scientist in my kitchen. There are times I wash a mixing bowl three times in one day, which inevitably makes me think “Should I get more mixing bowls?” and a shiver of excitement goes through me, thinking about scanning the aisles at Marshalls for a bright colored and shiny new bowl of possibilities.

And then, there comes a week where I am literally cooked out and cannot stand to pick up a spoon, let alone a measuring cup. So I have a few things that I make that are easy and require no washing of bowls or cleaning of floured surfaces.

I quite get that some people find the slow-cooker to be elementary. However, if you scoff at this lovely little machine for morning munchies, you are a narcissist! It’s honestly like having a personal chef, or at least what I assume having a personal chef would be like. Arise and eat!

A slight disclaimer: This is for serious quinoa lovers. It has a porridge-like texture and since quinoa has a particularly earthy aroma, some oatmeal die-hards may not be convinced. But give it a try and you just might find yourself going back for a second bowl.

For the Recipe, click here:

Quinoa Porridge with Pears

I have had a bunch of requests for quinoa recipes, and more specifically, breakfast quinoa recipes. Smart people! I don’t think it’s a secret that quinoa is a superfood. I only wish that during the three years I abstained from meat, I had known about quinoa because of its high protein content. Aside from that, it’s high in fiber, magnesium, iron and is gluten-free!

If that isn’t exciting enough maybe the discovery of quinoa flakes will make you jiggly with joy! I found these at Whole Foods and immediately heard a bell go off for granola bars.

It’s been about a year and a half now since I started running pretty seriously. After years of having a bum knee that would dislocate at even the sight of a slippery floor, surgery has given me the brand new experience of stability and I am addicted to my long, mind-clearing runs.

One of my challenges has been finding a breakfast that is easy to digest, energizing and tasty. So, enter oatmeal and quinoa! They are combined here into chewy, honey kissed granola bars that also offer the nutrients of nuts and fruit. I wrap them individually in tinfoil and munch before (and/or after) a long run, These will also pull you out of an afternoon slump in no time.

For the Recipe, click here:

Honey Quinoa Granola Bars

So as I mentioned in yesterdays post on Portobello Barley Burgers, there are a million things to do with leftover barley.

Number one: It’s a perfect breakfast. I actually prefer it to oatmeal because of its nutty chewiness. But it has the same benefit of filling you up and pulling you through a long morning run or just keeping you full longer.

There’s no better morning to me than my Vanity Fair, a cup of hot coffee and this barley breakfast! Enjoy.

For the Recipe, click here:

Nutty Barley with Strawberries and “Cream”