Sunday Breakfast

On Sundays we usually have more time to cook something fun for breakfast. As usual, I looked in the refrigerator to see what I could combine. What I saw was part of a package of 99% lean turkey sausage links, yellow squash and onions chopped up from my dad's garden, fresh plums, and quinoa. So what could we do to create a healthy hearty breakfast? Here's what I did:

Quinoa Cereal:

Mix 1/2 cup dry, washed quinoa with 1 cup milk (alternatives: almond, soy, flax, goat's....)

Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes, watch and stir so it doesn't overflow!

I added a few tablespoons of dry cranberries and sprinkled in cinnamonduring the boiling stage.

Once the quinoa looks partially cooked, remove from heat, cover with the lid and let sit for another 10 - 15 minutes. If it looks too dry, add more milk. Other options to add in: wheat germ, flax seed, toasted almonds or walnuts, vanilla or if you want a sweetener, honey or agave nectar. I used a vanilla flavored milk so that with the cinnamon was plenty of sweetness!

Add in chopped fresh fruit when ready to eat. If you plan to use apples, put those in while cooking so they can soften up. My fresh plums went beautifully with the cranberries and cinnamon flavors and didn't need extra cooking time. In fact the texture was great.

Turkey Sausage Vegetable Mash:

I chopped up the turkey sausage into small pieces as well as the yellow squash which I had pre washed and sliced off the hard yellow skin and cubed. The yellow onions I sliced into long pieces.

Heat a sautee pan over medium low heat and spray with cooking spray. Mist the vegetables with olive oil. Add the onions first to start softening; add the squash, I cooked these for quite awhile over low heat and added salt, pepper, dried oregano and every so often deglazed the pan with red wine vinegar. You could use low-sodium broth as well, or even water.

Remove cooked veggie blend from pan. Add the turkey sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Add the veggie mixture back into the pan with the turkey sausage and combine.
 

Blood Orange Juice Cocktail:

Super simple: I used a low sugar added orange juice, sparkling water and a splash of Trader Joe's Blood Orange Soda over ice. Pour into a champagne glass for a special tough. You could easily add Prosecco or Champagne for a kick! I poured in the blood orange first and the colors layered nicely.

Not bad for a Sunday breakfast, and you get protein, veggies, fruit and whole grains!