Breakfast Chilaquiles

Breakfast chilaquiles!!! New to the game?!? If so, you've definitely been missing out. Like, your life really hasn't started until you've eaten them. Don't feel bad. I hadn't had them until recently either...but now...my eyes are opened, and yours are about to be too!! 

My absolute favorite type of date is of the breakfast variety. I don't know what it is, but eating breakfast out just seems so special/luxurious. My perfect morning is a bike ride or run (or some other active outing) and then breakfast out. So many good feels.

The first time I had chilaquiles was on a breakfast date with two sweet friends of mine. The breakfast place we went to has such delicious and fresh options--freshly squeezed juices, avocado toast, a veggie market hash, these chilaquiles. Mmmmm. After having the chilaquiles there, I had to recreate them. And this recipes is suuuper simple. You can take out the chicken and add in black beans if you're vegetarian or don't want to take the time to get prepare chicken. Want this for lunch or dinner? Go for it!! The cilantro and avocado or non-negotiable though. Never....unless you think cilantro tastes like soap. Apparently it's a legitimate, genetic thing. If you're one of those people, I am so sorry for you.

First things first, make sure you have cooked chicken on hand. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken from dinner, or even pre-cooked deli chicken. Also, you can make your own salsa verde if you want to. But really, who's got time for that?? Chop your chicken along with the green onion, red onion, cilantro, and avocado. Heat a skillet to medium heat and fry your egg to your preferred doneness. Meanwhile, heat a mini cast iron skillet (or 6 inch regular skillet) on medium heat. Dip your chips in the salsa verde and layer them in your skillet. Top with chicken, feta cheese, and red onion and cook until the chicken is warmed. Once your egg is cooked, place it on top of your chicken and chip mixture and then top with cilantro, green onion, and avocado. And if you like lime, just give it a little spritz!...and theennnn devour!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. The great thing about it is that you can easily double or triple it in a larger skillet for you and a loved one(s). Super simple and super delicious! Tell me what you think after giving it a try.

Cold Brew Coffee...the best start to your day

So...I'm about to share with you how to make cold brew...You're welcome.

If you follow me on instagram (@donuteatingdietitian), you know that I drink a cold brew latte every single day. Seriously, every day. Sometimes, I drink it in the afternoon too. I've been asked several times about how to make it, so I decided I should just share here on the blog.

Making your own cold brew is suuuper simple. And way cheaper than buying the bottled stuff. I mean, have you seen how outrageous it is to buy it?? No thanks. Besides, I like getting to try different flavors based on the roast I buy. 

Cold brew is different than simply putting ice in coffee. It has it's own method of being made and it has a different taste profile as well. I find cold brew to be less bitter and far more flavorful. I have to add a bunch of sugar to regular brewed coffee to like it (caramel macchiato? Yes, puhlease), but I only add milk to my cold brew and it is ssooooo delicious! I highly recommend buying lighter roasts. I don't know how to describe how the dark roast cold brew tastes, but I'm not a fan.

Sorry to get off subject, but I have yet to catch you all up on my most recent employment status! Last time I posted, I mentioned that I had decided to go the private practice route. Welp, that changed. But it was a GOOD change. I am so stinking excited that it did and about my future....I received a job with a Christian counseling company in the area to do one-on-one nutritional counseling for those with eating disorders, disordered eating, and weight management issues. You guys, this is exactly in-line with my heart and passions and in the kind of environment I longed for!! I didn't think getting a job this perfect for me was possible, but God was good to provide it for me! In addition, I am also doing some part-time nutritional counseling for a physician group in the area. Holy moly, getting to do what you're passionate about is so exciting and rewarding. 

So lately I have been spending a lot of time researching and learning, networking with providers in the area, and getting my feet wet. It is going to take awhile to build up a solid clientele since it is a new service they are offering, but I am perfectly fine with that. And as I learn more about eating disorders and intuitive eating, the more mad I get at the dieting industry and the messages that the media sends us. Our views of food and our bodies and the language we so commonly use with each other is so detrimental! But that's for an entirely different post...

Back to making this cold brew concentrate. Pick a light coffee roast of your liking, place 1 cup of ground coffee in a large bowl with a pouring spout (or else you'll end up with water ALL over your counter), add 4 cups of water (always a 4:1 ratio), cover it, and leave it sitting on your counter for the next 12-24 hours. I normally start mine in the evening and then strain it at the same time the next morning. To strain the coffee, put a coffee filter into a colander placed over a medium bowl and pour the mixture into the strainer. Once it has strained completely, pour it into a resealable glass or plastic container and store in the fridge for up to a week...if it lasts that long. 

Lastly, to drink your delicious cold brew: fill a glass with ice, pour your coffee to about the halfway mark, and then top with milk! Beware, cold brew has more caffeine than brewed hot coffee, so if you get jittery easily, you may want to start out with smaller amounts than you normally drink! Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!!

Doughy Snickerdoodle Oatmeal Breakfast Bake

Oh my goodness. This incredible bowl of deliciousness...I ate it for breakfast for a week straight. I kid you not. 

I stumbled upon it by accident actually. I was combining bits of several different oatmeal breakfasts/bakes that I like. The result? An incredibly doughy, custard-like oatmeal bake with a caramelized brown sugar crunch that made my mouth think I was eating a snickerdoodle cookie. I just about died and went to heaven. 

Do you like wet, doughy, gooey textures? Surely by now you don't even have to ask me. Home girl goes for brownie batter, raw cookie dough, underbaked goodies, puddings, bread puddings, etc. ANY day. However, I also really like having a crunch to go with it (remember how I put chips on my sandwiches?). Cue the caramelized brown sugar. It gives the oatmeal a really great sweet crunch. It's kinda like the crunchy top of a creme brulee. I don't know that I've actually had real creme brulee. But I imagine that's what the top of a creme brulee would taste like...

Now, you can't skip on the peanut butter. Because, PEANUT BUTTER! Oh how I love pb. And honestly, I like this hot or cold. But I'm a fan of most things cold. You do what suits you. If you serve it cold, it's really delicious with blueberries <3. Just a tip. 

So I thought I would update you all/enlighten you to what I've been learning about in my mindful eating book. I really believe applying the principles in this book could help SO many people with food and weight issues. Our culture is so caught up in "good" vs. "bad" food, the macro- and micro-nutrient content of foods, the timing of foods, the health benefits, etc. that we've completely lost our sense of enjoying our food and allowing it to nourish us. Here's an incredible quote from the book that really resonated with me and was able to articulate my thoughts in a way I never could:

"Finding the middle way means not clinging to any food and not hating any food. Don't go overboard with anything in either a positive way or negative way. Food is food. The rest is mind games."

"We've learned to choose our foods by the numbers (calories, carbs, fats, RDA's, price, whatever), relying more heavily on our reading and computational skills than upon our senses. We've lost all confidence in our sense of taste and smell, which can't detect the invisible macro- and micro-nutrients science has taught us to worry aobut, and which food processors have become adept at deceiving anyway...No wonder we have become, in the midst of our astounding abundance, the world's most anxious eaters."

"When we eat based upon the thoughts in the mind, our eating is usually based in worry. When the mind is fretting about "should eat" and "should not eat," our enjoyment of what is actually in our mouths evaporates." 

pg.46,47 of Mindful Eating by Jan Chozen Bays, MD

Are there issues with our food supply? You betcha. There are certainly things that need to change about our food system and food processing. But as we learn to eat intuitively (truly listening to our bodies--not eating whatever), our demands on the food supply will change, forcing our food producers to make changes. Or us to make changes in the way we buy and prepare foods. But instead of it being based on fear, it will be based on what our bodies are needing and craving. 

The book discusses the different types of hunger we have: eye, nose, mouth, stomach, cellular, mind, and heart. Learning to identify which hunger you're experiencing is essential for being able to satisfy that hunger. Only stomach and cellular hunger can be satisfied with food or drink, but the others can be met through different means. I think heart hunger (desire for emotional intimacy) is a huge one that impacts our culture. Unfortunately, we try finding satisfaction through food, a source that will never truly satisfy that hunger. 

So for a breakfast that will satisfy your mouth, stomach, and cellular hunger, give this snickerdoodle breakfast bake a try. And while you're at it, share that time with someone you love. It's a great way to satisfy that heart hunger too.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this post. Do you like my recaps on mindful eating? Have you tried out any of my recipes? 

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Author: Ashley Smith, RD

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Doughy Snickerdoodle Oatmeal Bake

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 18 MinTotal time: 23 Min

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 5 Tbsp white whole wheat flour* (or oat flour for gluten free option)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp-4 Tbsp canned pumpkin (depending on how “doughy” you like things)
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• peanut butter, blueberries (optional, but not really optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (except for brown sugar) and then add wet ingredients. Pour into a small oven safe bowl/dish and bake for 18-20 min.
2. Take out of oven and turn on oven broiler. Sprinkle 1 tsp of brown sugar on top and broil on high heat for 2 min. Take out of oven and let cool until at temperature you can eat. Top with peanut butter and devour or stick in fridge and enjoy later!!

Notes:

*If you don’t care for doughy textures, increase flour to 2-2.5 Tbsp instead of 1.5 Tbsp.