Have you been trying new breakfast recipes this week? I like to tell my clients that breakfast never has to be a big sit down meal when you’re rushing to get ready in the morning. Any healthy food will do to jump start your metabolism and energize your day (aim to eat within 45 minutes of getting up!). Even if all you can manage is a little handful of almonds as you’re running out the door, or a piece of fruit on the train and a yogurt when you get to your desk will do for breakfast. But this week we’re hoping to inspire new breakfast ideas with the Breakfast Blog Challenge and I was challenged with finding a good breakfast recipe using lentils!

Lentils are a fan favorite in our home. Funk devours them daily in his lunch salad, and I love a good lentil soup or Indian dish that’s chock full o’ lentils. But for breakfast?! I was up for the challenge. The Breakfast Blog Challenge.

Elizabeth told me about a lentil breakfast muffin she discovered on the Malomeals blog and after lots of web searching, I found the recipe on Post Punk Kitchen (recipe below).

This was my first major attempt at baking since my hip surgery, which means my balance was off on all accounts. I wanted to have a batch of warm muffins in the oven when Funk came home from work but instead he came home to a batch of lentils all over the floor. Oops. Fortunately I had made a double batch of lentils so I went back to attempt the muffins again (with Funk’s supervision this time).

When I finally got to taste my Lentil Muffin, I really enjoyed the chai tea flavors! Delish! They taste fantastic with a berry jam smeared on top and they’re so filling! One muffin plus an orange kept me satisfied til lunch, which is a rarity! All that protein and fiber from the little lentils as well as whole wheat flour will help hold you over.

The true taste test was with my mom. She took me to a doctor’s appointment so I brought her some muffins, not telling her any ingredients, and just advising her to eat them with jam on top, and left it at that. When I came out of my appointment, mom told me she got hungry and enjoyed a muffin where she, “Could see and taste all of the ingredients! Raisins…coconuts. It was good!” I kept my lips zipped and decided to let my mom discover, when reading this post, that she loved a lentil muffin. Who woulda guessed it!? You love lentils, mom! Now that was a Breakfast Blog Challenge success!

I can’t wait to see what you submit for your lentil recipe in the Breakfast Blog Challenge. Don’t forget, you could win the awesome book Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide. And a new prize was just added! You can ALSO win the book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian (aka Gu-a-titian) Dave Grotto. Two prizes! Just remember to email your recipe and pics tothesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com by Tuesday, February 16^th. Good luck!

- Janel of Eat Well with Janel

Lentil Breakfast Muffins/Cake

Wet Ingredients:

• 2 c chai tea
• 2 c cooked lentils
• 4 T fresh ginger (I left this out)
• ¾ c coconut
• 1 T cinnamon
• 1 t ground cloves (I used pumpkin pie spice here)
• 1 t coconut extract (or vanilla or almond)
• ¼ c flax meal
• ¼ t kal stevia (optional) or 4 t liquid sweetener (I used 4t agave)
• 1 T vinegar

Dry Ingredients:

• 4 c whole wheat flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1.5 t baking soda
• ½ c sugar
• 1 t salt
• Optional: 1 c raisins – great option! I’d suggest adding some plump raisins

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 375
• Place the wet ingredients in a blender and blend
• Mix the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, make a well and fold the wet ingredients in until just combined.
• Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and scoop a quarter  cup into the tins.  Bake for 15- 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Or spray a 9 by 13 baking pan and place mixture in there.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

P.S. These muffins are delish…you really gotta try ‘em!

So—what’s the dealio with this so called “challenge?”

Okay—here’s the 411.

Five of us nutrition ladies—Jessica at A Fete For Food, Janel at Eat Well with Janel, Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar Coat It, Lindsey at Healthy Blog Snack, and Corinne at Green Grapes Blog (yours truly), invite YOU to take the Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge! If you accept, you’ll incorporate a food that typically doesn’t make it onto your breakfast plate or into your usual b-fast bowl—or hey, if you’re really in a jam … your hand or napkin. Simply put, as long as ya eat breakfast within an hour of your rise-n-shine time, incorporate the chosen breakfast item, and send us a pic of your b-fast duds along with its recipe within six days of the highlighted item’s post—you’re good to go and eligible for prizes!!!!!!!!!!

Woo-hoo! Yes, we said prizes.

The Deal

But, before we get on to prizes, let’s talk a lot more nitty-gritty, shall we??? I know—details, details, details…

Starting next week—on February 8^th—we’ll each have a day where we’ll post why our ingredient is AWESOME and invite you to use the ingredient in your breakfast within the upcoming week.

The Five Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge Ingredients, Revealed

1. Avocado – Monday, February 8^th

• Pics and recipes needed Sunday, February 14^th

2. Flax Seed – Tuesday, February 9^th

• Pics and recipes needed Monday, February 15^th

3. Lentils – Wednesday, February 10^th

• Pics and recipes needed Tuesday, February 16^th

4. Quinoa – Thursday, February 11^th

• Pics and recipes needed Wednesday, February 17^th

5. Walnuts – Friday, February 12^th

• Pics and recipes needed Thursday, February 18^th

Now, to get clout and be eligible to receive a FAB prize—you’ll need to send a pic of your breakfast item along with its recipe to thesuperbreakfastbowlchallenge@gmail.com within six days of the ingredient’s post date (noted above).

For example, if Lindsey writes about avocado’s awesomeness next Monday, then you’ll have until Sunday to send in a pic of your avocado breakfast goodness! AND—if you win, on Monday, the picture of your breakfast along with its recipe will be posted on ALL of our blogs!

So … Basically …

Each “ingredient post” will appear on each of our 5 blogs and each person who sends in a breakfast pic with the chosen ingredient AND recipe will be eligible for a prize! But … wait, there’s more! The winner—chosen by a random number generator—will be featured on ALL of our blogs along with your name and blog/website name, if ya got one.

Don’t ya love it?!? Cooking experience, health, creativity, great prizes, and free publicity all in one!

So, if ya use all five ingredients and submit a pic each time, you’ll have FIVE opportunities to win some pretty fabulous items—if I don’t say so myself! Plus, get publicity across the blogosphere!

PRIZE TIME!

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for!

Below are the items you could nab if you enter each Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge!

1. Avocado: The Chef’n Vibe Avocado Slicer courtesy of Kitchen Stuff Plus, lots of Newman’s Own Organics fun, and an avocado gift pack courtesy of Avocados from Mexico!
2. Flax Seed: Fantastic Vega Products and Purely Elizabeth’s Perfect Pancake Mix and A wonderful Mighty Leaf Tea Top Brew Mug!
3. Lentils: A truly terrific text, Thrive—The Vegan Nutrition Guide. You can ALSO win the book 101 Optimal Life Foods by Registered Dietitian (aka Gu-a-titian) Dave Grotto.
4. Quinoa: Newman’s Own Organics loot—everything from delicious, decadent, dark chocolate to dried fruit!
5. Walnuts: Mollie Katzen’s get cooking. cookbook and a jar of walnut butter and a jar of chocolate walnut butter courtesy of Futters Nut Butters

GO ON—Challenge yourself to a Super Breakfast Bowl!

There’s never a time like the present! Send us your Super Breakfast Bowl Challenge pics with their recipe—come on now, you must share the health—and you could win some good loot in addition to some good ol’ blogger fun!

Looking forward to your breakfast creations!!!

Jessica at A Fete For Food

Janel at Eat Well with Janel

Elizabeth at Don’t White Sugar Coat It

Lindsey at Healthy Blog Snack

Corinne at Green Grapes Blog

PS there will be no GGB Challenge during February