Omelet Muffins

Hosting a healthy summer brunch party can be stressful. Unless you hire an omelet chef, you face the dilemma of keeping the eggs hot, personalizing orders, and feeding all of your guests at the same time. Before you throw in the towel and turn to the convenient bagels and cream cheese, we have your solution: omelet muffins! 

They're exactly what their name suggests. "Omelets" made in muffin tins. They allow you to simultaneously cook for an entire brunch party and personalize orders. Not to mention, they're kind of adorable to showcase. Below we are sharing one of our favorite recipes, but feel free to tailor it to you or your guests! 

Ingredients: (makes 8 muffins)

• 8 eggs
• 1 cup diced bell peppers
• 1 cup diced onion
• 2 handfuls chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 6 or 7 muffin cups with nonstick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, veggies, and milk. Scoop into the prepared muffin tins (We find it easiest to use a 1/3 cup measuring cup) almost to the top. Sprinkle cheese on top. Then give each one a good dose of pepper or a pinch of salt.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until egg is cooked through. Easy way to check the egg: touch the middle of the muffins. If they are still wet and gooey, they'll need a little more time in the oven. They should feel cooked through.

5. Serve egg muffins immediately (with salsa or guacamole, if desired).

Flourless Banana Pancakes

We all love a good short stack, but between the white flour, butter, and powdered sugar, we would be lying if we said we eat them feeling guilt-free. We believe that your diet shouldn't be about sacrifice, but instead should revolve around balance and moderation. In this case, we decided to modify one of our favorite breakfasts by swapping out the refined sugars and adding healthy ingredients. These flour-free, protein-packed, banana pancakes are a Tovita breakfast staple and will make you feel good about starting your day. 

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 bananas
• 4 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp chia or flax seeds
• 1 tbsp coconut oil for cooking
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• Optional: blueberries to add to batter, coconut flakes to sprinkle on top

Directions:

1. Mix bananas, eggs, vanilla extract, chia seeds, and cinnamon in blender until batter-like consistency.

2. Heat pan on medium-low with coconut oil. Add handful of blueberries to batter.

3. Cook 2-3 pancakes at a time to avoid breaking. These are less dense than regular pancakes!

4. Drizzle maple syrup on top and sprinkle coconut flakes for decoration.

Asian Sesame Tofu "Croutons"

We all love a good Asian style salad but between the fried wonton strips and the heavy peanut dressing, we succumb to the black hole of hidden calories and saturated fat. That's why we've put the Tovita touch on one of our favorite meals. These versatile tofu-croutons are the healthy crunch factor your salad needs.

Ingredients

• 1 block of extra firm tofu, drained and sliced into ¾ inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or low sodium soy or tamari sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 
• ¼ cup halved cashews (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
2. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil or spray with oil to prevent sticking
3. In a bowl, toss the cubed tofu, sesame seeds, and cashews in the sauce
4. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tofu becomes crunchy and crouton-like

Add to Asian style Salad pictured with:

• 4 cups baby kale and spinach
•  1 bell pepper, chopped 
•  1 Cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 cup Red onion, chopped
•  2 stalks celery, sliced
•  2 Tablespoons sesame ginger dressing (we like Annie's Organic Sesame Ginger)

(serves 2)

*Option to add avocado, broccoli, cabbage, mushrooms, or your favorite veggies. Get creative!

Other ideas:

• Add to zucchini noodle pad thai
• Asian style stir fry with brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower “rice”, or buckwheat noodles