"Breakfast Club", the 1980's classic movie was on tv this week, and evidently today is "National Pancake Day", so it seems natural to talk about Breakfast foods today. Breakfast or Brunch, even "Breakfast for Dinner" is one of my favorite comfort meals. When you go out for breakfast, the treat is to have someone wait on you with a "bottomless" cup of coffee. What if you could have the best of the best at home? You can spread out the newspaper...lingering at your own table without being rushed by the stares of the people in long lines at the hot spots in town! The experts tell us that it's the most important meal of the day, so don't miss out. Even if it has to be "on the go" ...the first bite of the day can be the best!! Can you imagine a world without toast? (although Pete, my eleven yr. old doesn't like it, he asks me to "make it fresh" , meaning not toasted!" We usually eat Ezekial Bread, because it gives you the most nutrition for your buck, (LOTS of fiber) but we have also been enjoying this EASY Master recipe for crusty French Boule bread (great for toasting) from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, ...the recipe makes four one pound loaves. You don't have to bake it all at once..the dough keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks. It gets even better the longer it sits. I will really work on taking pictures of these recipes...it's so beautiful when it comes out of the oven.
We have this little ritual on weekday mornings. The plates around the breakfast table are topped with Shaklee supplements (a Vitalizer strip)and a Nutriferon, an extra spoon for Vivix., and raw coconut oil and raw honey....first things first. Pete never likes to eat much first thing, so I at least get an egg (with hot sauce) in him (no toast remember?) or a Shaklee Cinch Shake...it's easy and I know he's getting the nutrients he needs plus it keeps him going until lunch. David and I like to drink a glass of water with Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar it's a great addition to a healthy lifestyle...google it, the benefits are incredible. Dan (our Son the chef) taught us in true Julia Child fashion how to make a French Omelette, so that is one of David's favorites. Our Daughter Maria (who will be 16 this week!) usually needs to take her breakfast in the car. A favorite of hers is a Fried Egg Sandwich. I use whatever is on hand, but they are fashioned after the sandwiches made at the "Good Day Cafe" in Minneapolis. Their version is made on toasted brioche, with fried onions, avocado, tomato, and a piece of thinly sliced ham...my usual order when I'm there, but you can truly make one just as good at home.
Weekends are a different story...pancakes rule! There are so many different recipes for Buttermilk Pancakes alone. I'll share one I made for Pete and his friend Charlie after a sleepover, with bacon (their favorite part) . The easiest way to make bacon is in the oven. I use one of my cooling racks on the cooking sheet I use for roasting vegetables. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 min..you know how you like it. I will share a recipe for" Sweet and Spicy Bacon" this week...pork products are ok once in a while, right? Be sure to get the nitrate and hormone free smoked bacon. Trader Joe's sells a good apple wood smoked version. Another hit of the week was something my Mom made for a dinner party, but I think you could serve it at a brunch too. She said it was a favorite at her party...scroll down (my way of getting you to read the entire post)
I'm going to start with a great crispy Cornmeal waffle recipe I got from a favorite food blog I read, "Kate in the Kitchen" She is a Minneapolis native who shares great healthy recipes and beautifully written stories. Last week she shared a great post about the devastating South Minneapolis fire that consumed a couple of our favorite neighborhood restaurants, Blackbird Cafe and Heidi's. http://kateinthekitchen.com/
Buttermilk Cornmeal Waffles
(from Kristin at The Kitchen Sink Recipes, slightly adapted from Gourmet magazine and www.kateinthekitchen.com)
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
6 tablespoons vegetable oil plus additional oil for brushing waffle iron
Into a large bowl sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Repeat sifting 2 more times.
In another large bowl whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and oil. Add flour mixture all at once and whisk just until combined.
Preheat a waffle iron and preheat oven to 200 °F.
Brush waffle iron lightly with additional oil. Spoon batter into waffle iron, using 1/4 cup batter for each 4-inch-square standard waffle and spreading batter evenly, and cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm, uncovered, in middle of oven. Make more waffles with remaining batter in same manner, brushing waffle iron with more oil before adding each batch.
Serve waffles with syrup.
David used to go to a Men's prayer breakfast. The older men would make breakfast for the younger men (David is 48, and was the youngest guy) These men were so dear and would make a huge pot of oatmeal with love..the same way every week. The meal was a good start to the day and vert filling, but most of the nutrition came from their words of wisdom they served with it. How about boosting the nutrition in your morning oatmeal? We love to add toasted walnuts or almonds and dried fruit too.
Gourmet Magazine
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 large eggs
6 bacon slices
1 large shallot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
7 ounces baby arugula or baby spinach (6 1/2 cups)
6 cups cubed (1-inch) country-style bread (1 pound)
5 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese, coarsely grated (1 1/2 cups)
Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-qt shallow baking dish.
Whisk together milk, cream, eggs, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Cook bacon in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until crisp. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain, then coarsely crumble.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Increase heat to medium-high and cook shallot and garlic, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Gradually add arugula and cook, stirring, until it wilts.
Stir arugula mixture, bacon, bread, and cheese into custard. Transfer to baking dish and cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake until golden in spots, about 10 minutes more.
When my older kids were younger and money was really tight, we'd have pancakes for dinner a lot!! We had the recipe taped on the inside of our cabinet in the kitchen...well we lost it somehow, so I am always looking for the ultimate buttermilk recipe. My Mom started the whole "from scratch" pancakes with the Betty Crocker cookbook recipe, which calls for separating the eggs and whipping the whites...that's a good one too. This one is easy to memorize.
Another Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 c. Buttermilk (well shaken)
1 tsp. vanilla (secret ingredient)
Put the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the egg, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir together until dry ingredients are mixed in. (do not overmix)
Heat the griddle with oil and a bit of butter if you want. A couple Tbsp. of melted butter is good in the batter too, but you don't need it.
Sweet and Spicy Bacon (made in the oven)
Gourmet Magazine 2006
1 ½ Tbs packed light brown sugar
Rounded ¼ tsp cayenne
Rounded ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 lb thick-cut bacon (about 12 slices)
Position an oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper.
Arrange the bacon slices in 1 layer—not overlapping—on the rack of a large broiler pan. [Jimmy didn’t use a broiler pan. Instead, he lined a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and put the bacon on the foil. It seemed to work just fine.] Bake the bacon for 20 minutes. Turn the slices over, and sprinkle them evenly with the spiced sugar. Continue baking until the bacon is crisp and deep golden, about 20-35 minutes more, checking every 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain before serving.
Here is my "Teaser" recipe :)
http://www.vinaigrettemn.com/
Strawberries with Aged Balsamic and pepper Food Network
Have a great week and make your first bite of the day the BEST! Taking Shaklee supplements every morning will make every day great. Remember all past recipes are archived on my blog "I Had a Delicious Time" http://kelli-abrahamian. Kelli |
