Category Archives: Breakfast/Brunch

July 25, 2010 · 5:03 pm

Overnight Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes with Raspberry Nectarine Jam

Another jam we made last week was a seedless raspberry nectarine freezer jam (recipe from Kitchen Simplicity via Simple Bites). The flavor of the nectarines really complimented the raspberries. It did not set quite as firmly as some other jams, but that was perfect on these pancakes!

Next year I will definitely make this jam again, but I will try to make it lower sugar and as a regular canned jam, instead of a freezer jam.

I love these freezer containers from Ball! Perfect for jam.

Little A wanted pancakes with jam and sausage for his birthday breakfast on Thursday. This sweet jam was a perfect topping for these healthy, but delicious, pancakes.

I make these pancakes with kefir and whole wheat berries, blending them and then letting the mixture sit overnight. A quick blend again in the morning with an egg and some leavening, and they were ready to throw on the griddle!

They can also be made all in the same day, but the batter thickens up more if it is allowed to sit. For a slightly different flavor, try using other grains; often I will add some whole oat groats in place of part of the wheat.

RECIPES:

Raspberry Nectarine Freezer Jam

Servings: Makes 6 Half-Pint Containers
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3 nectarines, pitted and chopped (do not peel)
2 cups raspberries
1 Tbs lemon juice
4 cups sugar, divided
¾ cup water
1 package powdered fruit pectin

Use a blender or food processor to puree nectarines and raspberries. Strain through a sieve to remove seeds. Add lemon juice and 2 cups sugar; let sit 10 minutes.

Stir water, pectin, and 2 cups sugar together in a small saucepan. Bring to a hard boil; boil for 1 minute.

Stir into fruit mixture for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Spoon into freezable containers and allow to sit, sealed, at room temperature until set (up to 24 hours).

Store in the fridge for 3 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.

Yield: about 6 half-pint containers

Adapted from Simple Bites

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Whole Wheat Blender Pancakes

Servings: 12
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1 cup wheat berries, oat groats, rolled oats or other whole grain
1 ¼ cups kefir or buttermilk or 1 cup milk
¼ cup melted butter or coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs honey or 1 pkt Stevia

Combine wheat berries (or other grains) and kefir (or buttermilk or milk) in a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes. Let the mixture of grain and milk sit on the counter for 1 hour or overnight (refrigerate if using regular milk).

After letting the mixture sit, blend the grain/milk mixture again for about 1 minute. While blender is running, add the egg and melted butter. Add baking powder, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and sweetener and blend just until combined.

Cook pancakes on a hot griddle.

Makes about 12 pancakes

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Homemade Yogurt & Granola

Within about the last year and a half, I have become quite the fermented milk fan! From kefir to yogurt to lacto-fermented mayonnaise, there is always some kind of milk product sitting out on my counter, working it’s probiotic, yeast-culturing magic; turning plain old milk into something so much more healthy and delicious.

Some of my children find this disgusting, and refuse to touch anything in the fridge that is kept in a Mason Jar. Others have jumped right in and love to drink our daily kefir smoothies, or eat “stirring yogurt” (Little J’s name for homemade yogurt-because you get to “stir-in” whatever flavor or additives you want-like the granola recipe at the bottom of the page). Kefir is my sour-milk of choice, but a nice thick yogurt is always great to have around as well. I will show you some of my kefir-growing soon, but if you are new to kefir check out this great website.

Another great thing about homemade yogurt, besides the superior taste and nutritional value, is how cheap it is to make. For just about the cost of milk (especially after your first batch when you now have your own yogurt starter to use for the next batch), you can also have yogurt. We have been getting our milk from a local dairy, so I also love being able to turn good, fresh milk into creamy, delicious, no-preservative-or-other-additives yogurt.

Making Yogurt

In a saucepot, stir together milk and dry milk powder. Powdered milk is an optional ingredient, but it does help make for a thicker yogurt. If you are using a thermometer, attach it to the side of the pan and bring milk to 185°F-200°F, stirring often. If you are not using a thermometer, bring milk just barely to a boil and then remove from heat immediately. If the milk has developed a foam on top, skim this off.

Fill a clean sink with about 2-3 inches of ice water (just make sure that the water level is low enough that when you add the pan of milk, it comes about halfway up pan). Set pan of hot milk into the ice water bath. Let milk cool to about 110°F (without a thermometer: baby-bottle warm), stirring often. This should take about 10 mins. If you leave your milk too long, and it gets too cool, just reheat slightly on the stove until it reaches 110°F.

Gently stir yogurt starter (just plain, unsweetened yogurt, preferably not non-fat) into milk. The first time you make your own yogurt, you will need to buy this. Try to get a high quality, plain yogurt with no pectin added (or other additives). For future batches of yogurt, save a small amount of your own yogurt to use as a starter the next time.

Yogurt needs to incubate between 98°F and 113°F. If the temperature is too low, the yogurt will not reproduce and you will have a runny final product. Temperatures over 118°F will kill the yogurt culture. An easy place to maintain this temperature range is in a cooler. I usually make 3 quarts of yogurt at a time (plus a little extra to use as starter the next time). This cooler fits my 3 quart-sized yogurt jars, one half-pint jar, plus 2 hot water jars for maintaining a nice warm good-bacteria growing temperature.

While the milk is cooling, I fill two quart-sized jars with boiling water and place them in a towel-lined cooler. Once I have mixed the milk with the yogurt starter, I put my yogurt-filled jars in the cooler with the hot water-filled jars.

Not shown in the above photo is the small half-pint jar that I also fill and add to the cooler. It serves as the starter for the next batch of yogurt I make. You can also just save the last part of one of your quart jars, but this way, I don’t forget and eat the whole jar, and it stays sealed until I am ready to make more yogurt.

Wrap the towel around the jars.

Close the cooler and let the yogurt incubate for 8-12 hours. I like yogurt on the tart side, so I usually let it stay for a full 12 hours.

Transfer jars to the refrigerator. Do not open or shake the jars until they have completely chilled in the refrigerator.

Delicious, thick creamy yogurt!

For an even better treat, top your homemade yogurt with some homemade granola!

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RECIPES:

Homemade Yogurt

Equipment:
Canning jars and lids** (see note at bottom)
Small cooler
Bath towel
Candy/frying thermometer (optional)

Per quart jar of yogurt:
4 cups milk (whole milk is best)**
3 Tbs dry milk powder (optional, but it makes for a thicker yogurt)
2 Tbs plain yogurt

For 3 quarts of yogurt + one 1/2 pint jar (for starter)**:
3 quarts whole milk
1/2 cup (slightly heaping) dry milk powder
1/3 cup, heaping, (or 6 Tbs) plain yogurt

In a saucepot, stir together milk and dry milk powder. If you are using a thermometer, attach it to the side of the pan and bring milk to 185°F-200°F, stirring often. If you are not using a thermometer, bring milk just barely to a boil and then remove from heat immediately. If the milk has developed a foam on top, skim this off.

While milk is cooling, boil some water (about 2 quarts if you are making 3 quarts of yogurt) and pour it into clean jars. Top with lids. Place in a towel-lined cooler. If you are making a lot of yogurt and using a large cooler, you can also just put a pan of just boiled water in the bottom of the towel-lined cooler.

Remove milk from cold water bath, and gently stir in yogurt. Pour into sterile glass jars.** Top with lids and screw top rings. Place jars of milk in the cooler with the hot water jars. Wrap towel around tops of jars and close cooler.

Let incubate for 8-12 hours. Do not open cooler during this time. You need to maintain a temperature between 98°F and 113°F. If the temperature is too low, the yogurt will not reproduce and you will have a runny final product. Temperatures over 118°F will kill the yogurt culture.

Remove yogurt jars from the cooler and place in the refrigerator to chill. Do not open jars or shake or stir yogurt until well chilled.

**NOTE: When I make yogurt, I like to make an additional jar (a small half-pint jar) to save as starter for the next batch. Using the full amount of milk given above will give you enough extra for this small jar. If you are not going to make an additional small jar, then reduce the milk by a few tablespoons per quart.

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Homemade Granola

Servings: 20 1-cup servings
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10 cups rolled oats
2 cups coarsely chopped raw almonds
2 cups coarsely chopped raw pecans
1 cup wheat germ
1 cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup flax seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds
2 tsp cinnamon (use more for a stronger flavor)
1 cup coconut oil
1 ½ cups honey (or half honey/half pure maple syrup)
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2-3 cups dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, blueberries, cherries (optional)
1 cup shredded/flaked coconut (unsweetened, if possible)(optional)

Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a large bowl, mix together oats, nuts, wheat germ, sunflower, flax and sesame seeds, and cinnamon.

Heat coconut oil until melted. Stir in honey and/or maple syrup and vanilla. Stir into oat mixture.

Pour onto a large baking dish. Bake at 325°F for 90 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Cook until granola is golden brown.

Cool.

Optional: stir in dried fruit. I like to store the granola without the fruit mixed in, and then add different kinds of dried fruit when I am serving the granola (saves on different kids picking out different kinds of fruit!).

Yield: This makes A LOT (more than 20 cups)! It can easily be halved, but it also stores really well in the freezer (in Ziploc bags). Freeze before adding dried fruit.

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Filed under Breakfast/Brunch, Condiments/Sauces, Tips and Tutorials

Tagged as coconut oil, granola, homemade granola, homemade yogurt, kefir, oats, probiotic, yogurt

June 8, 2010 · 8:19 pm

Create-Your-Own-Quiche

At our house, quiche is a year round food. In the winter, I pair it with soup for a hearty meal, and in the summer it stands more on its own, usually accompanied by a fresh, crisp salad.

As a family of seven, we are a two-quiche dinner family. Which works out well for everyone, because I will make one “good” quiche, chock full of vegetables, and another “plain” quiche, a standard Quiche Lorraine, with just bacon and cheese. So whichever kids don’t like my vegetables of choice that day are made happy with the plain, boring variety.

Quiche is a great way to use fresh, seasonal vegetables, especially prolific summer garden veges. It is also a good way to use small amounts of leftovers (both veges and meat like chicken or ham).

The following quiche recipe is completely adaptable to whatever meat and vegetable you have on hand. The only real recipe alteration you need to watch for is the amount of cream you use. For low-moisture add-ins (like bacon, sausage, chicken, onions, asparagus, broccoli), 2 cups works well. For high-moisture items (ham that has not been sautéed, spinach, zucchini, tomatoes). reduce the amount of cream to 1 ½ cups or your quiche will not set correctly.

To keep the crust on my quiches (and pies!) from browning too quickly, I like to use pie crust shields over the edges. I have one commercial pie crust shield, but as I am always making two quiches at a time, for the second quiche, I make my own shield out of foil. I used to try using foil strips, but they always shifted when I tried to add additional strips, or move the pie in/out of the oven, causing me great frustration. So ….

How To . . . Make Your Own Pie Crust Shield Out of Foil

Set your pie plate, right side up, on a square of foil that is 2-3” larger than your pie plate.

Trace the bottom of your pie plate (the smaller side).

Set pie plate aside and cut out the inner circle.

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You can trim the corners on the outside edge, but I usually just leave them. Fill your pie crust, then set foil ring over the edge of the pie. Gently fold down outer edges, being careful not to squish all of that edge-crimping you worked so hard on!

Bake pie, or quiche, with the pie shield on. Five minutes before the end of the cooking time, carefully remove shield. If the edges are not brown enough, leave shield off and bake until edges are golden brown. If the edges are browned, replace shield and continue cooking until quiche/pie is cooked through.

—–

RECIPE:

Create Your Own Quiche

Servings: 6
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Pastry crust for 9” pie plate
2 cups cream**
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Pinch of ground cayenne or Ancho chile pepper (optional)
1-2 cups chopped cooked meat (ham, bacon, chicken, sausage)
—–and/or vegetables (onions, green onions, peppers, spinach,
—–zucchini, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, etc)
½ cup fresh grated Parmesan (plus optional 2-3 Tbs for garnish)
1-1 ½ cups additional shredded cheese (Swiss, cheddar, Gruyere,
—–pepper-jack, feta, cream cheese-cubed, etc)

**NOTE: Use less cream (about 1 ½ cups) if meat/vegetables are very moist

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Prepare pastry crust and place in 9” pie plate (deep dish, if possible).

In a medium bowl, mix cream, eggs, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (if using).

Prepare meat and vegetable filling: chop and sauté meat and vegetables like onions, peppers, zucchini, mushrooms; lightly steam broccoli; green onions, asparagus, tomatoes, and spinach can be used raw, but frozen spinach should be thawed and drained to remove as much liquid as possible. Cool cooked vegetables slightly.

Combine meat, vegetables, Parmesan and additional cheeses in a mixing bowl. Spread evenly in pie crust. Pour cream/egg mixture over filling. Use a spatula or fork to remove any large air pockets.

If desired, cover the crust of the quiche with a pie shield. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to set at room temperature 5-10 minutes before serving.

OPTIONAL: Sprinkle hot cooked quiche with 2-3 Tbs grated Parmesan as soon as it comes out of the oven.

—–

SPINACH QUICHE: I used about 1 cup cooked, crumbled bacon, 1 onion, sautéed, and 1 box of frozen spinach, drained and then squeezed to remove excess moisture. I used only 1 ½ cups cream and ½ cup each Swiss and sharp cheddar cheeses.

QUICHE LORRAINE: I used 1 ½ cups cooked, crumbled bacon and 1 onion, sautéed. I used 2 cups of cream and 1 ½ cups Swiss cheese.

PUMPKIN QUICHE: See recipe here

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Chewy Granola Bars

Homemade chewy granola bars: A fraction of the cost of store-bought bars, and so much tastier! Not to mention healthier. I never mention that part to my kids.

I used a combination of oats, almonds, pecans, Rice Krispies (to make them a little less dense), sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, raisins, and dried cranberries.

I like to toast the oats and raw chopped nuts before mixing with the other ingredients.

I use kind of a “shortcut” step when making these. Instead of cooking a syrup to bind the bars, I use a can of sweetened condensed milk. Doesn’t everything taste better with a little sweet milk mixed in?

To avoid sticking: Spray the back side of a spatula with non-stick spray and use it to press granola bar mixture into a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You could also just spray your hands and use them to press the mixture into the pan.

Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until top just begins to brown.

Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, and then use parchment paper to lift cooked bars out of the pan.

Cut into bars or squares.

Be sure to save all of the “crumbs” after you cut the bars. These are great over a bowl of yogurt!

RECIPE:

Chewy Granola Bars

Servings: 40
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4 cups rolled oats
4 cups additional items:
Chopped nuts Sesame seeds
Dried fruit Flax seeds
Sunflower seeds Wheat germ
Rice Krispies Chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt (if using unsalted nuts; omit if using salted nuts)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 Tbs honey or molasses
¼ cup melted coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread oats evenly on a rimmed baking sheet (about jellyroll size, 10×15”). Toast in the oven for about 5-7 minutes. Place toasted oats in a large mixing bowl. If nuts/seeds are raw (not roasted), toast them on the same baking sheet for 7-10 minutes. Add to mixing bowl with oats.

Stir in additional dry granola items, cinnamon and salt; mix lightly. Pour sweet milk, maple syrup, honey or molasses, and coconut oil over granola mixture. Mix well.

Line your baking sheet with parchment paper, letting it overlap the sides. Spray the back side of a spatula with non-stick spray and use to press granola bar mixture into lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes, or until top begins to brown.

Cool. Lift parchment paper (and granola bars) out of baking sheet. Cut into bars. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container. Cut granola bars can also be frozen in Ziploc bags.

To make crunchy granola bars: Divide mixture into 2 pans (creating thinner bars). Bake until nicely browned. Cut before completely cool. (Don’t use dried fruit or Rice Krispies)

—

NOTE:
I doubled this recipe and made them in a large 15×21” pan and got about 80 granola bars.

These are the proportions of dried items that I used (double all of the additional ingredients in recipe):
8 cups oats
2 cups chopped almonds
2 cups chopped pecans
2 ¼ cups Rice Krispies
1 cup dried cranberries and raisins
½ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup sesame seeds

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Tagged as chewy, granola bars, homemade

February 21, 2010 · 6:45 pm

Cinnamon Twists

There is something about a soft dough rippled with cinnamon and oozing sweet cream frosting that almost makes you forget about the water dripping into your house from the slowly melting snow on your roof. Almost.

These cinnamon twists are a variation on cinnamon rolls, and just as certain to please.

The dough is easy to put together and easy to work with. It goes together quickly, not requiring an initial rise. So you can have warm cinnamon twists on your plate in under an hour. Unless you have a bunch of girls staying at your house, and then you will be lucky to snag even one to try and snap a picture of. You might have to settle for the broken one shown above.

This is half of the batch of dough.

Be sure to use a sharp knife to cut the dough into strips. A round pizza cutter works amazingly!

Twist the strips and put into a pan coated with melted butter. This pan is actually a little too crowded. I should have separated them a little more.

Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, and then bake for about 10 minutes and you are ready to eat!

I like to use a basic powdered sugar glaze to top these. If I have it on hand, I use cream and powdered sugar. Cream gives the glaze a wonderfully rich taste. You can also use milk, but the cream is definitely worth the extra calories-and if you’re eating cinnamon twists it’s not like you’re counting calories anyway!

On a side note: if you make these on the same night you make Fettuccine Alfredo, be sure to label your leftover icing and alfredo containers. While making Big J’s breakfast the next morning (yes, he was having the pasta alfredo and not the cinnamon twists for breakfast), I topped his pasta with a big scoop of icing. Luckily I licked my finger before putting the concoction in the microwave!

RECIPE:

Cinnamon Twists

Servings: 18
Print

FEB 6, 2010 077-1

1 ½ cups warm water
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp. salt
3 ½ – 4 cups flour
½ cup butter, divided
¼ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
about 2 Tbs cream (or milk)

Mix water, sugar, egg, yeast, salt, and flour. Add more flour, if needed, to make a soft dough. Knead until a soft dough forms.

Melt ¼ cup butter in a jellyroll pan. Roll dough into rectangle. Spread with ¼ cup softened butter. Mix ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle dough with cinnamon and sugar mixture; cut into 1-inch wide strips (a pizza cutter works really well for this); twist each strip gently and place in buttered pan, about ½ inch apart. Let rise 30-60 minutes (until doubled).

Bake at 400°F for 10-12 mins.

Prepare glaze: Mix powdered sugar with cream, a small amount at a time, until mixture can be drizzled with a spoon.

Cool twists slightly, and then drizzle with powdered sugar glaze.

Yield: about 18 twists

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Filed under Breads, Breakfast/Brunch, Desserts

Tagged as cinnamon rolls, cinnamon twists

February 2, 2010 · 12:48 pm

Mediterranean Frittata

I have a confession to make: I don’t really like eggs. I have a really hard time choking down a plate of plain scrambled or fried eggs. If you add a few slices of toast and a jar of salsa, I can get through them. Or I’m even happier if those raw eggs are mixed with some butter, sugar, flour, and chocolate chips before baking: that is my kind of eggs!

But while I don’t like eggs, I do love quiche. Something to do with all of that cheese, cream, and bacon hiding the egg flavor (and texture). So this frittata (crustless egg casserole) is right up my alley: it is chock-full of non-egg tasting ingredients. Artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, spinach, feta cheese. Not a plain bite of egg to be found!

I made a large 9×13” casserole, so that I could eat it for breakfast all week (and maybe even share a square or two), but you could easily halve the recipe below and bake it in a square 8×8” pan.

This could also be prepared the night before, refrigerated, and then baked in the morning for an easy, delicious holiday breakfast. And Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

The extra Parmesan cheese on top is optional, but I always go for maximum cheese with my eggs.

It bakes up nice and puffy, with delicious browned cheese bits on top.

A fabulous, healthy, non-egg-tasting, high-protein start to your day!

RECIPE:

Mediterranean Frittata

Servings: 12-18
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18 eggs
16 oz container cottage cheese
1 cup (about 4 oz) crumbled feta cheese
2 tsp Greek seasoning**
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
2 (15 oz) cans/jars artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
3 oz pkg sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives (optional)
½ cup Italian parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Stir in cottage cheese, feta cheese, Greek seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a medium pan. Sauté the onion until soft. Add garlic and spinach. Cook 2-3 minutes, or until spinach is wilted.

Combine spinach mixture with chopped artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and parsley. Stir to combine (this will help cool the spinach before adding it to the egg mixture). Stir vegetables into eggs.

Spray a 9×13” casserole dish with non-stick baking spray. Pour egg mixture into pan. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if using.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until set in center. Cool 10 minutes before slicing.

**NOTE: I get my Greek Seasoning from Penzeys, but you could also substitute a combination of oregano and marjoram.

Adapted from TwoPeasandTheirPod

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Tagged as artichoke hearts, breakfast, brunch, egg casserole, eggs, feta, frittata, Greek, low carb, spinach