Stack o’ Pancakes

June 29, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Breakfast Foods at 3:33 pm | Comments »

pancake-stack

My husband and I have been low-carbing it lately, but because we don’t want to feel deprived, have designated two days a week when we can have a healthy amount (not too much, not like a pint of ice cream, ok) of carb-laden food. Yesterday was such a day, and guess what we had?

Yes, pancakes have always been one of my favorite comfort foods. I like my pancakes fluffy, but not too thick, because I have to stack them. The higher the better. Then I slather them with good, salted butter, and pour on the maple syrup.

And I must have real maple syrup. No substitutes, no maple-flavoured syrups, thank you very much.

Sigh. What a day yesterday was. I can still taste the buttery, sweet, salty pancakes… and I share the recipe with you here:

Classic Buttermilk Pancakes

1 1/2 cups plain flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (try to get aluminum-free, it makes a huge diff)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk (or- regular milk with a tablespoon of vinegar mixed in!)
1 large egg
3 tablespoons melted butter

Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add in your liquids (buttermilk, egg, melted butter). Mix very lightly. Do not overmix.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium high heat. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter on for each pancake, keeping in mind that your first pancake will probably be imperfect. This is ok. Snack on it while you make all the rest. Pile hot pancakes on a plate, and serve.

Mother’s Day Ambrosia

May 10, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Breakfast Foods, Holiday Fun, Recipe at 5:44 am | Comments »

Ambrosia

One of the nicest Mother’s Day traditions is making your mom breakfast in bed. Now, while you can certainly go the whole nine yards and whip up any number of breakfast dishes, sometimes you want something simple. Healthy. And absolutely delicious.

Enter this Ambrosia, which I promise you is as lovely as its name. Here’s how to make it:

Mom’s Ambrosia
Ingredients:
5 ripe oranges, peeled and sliced
1 medium-sized banana, peeled and sliced, and sprinkled with about 1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup flaked coconut (optional. Omit if Mom’s just not a “coconut person”).

Method:
In a medium bowl, combine orange and banana slices. In a separate bowl, mix together orange juice, lemon juice, and honey. Pour over the fruit slices, and top with coconut. Serve chilled, with a silver spoon.

The secret here is using the very best ingredients you can buy: organic oranges and bananas, freshly squeezed orange juice (although Tropicana will certainly do in a pinch), raw organic honey… well, you get the idea. After all, your mother deserves nothing less.

Breaking the Fast

April 7, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Breakfast Foods at 6:21 am | Comments »

Breakfast

Breakfast is just that, after all- breaking the “fast” from sleeping. As such, it’s not surprising that breakfast is said to be the most important meal of the day, the one meal you should never skip. Oh, and if you can eat something healthy, that helps too.

For years I skipped breakfast. As a night owl, the last thing I wanted when opening my bleary eyes in the morning was a full meal- a cup (or two) of strong, kick-me-awake coffee was all I could face. Then my husband was diagnosed with diabetes, and one of the cardinal rules in managing diabetes is never skipping meals. It was for love, then, that I rediscovered breakfast- and now it’s my favorite meal of the day.

However, because I’m still a night owl, I’ve had to find breakfast foods that didn’t have me slaving over a hot stove while half-asleep. That meant that pancakes, unfortunately, were out. But the following breakfasts are quick, easy, and can be prepared with eyes half-shut:

Strata. A breakfast casserole, if you will. The simplest strata- and my favorite- is made of buttered bread laid in a casserole dish, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and drowned in a mixture of beaten eggs and milk. Cover and stick in the fridge the night before. On the morning of, stick in a preheated oven for around 30 minutes- and voila. All the goodness of french toast without all the work.
Overnight Porridge. We first saw this on Alton Brown’s Good Eats, and it’s our favorite way to make oatmeal now. What you do is start the oats with water (tip: add extra water if you like to sleep long) on low in a crock pot the night before. In the morning- hot steaming cereal. Mmm.
Scrambled Eggs. I’ve posted previously on how to make perfect scrambled eggs. It’s fast, and luxurious, and delicious.
Danish. Yes, a basket of old-fashioned danishes, served up with some good coffee and fresh orange juice, is a classic, and one of the best things to wake up to. I like to heat up the danishes and wrap them in a large white napkin in a pretty basket.

What are your favorite breakfast foods?

Easy Breakfast: Scotch Eggs

January 28, 2009 | Posted by Lorena as Breakfast Foods at 10:21 pm | Comments »

These past few weeks have been crazy for me. I thought that the New Year would bring a bit of relief from the end of the year rush at work but it seems that a lot of it has spilled over to January. As such, breakfast has become less of a pleasure than it usually is. More often than not, I have had to rush out of the house with only a cup of coffee to warm me. Not good, we all know that.

I found a really easy recipe for breakfast eggs that will not be boring – as the usual scrambled eggs can be after a while. Here it is, Scotch Eggs, courtesy of The Indy Star.

6 large hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pound sausage (flavor of your choice)
1 egg, beaten
Spicy or Dijon mustard (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix paprika into bread crumbs.
2. Separate sausage into 6 even portions and wrap sausage around hard-boiled eggs with your hands. Dip each sausage-covered egg into beaten egg and then roll and coat in bread crumbs. Place eggs on a wire rack over a baking sheet.
3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve with spicy or Dijon mustard on the side.

The best thing I like about this recipe is that you can pop the eggs in the oven, take a quick shower, get dressed, and eat breakfast. Then you’re good to go on a full tummy!

An Apple For Breakfast Keeps Heartburn Away

January 17, 2009 | Posted by Lorena as Breakfast Foods at 8:12 am | Comments »

While we’re on the topic of heartburn, I thought I’d offer a couple more recipes that can help you enjoy a great meal without worrying about getting heartburn later on in the day. This recipe, I found at Bella Online. It is essentially a breakfast recipe and if you don’t eat breakfast, you might want to start doing so – it is a great way to avoid heartburn.

Rolled Apple Pancakes

• 2 cups white whole wheat flour or spelt or Quinoa flour
• 2 – 4 tablespoons stevia, Lo Han or Zylatol (or sugar, if you prefer!)
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 well beaten egg yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 2 Tbs. melted butter
• 1- 1/4 cups finely chopped apple
• 2 stiffly beaten egg whites

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. In a small bowl, mix egg yolks and milk. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in butter and apple. Fold in egg whites. Let stand for a few minutes.

Measure 1/3 cup batter per pancake, and pour onto hot, buttered griddle. Spread evenly with spatula. (Add a sprinkle of chopped walnuts if you like!) Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until pancakes develop a bubbly surface and slightly dry edges. Turn and cook ‘til golden brown.

Dot each with butter (sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar for an extra treat!) and roll up. Eat plain, or drizzle lightly with honey or real maple syrup, or use as dippers. Yum!

This recipe makes 12 pancakes – plenty for a good breakfast for 3 or 4 people.

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