Tag Archives: breakfast

French Toast- Bananas Foster Stlye

16 Apr

This is NOT a low-calorie breakfast. However, it contains fruit, so therefore you only have to feel slightly guilty about eating it! It is so good we ate it ALL before I even had time to snap a photo!

The recipe claims to feed six, but whomever has the self-control to eat only ONE piece of french toast should be nominated for sainthood. I would say this feeds two hungry adults. (At the beginning of my marriage I used to be slightly embarrassed that I can eat the same amount as my 40lbs heavier husband, but now I own it- especially when it comes to something as tasty as this french toast!)

Recipe From Steamy Kitchen
Serves 2

French toast:
3 large whole eggs
3 large egg yolks (keep the egg whites for a frittata)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 slices (3/4-inch thick) your favorite bread (I used French, you can also use brioche or challah bread)
3 tablespoons (ish) unsalted butter

Banana sauce:
4 ounces (1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
4 bananas, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices

Instructions:

  1. Soak the bread: Whisk the whole eggs and egg yolks in a large bowel to blend. Gradually whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture, turning to coat and soak until they are completely moistened with the custard. While the bread is socking up this wonderful-ness…
  2. Make the banana sauce: Melt the butter in a large stainless-steel skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and whisk until it melts into the butter. Add the water and whisk until smooth. Cover and set aside while you cook the French toast.
  3. Cook the French toast: Heat a heavy, large griddle pan over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle. Working in batches, transfer the soaked bread to the pan with a slotted spatula and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Add more butter as needed for each batch. (keep the already cooked pieces on a baking sheet in the oven at 250)
  4. Add the bananas: Add the banana slices to the sauce and cook until the bananas are almost tender, tossing gently, about 3 minutes. Transfer the French toast to plates. Top each with the banana sauce.
  5. Enjoy without guilt. Maybe even plan to go to the gym later OR realize your time would be better spent making another batch of these for dinner!

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Mango Coconut Smoothie

19 Jun

Coconut water.  You’ve got to try it.  Capiche?

Until last December, I had never heard of coconut water.  I first tried it after running a race.  Coconut water is a natural drink chock full of electrolytes and potassium, while also having no fat, cholesterol or added sugar.  It is a great post-run or exercise drink and is also great for hangovers.  Just saying…

I love the stuff, so recently I thought of incorporating it into a smoothie.  Using coconut water in a smoothie makes for a thinner smoothie but a smoothie that I can feel really good about and is delicious.

Mango Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 mango, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (use more if preferred)

3/4 cup coconut water

1 tablespoon honey

dash of nutmeg (I use a microplane grater to grate whole nutmeg right into the blender)

ice, slightly less than 1 cup

Instructions:

1.  Place all ingredients into a blender.  Puree until desired consistency.  Add more yogurt or coconut water, based on preferences. I make my smoothies in a Magic Bullet Blender which works nicely but a regular blender will work fine.

For printable recipe, click here.

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Peanut Butter Waffles

4 Jun

Martha has done it again.

I made these waffles over Memorial Day weekend.  They received four thumbs up from my husband and I.

I have an issue.  Well, some of you might think I have a couple issues, but right now I have one.

I like eggs for breakfast.  Eggs, toast, potatoes, omelets, frittatas, all those savory breakfast dishes.  I don’t make french toast, waffles, pancakes, all those goodies, but I do enjoy them.  I will just ALWAYS pick savory over sweet unless someone is cooking for me.  What is wrong with me?

Don’t answer that.

I know I am missing out on some crucial breakfast options.

So anywho, I decided to make waffles last weekend and take the plunge into sweet breakfast land.

We loved these waffles.  The recipe made way too many for just one meal, so we ate them the next morning for breakfast as well.  For complete bliss, add sliced bananas and pure maple syrup on top.  I had leftover buttermilk after making these, so I made ranch dressing this past week!

Check it out.

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food magazine.  A great cooking magazine for the chef who is just learning to cook as well as the intermediate chef.

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Black Bean and Avocado Frittata

24 May

Remember when I made this?

Well it is time to jazz things up a bit.  Boring frittatas no more.

I can clearly remember the first time I made this.  I made this frittata a couple days before my in-laws would be visiting Texas.  It was going to be our first visit with them since our wedding.

I wanted to make really good meals and assure them that their son was being fed properly!  I am actually blessed with awesome in-laws and they would never judge me for my food, but I still wanted to impress them.

So I did a practice round a few days before they came, made some changes and I think they liked it!  Personal victory for me.  I have been making it ever since and every time I make it, I think of that visit.

Black Bean and Avocado Frittata

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil

1/2 onion, chopped, about 1 cup

1/2 cup black beans

1 avocado, diced and drizzled with juice from 1/2 lime

6 eggs

2 tablespoons sour cream

3 dashes hot sauce

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  Beat eggs in a large bowl with sour cream, hot sauce, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Set aside.

3.  Heat oil in an oven proof 10 inch skillet heated to medium high.  Sauté chopped onions  until soft.  Turn heat to low and evenly add black beans and avocado to pan.  Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly stir to combine.  Allow to cook for about 1 minute or until edges have begun to set.

4.  Place pan in oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until firm.

5.  Allow pan to cool slightly and slide frittata  onto serving platter and cut into six slices.  Serve with salsa and sour cream if desired.

Feel free to top this with a cheese of your choice.  Queso Fresco would be delicious.  I served mine with green dip, because, well everything is better with green dip.

I eat the leftovers for breakfast on the days following this frittata.  I warm a slice of frittata, then smack it in between two pieces of bread.  It makes the best breakfast sandwiches!

For printable recipe, click here.

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Breakfast Pizza

22 Apr

My weekly love affair with pizza continues. My husband was unexpectedly home for lunch and I initially tried to get him to go somewhere with me (him being home for lunch is a treat), but we decided instead to have a pizza. Not just any pizza, but one covered with bacon, eggs and feta cheese! (Insert cheering and excited jumping). The combination of bacon and cheese is always a winner; add that to a large pizza crust? WINNING

This whole pizza was made and ready in under an hour!

Begin by making by far the easiest homemade pizza dough ever…

Dough:
3 cups of bread flour (A whole wheat crust can be made by substituting 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups bread flour)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

1 cup water

1 Tsp salt

I packet of Fast Acting Yeast (or  2+1/4 tsp)

Toppings:

2 Tablespoons Sour Cream

6 slices of bacon

1.2 white onion diced

1  cup  chopped mushrooms

2 cups  (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup  (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

1/4  cup  chopped green onions

6 eggs (you can use how ever many eggs suits your fancy)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

For the dough: Combine yeast, 1 cup flour, olive oil, water (heated to 120°-130°F) and salt. Mix with paddle or beaters for 4 minutes on medium speed. Gradually add remaining flour and knead with dough hook 5 to 7 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Lightly flour the surface you are going to roll the pizza dough on. Roll out dough to the size of your pizza pan and if you don’t have a pizza pan, you can roll the dough into a rectangle and put it on a cookie sheet! Poke the dough with a fork all over, and bake for 8 minutes before putting the toppings on.

While the pizza dough is baking, Cook the bacon (I made mine in a cast iron skillet, and I actually made an extra piece so I could eat it). Also, saute the onions and mushrooms in a little bit of olive oil until the onions are translucent.

For the toppings: Spread sour cream onto pizza dough – it will keep it moist. Top with the mozzarella then the bacon,onions and mushrooms; sprinkle with feta cheeses and green onions. Break the eggs on the top of the pizza and carefully put the pizza in the oven.

Bake at 400° for 12-15 minutes or until the whites of the eggs are firm.

Hubby’s pizza slice… (also known as 1/4 of the pizza)

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Basic Frittata

29 Mar

If you are tired of scrambled eggs, and want to take things up a notch in the breakfast arena, try a frittata.  A frittata is an easy, easy, egg dish that is baked in an oven proof skillet and is like a big open faced omelet.  This is a great breakfast to entertain with.  While the frittata is baking in the oven, you have some time to focus on another element of breakfast, setting the table, enjoying your coffee or in my case, cleaning up the huge mess you just made so that guests might think you are somewhat of a civilized cook.  It’s a win, win for everyone.  Here is an example of a basic frittata.  Very few ingredients, and easy preparation leads to a yummy breakfast.  This is a scaled down recipe that feeds 3 to 4 people.

First, you will need:

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onion chopped

hot sauce

salt and pepper, to taste

herbs/scallions to top frittata, if desired

Beat eggs in a large bowl with milk, hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Sauté chopped onions in an oven proof skillet, over medium high heat until soft.  Pour egg mixture into pan and lightly stir to combine.  Allow to cook for about 1 minute or until edges have begun to set.

Place pan in oven and bake for about 15 minutes or until firm.  Oven times may vary.  Top with herbs and scallions.  Allow pan to cool slightly and slide frittata  onto serving platter and cut into six slices.  Warning: pan handle will be super hot!  I know it is common sense, but once the pan is out of the oven, it is easy to forget that the handle is screaming hot.  I put a towel over the handle in case I do forget.  Not that this has actually happened to me before or anything…

A slice of frittata is also delicious the next day.  I always eat our leftovers in a sandwich.

BUT, the most fantastic thing about a frittata is the endless variations that you can make.  You can put basically any vegetable, meat or cheese into a frittata.  All you have to do is follow similar steps of:

1.  Making the egg mixture.

2.  Sauteing the vegetables.

3.  Pouring the egg mixture over the vegetables, and bake.

4.  Then top off with whatever toppings you prefer!

Look for our favorite variations of the basic frittata to come!

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