Category Archives: breakfast

breakfast pizza for brunch

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

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My love of pizza is no secret.  I eat pizza for dinner and often cold the next day for breakfast or lunch.  So, while perusing the King Arthur blog, I came across breakfast pizza.

I decide to make it for our Brunch for the Cure.  We are always our own worst critics, so I do hope some of the folks who enjoyed it will chime in.  I liked it, but thought it could use a few tweaks next time.

I’m not going to post the whole recipe since you can find it here, I’ll just tell you what I did differently and interesting things I discovered along the way.

I used the 5 Minute Artisan Bread dough recipe for my crust.  I made it the night before and in the morning, shaped and let rest an hour before rolling out and placing in a well olive oiled jelly roll pan.

As the recipe suggested, I let it rise in the pan for awhile for nice thick crust.  As one reviewer suggested, I par-baked my dough for a few minutes before loading with the toppings.

Toppings… I followed this recipe as closely as I have ever followed a recipe.  I probably added an ounce or 2 more sausage than they called for.  I know I added more cheese than they suggested.  I added 7 eggs instead of their 4-6 because I thought my eggs looked small, but I followed their instructions on how to make the eggs to a T.

You start by making a bechamel, then whisk the eggs into it and cook until soft cooked.  It looked lumpy and weird.  I wasn’t entirely sure I was doing it right, but holy cow- it worked and it was yummy.

Assembled and back into the oven.  As another reviewer suggested, I took it out of the jelly roll pan and baked on a cooling rack for the last 5 minutes to get the bottom crust a bit crisper.

It was the exact size of my cutting board, so after I cut it into squares, I just served it on that.  Why mess another dish.

I thought it needed a little more something, maybe some spice.  I had been tempted to throw in a jalapeno when I sauteed the onion and pepper, now I kinda wish I had.  I’ll do that next time.

and how apropos, right after I made my breakfast pizza Eater posted about P’town’s breakfast pizzas.  ahhhh, great minds feed great stomachs 😉

all the girls in our glory ready to walk for the cure!

A Sunday in review

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by in breakfast, restaurants

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This morning had the briefest of rocky starts. I slept like crap. For whatever reason, I couldn’t sleep Saturday night. That’s not entirely true. I fell asleep about 8pm on the couch and napped for about 20 minutes. When I went to bed, I didn’t fall asleep til about 1am. Grrrrr. So, I woke a bit sleepy.

Per my normal weekend morning, I enjoyed my morning joe on the porch watching the world drive by, picking the occasional weed. This morning, I managed to prune my roses and top off the yard debris can. That all goes in the success column.

All of that and a brunch date. A second date. He and I have flirted for a couple of years and both have very busy lives. I’ve told him the slow progression to which this has occurred is quite alright by me (being Bambi and all).

We met for brunch at a place I’ve been wanting to try. Simpatica Dining Hall , a catering company that serves dinner and brunch on the weekends.

Upon entering the building I was enveloped in the warm, comforting aromas of breakfast. Down a few steps, past a few folks waiting in line to see my gentleman caller. We were already on the list and got seated pretty quickly. Our server was a lovely woman, who made it clear she had a sense of humor pretty quickly. All signs looking good. I ordered coffee and a bloody mary. Date got a screwdriver. Bloody Mary B-, weak and not much personality. Pickled veggies that were skewered across the top A+.

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I had heard from a friend and reliable source that the French toast was the things to have. But I’m not a huge fan of French toast, so I told date. He declined saying he needed meat. (he’s scoring points!) I got fried chicken with a biscuit and gravy that were great. A hint of curry powder in the batter that really made you think there’s something special going on. Just a hint so you had to really think about what that flavor was. I was stumped until the server shared the secret. When I had the second piece cold at the sink for dinner, the curry was significantly more noticeable. And still quite good.

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Date had chicken fried steak with gravy and scrambled eggs. I had a taste and it was quite good. He left an empty plate, so I’m fairly certain he was satisfied with his selection. But, truth be told, I think he was a little jealous of my fried chicken. Winner. Winner.

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We went for a short walk around the neighborhood before heading to the still. I had to share our bloody mary with him (seeing as it’s amazing). He took off shortly after and I got to work.

Ahhhh Sunday. Now on to the grind of the week. Happy Monday. Oh you want more dirt on the date? Oh, sorry, I don’t kiss and tell.

and ps… I posted this one entirely from my phone, so I apologize if the pictures are blurry and things look a little weird.

little miss muffin

04 Wednesday Apr 2012

Posted by in baking, breakfast

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We surround ourselves with people who compliment us.  Of course we aren’t going to hang out with someone who constantly tells us how fat we are or how bad we look.  The other compliment.  Their skills and traits are a good balance for our skills.

I am the cook.  I am not the baker.  I have friends who bake.  I don’t like to measure.  Cooking is throwing a bit of this and bit of that into a pot and whammo- you’ve got gold!

I work with a great organization called Rebuilding Together that does home repair for low income elderly and disabled.  There are things going on throughout the year, but on the last Saturday of April every year there are roughly 50 houses being worked on.  that is 50 houses just in Portland alone.  This is going on across the country.

Each year, I solicit coffee and pastry donations from Starbucks.  This year, I decided I’m going to make pastries.  This is a huge endeavor for one unskilled as myself.  I figure if I bake 1 or 2 different muffin or scones a week for the next 3 weeks, then I’ll be set.  Throw them in the freezer and pull them out the day before.  (dirty little secret- that’s what your local bakery does for starbuck’s, so why can’t I?)

Tonight after doing a few chores and having a cocktail, I made Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins.  Thanks to google and the blogosphere I had a few good places to start.  I follow a lot of foodie folks and thanks to Annie’s Eats, I’m off to a good start.

I mostly followed the recipe.  Really no variations or strays I feel worth mentioning. I figured since I don’t want to kill my volunteers, I wouldn’t experiment too much.  I don’t want to brag, but I don’t think I messed this one up too badly.  We’ll see what the troops have to say on the big day.

a crustless quickie

12 Monday Mar 2012

Posted by in breakfast, recipes

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quickie?! no porn here, unless it’s food porn 😉

Trader Joe’s used to sell these awesome crustless quiches. They made the perfect lunch. I have missed them so.

Saturday I woke at my usual M-F time of 5am and was awake. So instead of laying there wishing I could go back to sleep, I got up and got productive. I did laundry, swept and mopped the floor, went to the post office and made crustless quiche.

I have a Demarle silicone bake tray that makes 6 perfect personal quiches. I threw uncooked broccoli, eggplant and spinach in each well and tossed in some parmesan and blue cheese crumbles. I whisked together 12 eggs, kosher salt, Penzey’s Tuscan Sunset herb blend and 1/4- 1/2 cup coconut creamer and ladled into each well.

 

I had preheated the oven to 325 and baked for 40 minutes, checking them after 30. They came out light and fluffy. I shared with a coworker who said my seasoning and salt was just right.

These make great quick and easy breakfast, lunch or dinner. It makes portion control a little easier when it is pre-portioned out for you. Now go have your own quickie 😉

old school goes new school

18 Friday Nov 2011

Posted by in baking, breakfast, recipes

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Again with the bananas…

Good fuel that comes wrapped in it’s own packaging, how can you go wrong?!  When Kristin and I go on our morning walks she like to kick my ass with these hills, one in particular.  She eats breakfast as soon as her eyes pop open.  I have to work my way to breakfast, it takes me a few hours some days.  So, on the mornings we walk, I put a banana in my pocket.

A few nutrition facts about our beloved banana courtesy of the Chiquita Banana folks:
Bananas contain 20% of the Daily Value of Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 contributes to red blood cell formation, the reduction of fatigue and transporting iron through the body.

Bananas contain 15% of the Daily Value of Vitamin C. Vitamin C contributes to the reduction of fatigue; helps develop and maintain skin, bones, cartilage, blood vessels, gums and teeth, while reducing free radicals and protecting cells from oxidative damage.

Bananas contain 13% of the Daily Value of Potassium. Potassium helps maintain a normal blood pressure (already within normal limits) and muscle function.

A single serving (one medium-sized Chiquita banana) also contains 12% of the daily-recommended dietary fiber intake for a normal adult. Fiber has been shown to improve digestive function.

ok, enough boring stuff.  Now the juicy stuff…

When I had a sleepover last weekend with the boys (Get your minds out of the gutter! remember- I’m Auntie Gayle) I made a gluten free peanut butter banana muffin.  YUM!

I started with Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix, much cheaper and easier than sourcing a dozen different gluten free flours. As my norm, I started with the recipe on the bag and just winged it from there.
1 1/2 cups Pamela’s Baking mix
1/4+ cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup sugar in the raw
1 banana (I’d use more next time)
1/4(ish) cup peanut butter (M said it needed more- I agree)
the recipe calls for nuts, but there was one in the group that didn’t like nuts, so I left them out. But if this were just for me I’d add the 1/4 cup it suggested, if not more.

I, of course, got a shrug and they’re ok.  But word trickled back to me that they actually got rave reviews.  Good thing, cause I liked ’em and will be making them again, though next time I’ll probably add chocolate chips!

I’m going to leave you with a little ditty to remind you about the greatness of the banana.

yogurt and probiotics

14 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by in breakfast, homemade yogurt, recipes

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Here’s an over-share to start your day off right.  I’ve been having tummy troubles. Not really, I just sort of feel out of wack.

So, as a result, I’ve been trying to introduce more probiotics into my diet in hopes of getting back into balance. This is the portion of the program where I tell you I am not a doctor, I don’t even play one on tv. This is just me and my ramblings, trying to stay healthy.

According to the Mayo Clinic probiotics may:
Treat diarrhea, especially following treatment with certain antibiotics
Prevent and treat vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections
Treat irritable bowel syndrome
Reduce bladder cancer recurrence
Speed treatment of certain intestinal infections
Prevent and treat eczema in children
Prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has more good information on probiotics.

The most common way we get probiotics into our diet is through yogurt.  I have a few friends who make yogurt and go on and on about how easy it is.  The flavor is amazing.  blah, blah, blah…  So, as I do, I turn to the internet and do a little research.  and I made yogurt!  No fancy machines and for half the price of the organic stuff I had been buying.

At Safeway Nancy’s Organic Lowfat 32z Plain yogurt $3.09
OR their “house brand” lowfat organic yogurt 27z $2.99 (notice generic just got more expensive than name brand, wtf)
MY homemade yogurt:
1/2 gallon Trader Joe’s Organic 2% milk $2.09
1/3 box Yogourmet active yogurt culture from New Season’s $1.83 (this is a 6 pack for $5.49)
My recipe produces 64 ounces for $3.92
A little time in the crockpot and yummmm. Breakfast is served!

With the first batch, I started with a heaping tablespoon of store bought yogurt.  The second batch I used the Yogourmet starter and liked this flavor better, a bit more tart.

Warm the milk on the stove to 180*, then let cool to 110(ish).  Add the yogurt starter of your choice to half of the warm milk and stir until dissolved.  Once dissolved add remaining warm milk and pour into glass bowl (or other non-reactive material).

Since I don’t have a yogurt maker, I poured some hot water in the bottom of my crockpot and turned on “warm” setting.  Do this a few minutes before so the crock can preheat and not take all the heat away from your yogurt.  Set your glass bowl in the water bath and rest a thermometer on the edge of the bowl and put the lid on the crockpot.  I covered the lid with a towel to help keep the heat in.  The goal is too keep it in the 105-120* range for 4-5 hours or as many as 18-24 hours, depending on the recipe you are following.  I turned the crockpot on and off as needed for about 6 hours (20 minutes on warm, off for an hour or so).  I turned it off for good around 11pm, covered with towels and went to bed.  The next morning it was at 80* and it was YOGURT!

To make it thicker (think more Greek-style), I strained the first batch.  Just a quick strain through some cheese cloth then popped in the fridge.  I kept the whey to use later. (remember Miss Muffit? she was making cheese.)

This is one of my favorite breakfasts.  Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Meusli, yogurt (you can see how thick it turned out after straining) and a drizzle of local honey.