Buttermilk Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan. Sift and measure flour; sift again with sugar, salt and baking soda.Beat egg in medium bowl. Blend in buttermilk. Add dry ingredients, beating until smooth. Blend in melted butter.Add  up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk for thinner cakes. Adjust consistency as required to maintain a pourable cake batter by adding additional flour or buttermilk.  Scoop 1/4 cup onto griddle and turn when surface bubbles begin to break. Serve immediately.

Yield 2

Notes: I never sift my ingredients and I double the recipe and it is plenty for my family. I use butter to grease pan.

Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

Bring butter, sugar and buttermilk to a boil. Add vanilla and baking soda.

*Syrup tends to boil over when baking soda is added. Remove from heat or turn heat down while adding baking soda.

Belgian Waffles

Belgian waffles are quite different from American waffles and its not just because of the waffle iron used. Belgian waffles are sweeter and have more fat in the batter, which makes them richer and more of a dessert (how they are eaten in Belgium from vendors on the street). I love them topped with whipped cream and raspberries but strawberries, blueberries, bananas or fried apples are other delicious options to try as well.

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

• 
  
• Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; gently fold into batter.
• Bake in a preheated waffle iron according to manufacturer’s directions until golden brown. Top with fruit and whipped cream or syrup.

NOTE:  Another variation to try would be to add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, some imitation maple flavoring extract and diced apples to the batter before cooking then serving with maple or cinnamon syrup.

Rhubarb Walnut Muffins

I love rhubarb - it is so sweet-tart and delicious and you can chop it up and store it in the freezer to use throughout the year in pies.  These muffins are another perfect use for rhubarb, with a sugary, crunchy top, and bites of walnut and rhubarb throughout.  

Rhubarb Walnut Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cups diced rhubarb, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper muffin liners.  

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl, beat the brown sugar, oil, egg, vanilla and buttermilk with a mixer until smooth.  Pour in the dry ingredients and mix by hand until just blended.  It is okay if a few white streaks remain.  Gently stir in rhubarb and walnuts.  Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, filling almost to the top.  In a small bowl.,  stir together the melted butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon.  Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar mixture onto the top of each muffin.  

Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

These pancakes are deliciously light, airy and citrusy and dusting them with powdered sugar makes them extra special and sweet.  It is also a good way of using up leftover ricotta cheese or lemons.  Without a doubt these are one of my favorite kinds of pancakes ever.

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

2/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (1 cup) whole-milk ricotta cheese

2 large eggs

1/3 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter melted

1/4 cup sugar

1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

 

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and making a well in the center. Add ricotta, egg yolks, milk, lemon zest and juice, and vanilla and whisk until just combined. Gently stir in butter.

              

Using a mixer, whip egg whites on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute, then increase sped to medium-high and whip until soft, billowy mounds form, about 1 minute more. Gradually add sugar and then whip until glossy, soft peaks form (about another 1 or 2 minutes). Transfer 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to batter and whisk gently until mixture is lightened, then gently fold remaining egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula.

               

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medim heat. When pan is hot, spray lightly with cooking spray and using 1/4-cup measuring cup, portion batter into pan in 3 places, leaving 2 inches between each pancake. Gently spread each portion into a 4-inch round. Cook until edges are set and first side is a deep golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes), thin flip with a wide spatula and continue to cook until second side is golden brown (another 2 to 3 minutes longer).

              

Dust pancakes with powdered sugar and serve immediately or transfer to a wire rack in a preheated oven to stay warm while repeating with the remaining batter. 

Egg McMuffin Sandwiches

We went camping with our friends the Millers on year and took turns making breakfast for each other. Ginny made these ramped up egg mcmuffins but told us that Jason is the one who came up with them and they have been one of my favorite breakfast foods ever since. I love the kick of the pepperjack cheese and the texture of the buttered English muffin.

Egg McMuffin Sandwiches

English muffins

Butter

Eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

Bacon or sausage or Canadian bacon

Pepperjack cheese, sliced

 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and spray with cooking spray. Carefully crack egg into pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook until egg white begins to set, then carefully flip with a spatula to cook other side. If you prefer your yolk cooked all the way through, pierce yolk with a fork. If you prefer your yolk just a little runny, watch your egg and don’t cook it too long on the second side.
              

Meanwhile, fry bacon or sausage in a pan or heat Canadian bacon until warm. Toast English muffin in the toaster and lightly butter it.

 

When egg is done, create a sandwich with toasted English muffin, egg, bacon (or other meat)and pepperjack cheese and serve.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins

I have a distinct memory as a child of eating raspberry streusel muffins from the Garden Café restaurant in Omaha, Nebraska as a child.  Every bite has sweet, soft streusel and bursts of sweet-tart raspberry flavor inside of a moist vanilla muffin batter.  And they are perfect little beauties to look at too with the snowy white streusel topping.  This recipe could be used with different fruits too, in case you have blackberries or strawberries on hand.  I wouldn't mess around with paper liners in the muffin tin because you don't want to lose any of the deliciousness of the muffin to being stuck on the paper. 

Raspberry Streusel Muffins

Streusel

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons butter, cold

Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, make the streusel. Stir together all dry ingredients, then cut the butter into small pieces and add to flour mixture. Quickly rub in butter thoroughly by hand until mixture is very fine and sandy. Pick up the streusel mixture and squeeze it in your hand to form small clumps, repeating until streusel appears to have a much coarser texture. Set aside.

Next, make the muffin batter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large bowl, stir together melted butter, sugar and egg until well combined. Stir in half the flour mixture, followed by the buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in remaining flour mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are incorporated and no streaks of flour remain.  Gently fold in raspberries (toss frozen berries in 2 teaspoons of flour to keep them from “bleeding” into the muffin batter).

Divide muffin batter evenly into prepared baking cups. Cups will be fairly full. Divide streusel mixture over the muffins (be generous, and don’t worry if some of the streusel doesn’t seem to “stick”).

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.  Cool completely then store in an airtight container.

Makes 12 muffins.

Adapted from Baking Bites.

Crispy Hashbrowns

I LOVE hashbrowns.  The kind that are crispy and golden and crunchy on the outside with a soft, hot white interior.  Hashbrowns make breakfast extra special because I only ever get them when we are on vacation and stop for breakfast at a diner or something.  So when I realized I overbought potatoes for dinner the other night, I decided it was finally time to figure out diner-style hashbrowns at home. 

After looking up some instructions for latkes (similar to hashbrowns) for techniques in the America's Test Kitchen cookbook, I started googling and found a "recipe" on seriouseats.com that takes pretty much the same approach.  Removing excess moisture from the shredded potatoes by squeezing them in a dish towel and then briefly cooking the hashbrowns in the microwave first for just a couple of minutes are the secrets to extra-crunchy and golden-brown hash browns.  I like my hashbrowns a little extra peppery with ketchup on the side.

Crispy Hashbrowns

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled
3 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Shred the potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater. Wrap in a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth, and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Transfer the potatoes to a plate lined with two layers of paper towels. Cook in a microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add shredded potato. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press potato into an even layer. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip the potatoes with the spatula and brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Nick Kindelsperger at www.seriouseats.com.

Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Black Beans and Rice)

Gallo Pinto

2 cups cooked black beans, including the liquid (1 15 oz. can)*
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons Salsa Lizano**
2-3 teaspoons salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
1 cup finely chopped cilantro stems and leaves
3 cups cooked, long-grain rice

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onion, pepper, and garlic and saute for a few minutes until soft.  Add the beans and Lizano sauce and cook for about 5 minutes more.  If making Gallo Pinto, add the rice now and cook a few minutes more until everything is well combined, then stir in cilantro and serve with tortillas, crema fresca or sour cream and Lizano sauce.

If making black beans for empanadas, mash about half the beans with a potato masher before stirring in the cilantro.

*To prepare dried black beans, soak 1 pound of beans in 6 cups of water overnight.  Drain the water, then pour beans, 6 cups water, 6 chopped garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons dried oregano, and 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems.  Cook on high for 3 hours or until beans are tender.
**If Salsa Lizano is not available, the easies substitute is Worcestershire sauce.  It's not the same, but it will work in a pinch.

Apple Cinnamon Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

 

Breakfast is my favorite and yogurt parfaits are one of my favorite, fast go-to breakfast meals.  It feels like eating dessert for breakfast only you don't have to feel guilty about it.  Um, yes please!  Plus, it is fancy and presents well and can be easily customized with whatever you have on hand.  This apple cinnamon variation is one of the best.

 

Apple Cinnamon Fruit & Yogurt Parfait (makes 1 parfait)

 

1 vanilla Yoplait yogurt

1/2 small apple (I like Braeburn, gala, Fuji, jazz, honeycrisp), diced

1/2 Oat & Honey crunchy granola bar, broken into small pieces

Sprinkle of cinnamon

Layer about a teaspoon of diced apple, then about 1/3 of the yogurt, then sprinkle with a little cinnamon, then add granola pieces.  Repeat, two more times and sprinkle with a few apple pieces and a dash of cinnamon to finish.