A wonderful weekend breakfast treat for family and friends. Sticky and sweet it hits the spot on a cold weekend morning.
Serves 6
1/ 2 c. pumpkin puree
6 lg. eggs
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. whole milk
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 tsp. salt
8 1-in. thick slices day-old brioche, challah or crusty white
4 Tbls unsalted butter
1/4 c. vegetable oil
Maple syrup and/or powdered sugar
Whisk together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, vanilla, milk, cream and salt in a large bowl. Place the bread in baking dish and pour the pumpkin mixture over and turn the bread to coat evenly. Let sit for a couple of minutes.
Heat 2 Tbls. of butter and 2 Tbls. of oil in a large, nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Place 4 slices of the bread in the pan and cook until golden brown on 1 side, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the slices over and cook until golden brown, 2-3 minutes longer. Wipe the pan out with paper towels and repeat with the remaining butter, oil and bread. Serve dusted with powdered sugar or drizzled with maple syrup. Include a side of fresh sausage.
It’s been said over and over but it’s true that breakfast is the most important daily meal — it refuels you for the rest of your day. If you skip breakfast, or eat a lousy one, you’re setting yourself up to have less energy. Triathlon training (or not), we’re sipping away on these two healthy, delicious and quick eat-slim choices this summer.
Peanut Butter & Banana Smoothie
This is a great choice for refueling after a workout; it provides a healthy dose of protein to boot. Smoothies that contain milk or yogurt provide calcium as well.
10 oz. skim milk
1 heaping Tbls. natural peanut butter (we prefer chunky here for texture)
1 banana
In a blender, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Use 6 ice cubes, or use frozen bananas, for a thicker consistency.
Or try a:
Mango Lassi
Mangoes (berries, melons, beets, carrots, and other colorful produce) are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and fiber and count toward your daily fruit and vegetable intake — anywhere from two to five servings, depending on the drink size.
(adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Favorites by Jonathan King, Jim Stott, and Kathy Gunst)
Makes about 4 sandwiches.
8 lg. eggs
3/4 lb. bacon (or about 12 slices) and/or 1 ripe avacado
3 Tbls. mayonnaise
3 Tbls. minced shallots
2 Tbls. minced fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 slices of bread
2 c. watercress
Hard boil the eggs by placing in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover the eggs by about 1 inch, and bring the water to a boil. When the water boils, cover the pan and turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the water for 15 minutes.
While the eggs are cooking, cook the bacon until crisp (microwave or pan). Drain the bacon on a paper-towel lined plate.
Drain the water from the eggs and keep the eggs in the pan. Give the pan a shake to so the egg shells crack just a little and fill the pan with cold water. The water will seep into the cracks in the shells and separate the eggs from the whites, making them easier to peel when cooled.
Chop the eggs and mix with mayonnaise, shallots, chives and salt and pepper.
Lightly toast the bread and pile with egg salad, 2 slices of bacon and/or thin slices of avocado, and watercress. Cut in half.
Favorite variation: Spread 1 Tbls. of mango chutney on to the bread, top with egg salad and watercress and serve open-faced.
(adapted from Tasty: Get Great Food on the Table Everyday by Roy Finamore)
A cereal grass, oats were first brought to the US around 1600, when they were planted on the Elizabeth Islands (off the coast of Massachusetts) by sea captain, Bartholomew Gosnold. This whole grain (highly nutritious in all its forms) can be put in a low oven to “bake gently” overnight to make a hot, creamy, delicious meal that’s ready for you when you awake.
1 cup steel-cut or Irish oats
4 cups water
a generous pinch of salt
Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
Place the oats, water and salt in a heavy saucepan or deep heavy casserole. Stir, cover, and put into the oven and bake for 8 hours.
To Serve:
Add warm milk or cream, to taste; brown sugar, maple syrup or jam can be used to sweeten; and sliced bananas (or other fresh fruits), dried cranberries, raisins or figs and/or nuts to top.
Your brain (and central nervous system) run on glucose- the fuel you need you need to think, walk, talk, and carry on any and all activities. Breakfast is the first chance your body has to refuel its glucose (blood sugar) levels — “breaking the fast” of not eating for the last 8 to 12 hours. Eating breakfast has been proven, time and time again, to improve concentration, problem solving ability, mental performance, memory, and mood. Eating breakfast is linked to lower body mass (compared to people who skip the meal) and it is one of the few proven strategies to maintaining long-term weight loss.
If you are a breakfast skipper, you will also have a harder time fitting important nutrients into your diet. Many foods eaten at breakfast contain significant amounts of vitamins C and D, calcium, iron, and fiber. Although most Americans understand the importance of breakfast, many of us skip it because we claim not to have the time for it. Having breakfasts together as a family (even on weekends) has become a rare experience, and some 40 percent of families never prepare hot breakfasts during the week.
This breakfast recipe from this month’s Cook the Book Club pick makes it a cinch to eat a highly nutritious, hot, creamy, delicious meal that’s ready for you when you awake.
Overnight Oatmeal
Some of you who know us have asked us to share this exceptional energy bar recipe- originally passed on to us by our friend, Mike. Rock on!
1 c. rolled oats, toasted
1/2 c. sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 c. wheat germ, toasted
1 1/2 c. dried apricots or other dried fruit, finely-chopped
1 1/2 c. raisins or currants
1 c. shredded coconut, preferably unsweetened
1 c. sliced almonds
1/2 c. nonfat dry milk
3/4 c. agave nectar
1/2 c. turbinado or raw sugar
1 1/4 c. natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
1 tsp. orange extract
1 cup. mini chocolate chips (optional)
Lightly grease a 13 x 9″ pan.
Mix oats, sesame seeds, wheat germ, dried fruits, coconut, almonds, and dry milk in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Put agave nectar and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Stir in peanut butter and orange extract, until smooth. Quickly pour hot liquid over oat/fruit mixture. Mix thoroughly, using your hands to thoroughly incorporate.
Spread evenly, using your hands, into pre-greased pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips, if using, evenly over the level top and gently press in.
Cut into bars about 1 1/4″ x 2 1/2″. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Approximate nutritional values:
188 calories, 4.5g protein, 29g carbohydrates, and 9.5g fat.
Line a fine-mesh strainer with several layers of cheesecloth (coffee filters or paper towels will also work). Strain full-fat plain yogurt in the lined strainer, set over a bowl to catch the whey, for 24 hours — covered with plastic wrap — in the refrigerator. The yogurt will reduce in volume by half and it will have thickened to a rich consistency similar to that of thick and creamy Greek yogurt.
Our version of the basic frittata is easy to make and can be served hot from the oven or at room temperature making it a perfect dish for entertaining. The generous amount of olive oil gives the potatoes a velvety texture. Serve for brunch or as an appetizer.
Serves 6-8
1/2 c. GOOD olive oil
2 lbs. potatoes, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 lg. eggs
Peel the potatoes and slice as thin as possible. Warm 5 tablespoons olive oil in a very wide nonstick or cast-iron pan. Add the potatoes and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Remove the potatoes and place in a large bowl. Add the onions to the pan and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook over medium heat. While the onions are cooking, beat the eggs in a separate bowl. When the onions are slightly brown add them to the bowl with the potatoes and let cool.
Turn on the broiler. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Pour the eggs into the bowl with the potatoes and onions, give a quick stir and then transfer the entire mixture to the pan. Cook over low heat until the eggs have set and thickened, but are still creamy in the center. BRIEFLY place the skillet in the oven and cook under the broiler until the frittata begins to turn slightly brown.
Serve 4-6
2 c. all-purpose flour or whole wheat
1 Tbls. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
1 Tbls. sugar (or a wee bit more for a sweeter version)
2 lg. eggs
1 1/2 – 2 c. buttermilk (we use powdered buttermilk available in the baking section of most supermarkets), or milk, sour cream or yogurt
2 Tbls. melted butter (more to grease pan, if needed, or use oil)
Preheat griddle or skillet (we prefer a well-seasoned cast-iron pan) over medium-low heat while you prepare the batter.
Mix together the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs with milk, then stir in the melted butter. Carefully add this to the dry ingredients, stirring only enough to moisten the flour (no worries about the little lumps).
If using a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or nonstick griddle there may be no need to butter or oil the pan. Otherwise, add a spare amount (one teaspoon or two should suffice) of butter (or oil) to the pan, melt, and ladle batter into pan, making any size pancake you prefer.
When little bubbles appear in the center of the pancake, flip and cook until they are golden brown on both sides. Serve with real maple syrup.
–Our basic pancake batter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to two days.
This classic cocktail, reinvented by our good friend, Juan Simon, gets extra flavor from Clamato, a blend of tomato and clam juice.
Makes 6-8 drinks
1 qt. of Clamato juice, chilled
3 Tbls. fresh lime juice
2 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbls. drained bottled horseradish
1 tsp. celery salt
2 tsp. Tabasco or hot sauce of choice
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cup vodka or gin
Stir together all ingredients in a large pitcher. Here’s the secret – mix kosher salt and Old Bay Seasoning in equal parts on a small plate, moisten the rim of each glass with a slice of lime and press on the plate to rim the glass with the salt/Old Bay mixture. Serve over ice in highball glasses. Garnish with choice of pickled okra, Spanish olives, or pickled green beans.
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