Breakfast: It's What's For Dinner

Every month we get a shipment of artisan bacon from The Pig Next Door. It's been the wedding gift that keeps on giving and I'd be lying if I said I didn't look forward to it arriving at my door. The weird thing is that Drew and I don't eat a ton of bacon. It's just not something we keep in our fridge because if we did I think we would wouldn't eat anything else. Bacon would go on everything and then, before you know it, we both weigh a trillion pounds and I am writing a diet blog instead.

Tonight, I am using our special monthly splurge to make breakfast for dinner. I've said it once and I'll say it again, breakfast for dinner is bomb. My mom used to do this for us when we were kids and OMG we loved it. I'm going to keep it simple and old school...just some fried eggs, baked beans and sizzling strips of bacon. Adults deserve to feel like kids everyone once and awhile.

Breakfast: It's What's For Dinner

Blueberry Oat Scones

Mother's day is around the corner which means most women are going to hang up their aprons for a day and kick their feet up. Now, I'm not a mother but if I was I would start dropping some hints on how I'd like to spend my morning in bed munching on these delicious scones. Just a thought...

Blueberry Oat Scones
Epicurious

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1 3/4 cups chilled half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 teaspoons raw sugar*

Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and coarse salt in processor; blend 5 seconds. Add butter. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Add 1 cup oats and blueberries; stir to blend evenly.

Stir half and half and vanilla in small bowl. Gradually add to flour mixture, tossing until dough just comes together (dough will be very moist).

Using 1/2-cup measuring cup for each scone, drop dough in mounds onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Sprinkle tops with remaining 3 tablespoons oats, then raw sugar.

Bake 15 minutes. Reverse sheets and continue baking until scones are golden and tester inserted into center from side comes out clean, about 12 minutes longer. Transfer scones to rack and cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Blueberry Oat Scones

Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns

Our family has some wonderful holiday food traditions that I look forward to each year. However, I am always looking to add new things that I find 'worthy'. This sticky bun recipe from Bon Appetit looks like it has just the right amount of sugar I'll need this Christmas to try to keep up with my young nieces and nephews.

Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns

• 1 1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, diced
• 3/4 cup honey
• 3 cups pecan halves

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons golden brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Spiced Sweet Dough (click for recipe)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, warm room temperature

• Butter two 13x9x2-inch glass baking dishes. Whisk sugar, butter, and honey in small saucepan over medium-low heat until smooth and bubbling around sides. Divide hot syrup between prepared baking dishes, allowing topping to cover bottom of each dish. Place pecan halves, rounded side down, in syrup, dividing equally. Cool.

• Whisk both sugars and cinnamon in small bowl.
• Turn cold Spiced Sweet Dough out onto floured surface; sprinkle with flour. Divide dough in half. Roll out dough to two 15x12-inch rectangles. Using fingers, spread 2 tablespoons butter evenly over each rectangle. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over each. Starting at 1 long side of each dough rectangle, tightly roll up dough jelly-roll style, enclosing filling. Using large knife, cut each roll crosswise into fifteen 1-inch-thick slices. Arrange 15 dough slices, cut side down, atop cooled syrup and pecan halves in each baking dish, spacing evenly apart. Cover with waxed paper; let rise in warm draft-free area until buns are puffy and doubled, about 1 hour 45 minutes.

• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 375°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment; place dishes with sticky buns on baking sheets. Bake buns until deep golden brown and filling is barely bubbling around edges, about 25 minutes. Let buns stand 2 minutes. Cut around sides of buns to loosen. Place large rimmed platter atop each baking dish. Using oven mitts, firmly hold baking dish and platter together and invert buns onto platter. Cool at least 45 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Brown Sugar-Pecan Sticky Buns

Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict is an absolute favorite of mine. As you can see above, I whipped up a decent platter of these bad boys last weekend in Napa for my family. People seem to think that this is a hard meal to prepare but I beg to differ. Here's the trick: It's all about timing and if you can get an extra hand (or two) you're set. Listen up...

Blender hollandaise is foolproof. Just add the hot butter very, very slowly so it doesn't cook the egg. Delegate poaching the eggs to one person. That way, everything will come together at once and the hollandaise doesn't get cold. Be sure to add white vinegar to the boiling water as it helps to separate the eggs. Watch the eggs closely so you do not overcook the yolk. You want it to be runny. Lastly, toast your muffins and warm your meat in the oven on a cookie sheet. If you put the oven on at 325 degrees you can keep a close eye on your muffins and they won't burn as quickly as they would if you were toasting and broiling them. You will need to allow extra time for them to toast that way...I suggest 12 or so minutes.

All the assembly happens at the very end so get your assembly line in order and crank it out. Be sure to finish each serving with some fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of paprika and some parsley. I like to serve mine with some roasted potatoes.

Eggs Benedict
Serves 6

• Water
• 1/2 cup distilled vinegar, divided
• 12 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 12 slices Canadian bacon (can sub with lobster, black forest ham, prosciutto and much more!)
  
• 6 plain English muffins
• HOLLANDAISE SAUCE, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• lemon for serving
  

Pour enough water into 2 large skillets to reach a depth of about 3 inches, and divide the vinegar between them. Bring both skillets to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Crack an egg into a cup and carefully slide it into the hot poaching liquid. Quickly repeat with all the eggs. Poach the eggs, turning them occasionally with a spoon, until the whites are firm, or to the desired degree of doneness, about 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and transfer to a kitchen towel. Lightly dab the eggs with the towel to remove any excess water.

While the eggs are poaching, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Canadian bacon and cook until heated through, about a minute on each side (or heat in oven).

To serve, toast the English muffin halves and divide them among 6 warmed plates. Top each half with a slice of Canadian bacon, and set an egg on top. Spoon the hollandaise sauce over the eggs and garnish. Serve immediately.

Blender Hollandaise

1/2 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper

Place egg yolks in blender with the lemon juice, turn blender on high speed for 5 seconds to blend. Melt butter in microwave until almost boiling. Turn blender back on high speed and gradually pour in butter. It will thicken into a beautiful yellow hollandaise in 20-40 seconds. The sauce may be kept warm by placing the blender bowl in warm water. The sauce cannot be reheated.

Eggs Benedict

Crème Brûlée French Toast

When I was a kid, my Dad used to make the best french toast on the planet. And I really felt loved when he (or my Mom) would make 'breakfast for dinner'. I mean, what could possibly be better than breakfast for dinner as a kid? That's like staying up until 10 o'clock on a school night!

There are a million variations of this sweet tooth staple and Crème Brûlée French Toast should rank close to the top. Strawberries are in season so I would highly suggest that you grab a couple freshies and serve them with some homemade whipped cream on the side.

Crème Brûlée French Toast

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Crème Brûlée French Toast

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta

Who knew fritattas were so easy? I skipped the whole skillet-into-the-oven method and just whisked everything together and put in a pie dish and popped into the oven. It turned out great and you can use whatever ingredients you want. I chose to go with green onions and artichokes hearts.

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered
4 green onions, chopped
10 eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup basil
1/2 fontina cheese
1/4 Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk everything together and pour into greased pie dish. Pop into oven and cook for 40-50 minutes. Add extra Parmesan on top and place under broiler until cheese melts and is slightly brown.

Green Onion and Artichoke Heart Fritatta

Huevos Rancheros

My boyfriend's family is from Santa Fe and he loves Southwestern food. So, last night I wanted to surpise him with a dish that felt close to home. My mom used to make us 'breakfast for dinner' as kids and we used to love that so I decided that Huevos Rancheros would be perfect. (Mrs. Smith, I know you must have a better recipe so feel free to share or comment!)

Now, there are a lot of varriations out there so feel free to mix it up. You can use canned salsa or add a few more chopped tomatoes. Try adding some chopped jalapenos to add some heat to the sauce. You can use black beans or refried. I choose not to fry my tortillas and on and on and on...

Huevos Rancheros
Olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped (about a half cup)
1 15-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, if you can get it (or 1 -2 large fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, when in season)
1/2 6-ounce can diced green Anaheim chiles
Chipotle chili powder, adobo sauce, or ground cumin to taste (optional)
4 corn tortillas
Butter
4 fresh eggs
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
1 can of beans (blk or refried)

1 Make the sauce first by softening the onions in a little olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Once translucent, add the tomatoes and the juice the tomatoes are packed in. Break up the tomatoes with your fingers as you put them in the pan. If you are using fresh tomatoes, chop them first, then add. Note that fresh tomatoes will take longer to cook as canned tomatoes are already cooked to begin with. Add chopped green chilies. Add additional chili to taste, either chipotle chili powder, adobo sauce, regular chili powder, or even ground cumin. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, and let simmer while you do the rest of the cooking, stirring occasionally. Reduce to warm after it has been simmering for 10 minutes. Add salt to taste if needed.

2 Prepare the tortillas. Heat the oven to a warm 150°F, place serving plates in the oven to keep warm. Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium high, coating the pan with the oil. One by one (or more if your pan is big enough) heat the tortillas in the pan, a minute or two on each side, until they are heated through, softened, and pockets of air bubble up inside of them. Then remove them and stack them on one of the warming plates in the oven to keep warm while you continue cooking the rest of the tortillas and the eggs.

3 Fry the eggs. Using the same skillet as was used for the tortillas, add a little butter to the pan, about two teaspoons for 4 eggs. Heat the pan on medium high heat. Crack 4 eggs into the skillet and cook for 3 to 4 minutes for runny yolks, more for firmer eggs.

To serve, spoon a little of the sauce onto a warmed plate. Top with a tortilla, then a fried egg. Top with more sauce, sprinkle with cilantro if desired. Serve either one or two eggs/tortillas per plate, depending on how much you want to eat. I'm a 2-egg 2 tortilla person myself.
Makes 2-4 servings, depending on your appetite.

Huevos Rancheros

Recipe of the Week- Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

I love salt but some mornings I wake up with a sweet tooth. When that's the case, I turn to this classic recipe to get my morning sugar rush.

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast
7 large eggs
2 1/2cups half and half
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
6 1 1/2-inch-thick slices cinnamon-raisin bread or French bread
4 tablespoons (about) unsalted butter
Maple syrup (optional)
Powdered sugar (optional)

Preparation
Whisk first 6 ingredients in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add bread to egg mixture and let soak 20 minutes, pressing down occasionally.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add bread to skillet. Cook until golden brown, turning once and adding more butter as needed, about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until bread puffs up and is firm in middle, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with maple syrup, if desired.

Recipe of the Week- Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

Cheese Dreamz

*From my co-worker Melissa via email...

Cheese Dreamz
Basically, just halve English muffins, place them face up, and pile on top:

Cubed sharp cheddar
Diced tomatoes
A little onion
A little green pepper
4 strips of bacon, crumbled
A little mayonnaise
Salt and pepper to taste

Throw them in the broiler... 5 minutes or less I think, just watch them...

And voila...Deliciousness. Cheesy, Bacony, muffiny deliciousness.

Cheese Dreamz

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

In honor of my sister's birthday (Happy Birthday Lyd!), I am going to share a little concoction that I made up in college that has since become my most requested dish. She has always loved it and she is not the only one. When I visit my friends and family, I am asked to make this at least once. And it's always a crowd pleaser. It was designed to cure a hangover and, most often, requires a nap afterward.

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

This is a hearty dish so don't skimp on portions or ingrediants. Your diners will be disappointed.

Baby red potatoes (About 4 per person)
Large Eggs (2 per person)
Mexican Chorizo (If you don't like chorizo you can (suprise!) sub with bacon
White onion, diced
Red pepper, julienne or cubed
Green pepper, julienne or cubed
Lots of chedder cheese, grated
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Bring a pot of water with a pinch of salt to boil. Add potatoes. Boil for about 7 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, add some butter and add the peppers in a skillet. Saute for about 3 minutes and then add the onions. Saute for another 5 minutes.

Take the boiled potatoes and cut them into large cubes. I cut mine in angles so they are almost like little wedges or triangles. Spread potatoes on a cookie sheet. Add a couple tablespoons of butter and toss the potatoes until they are all coated (Still with me? Even dieters and health nuts can splurge every once and awhile...) Pop the cookie sheet in the oven and roast the potatoes. Toss them every 5 minutes or so and they will brown evenly.

Add Chorizo to peppers and onion and cook thoroughly. Should be about 4-5 minutes. I suggest that you tip your skillet into a can and get rid of some of the oil. Chorizo produces a lot of oil. But make sure to keep some because it's got some dang good flavor!

Once potatoes are looking browned, take out cookie sheet and spread chorizo, onion, pepper mixture all over the top. Add grated cheese on top of that (DO NOT, and I mean DO NOT, skimp on the cheese) and put back in the oven. Fire up the skillet and fry 2 eggs per person to go on top of each portion. Should only take a couple minutes and cheese should be good and gooey and ready to serve.

ENJOY!

*If you don't like chorizo, fry up some bacon. And if you don't like fried eggs you can scramble them.

Shawsome Breakfast Skillet

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers

The Somerset Club at 42 Beacon Street on the Boston Common is an elegant private club that is a pleasure to visit. Every morning at breakfast, each table is served a basket of remarkably delicious Corn Dodgers that are an Old Boston tradition. Recently, I contacted the club manager, and he sent me the Somerset Club Corn Dodger recipe. I tried it last week, and it is like a trip to the club for breakfast only you save the airfare. This is a classic Yankee winter breakfast bread treat served warm with butter.

Yield: About one dozen

5 cups water
2 cups corn meal
1/4 pound butter (1 stick)
1/2 tablespoon salt

Combine water, butter and salt and bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from heat and add cornmeal all at once, whisking constantly.
Whisk until a thick mixture forms.
Spoon mixture onto greased cookie sheets. (A heaping tablespoon works well and results in an elliptical corn dodger about 4 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick)
Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
Turn each Corn Dodger and cook for an additional 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool slightly.
Serve warm with butter.

Somerset Club Corn Dodgers

Potato Pancakes at Frances' Deli

Occasionally, after a fly casting practice on the North Pond near Fullerton and Lake Shore Drive, I have walked a couple blocks north on Clark Street to Frances' Deli for a taste of their terrific potato pancakes and cheese blintzes. At home, I have been trying to make potato pancakes as good as the ones at Frances' without success until I discovered this recipe in the Bon Appetite Cookbook:





Potato-Apple Pancakes

"Apple and celery root bring subtle sweetness to these potato pancakes. Since potatoes will discolor soon after they are grated (from exposure to oxygen); onions are added to mix their juices and prevent the discoloration. The key to great potato-pancake texture is squeezing out as much moisture as possible from the grated potatoes. Wrap them in a dish towel and squeeze hard, then do it again. The drier the potatoes, the crispier the potato pancakes. When frying the pancakes, press down a bit; that will help them brown and fry. [Serve these as a side dish, or turn them into an elegant appetizer by topping them with creme fraiche, smoked salmon, and chives.] Makes about 16.


1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 /2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled, quartered
1 2-inch cube peeled celery root (celeriac)
1 medium unpeeled Granny Smith apple, quartered, cored
1 large egg
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Place colander in large bowl. Line colander with kitchen towel. Using processor fitted with grating disk, coarsely grate potatoes, onion, celery root, and apple together. Transfer potato mixture to towel. Gather towel tightly around potato mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into bowl; discard liquid. Place potato mixture, egg, green onion, marjoram, salt, and pepper in same bowl; toss to combine. Mix in flour.

Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy large skillet to cover bottom, and heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup pancake mixture into skillet for each pancake. Using bottom of metal spatula, flatten each mound to 3-inch round. Fry until cooked through and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels, then transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancake mixture, leaving behind any liq­uid that collects in bottom of bowl."

My interpretation of Bon Appetite's recipe is pictured above along with some Mott's apple sauce, a dollop of sour cream, and a wedge of fresh Michigan melon wrapped in Prosciutto (Costco's, of course).

Potato Pancakes at Frances' Deli

Scrambled Eggs by Michel Roux

With my mild diet these days, some of my favorite meals have included eggs (From Costco of Course). My guide has been Eggs by Michel Roux (John Wiley & Sons), the Chef at Waterside Inn near Windsor, England. He has earned three Michelin Stars for the past 23 years. The book has lots of egg recipes (With pictures thank goodness) including those that depend on eggs such as pastas, desserts, and pastries. His scrambled eggs recipe is very tasty. Chef Roux states that chefs judge each other on their scrambled eggs. The only problem with making them this way is that you can never go back to Denny's.

"Allow two medium eggs per person for an appetizer or light snack, or three eggs per person for a main course.

Melt 3 tbsp butter in shallow, heavy pan set on a heat diffuser over low heat, or in a bain-marie. Break 4-6 eggs into a bowl and beat very lightly with a fork. Tip into the pan with the hot melted butter and stir.

Cook over low heat, stirring gently more or less constantly with a wooden spoon.

It will take 3 to 4 minutes for the eggs to become just set, but very creamy. (If you use a bain-marie, allow about 6 minutes.) If you prefer firmer dryer eggs, cook for another two minutes.

When the eggs are scrambled to your liking, add 2 tbsp light or heavy cream or a little bit of butter, and season with salt and pepper. Scrambled eggs are best served immediately. "

Note: My breakfast this morning after returning from Clark's wedding.