Biscuits and Gravy

I didn't grow up eating biscuits and gravy - in fact, I don't think I ever had them until about a week ago!  Kent has always loved having breakfast for dinner.  And, since I've been crazy with my new work schedule, Kent's been doing a lot of cooking lately!  Last week he made biscuits and gravy one night - I have to say that they were pretty amazing!  Even if you don't like gravy, the biscuits are great on their own.

Biscuits
Ingreients:
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup chilled buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.)
Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled buttermilk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky.
Turn dough onto floured surface, dust top with flour and gently fold dough over on itself 5 or 6 times. Press into a 1-inch thick round. Cut out biscuits with a 2-inch cutter, being sure to push straight down through the dough. Place biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. Reform scrap dough, working it as little as possible and continue cutting.
Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Gravy
Ingredients:
1 lb sausage
3-4 tbsp flour
3-4 cups milk

Directions:
Brown sausage.  Add flour to sausage (add amount to make fat into paste-like consistency), season with salt and pepper, cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add milk (#of cups equal to # of tbsp of flour) and stir; cook until desired thickness.

Quiche - from BLC

My adorable friend, BLC of TCSK, recently sent me this recipe.  Kent tried one of her breakfast quiches a few months ago and is still raving about it!  She adapted if from the Joy of Cooking cookbook by adding in whatever ingredients she has in the fridge - so feel free to add anything to the mix!

Breakfast Quiche
Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cups of cheese
1 cup of spinach
Sausage/bacon/ham/etc. (as much as desired)
A dash of salt and pepper
1 pie crust

Directions:
Spray cooking spray into a pie dish, lay down the pie crust, stir all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl, and pour onto pie crust.  Add a top layer of cheese with a dash of paprika.  Bake it for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Crepes

Photo from http://www.journeytomarvelous.com/

I have loved crepes since my first trip to France.  Crepes are basically the French version of pancakes, but it's a little more complicated than that since there are so many variartions - you can even make savory crepes!  In large French cities you can buy them almost anywhere from street vendors.  I love eating them for breakfast - what a great start to the day!

Making a crepe in cooking school in Arles,
clearly I was worried about dropping it!

Crepes
(from Alton Brown)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1 cup flour

3 tbsp butter (melted)

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Combine all ingredients well (we use the blender) and refrigerate for 1 hour (the mix will keep for 48 hours).  Then, melt a few tablespoons of butter in a separate dish.  Use a nonstick skillet at medium/high heat and brush it with the melted butter.  Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the buttered pan and swirl the pan to spread the batter until thin.  Cook it for about 30 seconds, then flip and cook for about 20 more seconds.  Repeat!

Kent's the pro at making crepes in our house - mine are always odd sizes and shapes!  This recipe makes about 20 crepes.  We usually freeze the left-overs by stacking them in freezer bag and separating each crepe with wax paper.  Then we can pull them out individually and heat them in the microwave for about a minute.  It makes a wonderful quick breakfast!

There are so many variations on toppings - peanut butter, fruits, or powdered sugar are some options.  I usually smear mine with Nutella!

Eating crepes outside the Musee d'Orsay in Paris with SB and Jill in 2007!

Eggs Benedict

I saw Emeril make this recipe on the Food Network  last year and had to try it.  It was wonderful!  Kent and I both love eggs benedict, and this recipe was fantastic.  My mom used to make eggs benedict for me when I was in high school, but I had never tried making it before.  I think it turned out well.  If you are worried about poaching the eggs, you can always just fry them - with the Hollandaise sauce, they will still taste the same.  Enjoy!

Eggs Benedict
Ingredients:
4 English muffins, split in 1/2
4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
4 (6-ounce) beef fillets, split in 1/2
Essence, recipe follows
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups water
1/2 teaspoon white vinegar
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 eggs, individually cracked into a cup
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon Creole mustard or other whole-grain mustard
1/2 pound butter, melted and warm
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley leaves

Directions:
Preheat a griddle or large skillet. Brush the muffins with the butter. Place the muffins on the hot griddle and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the muffins from the griddle and set aside. Using a sharp knife, split the fillets in half, horizontally.

Season the fillets with Essence. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the fillets for 2 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove the fillets from the pan and set aside.

In a large skillet, combine the water and vinegar. Season the water with salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Slide 4 of the eggs into the water. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the eggs are set, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Watch carefully and remove the eggs when the yolks are still soft, and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season the eggs with salt and pepper. Return the water to a boil and repeat the process with the remaining eggs.

Hollandaise sauce:  In a stainless steel bowl set over a pot of simmering water over medium heat, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice, water, mustard, and parsley. Season with salt and cayenne. Whisk the mixture until pale yellow and slightly thick. Be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Remove the bowl from the pot and, while whisking vigorously, gradually add the butter, little by little, until all is incorporated. Season, to taste, with salt and cayenne.

To assemble, place the steaks on the English muffins. Top the steaks with the poached eggs. Spoon the Hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Garnish the eggs with parsley.
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Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Blueberry Coffee Cake

I meant to post this recipe months ago after we first made it to take for breakfast to Sunday School.  This is a great breakfast item to take somewhere since its all in one casserole dish.  It was a big hit with our Sunday School class!

Blueberry Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup milk

2 eggs slightly beaten

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3-5 tsp. milk

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch pan. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and lemon peel. Using pastry blender or fork, cut in butter. Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well. Pour 3/4 batter into greased pan. Top with blueberries. Spoon remaining batter over blueberries. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool 30 minutes. In small bowl , blend icing ingredients. Drizzle over warm cake.
(Recipe from About.com)

Oatmeal Pancakes

Since our trip to Oxford this summer, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the amazing oatmeal pancakes that I had at Big Bad Breakfast on our last day.  So... I finally found a great recipe and decided to make them this week.  We love having breakfast for dinner, so we gave these a try for dinner one night this week.  They would be great for a big weekend breakfast, too!

Heart Healthy Oatmeal Pancakes
From:  Stella's Kitchen (This is a great blog with tons of wonderful recipes!)

Ingredients:

1 cup fat free milk (or water)*
3/4 cup oatmeal (uncooked, quick or regular oats)
3/4 cup oatmeal flour (see below how to make oatmeal flour - easy!)
1 tsp baking powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
4 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

Try these modifications:
Blueberry pancakes: Add ¼ c blueberries (fresh or thawed) to recipe and omit cinnamon
Oat-Nut pancakes: Add 1 ½ tbsp diced pecans, walnuts, or almonds to recipe.
Whole Grain pancakes: Replace quick oats with hot multigrain cereal. Prepare as directed.
High protein pancakes: Add 1-2 scoops vanilla protein to batter, increase water.

Directions:
Heat milk (or water) until hot, stir in oats and set aside. Beat egg whites into a stiff foam with hand mixer or blender and reserve. Mix remaining dry ingredients together and stir in oatmeal/milk mixture. Fold in egg whites until mixture is well blended. . Spray pan with nonstick spray and cook pancakes until browned on both sides.

*Depending on how long you've let the oats sit, you may need to add a little extra water to the batter to thin it out. It will still be thicker than regular pancake batter.

How to make oatmeal flour:
To make your own oat flour, just put a cup or two of oatmeal in a regular household blender (or food processor if you happen to have one) and blend it on high. Whir until the flakes turn into the consistency of flour.

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits

Kent and I made these on Sunday morning to take to Sunday School since we signed up to bring breakfast.  They were really good and had a different taste than other savory breakfast rolls that I've had in the past.  Judging by the name, I'm sure that you can tell they aren't the healthiest breakfast choice... but they're worth the extra calories!  I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman.  She has an amazing blog about her life - it includes information about gardening, farming, cooking, and so much more.  She has even published her own cookbook.  Click here to go to her website.  And, don't forget to enter to win a cookbook in my first ever giveaway!  See the previous post for details!

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Salt
¼ cups Vegetable Shortening (crisco, Etc)

10 Tablespoons Milk (whole Milk Is Best)

4 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 whole Egg

10 slices Thick Cut Bacon, Fried And Crumbled

1 cup Finely Diced Onion

1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Preparation Instructions:

Cook and chop bacon.  Saute onions until light brown.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined.

Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together. 

Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.  Be careful not to over mix!

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 degrees until golden Remove from pan and serve warm.

Fancy Pigs in a Blanket - from Karlee

My friend, Karlee, made this wonderful recipe for breakfast last fall on a weekend getaway. It would also be great for any party! So I asked her to send over the recipe, and here it is...

Fancy Pigs in a Blanket
Ingredients:
1 pkg of cream cheese - I usually use fat free cream cheese
1 8oz pkg of shredded cheddar cheese
1 roll of ground sausage - I like using Spicy/Hot
2 pkg of large crescent rolls - "Flaky" works best

Directions:
Brown and season the ground sausage. Drain excess grease. While hot, mix in the pkg of cream cheese and shredded cheese. The warmer the mixture is when being combined, the more uniform your breakfast rolls will be. Scoop a large spoonful into the crescent rolls. Fold the short sides of the triangle on the spoonful and then roll until the last side has completely covered the cream cheese mixture.

Karlee says, "This is an excellent recipe for breakfast, parties, etc. I like to make my mixture the night before, and but it in the refrigerator over night. In the morning, or before the party, make meatball sized balls and place them into the center of the crescent roll instead of scooping the mixture straight from the pan. I have also used regular sized crescent rolls (4 pkg) or cut the large ones in half to make a more petite appetizer. HUGE HIT! New take on an old favorite..."

Spring Frittata

This is a recipe published by a wonderful restaurant in Birmingham, Trattoria Centrale, as a suggested item for Easter Brunch. We made it last weekend when we had friends over after church. We liked it so much that we made it again tonight! If you tried Katie's frittata that I posted a few weeks ago, you should definitely give this one a try. I was a little intimidated by it at first, but it was actually really easy to make. We served it with steak and a spinich salad, so there would have definitely been enough for six people. But if you cut down the ingredients some, it would be a perfect dish for one or two people. The cheese and tarragon give it a really deep flavor.

SPRING FRITTATA
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
7 whole farm eggs
2-1/2 ounces heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, if desired
1/2 bunch standard asparagus
1 cup cremini mushrooms, quartered (we used baby bellas)
1/4 cup grated pecorino cheese

Directions:
Turn oven on, set to 350 degrees.

Combine together eggs, cream and chopped tarragon. Season with salt and pepper. (Tip: Taste raw egg mixture to ensure proper seasoning of the baked omelet. You cannot add salt after the frittata is cooked.) (Anna's Tip: You probably will not need salt if you use pecorino cheese - it's very salty.)

Chop the lower third of each asparagus stalk off, and discard. Cut the remaining asparagus into ½-inch pieces.

Heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tablespoon canola oil (or use butter), then add asparagus and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for three to four minutes until asparagus have softened slightly.

Remove the pan from the heat, then add egg mixture. Add grated cheese, then gently stir the egg, cheese, mushroom and asparagus mixture until all ingredients are distributed well.
Place entire pan in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the eggs do not jiggle in the center of the pan. When cooked through, remove pan from oven, and let cool five minutes. With a rubber spatula, gently remove the frittata from the pan.

Cut into four wedges, and serve with grits and fresh fruit, if desired

Banana Bread - from Melissa

I was so glad when Melissa sent me this recipe. Banana bread is wonderful because it can be used for so many occasions. It is great to make and have around on a weekend when you will have company staying because it can work for breakfast, dessert, or a snack. It's also an easy item to transport, so you can take it to Sunday School or work for breakfast or even to a tailgate party in the fall!

Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method:
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup - from Kate

My friend, Kate, brought this AMAZING breakfast treat to a ladies' brunch we had for Sunday School this weekend. Everyone was raving about how great it was!! I have not made it yet but hopefully will soon - Kent will definitely love it! It is a breakfast version of a bread pudding - and it's so good!!

Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup
Ingredients:
1 loaf French bread
7 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 cup milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of salt
Praline Topping (recipe follows)
Maple syrup

Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1 inch each. Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 x 13 inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half and half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk/egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread praline topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden.

Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping
Ingredients:
3/4 lb butter
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
3 tbsp light corn syrup
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and blend well.

Apple Streusel Muffins

These muffins so good - and perfect for Fall!

Apple Streusel Muffins
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups apple (chopped or grated)

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter

Method:
(For the muffins...) Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients together. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased muffin pan.

(For the topping...) Mix all ingredients together until incorporated. Spoon an even amount on top of each muffin.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

I love making this recipe when I know we will be having weekend guests! These scones are so good - and actually a lot more moist than scones usually are. The ingredients and measurements are from a recipe by Tyler Florence, but I use a much easier way to actually make the scones. I make the scones ahead of time and then make the glaze right before I serve them. They will keep for several days in the refrigerater and can be reheated easily.

Blueberry Scones

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing the scones
1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Sift together the dry ingredients; the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using 2 forks or a pastry blender, cut in the butter to coat the pieces with the flour. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and pour in the heavy cream. Fold everything together just to incorporate; do not overwork the dough. Fold the blueberries into the batter. Take care not to mash or bruise the blueberries because their strong color will bleed into the dough (some say that using frozen blueberries helps to prevent bruising). Using a mechanical ice cream scooper, scoop the dough into a ball and release it onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Blush the tops with heavy cream. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Let them cool slightly before applying glaze.

For the glaze... you can either make it this way in the microwave or use a double boiler. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners' sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lemon zest and butter. Nuke it for 30 seconds on high. Whisk the glaze to smooth out any lumps, then drizzle the glaze over the top of the scones. Let it set a minute before serving.