Tag Archives: brunch

Stone Ground Grits ‘N’ Cheese Casserole

April 23, 2013 By in Breakfast Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

grits to post

Here is my version of the ultimate comfort food….cheese grits.  I use stone ground white grits for the best flavor and texture, cheddar and parmesan cheese and a healthy sprinkle of paprika.  It’s the perfect make-ahead dish for brunch or dinner (excellent alongside grilled meats or seafood). Note about grits: If you use a different type of grits, follow the water/grits cooking ratio on the package then proceed with recipe.

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4 cups water

1 1/3 cups stone ground white grits (I use Charleston Favorites)

1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1  cup milk

1/4 teaspoon garlic  powder

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

generous pinch of paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a glass or ceramic baking dish. (any size that will hold the mixture will work) To rinse the grits, place them in a medium pot and cover with water and then drain off the water to remove any husks that float to the top. (don’t worry about draining off every bit of water)  Add the 4 cups of water to the rinsed grits and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  While grits are cooking, whisk milk and eggs together in a small bowl and set aside. Simmer grits for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until creamy and tender.  Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese, butter and salt.  Stir well until cheese is melted and mixture is cooled slightly then add the milk/egg mixture and stir well once more.  Season generously with freshly ground black pepper then pour grits into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle top with the grated parmesan and paprika and bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until top is golden and casserole is hot and puffy.  Serves 8

(This casserole can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated unbaked.  Add 5-10 minutes to baking time if necessary)

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Just One Perfect Spinach Cheddar Omelette

February 18, 2013 By in Breakfast, eggs Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

one more omelette to post

Eggs tend to go from runny to rubbery in the blink of an eye so I have been working on a simple but foolproof omelette.   I heard on PBS radio one day….it was probably The Splendid Table….. how eggs need to be cooked slowly, over very low heat… which meant that I was going to need a good non-stick pan if I didn’t want to use half a stick of butter.  So here is the method and as you can imagine, the possibilities are endless for adapting this with your favorite ingredients. (fresh herbs and goat cheese?)  Don’t be turned off by the lengthy instructions;  it is so quick and easy that I make one just for myself quite often. I’m just trying to be helpful with details but the whole process takes only a few minutes. The key here is that the pan should never get hot enough to color the eggs at all….gentle, slow and steady is the name of the game.

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an 8 inch good quality, non-stick skillet or omelette pan

plastic or rubber spatula

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons butter or olive oil

1 handful fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed

2 tablespoons finely shredded cheddar cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Begin heating your skillet over low heat.  Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat well with a whisk or a fork. Have the spinach leaves ready and sitting nearby.

Add the butter or oil to the skillet and swirl it around to lightly coat the surface.   Pour the eggs into the skillet and gently tilt it to all sides to spread the eggs out evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  The eggs should be cooking very slowly; it will take a minute or two for the bottom to set but when it does, lay the spinach leaves over the top of the omelette (which will still be runny at this point) in a single layer.

Now you are going to flip the omelette over.  Begin by loosening the edges of the omelette with the spatula while gently shaking the skillet to see if the whole omelette will slip around in the pan, signaling that the underside is cooked though enough to hold the whole thing together.  When this happens, it will be quite easy to slip the spatula under the eggs and simultaneously shake the handle of the skillet and flip the omelette to the other side.  ( Imagine someone flipping pancakes in the air to get the idea of shaking the skillet…but of course we are going for a gentle flip here, one that will not send ingredients airborn and is controlled mostly by the spatula)

As soon as the omelette is turned, sprinkle with a light layer of cheese.  The second side will be cooked in less than a minute, at which point you can roll up the omelette, slide it onto a plate and enjoy!

eggs 2 to post

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Double Crumb Cinnamon Cupcakes

January 31, 2013 By in Baking, Breakfast, Desserts, Lunches and Snacks Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

new cupcake to postCrumbs on top, crumbs on the bottom, and a tender, moist yellow cake between.   Call it a muffin so you can have it for breakfast!

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Crumbs for top and bottom

1 cup flour

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, cold  and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients for the crumb mixture and then work it with your fingers until it is thoroughly combined and forms large moist crumbs.  Cover and place in refrigerator while you prepare the cake batter.

For the cake batter

1 stick unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking power

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup whole milk

Line a 12 cup muffin tin with with paper liners.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the sugar and continue to beat then gradually add the eggs one at a time.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the milk, and ending with the dry ingredients.

To fill the muffin tins

Spoon one heaping tablespoon of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each paper liner.  Then add enough cake batter to come almost to the top edge of the liner.  Then cover the batter with the remaining crumbs.

Bake until the tops feel firm to the touch and the edges are just beginning to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.  Cool 10 minutes then remove from pan.  Serve or may be kept covered at room temperature for 2-3 days.

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muffins 2 to post

 

Fresh Herb and Feta Omelette with Warm Avocado, Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Salsa

October 22, 2012 By in Breakfast, eggs, Lunches and Snacks, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

Breakfast, brunch, lunch or supper….you can’t go wrong with this amazing omelette adapted from A Paridiso Year by Denis Cotter.  The amounts given below will make one large omelette that will easily feed 2.

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6 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into pieces

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 green onion, sliced

half a fresh red chile, seeded and sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

4-5 eggs

2 tablespoons water

salt and pepper to taste

handful of fresh herbs (of 2 or 3 types, such as chives, parsley, thyme, tarragon, marjoram)

small handful of crumbled feta cheese

butter or olive oil to coat pan

half an avocado, cubed

In a small pan, over medium heat, warm olive oil.  Saute asparagus, tomatoes, green onion and chile until asparagus is crisp tender.  Set aside while you prepare the omelette.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk in the water.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.  Chop the herbs and crumble the feta and have them at the ready before you begin cooking the omelette.

Heat your omelette pan (med-high heat if it is non-stick and high heat otherwise) and brush with a bit of butter or olive oil.  Pour in the beaten egg and tilt the pan to cover the surface.  As the bottom cooks, lift up the edges and let the raw egg slide underneath the cooked.  Scatter the herbs and the feta over the length of the center of the omelette then fold 1/3 of the omelette towards the middle and repeat on the other side.

Just as the omelette is finishing cooking, toss the diced avocado to the vegetable mixture and return it to the heat just to warm through.

Remove the omelette to a plate and top with the warm salsa and serve immediately.  Serves 2.

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Wild Blueberry Muffins with Oats and Brown Sugar

October 5, 2012 By in Baking, Breakfast, Lunches and Snacks Tags: , , , , , , 2 Comments

I don’t often make Blueberry Muffins.  I tend to make my Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze or if I have time, my Blueberry Buckle Coffee Cake.  But this recipe from Beat This, by Ann Hodgman, caught my eye and since I had some Wymans fresh frozen Wild Blueberries in the freezer I decided to give it a try.  Sure glad I did.  They are moist and sweet, with just a hint of a warm oatmeal cookie goodness.  Reason enough to make sure I keep those wild blueberries in the freezer all winter long.

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1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup frozen wild blueberries

2 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line a 12-cup muffin tim with liners.  This recipe does not work without them.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk the eggs with the sour cream until thoroughly combined.

In a medium saucepan, over medium beat, melt together  the butter and the brown sugar.  Beat this mixture into the egg mixture.  Stir in the oats.

Fold in the flour mixture and then the blueberries.  Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.  Sprinkle each muffin with a generous pinch of sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes or until light brown around the edges and set in the middle.

Cool for 5 minutes in  pan then remove to rack to finish cooling.

Makes 1 dozen.

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Straw Mat Potatoes

September 28, 2012 By in Breakfast, Vegetables Tags: , , , , , 7 Comments

You may want to be careful with this recipe.  Once your family realizes that it is an option, either for breakfast or supper, they will request it all the time.

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4 large baking potatoes

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Peel the potatoes, cut into 1/8 inch slices lengthwise, then again lengthwise, into 1/8 inch straws.  DO NOT RINSE, you need the starch in the potatoes to make the straw mat stick together.  Place potato straws in a large bowl and toss with the cornstarch, salt and pepper.

Heat the butter and the oil in a 12-inch well seasoned cast iron skillet over medium high heat. (if you don’t have a cast iron skillet, the next best option is a heavy non-stick skillet)  Spread the potato straws evenly in the skillet and press down gently with a spatula.  Cook until the underside is golden brown, pressing down on the potatoes occasionally.  I also like to gently pull the potatoes in around the sides to create a taller and neater edge.  This will also make it easier to flip.  Turn down the heat a bit and cover the potatoes for 5 minutes or so, to make sure the center of the potatoes cooks.  Uncover, press down on the potatoes once more and neaten the sides, give the skillet a few shakes to make sure that all the potatoes are moving as one, then flip it (see below)

There are a couple of ways to do this;  If you are using a non-stick skillet, you may want to air flip the potatoes.  It’s easier than it sounds but may take a bit of practice.  However, since I prefer to use my cast iron skillet, which is far too heavy to use for flipping, I flip the potatoes with two large metal spatulas.  Or, the safest way to flip is to slide the potatoes onto a large plate, cover with a second plate and flip upside down.  Then slide the potatoes back into the skillet raw side down. 

Turn the heat back up to medium high to brown the other side on the potatoes, occasionally pressing down on the  top and pulling in the sides as before.  When that side is crispy and brown, I usually flip the mat once more to re-crisp the first side.  Serve immediately.  Serves 6

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