page's power breakfast smoothie

One more post from Page! When we were in Montana she made smoothies for breakfast and everyone LOVED them. This was only a little suprising since she packs them with all kinds of things: almond butter, kale, flax seeds, etc. It was a delicious and nutritious way to start the day and the kids were asking for seconds.

Page uses frozen fruits and frozen kale to make a really thick and cold smoothie but you can certainly substitute fresh fruits or kale for frozen if you have them on hand - just use enough frozen ingredients to keep the smoothie cold.  Page also added nutritional reasons for all her ingredients in parentheses below. Thank you, Page!

PAGE'S POWER BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

(makes 4 generous servings)

2 11 ounce Vita Coca coconut waters (hydration)

1 large banana, peeled (potassium)

two heaping tablespoons almond butter (protein and fiber)

2 heaping cups frozen raspberries, blueberries, or cherries, preferably a mix (dark fruits are full of antioxidents)

1 heaping cup frozen peaches or mango

1 1/2 cups frozen kale

2 tablespoons whole or ground flax seeds (Omega 3's - some people say ground flas seed is better for absorption but they get at least partially ground in the blender)

2 tablespoons chia seeds (Omega 3's)

1 pack of frozen acai puree, optional (I use Sambazon which is available at whole foods in 100gram smoothis packages)

Combine all the ingredients in the blender and puree. Serve immediately.

pumpkin pancakes

When my good friend Cheryl and her daughter Bete visited us this summer we learned a few tricks for getting a little nutrition into a picky eater. Bete has a limited number of foods that she likes but Cheryl manages to get extra vitamins into her by adding pumpkin puree to pancakes (she adds it to cheese sauce for pasta too).

Adam was making his famous pancakes for breakfast so we decided to try Cheryl's variation. We just stirred in 1/4 cup of the puree for every batch of pancakes - we were making a triple recipe so we used 3/4 cup of pumpkin. I think we could have added even more since the pumpkin flavor was quite subtle. 

egg sandwich

Eggy breakfasts have never been my favorite but I do love a good egg sandwich. Adam is often the breakfast maker in our house. His version of the egg sandwich is really delicious...sauteed onions and grated parmesan cheese are mixed into the scrambled egg. He likes to use a little of the bacon fat mixed with butter to cook the onions and the eggs. Adam insists on making these to order and gets quite perturbed if you are not waiting eagerly to eat the sandwich immediately!

Adam's Egg Sandwich

Cook bacon until crisp. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate. (Adam uses 1-1 1/2 slices of bacon per sandwich.) Dice a small onion and saute until nicely browned in butter. Grate parmesan cheese. Whisk an egg in a bowl until scrambled and cook in a cast iron skillet with a little of the bacon fat +/or a little butter. Top with about a spoonful of carmelized onion and parmesan cheese after a minute or so. Cook another minute or two and flip. In the meantime, toast an english muffin and butter. Fold scrambled egg to fit onto the muffin and top with bacon. Eat immediately.

chocolate chip mini scones

Popular with all ages, these little scones are a yummy treat fresh from the oven...either for breakfast or as a little snack with tea or coffee. You can make the scones a day ahead and bake them just before serving.

Chocolate Chip Mini Scones

makes about 2 dozen 1 1/2 inch round scones

2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

zest of 1 orange

generous half cup mini chocolate chips (I prefer dark chocolate)

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 egg yolk

milk for brushing tops

Preheat oven to 400°. Sift together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add butter and orange zest and mix in using your fingertips until the mixture is crumbly and the butter pieces are a quite small. Combine buttermilk and egg yolk and beat with a fork to break yolk. Pour over flour mixture and stir with a fork until all the flour has been incorporated but the dough is still crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips and turn out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into an oval about 1 inch thick. Using a 1 1/2 inch biscuit cutter cut out scones and transfer to a silpat or parchment lined tray.  Brush lightly with milk. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

iris cafe

Every once in a while you find a place that you wish was around the corner from home...where everything on the menu sounds great. For me, Iris Cafe is one of those places. It is in Brooklyn Heights and I go there often to meet my friend Randall. The avocado on toast is the perfect breakfast for me - I do not love eggs and it is surprisingly difficult to find savory breakfast alternatives. They also serve delicious sandwiches (my favorite is the ploughman, above left), have great coffee, and a lovely vibe. 

oatmeal with caramelized apples

 

In general I am not a big breakfast eater. Ideally, I like to eat my first meal at around 10am. That said, I love oatmeal and find it one of the more pleasant meals to start the day with. In the fall when apples are abundant I like to pair steel cut oatmeal with sauteed apples. Adding a little maple syrup to the pan once the apples have been browned in butter makes a delicious topping for a hearty breakfast.

blueberry focaccia

 

I love the blurry line between sweet and savory. Now, as blueberry season is coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to make a blueberry focaccia. The sweetness of the berries and the little bit of sugar sprinkled on top offset the olive oil, sea salt, and thyme perfectly.  I was not at all disappointed when the kids universally declared they did not like this one...more for the adults!

This would have been a a perfect baking project during hurricane Irene (assuming you did not lose power) since you need to stick around while the dough rises several times. From start to finish it takes about 5 hours to make but the active time is only about 20-30 minutes since each step requires minimal effort.

This recipe makes two loaves - partly because I hate using only part of a packet of yeast, and parlty because it is really just as easy to make 2 as it is to make one. This would be a perfect thing to serve if you are having a cocktail party, delicious with some nice cheese and wine. I also enjoyed it for breakfast with my morning coffee.

BLUEBERRY FOCACCIA

2 cups warm water

1 packet dry active yeast (mine was about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

1 tablespoon sugar

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon fine salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups blueberries

4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Place warm water in a large bowl and sprinkle yeast and sugar over the surface. Set aside for 5 minutes or until yeast is frothy. (Note: If the yeast does not become frothy it is not active and needs to be discarded.)

Add 4 cups flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/4 cup olive oil and stir until the dough has gathered into a rough ball. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the flour onto a clean work surface and turn dough out onto it. Knead it for a few minutes until it is nice and elastic - the dough will still be sticky. Coat the inside of a large glass bowl with another tablespoon of olive oil. Place dough in bowl, turning it over so that it is all coated with the oil. Place a clean dish towel over the top and set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Remove dough from bowl and knead for a minute or two. Cut dough in half. Drizzle two sheet pans with olive oil and spread out to coat. Place one ball of dough on each tray, turning to coat with olive oil. Place a towel over each pan and set aside until the dough has risen enough that it is soft - about 30 minutes. Rub your fingers in the oil on the pan and press each piece of dough into a large oval, about 1 inch deep. Press your fingertips into the bread until it is covered with dimples. Cover with dishtowels and set aside to rise for another hour and a half.

Preheat the oven to 450°. Once it is hot, divide the blueberries, turbinado sugar, coarse sea salt, and remaining olive oil between the two pans, sprinkling each evenly over the surface. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling. Allow to cool on a rack before serving.

 

banana bread with mascarpone and honey

A few years ago our family spent 6 months living in Cape Town, South Africa. During that time we had a favorite breakfast spot where we always ordered the same thing: soft boiled eggs with soldiers for Adam ("soldiers" are little strips of toast, cut so that they can be dipped into the runny yolk), and toasted banana bread with mascarpone and honey for me. It was divine! When I made this banana bread there was no need to toast it...everyone insisted on eating it before it had even fully cooled. 

BANANA BREAD

1 stick unsalted butter, softenned

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside. Cream together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl. Add mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla and stir to combine. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto a cooling rack. 

Slice bread and top with mascarpone and a drizzle of honey.

granola, take 2

Homemade granola is so popular in our house that I decided to try a variation. In this version I used puffed wheat and rice (available at health food stores). The result is a lighter texture than my original granola recipe made with rolled oats. I use a mixture of butter and olive oil but you may use either alone as long as the total amount is 8 tablespoons (half cup). I think this may be a new favorite...the entire jar was devoured in less than a week.

6 cups puffed wheat

4 cups puffed brown rice

1 1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sunflower seeds

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup maple syrup

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 350°.  Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine maple syrup, olive oil, and butter in a small pot over medium heat stir to combine. Once butter has melted pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir until well coated. Divide mixture onto 2 sheet pans and spread into an even layer.  Cook for about 15 minutes then remove trays to stir mixture. Return to oven for another 15 minutes or until golden brown (switch the position of the trays so that the top tray is now on the bottom and vice versa). Set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container or large ziploc bag.

zucchini bread

When Lauren was pregnant with her second child she developed gestational diabetes. She really missed carbs and sugar and always had her eye out for things that would satisfy her cravings without hurting her blood sugar.

One day while I was at her house she was making this bread. The original recipe was from Epicurious.com and can be found here. She made a few changes in an attempt to keep on her diet and the result was great. Just look at that bowl full of vegetables! No guilt required.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious.com:

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 teaspons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

3/4 vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 1/2 cups grated peeled carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside. Sift together both flours, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Add zucchini, carrots, walnuts, and dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake for an hour and 15 minutes, or until top is springy and a tester inserted into center comes out clean. 

Allow bread to cool in pan for 15 minutes before unmolding.