Last week momfilter did this post by Adam...both Adam and my dad make these pancakes regularly and they are delicious every time. Gathering the extended family around one of our tables for a big breakfast is one of our favorite traditions.
I probably seemed a little crazy posting about oatmeal last week considering it was one of the hottest days we have had this year! For those who prefer to leave hot cereals for the cold months here is a delicious granola recipe. I personally prefer granola that is really crunchy and chunky. To acheive that I press the granola into a solid mass on a sheet pan before baking it, and then flip it halfway through. This makes it almost like a giant crumbly granola bar that you can break up after it has cooled.
I have decided what to put in this recipe based on my own family's tastes: one son doesn't really like nuts but does not seem to mind them here as long as they are not huge pieces...as a result I use sliced almonds and pecans, both of which break up easily but add lots of flavor and nutrition. I personally love coconut and sesame seeds so there are healthy doses of each included as well. You can really experiment and see what your favorite combinations are. Hazelnuts add a great crunch and would pair well with dried cranberries or cherries. Pistachios add a lovely touch of green and work well with dried apricots.
5 cups rolled oats
2 cups nuts of your choice ( I used 1 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3/4 cup pecans, broken into pieces)
1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 teasooon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of cloves
A dash of sea salt (omit if your sunflower seeds are salted)
1 cup maple syrup
4 tablesoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Fresh or dried fruit
Heat oven to 350°. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the maple syrup, olive oil, and butter in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter has melted. Pour into granola mixture and stir until thoroghly combined and mixture is moist throughout. Transfer onto a sheet pan (or rimmed cookie sheet) and press into an even layer. The more packed down it is the more chunky the granola with be. (If you prefer 
less chunky granola omit this step.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until fragrant and begining to brown. If you have a second sheet pan that is the same size invert mixture onto it. If not, use a spatula to turn mixture over, and then press it into a solid mass again. Retrun to oven until nicely browned, about 15 minutes more. Allow granola to cool in the pan before breaking up.
Loosen granola from the pan with a spatula and break it up into chunks. Store in a glass jar or ziplock bag.
You can stir in dried fruit all at once, or just have it ready and stir it in when serving. Sometimes I keep it separate so each member of the family can add what they like, and vary it for each serving. Alternatively, during the summer months, you can skip the dried fruit and add fresh berries instead.
eclecticmom.com
Recently I have been trying to slowly cut down on sugar. Although the original recipe I posted is delicious and makes very chunky granola I have been experimenting and am equally happy with a less sweet version that is still plenty sweet and tasty. I've adapted it as follows: increase the quantity of oats to 7 cups and add an additional 1/2 cup of nuts. Reduce maple syrup to 3/4 cup. Divide the granola between 2 sheet pans and press it into an even layer before baking. Cook 15 - 20 minutes and then rotate trays for even cooking. If the edges are getting too brown use a spatula to mix the edges into the center and pat into an even layer again before returning to the oven. Cook another 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool before removing from the pan.
Now that local strawberries are popping up in farmer's markets I am inspired to eat them as much as possible. I am a fan of oatmeal year round, particularly McCann's steel cut variety. Fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a bowl of oatmeal makes a pretty unbeatable breakfast in my opinion!
I love frittatas and make them often when I have left over grilled vegetables in the summer, but when I decide to start from scratch this is my very favorite. The potatoes make it filling and creamy and the sauteed onions add so much flavor. It is the season for beautiful little onions and ramps - I chose a bunch of purple spring onions but ramps, scallions, or any kind of onion can be substituted. The amounts used in this recipe filled an 11 inch cast iron skillet but you can easily make a smaller version that would feed 2-3 people in a 6 or 7 inch non-stick skillet.
Tortilla Espanola
8-10 small yukon gold potatoes
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch purple spring onions, thinly sliced
coarse sea salt
10-12 eggs, lightly beaten
Heat oven to 400°.
Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender when a paring knife is inserted into the largest potato, about 10-15 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Use a paring knife to slip skin off potatoes and slice about 1/4 inch thick.
Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or non-stick pan. Add onion and sautee until they start to soften. Add sliced potatoes, season with salt, and continue cooking until they are just barely beginning to brown. Add eggs and gently to submerge potatoes. Place pan in oven and cook until eggs are set, about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Invert pan onto cutting board to unmold. Serve cut into wedges.
At my daughter's preschool you can sign up at the beginning of the year to have a loaf of challah delivered to your child's cubby every friday. The kids love it, and often the bag is ripped into first thing after school and the bread is devoured as an after school snack. On the weekends that the loaf lasts until saturday morning, this french toast is one of my favorite breakfasts. Make the french toast as you normally would (beat a couple eggs with a little milk and a splash of vanilla, dip the bread into this mixture and let it soak it up) and then dip the slices into a plate full of sliced almonds. Brown it on the griddle or in a skillet with some melted butter. Delicious!