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Tag Archives: Breakfast

Recipe: Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones

10 Jul
Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones

Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones

Having never made scones before, I wasn’t sure how this recipe would turn out. Luckily, it worked. Thanks bacon!

These Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones are a great sweet-savory treat around breakfast time.

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/4 cup self-rising flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 TBSP butter (the colder the better)
  • 1/2 cup cooked bacon (drained)
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins
  • 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
    • Golden Raisin and Bacon Scone Dough

    Golden Raisin and Bacon Scone Dough

  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together flour and sugar. Using a fork, cut in 6 tablespoons of butter until mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
  3. In a small bowl, combine bacon, golden raisins and walnuts.
  4. Stir 1 cup of bacon mixture into the flour mixture. Set remaining bacon mixture aside.
  5. In another small bowl, lightly whisk egg and cream together. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in egg-cream mixture. Stir with a fork until the mixture is moist.
    6. Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones

    Golden Raisin and Bacon Scones Close-Up

  6. Divide dough into two balls of the same size.
  7. On a greased cookie sheet, place dough balls about 3 inches apart and pat each one into an 8-inch round.
  8. Using a knife dipped in flour, cut each round into 8 pieces, but do not separate.
  9. Sprinkle remaining bacon mixture over each round then bake 14-16 minutes until edges are light golden brown.
  10. Carefully separate each round into 8 pieces. Serve warm with fresh jam.

Scones make a great grab-and-go breakfast option if you don’t have time to prepare a full breakfast every morning.

Scones are also very customizable. You can easily substitute in the ingredients of your choice when making this recipe.

 
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Posted by on July 10, 2012 in Breakfast, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Recipe: Liège Waffles

11 Apr
Waffles

Liège Waffles

I don’t know many people who don’t like waffles. But if you’re making your waffles from pancake batter, you’re missing out.

Liège Waffles use yeast in the batter as well as pearl sugar to give them a nice texture. This waffles are crisp, yeasty, fluffy and crunchy.

Ingredients:

  • 3 eggs
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 packet of active dry yeast
  • 2 TBSP light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 sticks butter, melted
  • 1 TBSP salt
  • t TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pearl sugar

Directions:

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together water, brown sugar and yeast. Let stand about 5 minutes.
  2. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Create a well and pour in yeast mixture. Mix together all ingredients until a lumpy batter begins to form.
  3. Add the eggs (one at a time) and keep mixing to produce a batter.
  4. Mix in the vanilla and melted butter gradually until smooth. The batter should be thick.
  5. Cover the bowl with a damp rag (or plastic wrap) and let sit for 2 hours or overnight.
  6. Stir the pearl sugar into the risen batter. Cover again and let rest for 15 minutes.
  7. Preheat oven to 200F. Also preheat your waffle iron to medium-high.
  8. Brush the waffle iron with melted butter (you can also use non-stick cooking spray).
  9. Use two heaping tablespoons of the batter for each waffle, cooking until golden-brown and crisp.
  10. Transfer the waffles to a plate and keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

These waffles do take some time in the preparation department, but they’re worth it. They’ll wow breakfast guests.

Pearl sugar may be difficult to find in your local grocery store so I recommend heading over to Amazon.com. If you don’t want to buy pear sugar, you can coarsely chop up some sugar cubes as a substitute.

 
6 Comments

Posted by on April 11, 2012 in Breakfast, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Recipe: King Cake French Toast

13 Feb
King Cake French Toast Mix

King Cake French Toast Mix

King cake isn’t just a Mardi Gras dessert, it’s a Mardi Gras food group. To expand it to the brunch category, try this King Cake French Toast.

Dipping the king cake in the traditional French toast egg mix actually cuts some of the sweetness of regular king cake. Try it for breakfast or brunch this Carnival season.

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices of king cake (about 1/2-inch thick)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cup milk
    • King Cake French Toast in the Pan

    King Cake French Toast in the Pan

  • 4 TBSP butter
  • 1 TBSP vanilla extract
  • 1 TBSP cinnamon
  • 1 TBSP brown sugar
  • Pinch of salt

Directions:

    King Cake French Toast

    King Cake French Toast

  1. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, brown sugar and salt.
  2. Dip two pieces of king cake in egg mixture and let the cake soak up some of the egg mixture (about 30 seconds). Turn over and let the opposite side soak.
  3. In a skillet over medium heat, melt 2 TBSP butter.
  4. Transfer two pieces of king cake to skillet and let cook for 3 to 5 minutes then flip and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until both sides are browned.
  5. Repeat steps 2 through 4 then serve.

Most of the icing will melt and/or be absorbed into the cake itself, but this actually helps add some sweetness to the dish. Syrup shouldn’t be necessary.

And make sure that plastic baby isn’t in a piece before you throw it in the skillet. Happy Mardi Gras!

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2012 in Brunch, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Recipe: Rainbow Frittata

25 Jan
Rainbow Frittata

Rainbow Frittata

So which came first? The Rainbow-Stuffed Chicken or the Rainbow-Stuffed Egg (Rainbow Frittata)? This isn’t a mind bender. The answer is the Rainbow-Stuffed Chicken.

I had leftover rainbow mix so I recycled it to make this equally delicious frittata in my handy dandy cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you need to rush out and buy one ASAP.

Ingredients:

  • 10 eggs
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 orange bell pepper, diced
    • Bell Pepper Blend

    Multicolored Bell Peppers, Mushrooms and Red Onions

  • 1/2 red onion, diced
  • 1 1/2 cup button mushrooms, diced
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 TBSP unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place butter in skillet and place in oven.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, salt and pepper. The add remaining ingredients to the bowl and lightly whisk to incorporate all ingredients.
  3. Once butter has melted in skillet, remove from the oven and move around melted butter to coat the skillet.
  4. Pour in egg mixture and place back in oven.
  5. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until center of the frittata is set.
  6. Let cool in skillet then invert onto serving plate. Slice and serve.

This is just another use for the rainbow mix that is so versatile and works well in many dishes.

The best part of this recipe is that it’s packed with nutrients from the veggies and protein from the eggs. So it make nearly the perfect breakfast and/or brunch dish, but it’s good during any meal time.

 
5 Comments

Posted by on January 25, 2012 in Breakfast, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Review: Satsuma Cafe

20 Jan

I’ve always heard good things about Satsuma Cafe, but my first trip came by accident. My party originally tried Elizabeth’s (always great), but the wait was too long. It was the same story at The Country Club so off to Satsuma we went.

I’ll get my pet peeve out of the way first. I hate waiting in lines, and the majority of the time I’ve been to Satsuma (including my initial visit) there’s a line. I’m a control freak and impatient so a line isn’t fun for me. It’s great for Satsuma though.

With that out of the way, I only have good things to say about Satsuma. They have a great breakfast/lunch menu (I hesitate to call it brunch) that’s chock full of interesting dishes and juices made with local and fresh quality ingredients.

Salmon Salad Sandwich

Salmon Salad Sandwich

On my first visit, I indulged in the Roasted Pear and Brie Melt. Sounds rich, right? Well, it is. But in the best way possible. I’m not sure it should even qualify as a meal, but I made it one nonetheless. The pear and brie go brilliantly together and with the complementing walnut spread, balsamic glaze and caramelized onion, it was superb.

My next visit I tried the Salmon Salad Sandwich. Also delicious. Satsuma makes its own salmon salad comprised of (you guessed it) salmon, capers, red onions, tarragon aioli, tomato and sprouts. If you know me, you know I don’t tomatoes. But the sandwich without tomatoes was awesome. Super light, but incredibly delicious. I’ve never been a big fan of capers, but I didn’t even taste them in this.

I also tried the Black Pepper Turkey Melt. It was good, but not nearly as good as the Salmon Salad Sandwich or the Roasted Pear and Brie Melt. It was missing the melty aspect I was hoping for. That said, it tasted incredibly fresh. I can’t remember the last time I had sliced turkey that had such a perfect taste and texture.

Black Pepper Turkey Melt

Black Pepper Turkey Melt

Aside from the food, Satsuma does a great job with its juice bar. And I would give props to the coffee bar, but (shocker!) I don’t drink coffee. The juice is made from very fresh produce. I had the Green Drink (apple, fennel, kale, cucumber and celery) and it was great. Very refreshing and not too heavy. The Beet Juice Lemonade was also delicious. I was a little concerned about the neon purple color, but maybe the brighter the juice, the more nutritious.

All in all, I’m ecstatic that I happened across Satsuma by circumstance. It’s definitely I revisit frequently and encourage others to as well. I also need to go back and try it out for dinner.

Satsuma is located at 3218 Dauphine Street in the Bywater. Breakfast and Lunch are served daily from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dinner is available Wed. through Sat. from 6:30 p.m. (their website says 6:30 a.m., but that has to be a typo) to 10 p.m.

 
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Posted by on January 20, 2012 in Uncategorized

 

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Review: Surrey’s Uptown

03 Jan
Costa Rican Breakfast

Costa Rican Breakfast

Hands down, Surrey’s Uptown is overall the best breakfast place in town. Can you go places with fancier food? Absolutely, but for the type of place it is, it’s the best.

I’ve had just about everything on the menu. Costa Rican Breakfast? Check. Boudin Biscuit? Check. Bagel Breakfast Sandwich? Check. I could go on. All that said, the single best thing I’ve ever had here is the special Chicken and Waffles. The dish is out of this world. I’m hoping it shows up on the menu again since the chef I loved left a couple months ago.

My favorite regular menu items are the Costa Rican Breakfast and the Boudin Breakfast Biscuit. Both are unique. The Costa Rican Breakfast is an amalgam of a lot of things I like: eggs, cheese, avocado, rice, black beans, fried plantains and pico de gallo. Similarly, the Bouding Breakfast Biscuits relies on a homemade biscuit, fresh boudin patties and eggs to make a breakfast biscuit that puts most others to shame.

Pain Perdu

Pain Perdu

The Breakfast Burrito, Pain Perdu and Banana Pancake are all solid breakfast choices. However, you can’t really go wrong. Surrey’s has breakfast down pat. They also have a good lunch.

I usually take advantage of the $10 lunch combo that comes with half a sandwich, a cup of soup and a side salad.

My favorite lunch sandwich is the Lox BLT, but a close second is the Surrey’s Club. They keep it pretty simple at lunch with the three S items: sandwiches, salads and soups.

I frequented the lower location on Magazine for years, so I was thrilled when a Surrey’s opened closer to my uptown home. And I have to say, the food at the uptown location is much better than the lower Magazine location. I will say that the juice at the lower location is a tad bit better.

Surrey's Boudin Breakfast Biscuit

Boudin Breakfast Biscuit

Speaking of the juice, Surrey’s has some of the best juice in town. My favorite is the Watermelon Limemade. Even though it’s only available during the summer months, I dream about it all year long. They always have interesting juices and juice blends on hand, and none of them have ever disappointed me.

The one drawback is the extreme likelihood you will encounter a wait on the weekend. That said, most of the staff is uber-friendly so chat them up to make the wait time speed by.

It is cash only (something I’ve never been a fan of), but it’s worth every dollar. If you want fine dining, head to Brennan’s where you can overpay for your eggs. If you want a great breakfast, forget about everything else and focus on the food at Surrey’s and you won’t be disappointed.

 
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Posted by on January 3, 2012 in Eatin'

 

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Recipe: Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

25 Nov
Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

Red Velvet Pancakes with Coconut-Cream Cheese Icing

Maybe I don’t remember it, but I don’t think red velvet was a big deal back when I was growing up. Now, it’s all the rage — cupcakes, cakes, vodka. This pancake recipe can be added to that list.

The Red Velvet Pancake batter is simple to make from scratch, as is the coconut-cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

  • For the pancake batter:
  • 1/2 cup white flour
  • 1/2 cup wheat flour
  • 1 TBSP cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TBSP unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp red food coloring

  • For the icing:
    • Red Velvet Pancake Batter

    Red Velvet Pancake Batter

  • 7 TBSP light coconut milk
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut (optional)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 4 TBSP butter, softened

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and sugar.
    2. Red Velvet Pancake on the Griddle

    Red Velvet Pancake on the Griddle

  2. Add egg, milk, heavy cream, melted butter, vanilla and red food coloring and whisk until batter is smooth. A few lumps are okay.
  3. Cook in batches in a greased skillet the normal way you would cook pancakes.
  4. For the icing, beat cream cheese and butter until creamy. Then, add in coconut milk and vanilla. Finally, add in powdered sugar (and shredded coconut if you choose) in batches and whisk all until smooth.
  5. Once pancakes are cooked, top with icing and serve.

While it’s probably a stretch to say these pancakes are part of a complete breakfast, they are part of a delicious breakfast.

They shouldn’t take too long and will be a hit with diners of all ages. Enjoy!

 
3 Comments

Posted by on November 25, 2011 in Breakfast, Cookin', Recipes

 

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Recipe: Bananas Foster German Pancake

10 Oct
Bananas Foster German Pancake Ingredients

Bananas Foster German Pancake Ingredients

I don’t know many people who don’t like pancakes. So impress your next breakfast guests with this New Orleans-style take on a fluffy German pancake. This is a quick recipe that takes about 30 minutes tops.

Simply top the finished pancake with thinly sliced bananas, brown sugar and pecans then briefly broil to get a nice caramelization effect for the bananas.

Ingredients

  • 1 banana (thinly sliced)
  • chopped pecans
  • 2 TBSP butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • sprinkle of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup milk (I usually use almond milk)
  • 3 eggs
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • powdered sugar (for topping)
The German Pancake in the Oven

The Pancake in the Oven

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450F. Add in oven-safe skillet while over is preheating.
  2. Whisk eggs until nice and fluffy.
  3. Gradually mix in flour, granulated sugar, nutmeg and salt.
  4. Add in milk and vanilla extract and mix well. Batter may not be thick as compared to regular pancake batter.
  5. When oven has preheated, remove skillet and melt butter in it.
  6. Once butter has melted, pour in batter and place skillet back in over. Bake at 450F for 20 minutes.
  7. While pancake is baking, thinly slice banana and chop pecans.
  8. Once pancake is finished baking, remove from oven. Set broiler to high.
  9. Add bananas, pecan and brown sugar to top of pancake and place under broiler for 2 minutes. Monitor the pancake closely while it’s broiling.
  10. After approximately 2 minutes, remove pancake and dust with powdered sugar.
  11. Serve immediately. Syrup and butter are optional.
Bananas Foster German Pancake

The Finished Product

The sweetness from the brown sugar and banana slices should make it sweet enough to not have to use syrup. However, I’ve tried it with syrup and without and it’s delicious either way so you really can’t go wrong.

If you prefer not to use the bananas foster topping, your favor fruit topping will suffice.

Ideally, this pancake should serve four. In reality, it will most likely serve two. It’s that irresistible.

 
5 Comments

Posted by on October 10, 2011 in Cookin'

 

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