Morning Meals

All cultures have some type of meal in the morning.  It can be simple, leftovers from the night before, a full meal, or very elaborate social events.  The word breakfast comes from breaking the fast (of the night before).  Traditionally, breakfast consist of bread and grains in most cultures and usually what is on hand like meat and fruit.  This could be eggs or cheese and other dairy products.  Sometimes sweets or pastries are on the breakfast menu.

 

Breakfast

            Traditionally breakfast has differed greatly between the classes. It can be as simple as bread or toast and butter or an elaborate affair.  All too often, breakfast is grabbed on the run from home or fast food restaurants.   It is said the breakfast is the most import meal of the day and I strongly agree. 

My favorite breakfast is ½ C fresh berries, 1/3 C plain Greek yogurt and ¼ C Grapenuts cereal.  Stir it together and let it set while you make lunch.  Sometimes I make this in a container and take it to work to eat on my morning break, if I’m running short on time.

 

Brunch

            Brunch is a late morning cross between breakfast and lunch.  It is hardier than breakfast and is often served instead of lunch.  Very popular for brunch are egg casseroles like quiche, chiles rellanos, frittatas and the like.  Brunch is often served buffet style, but it can be served family style as well.  It is usually informal.  Often this is a method of serving overnight guests.  It can also be part of an early day event.  Usually guests are invited. 

            When I was growing up, I usually made a big country breakfast for my dad.  We had it late morning on Saturdays, so it really was a brunch.  It consisted of eggs (my Dad chose the style); sausage and/or bacon; a bread like biscuits, pancakes, waffles or grits; sometime fried potatoes or hash browns; fresh fruit; coffee; juice; and milk.   I would spend all morning cooking and cleaning, but it is one of my fondest memories of my dad.

 

Coffee

            When I was growing up, the housewives on the street would get together in the middle of the morning for coffee.  The kids were off to school and morning errands and chores started.  The group would gather at a different house for coffee.  They would talk for an hour or two and return home.  This tradition is all but lost, but it is worth re-establishing.  Today’s twist could be a mid-morning book talk, a toddler’s playdate, or other interest that brings people together.  Sometimes friends meet at a coffee shop.  Meeting for coffee is not restricted to morning.

 

This Week’s Challenge

            Chose one of these morning meals and plan a get together.  Think of something you have not done before.  This meal can be for a few friends or family.  It may be a beginning for establishing a cooking group.  Plan the get together, the theme, the menu, and then get cooking.  Sometimes an impromptu, quickly thrown together get together can be a lot of fun, like a come-as-you-are coffee.

 

Tip for this Week – Eggs

            There are many uses for eggs.  Eggs will keep in the refrigerator for three to five weeks, but are best used within three weeks.  Fresh eggs should be used for baking or eating.  If you have eggs that have been in the refrigerator for over a week use them for boiled eggs or meringues. Have you ever boiled eggs and they were impossible to peel?  That is because the eggs were too fresh.  Some prefer brown eggs.   Duck and goose eggs can be used like chicken eggs.  From the large (ostrich) to the small (quail) eggs are a great source of protein and very versatile.

            Test eggs for freshness by placing them in a bowl of water.  The bowl should be deep enough to hold enough water to cover the egg.  If the egg settles at the bottom of the bowl on its side, the egg is very fresh.  If the egg stands on end, it is not fresh but still useable and it is a good candidate for hard boiling.  If the egg floats, do not use it. 

            It is hard to tell the difference between a hardboiled egg and an uncooked egg.  There is the spin test.  Spin the egg on its side.  If the eggs spins smoothly it is hard cooked.  If it spins wobbly or unevenly, it is raw.  My mother use to write an X on her hardboiled eggs to tell them apart.

 

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Oven Pancake

Fresh Berry Oven Pancake with Bacon

 

1 C      milk                                         ½ t       ground cardamom

2/3 C   flour                                        ¼ C     butter, melted

2 T       sugar                                      loganberry preserves or frozen raspberries

½ t       salt                                          ½ C     heavy whipping cream, whipped

2          eggs                                       4 T       powder sugar

¼ t       grated lemon peel                ½ C     sour cream

 

The ingredients

1.    In a blender combine the milk, flour, sugar, salt, eggs, lemon peel and cardamom.  Blend until smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides.  Allow to set.

 

It works well in a blender.

 

2.    Place the of the butter in a glass pie pan and place in the oven to melt at 400 degrees.  Watch carefully. 

 

 

Set the pie plate in the hot oven to
 melt the butter.    Watch it closely.

 

Ready for the batter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.    When the butter is melted, gently pour in the batter into the pie pan and return to the oven. 

 

4.    Bake 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  The pancake should puff up around the edges.

5.    While the pancake is baking, whip the cream until stiff add the powder sugar and the sour cream.  

Whip the cream mixture and have the fruit ready.

Pancake out of the oven.  Work quickly.

 

6.    When the pancake is done, work quickly by spreading the stirred preserves in  the center of the pancake or dump the thawed frozen raspberries. The pancake will begin to fall. 

This time I used fresh raspberries and
blackberries.

Add the whipped topping and serve immediately

 

7.    Dump the whipped cream mixture over the top. 

8.    Serve by cutting into wedges, like a pie.  Makes 6-8 servings. 

 

You can make this an impressing presentation.  Prepare the filling in a bowl and take it to the table.  Prepare the cream mixture and set it at the table.  When the pancake is ready, bring it to the table and assemble it before your guests.

 

This recipe is from Sunset magazine sometime in the 1970’s.  It is a Scandinavian recipe.  This is a great brunch item.  Today I usually use fresh berries.  Canned pie filling would work, too.  It can also be used as a dessert.

 

           

Chilaquiles

8 C      Prepared tortilla chips

3 C      Enchilada sauce, red or green

2 C      Meat, diced or shredded

2 C      Cheese grated, prefer a white cheese like Monterey Jack

1          Queso fresca, crumbled (reserve some for the top)

¼ C     Cilantro leaves

            Optional sliced olives, diced green chilies, minced red onion, sliced green onions

 

The ingredients

1.    Place the chips in a very large bowl and add half of the sauce.  Toss with your hands to coat the chips. 

I like to use restaurant quality tortilla chip.
But you can fry your own.

Add about half the sauce and toss.

 

2.    Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish.  Place an even layer of chips on the bottom of the pan. 



First layer of moistened chips

I used diced turkey breast, cheddar and
queso fresca

 

3.    Top with some of the meat and then the cheese. 

4.    Place another layer of chips and meat and cheese. 

Second layer of moistened chips and top with
more meat and cheese

Top with more meat the rest of the sauce.
Ad a little water or broth if needed.



 

5.    Add the rest of the sauce.  Be sure to use all the sauce you have, because it is absorbed by the chips.  A little water can also be added to stretch the sauce.

6.    Top with the cilantro and the reserved queso fresca. 

Top with cilantro

Top with reserved queso fresca

 

7.    Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 or until hot, bubbly and the cheese is melted.

 

Chilaquiles is great for brunch or a buffet

This is a very versatile dish.  It can be an economical way to use leftovers.  It can be elegant with tomatillo sauce.   Traditionally, leftover meat from the night before is used.  I have made this many times with no meat, just lots of cheese.

 

Banana Coffeecake

Banana Coffeecake

 

Cake

½ C                 Butter, unsalted

1 ½ C              Brown sugar, tightly packed

2                      Large eggs

2 C                  Flour

1 t                    Baking soda

1 t                    Cinnamon, ground

½ t                   Salt

1 C                  Sour cream

1 t                    Vanilla extract

3                      Bananas, very ripe and mashed

 

The ingredients

Crumble Topping

½ C                 Brown sugar, tightly packed

½ C                 Flour

½ t                   Cinnamon, ground

4 T                   Butter, unsalted and softened to room temperature

 

Brown Sugar Glaze

½ C                 Brown sugar, tightly packed

½ t                   Vanilla extract

2 T                   Water

 

1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.    Prepare a 13” X 9” baking dish by spraying liberally with cooking spray or butter the dish with extra butter. (I like to use a spring form pan.)

3.    To make the cake, in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. 

Creamed butter and brown sugar

 

4.    Add the eggs one at a time mixing thoroughly before adding the second egg. 

Complete blend in the first egg

Add the second egg and blend thoroughly

 

5.    In a small bowl sift the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. 

Dry ingredients

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture caption

 

6.    Alternately add flour to the wet mixture, then the sour cream and vanilla. 

Add the sour cream mixture, then the rest
of the flour mixture.

Blend in the bananas



 

7.    Gently fold in the mashed bananas. 

8.    Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread to the edges and corners.  Set aside. 

I used a spring form pan this time.

 

9.    To make the topping, in a small bowl combine the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter.  Mix until it resembles coarse crumbles.  Evenly sprinkle over the cake batter.

Make the topping

It should look like this.



Top the cake and put it in the oven.

Out of the oven and ready for the glaze

10.  Bake until golden brown and a test comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and cool for ten minutes.

11.  To make the glaze, mix the brown sugar, vanilla and water until smooth.  Drizzle over the cooled cake and allow the glaze to harden slightly.  Serve warm.

Make the glaze

Add the glaze to the warm coffeecake and serve.

 

 

This is a recipe I adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/apple-coffee-cake-with-crumble-topping-and-brown-sugar-glaze-recipe.html

 

I have also used fresh, diced apples or frozen, pitted cherries instead of the bananas.  There is usually nothing left of this coffeecake.

 

Happy Cooking!