Breakfast Bumpy Cake

I've cooked this quick breakfast recipe (essentially a ginormous dutch baby) several times over the past couple of years.  I usually prepare it Sunday night and eat it throughout the week topped with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Source: Seeded at the Table

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
3 tablespoons sugar

Suggested toppings:
Maple syrup
Powdered sugar
Sliced fruit

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Melt butter in the bottom of a 9- x 13-inch pan in the oven. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a large bowl until thoroughly mixed. Pour into the hot buttered pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until high bumps appear and the top is lightly browned. 

Serve with toppings of choice.

Easy Maple Granola

 
First of all, I hope everyone has had a lovely Easter holiday!  I have been a busy little bee the last few days.  See, I'm graduating (WOOHOO!!!!!!) with my masters' in May, and was feeling the mid-semester crunch.  I decided on Thursday that I might feel better if I just wrote out a to-do list with due dates for both of my classes the rest of the semester so that I could quantify my stress instead of stressing without bound.  :-)

Once I did that, it all started to seem more manageable.  I started tackling my to-do's and before I knew it, I had read four chapters, taken 3 tests, knocked out 2 major projects, and written 3 papers. 

Like a boss.

So now all that stands between me and my M.Ed. has been pared down to 6 lines on a to-do list.  (Two of them are going to be pretty intense, but we're just going to ignore that for now.)

After all that work, I retreated to the kitchen to whip up some homemade granola.  Except I couldn't find the recipe I usually use.  (Darn!)  It turned out to be a blessing in disguise- the new version I found has a fraction of the oil and cooks up in less than 1/3 the time of my usual.  (And fewer dirty dishes!  Heckyesscore!!!)

This recipe is forgiving, so if you want to throw in a few extra almonds or add some pecans or walnuts, knock yourself out.  I did!

Minimally adapted from Cafe Sucre Farine, Originally from Barefeet in the Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sliced almonds
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Stir together all ingredients to coat thoroughly. Spread across the parchment paper and bake for 15-18 minutes, stir the mixture after 10 minutes and spread across the tray again before returning to the oven.

3. Let cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Use as a topping on yogurt or fresh fruit, oatmeal or for a quick, healthy snack.

Baked Pancake (Dutch Baby)

I realized this morning that I've never shared this delightful breakfast dish with you- shame on me!  A few months ago, I got tired of the standard Cheerios-and-milk shtick and set out in search of breakfast items that could either be A) cooked ahead of time or B) thrown together so quickly that it doesn't disrupt my morning routine.  Baked pancakes, aka Dutch babies, actually fit both of those requirements! 

Subtly sweet, the dish is substantial enough to last you all morning.  I like to enjoy a slice with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1-2 tbsp butter, for greasing the pan
Confectioners' sugar, syrup, and/or fresh fruit for topping

DIRECTIONS

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk eggs until very light. Add salt, flour and milk; whisk well. 

2.  Thoroughly rub bottom and sides of a 10-in. cast-iron or heavy skillet with butter. Pour batter into skillet. 

3.  Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 5 minutes more, or until set. 

4.  Garnish as desired.  Slice and serve immediately.

 

(Oh My Darling) Clementine Smoothies

 
I've talked before about my grandparents' incredible green thumbs.  From cucumbers, squash, and potatoes to lemons bigger than grapefruits (literally!), they  grow anything and everything.  Each time I visit, my grandpa is sure to send me home with a sack full of something delicious.  As we left our Christmas gathering, he gave us a mess of the sweetest, juiciest Clementines I've ever eaten.  We enjoyed most of them straight from the fridge, and the rest in the form of these creamsicle-inspired smoothies.  Yum!

Don't have Clementines?  Substitute 2 small, seedless oranges instead.

An Ommy Noms Original

INGREDIENTS
3 Clementines, peeled
1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
1/2 cup milk
6-7 ice cubes

DIRECTIONS
1.  Combine all ingredients in a blender and pulse until smooth and well-incorporated.  Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal- Healthy and Delicious!

Awhile back, I told you guys that I was really not a breakfast food person.  I'd like to go ahead and take that back now.

A couple of years ago, my parents built a vacation cabin out in the country.  Its kitchen has over four times as many cabinets and drawers as mine.  Nope, I'm not bitter at all!  Aside from being a wonderful place to slow down and relax for a few days, the cabin is synonymous with a good old fashioned spoiling.  While we're there, I wake up most mornings to the smell of a delicious breakfast on the stove or in the oven.  On our last trip, my mom cooked up this tasty baked oatmeal and I recreated it at home this morning.  I love everything about this dish from the bursting-with-flavor blueberries to the crunchy pecans.  I'm looking forward to having leftovers for breakfast tomorrow. 

Adapted from Super Natural Every Day, via Annie's Eats



* For gluten-free diners, use 100% pure maple syrup and vanilla extract along with gluten-free oats, such as those from Bob's Red Mill.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted, divided
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-2 ripe bananas, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided

DIRECTIONS

1.  Preheat the oven to 375˚ F.  Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.  

2.  In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, half of the nuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Stir with a fork to combine.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  

3.  Spread the sliced bananas in a single layer over the bottom of the baking dish.  Top with half of the berries.  Sprinkle the dry oat mixture over the fruit in an even layer.  Pour the liquid ingredients evenly over the oats.  Sprinkle the remaining nuts and berries over the top.  

4.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the oats have set.  Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Overnight Praline French Toast

Hey guys!  I guest-posted about this Overnight Praline French Toast on Dainty Chef yesterday.  Check it out!

Lard-Free Flour Tortillas

Once upon a time, I told y'all that I'm not real big on breakfast foods.  I guess I'm coming around, though, because I now wake up itching to cook up a big breakfast at least one day a week.  This morning, I got up and immediately began pouting about the paper I need to rewrite because I failed to click the save button caught a craving for breakfast tacos.  But not your standard fast food fare- no, I wanted the kind that would bring me back to the Saturday morning afternoon Taco Taco trips of my college days.

But first, I needed tortillas.

I'll admit that the idea of making tortillas has always scared the everliving daylights out of me.  But now that I've done it, I don't know why I waited so long.  Homemade tortillas are WAY tastier than the bagged grocery store variety, and they take zero extra skill at all.  If you can operate a rolling pin, you can make a tortilla!  I filled them with scrambled eggs and salsa and they really hit the spot.  Now, I just need to figure out how to use the rest of them!

Adapted from Allrecipes

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp butter (original recipe called for lard, but I didn't have any)
3/4 cups water

DIRECTIONS  

1.  Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the lard with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball. 

2.  Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Set aside and repeat until all tortillas have been cooked.

Oatmeal-Brown Sugar Muffins

I woke up yesterday morning with Muffin-Mind muffins on my mind.  (Okay, I'm a dork- I get it!)  I've had a penchant for cooking with oatmeal lately, so I found a tasty-looking oatmeal muffin recipe and got to work.  These babies really hit the spot!  They had the slightest hint of brown sugar flavor and kept me full all morning long.

I sprung for a mix-in of dried blueberries and pecans, but you can choose anything your little heart desires.  Even chocolate.  (I won't tell!)

Adapted from Allrecipes
Makes 12 muffins

Note about cook time:  I checked my muffins after 14 minutes, and they were done.  I've left the original cook time in the recipe (in case my oven was running too hot), but you may want to check them early.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup mix-in of your choice, optional
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium bowl, combine oats, milk, and brown sugar.  Let stand for 15 minutes. Stir in egg, oil, and mix-in. 
2.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir into oat mixture until just moistened.  
3.  Fill a greased muffin tin or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. 
4.  Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 16-18 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Recipe Swap- Sausage Breakfast Sandwich

 I participated in my very first recipe swap this week.  I contributed a cake batter pancake recipe, and received this recipe for sausage breakfast sandwiches.

I'm not usually a big breakfast sausage fan, but I enjoyed this sandwich.  It was nice to get out of my comfort zone.  Thanks, Sweet Beginnings!

From Sweet Beginnings

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb Ground Pork or Breakfast Sausage
1 Tbsp maple Syrup
1 Tbsp grape Jelly
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 slices Applewood smoked bacon, cooked & crumbled
4 eggs
4 slices cheese (your choice!)
4 mini croissants (or English Muffins or Biscuits, if you prefer)


DIRECTIONS
 1.  Mix pork, bacon, maple syrup, jelly, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, thyme & shredded cheese together in a bowl. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

2.  Form sausage mixture into four 1/2 inch patties, big enough to fit on your biscuit. Heat a skillet to medium-high and cook patties until there is no pink in the middle, 3-5 minutes per side.

3.  Meanwhile, spray another skillet with cooking spray and cook your eggs over-medium.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

4.  If using biscuits, bake according to package instructions or recipe directions. Otherwise, toast your English muffin or Croissant, and spread jelly or butter on each side if you prefer. Then layer with your sausage patty, egg, & cheese.

Maple Oatmeal Pancakes

Oatmeal pancakes?  Yes, please.  With maple syrup cooked right into them, how could you go wrong?

Adapted from Allrecipes
Serves 4  (Oh, who am I kidding- my husband and I ate them all!)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg

DIRECTIONS
1.  Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Stir to combine.  Add milk, maple syrup, oil, and egg.  Whisk until well-incorporated.

2.  Lightly oil a nonstick skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  Pour or ladle the batter into the skillet, using 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake.  Turn when bubbles form on the surface of the pancake.  Cook until second side is brown.

Overnight Steel-Cut Oats

I consider myself a pretty healthy eater.  I use my fryer about once a year, and I almost always decrease the amount of butter or oil in a dish before I make it.  I sub milk or half and half for cream.  (Most of the time.)  I don't gorge myself on chocolate, cakes, and other treats.  Except during Teacher Appreciation Week, when delicious goodies are at every turn and calories don't count.
  
As I was saying, I'm a pretty healthy eater.  I have limits though.  I don't eat celery, I start most days with a bowl of knock-off Lucky Charms, and I have never bought a jug of skim milk in my life.  (I figure, if I ever get a hankering for it, I'll find a way to dye water white.) 

So that brings me to oatmeal.  Ah, oatmeal.  Whenever I'm reading Charlotte's Web to my students, I always imagine that the slop in the pigs' trough is probably leftover oatmeal that the children refused to eat.  I'll choke down one of those packets of Super Sugar Maple Brown Sugar Here's Some More Sugar For Good Measure oatmeal, but the real stuff?  No way.  And I've seen steel cut oats in the health food aisle before, but I thought that they probably tasted even worse than regular oatmeal.

Oh, but I was wrong.

Steel cut oats have a delicious chew instead of that glop-in-the-mouth feel that standard oatmeal has.  They have more flavor and go great with a smattering of banana slices and pecans on top.  I've seen the light! 

Seen on Cooking With Chrissy
Originally from Good Life Eats, adapted by The Novice Chef

INGREDIENTS

1 cup steel cut oats
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 ounces applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

In a nonmetal bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, applesauce, cinnamon and salt and stir to combine. Stir in milk; cover and chill for 8 to 24 hours.

To serve, transfer oatmeal mixture to a medium saucepan. Heat the oats just until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until oatmeal is done, adding additional milk if desired and stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat. Add your favorite mix-ins, and serve with additional milk, if desired.

Cake Batter Pancakes

I'm not really a breakfast food type of gal.  I'll eat things like bacon, eggs, and biscuits, but I'd just as soon have a PB&J.  The stars must have aligned, though, because I woke up early this morning at noon with breakfast on the brain.  But not just any breakfast- cake batter pancakes!  How could I resist a pancake recipe that includes a heapin' helpin' of Betty Crocker Super Moist?

My husband and I both enjoyed the pancakes quite a lot.  We were not a fan of the glaze though.  (I have a sweet tooth the size of Jupiter, but pure powdered sugar + a splash of milk was just too much for me.  I tossed the glaze and went for my standard Aunt Jemima Lite.

From How Sweet It Is
Makes about 12 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup yellow cake mix
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 cups milk (see directions)
assorted sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

1.  Combine flour, cake mix, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix.

2.  Add 1 cup of milk, egg and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. You want the batter to look like regular pancake batter- not too thin, not too thick. This will vary greatly on the brand of cake mix you use. Start with 1 cup of milk and add more if needed.

2.  Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fold desired amount of sprinkles into batter. Pour batter in 1/4 cup measurements onto skillet and let cook until bubbles form on top, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute more.