Category: BRUNCH

QUICHE LORRAINE – THE PERFECT SUNDAY MORNING PIE


1/2 pound bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup finely grated swiss cheese
1 large bunch green onions finely sliced
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 deep pie crust

Preheat oven to 425°.

Prebake the pie crust and cool before filling.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon, finely sliced onion and grated swiss cheese evenly into crust.

Beat the eggs, whipping cream and seasonings until well blended. Pour over mixture in pie crust.

Bake 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 300° and bake an additional 35 minutes or until just golden and knife comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake: Lovin’ From the Oven

My sister in law makes a killer coffee cake.  It has a ripple of cinnamon through the center.  The cake is buttery and moist.  It’s really wonderful and my husband adores it.  She has never shared the recipe.  I have asked.
So.  I have had to search high and low for something similar.  This is attempt 2,538 in twenty years.  It’s as close as I have ever come to replicating it.  I am not sure I am done trying, but this is a good fall-back.
Sour Cream Coffee Cake: 
Cake

3 cups flour
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups sour cream
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.  Cream the butter and sugar.  Add the vanilla and eggs.  Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream. Pour  half of the batter into a greased 9 inch pan.  
Topping:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 stick butter
Combine ingredients in a bowl with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly.  Sprinkle half of the topping onto the batter in the pan.  Top with the other half of the batter and then sprinkle on the remaining half of the topping.  Bake 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.  Tent the cake with foil and bake another 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

SLUMBERING VOLCANOES






Recently I was reading a novel and it mentioned some interesting recipe titles. I decided to see if they were real recipes or contrived and was pleasantly surprised to find they were real. So over the next few Sundays we can experiment together. My additions to each recipe are in green and the deletions in red.
4 large tomatoes
4 artichoke hearts
2 large button mushrooms, chopped small
4 eggs
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
4 slices Gruyere’ cheese (tonight I used a jack cheddar combo)
4 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs seasoned with:
1 teaspoon dill
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 green onions, minced
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Carefully scoop out insides of tomatoes and drain juices from the shells.
  • Place tomatoes, hole side up, in baking dish and put in oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
  • In a small bowl mix together Parmesan, breadcrumbs, dill, garlic, and onion.
  • Remove tomato shells from oven.
  • Into the center of each put one whole or 1/2 artichoke heart.
  • Break one large egg over each artichoke heart and then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumb mix.
  • Place “volcanoes” back into oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. (Time depends on how you prefer eggs cooked… if you want hard yolks, bake for 1/2 hour.)
  • Top with cheese and cook 5 minutes more.
  • Serve hot with side condiments of sour cream, chopped chives, green chili salsa, or others of your imagination!

Next time I’m going to add some crab to the mix!

And have you heard about CSN stores?

I was recently made aware that there is a wonderful online shopping experience available right from your desk top.

Remember all these wish list posts I did about all the wonderful quality kitchen dreams and wishes I have? Well, all the items I’m dreaming about to complete my dream kitchen are available from these sites.

Seriously, you really need to go check out these sites
www.allmodern.com
www.diningroomsdirect.com
www.cookware.com
www.moremailboxes.com

Look for my review of this beautiful multi-purpose LeCruset casserole in the very near future. I truly wonder how I ever got along without it!

I’m envisioning an awesome POT ROAST & ROASTED VEGGIES in the very near future as well as TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN and OATNUT SOURDOUGH HERB DRESSING and TURKEY TETTRAZINI and RITZY CARROT & BROCCOLI CASSEROLE and…

The uses are going to be endless. The durable finish resists chipping, scratching and staining. It has sure grip handles for easy handling from the oven onto the table to create a beautiful table presentation.

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Fully Loaded Potato Muffins

My favorite comfort food is potato. When I was a little girl and didn’t feel well, my mother would make me mashed potatoes and carrots. This was the ultimate in comfort food because it was associated with recuperation and feeling good. This is better than chicken soup and we all know that chicken soup is the ultimate or so they say.
Since, I was eating alone, I took two medium potatoes and baked them through in a 375 degree oven, after a thorough cleaning.
To my surprise, at the end of an hour, they were cooked through but the skin on one had a gaping hole in the skin. This is one dish that the skin is a must.
I was going to make one stuffed potato and just mash up the rest when I spotted a muffin tin. Change of plans. I was now making Fully Loaded Potato Muffins. These were delicious. The potato was filled with goodies and I even used Baco Bits since I don’t eat bacon. The end result were these adorable muffins that tasted like something the angels made. Are angels into spices?
Stuffed Potato Muffins
Ingredients:
2 baking potatoes
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
2 ounces sour cream
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (without fish)
1/4 cup Baco Bits
Method:
Clean and bake potatoes at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Cut potatoes in half and remove the potato from the skins.
Put potatoes aside.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Chop onion and saute with 1 tablespoon butter until golden brown.
Grate the cheese and add 3/4 cup of it to the cold potato along with the sour cream.
Add onions and Baco Bits to the potato, with the salt, pepper & Worcestershire sauce.
Spoon the potato filling into the muffin tins.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese, giving each potato skin a light covering, and cook for 20-30 minutes until golden.

For Passover recipes, please go to Comfy Cook and My Sweet and Savory.

PEANUT BUTTER FEATHER PANCAKES & HOMEMADE MAPLE SYRUP

Peanut Butter Feather Pancakes
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup JIF Peanut Butter
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

  • In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
  • In a small bowl, beat egg with Jif until blended. Stir in milk and melted butter.
  • Add all at once to the dry ingredients, beating until blended. Add more milk to thin batter if necessary.
  • Bake on a hot, lightly greased griddle until bubbles break on the surface. Turn and brown the other side.

Maple Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
scant 1 cup water
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
2 tablespoons maple extract

  • Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.
  • Bring to a slow boil.
  • Simmer gently 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes.
  • Store in refrigerator.

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BREAKFAST CASSEROLE & OVEN HASH BROWNS

On Sunday mornings we try to have a nice brunch together, but there always seems to be time constraints. This weekend we tried Ree’s Sleepin’ In Omelette and my hash browns and boy was it yummy together. I halved both recipes and we still had lots of leftovers. Hubby did miss meat though and asked me our regular family favorite next week.

OUR NORMAL FAMILY BREAKFAST CASSEROLE*

1 cup diced ham OR crumbled sausage OR a combo of both
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese OR jack and cheddar combo
1/2 can cream of mushroom soup
4 slices thick sourdough bread
4 Jumbo eggs
celery salt and white pepper to taste
PURE

  • Spray the bottom of an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish
  • Cook meat of choice and layer on bottom of baking dish
  • Layer bread in a single layer over the meat
  • Whisk together the soup, milk, eggs, salt and pepper
  • Pour evenly over bread
  • Top with the cheese
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (covered with foil for the first 30 minutes)

*This can be made ahead and left to chill 24 hours before baking – in fact it usually tastes better that way.


OVEN HASH BROWNS

2 large Russet potatoes*, scrubbed clean
1 bunch green onions, minced fine
1 large apple, peeled, cored and minced (optional)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Celery salt and white pepper

  • Grate the potatoes with a cheese grater
  • Spin dry the potatoes and apple pieces in a salad spinner or if you don’t have one use a flour sack cheesecloth and squeeze them dry
  • Toss the potatoes with the melted butter
  • Generously sprinkle with the celery salt and white pepper
  • Bake on large cookie sheet until crisp**

*you can cheat & use frozen Oreida hash browns, but be sure to thaw & drain off moisture
**If they are stubborn, I put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown.
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QUICHE LORRAINE – THE PERFECT SUNDAY MORNING PIE


1/2 pound bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup finely grated swiss cheese
1 large bunch green onions finely sliced
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 deep pie crust

Preheat oven to 425°.

Prebake the pie crust and cool before filling.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon, finely sliced onion and grated swiss cheese evenly into crust.

Beat the eggs, whipping cream and seasonings until well blended. Pour over mixture in pie crust.

Bake 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 300° and bake an additional 35 minutes or until just golden and knife comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
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Raspberry Streusel Muffins: Lovin’ From The Oven

Muffins are one of the easiest breakfasts to make.  You can make them ahead and freeze them, simply make them the night before or if you have the time, make them fresh in the morning.  Their flavor doesn’t diminish with early baking.  We got some raspberries on sale a month ago and froze them.  I brought one bag out this week and made these scrumptious muffins.  The tartness of the raspberries goes well with the sweetness of the streusel.  One helpful tip: make up a bunch of streusel and store it in a glass jar in your fridge.  It lasts a long time and saves you time when you want a fun topping on a cake, pie or muffin.
 
 Raspberry Streusel Muffins:
Muffins:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp lemon peel
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup raspberries
Topping:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp lemon peel
2 Tbsp melted butter
Glaze:(optional)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Mix all ingredients for muffins except the berries.  Fold in berries.  Fill muffin cups with batter.  Mix topping ingredients and crumble the topping over muffins.  Bake 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Mix glaze ingredients and drizzle glaze on muffins after they have cooled 15 minutes.  Makes 1 dozen.

GERMAN PANCAKE

GERMAN PANCAKE
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted + a little to coat the pan
1 teaspoon vanilla
Juice of 1 lemon
Powdered Sugar

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Coat the inside of an ovenproof 12 inch skillet with butter or PURE. Be sure to remember to edges and sides.
  • In a mixing bowl beat the eggs until well blended.
  • Add the milk and blend again.
  • Sift together the flour and salt and gradually fold into the egg mixture.
  • Add the melted butter and vanilla, blend until smooth.
  • Pour batter into the buttered skillet.
  • Bake 15 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 350 minutes and bake another 10 minutes until pancake has billowed high and turned golden brown.
  • Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar. You can also use regular maple syrup or molasses or I especially like it with Blackberry Pineapple Dipping Sauce or Lemon Sauce.
  • Serve immediately.

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CHAMPAGNE MAPLE GINGER FLUFFY PANCAKES

I had some strawberries left from last night’s CHAMPAGNE STRAWBERRY BANANA SHAKES so I decided to make pancakes! What a great combination of flavors!
FLUFFY MAPLE GINGER PANCAKES
2 1/3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 tablespoons baking powder
2 Jumbo eggs, beaten
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple extract
1 can ginger ale

  • Arrange pancake mixture in a large bowl, leaving a well in the center.
  • Whisk together the butter, eggs and vanilla extract.
  • Pour egg mixture into the flour well and mix just until consistent.
  • Add ginger ale and whisk until smooth and blended.
  • Heat griddle and coat with a thin layer of butter.
  • Drop batter onto hot griddle.
  • Cook until bubbles form along the top.
  • Flip pancakes and cook until golden.
  • Serve with butter, PURE maple syrup and strawberries.
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Babka: Lovin’ From the Oven

Have you ever picked up an old cookbook off of your shelf, you know, one that you have used for decades and turned it to a recipe you haven’t seen for ages and suddenly been transported to the last time you tasted that dish? That happened to me recently with this recipe. It is excellent. It’s not quite a bread and it’s not quite a cake. It can be served for breakfast, brunch or dessert.

Babka:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup warm water
2 pkg yeast
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 stick butter, softened
4 eggs
1 egg yolk
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup raisins
topping:
1 egg white
4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter
In a small sauce pan, heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, combine warm water and yeast, stirring until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk, 1/2 cup sugar, salt, stick of butter, eggs, egg yolk and 3 cups flour. With electric mixer, beat until smooth and blended. Stir in remaining flour, stirring until dough leaved side of bowl. Mix in raisins. Cover with towel; let rise in warm place until double in bulk (about 1 hour). Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan. Turn dough into prepared pan. Cover and let rise until dough is 1/2 inch from the top of the pan. Meanwhile, make the topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter in a bowl with a pastry blender. Brush the egg white on top of the babka and then sprinkle on the topping. Bake 350 degrees 60 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool pan on wire rack 15 minutes. To serve, remove from the pan and cut in wedges.

This is SO good!!!!

S.O.S., creamed chipped beef or S*%$ on a Shingle ~ it all tastes the same no matter what you call it

Hubby had been craving S.O.S. a lot lately! I hadn’t made it in years and he really wanted to go OUT for a hometown diner style breakfast. Someone told us about a local diner that had it as a special every other weekend. Of course we had just missed that weekend so he had to wait almost 2 weeks until yesterday! He was soooooooooo excited and then he was soooooooooooo disappointed. It truly was S@#%! on a shingle, the dogs weren’t even thrilled with the leftovers! So this morning I surprised hubby with home made Creamed Chipped Beef and I thought I would share the recipe. One of my ‘secret’ ingredients is serving it over sourdough toast for extra flavor. The other is using a cast iron skillet.

1/3 cup butter
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 jar Armor dried beef*, chopped small
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (my last secret ingredient)

  • Melt the butter and add the onions.
  • After about 2 minutes add the beef also. Saute’ until onions are translucent.
  • Sprinkle with pepper. Use salt sparingly (beef is pretty salty)
  • Sprinkle flour over the meat and onions and stir in well. The flour will burn, so work quickly.
  • Gradually add in the milk, stirring continuously until mixture boils. Turn down heat.
  • Add the Worcestershire sauce and thicken to a gravy consistency.
  • Serve immediately over toast.

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