Breakfast Pizza on the Grill

Follow the instructions in my post for pizza on the grill. I only used two eggs, but I think there should be more. The original recipe formed a well in the other topping and cracked two eggs on top and cooked them until over easy. I'm scared of uncooked egg whites and I think scrambles sounds better anyway. I had a grill brunch party last year where I served breakfast pizza. I also brought my waffle iron outside and served waffles with grilled fruit. Next time I'll have a friend bring a waffle iron. Two waffle irons would have worked better.

Breakfast Pizza on the Grill

1 dough ball for crust (see pizza on the grill instructions)
pizza sauce
3-4 eggs, scrambled and cooked until 3/4 done
spinach, either fresh or frozen with the water squeezed out
tomatoes, chopped
chopped Canadian bacon or fried bacon, chopped
shredded sharp cheddar cheese, grated or in slices and laid like tiles

Rhubarb Compote with Yogurt, Oatmeal, or Lemon Curd.

Looking for something a little different to do with your rhubarb? Well I cooked a pot full. You can call it stewed rhubarb or rhubarb compote depending on how fancy you prefer your food names. I added some to my homemade yogurt. If I had some homemade granola around (without the dried fruit), I would have added some.
I also made overnight steel cut oatmeal (without the dried fruit). I added some of the rhubarb compote and had the perfect spring breakfast for the recent rainy weather. And finally, I love the combination of lemon and rhubarb. So I made some lemon tart filling and topped it with some stewed rhubarb. A crumbled gram cracker in between the layers would have completed the dish perfectly. But sadly, there is not a gram cracker crumb in my house.
See also, my Grandma's Rhubarb Pie recipe.

Stewed Rhubarb (Rhubarb Compote)

INGREDIENTS
1 lb 5 oz chopped rhubarb (the amount my Aunt gave me from her garden)
3/8 c sugar
3/8 c water
pinch salt

Bring to a boil in a large saucepan. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. I've seen recipes that add vanilla or cinnamon. Feel free to add either if you like.

Cranberry Cornmeal Cookies (scones)

Well, I wouldn't call these cookies exactly. They are more like a cornmeal scone or something of that nature. America's Test Kitchen suggests, and I agree, that these should be served with a cup of chamomile tea or coffee. These are the kind of thing I would serve at high tea if I had any idea what high tea was or ever actually had a high tea. I do really like these, but I don't think they are the something I will crave. They are not exactly my thing, but they would definitely be someones. This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated The Quick Recipe. The only change I made is the original recipe called for light brown sugar. I only use dark brown sugar. I like the flavor better. Hey, bonus: you don't need a mixer.

Cranberry Cornmeal Cookies
Yield 12 cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 c flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 c sugar, plus 1/3 c for rolling
1/4 c dark brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest
3/4 c dried cranberries
2 eggs
1/4 c vegetable oil

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, 1/2 c sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the orange zest and whisk to combine. Add the cranberries and using a rubber spatula, toss to combine. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and oil. Stir in the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until evenly moistened.
3. Fill a small bowl with cold water and place 1/3 c sugar in a 8 or 9 inch cake pan. Dip your hands into the water and roll about 2 T of cookie dough into a rough ball. Drop the ball into the cake pan with the sugar and toss to coat. Place the formed, sugar-coated cookie on the prepared pan, leaving 1 1/2 inches between balls. If your hands become sticky, dip them into the water and shake away the excess. I didn't find the water necessary. This should give you 12 cookies.
4. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, 18-20 minutes, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until slightly set, about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to a wire cooling rack. Cool 15 minutes.

Potato Pancakes

These weren't as good as I remembered. Then I remembered that they never were that spectacular. But they are easy and different. You don't have to shred potatoes, you just blend and cook. Serve these pancakes with applesauce or ketchup. I like my sweet potato pancake version of this recipe better.

POTATO PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

1 small onion, peeled and cut into large pieces

1 tsp salt

2 T flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3 raw potatoes, peeled and cubed

Put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour in 4 to 6 inch size pancakes on an oiled pan. Cook like pancakes. Make sure the pancakes are cooked through.

German Apple Pancake (Pannakuken)

If you are from the Fargo area, you probably remember the Pannakuken Restaurant. When they brought out a pannakuken, the waitresses would run from the kitchen shouting PANNAKUKEN!!! I never made it to the restaurant, but I've seen it imitated enough to feel as if I had been there. College was divided into two camps: People who would consider being a waitress and yelling PANNAKUKEN!!! and people who would NEVER consider working there. The debate was ongoing. I was part of the "would consider it" camp, and my roommate belongs to the "would never consider it" camp.

A few notes on the recipe:

The first time I made this recipe I liked it more then the second time I made it. I'd suggest making apple crisp instead. It's a better apple recipe. Pannakuken is very sweet. The recipe says it serves four, but I'd suggest serving 6-8 people. I'd also suggest serving it as the dessert part of your breakfast or as actual dessert. The pannakuken took longer to cook in my oven then the recipe states. That may just be my oven however. I didn't peel the apples. I have an apple tree and was over the idea of peeling by the time I made this recipe. Oops, my camera ran out of batteries before I took a picture with the powdered sugar sprinkled on the top. This recipe came from "Cooks Illustrated The New Best Recipe".

GERMAN APPLE PANCAKE (PANNAKUKEN)

A 10-inch ovenproof skillet is necessary for this recipe; we highly recommend using a nonstick skillet for the sake of easy cleanup, but a regular skillet will work as well. You can also use a cast-iron pan; if you do, set the oven temperature to 425 degrees in step 1, and when cooking the apples in step 3, cook them only until just barely golden, about 6 minutes. Cast iron retains heat better than stainless steel, making the higher oven temperature unnecessary. If you prefer tart apples, use Granny Smiths; if you prefer sweet ones, use Braeburns. For serving, dust the apple pancake with confectioners' sugar and pass warm maple syrup or caramel sauce separately, if desired.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c flour

1 T sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

2 eggs

2/3 c half and half

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T Butter

1 1/4 lb granny smith or baeburn apples (3 to 4 large apples), peeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/4 c brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp lemon juice

confectioners sugar for dusting

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position; heat oven to 500 degrees.

2. Whisk to combine flour, granulated sugar, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, whisk eggs half-and-half, and vanilla until combined. Add liquid ingredients to dry and whisk until no lumps remains, about 20 seconds; set batter aside.

3. Heat butter in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until sizzling. Add apples, brown sugar and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently with a heatproof rubber spatula, until apples are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice.

4. Working quickly, pour batter around the outside edge of the pan

and then over the apples. Place skillet in oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees; bake until pancake edges are brown and puffy and have risen above edges of skillet, about 18 minutes. Mine took much longer, but I think my oven temperature is a bit off.

5. Shout Pannakuken at the top of your lungs while running through the house.

6. Using oven mitts to protect hands, remove hot skillet from oven and loosen pancake edges with a heatproof spatula; invert pancake onto serving platter. Dust with confectioners' sugar, cut into wedges and serve.

Grilled Fruit on Waffles

I grilled fruit the other day for waffles. The picture is actually the second day (because I forgot to take pictures the first day), so the colors of the fruit are a bit muted. I grilled peaches, plums, bananas, and pineapple. I whipped cream the night before and drained it. Click here to find out how. It lasted several days. I grilled the drained, canned pineapple tidbits in a grill pan. These were surprisingly good on the waffles. I sliced the peaches and plums in half and removed the pits. I grilled them cut side up and then finished them cut side down. I didn't time anything, but I have a cookbook that says peaches take 8-10 minutes total. I sliced the bananas lengthwise with the skin on. My cookbook says to cook them 5-8 minutes skin side down and then two more minutes banana side down. I can't say too much about the bananas because 1) I don't like cooked bananas and 2) I'm no expert, but believe my bananas would have cooked better if I had turned on both grill burners, including the burner under the bananas. I put a table outside and plugged in my waffle iron in an outdoor outlet. I kept a timer (for the waffles), the waffle batter with measuring cup, and the waffle iron on the table. Grilling fruit is not just a gimmick. It actually improves the flavor of the fruit. Try it sometime. You can add cinnamon, brown sugar,or maple syrup. Or go savory with balsamic vinegar and/or red pepper. If you are adding one of these to peaches or plums, start cut side down, flip and add the maple or balsamic vinegar or whatever. Serve savory fruit with grilled pork or chicken and grilled onions. My cookbook also says you can grill pound cake. Sounds good for the end of a barbecue. Grilled pound cake with grilled fruit.

Strawberry (or Peach or Pineapple)Yogurt Smoothie

You can also make smoothies from blueberries, peaches, blackberries (I usually use frozen berries), mixed berries, or peaches.

STRAWBERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE

yield two smoothies (or one if you want a big breakfast)

INGREDIENTS

4 strawberries

1/2 banana

1 C plain yogurt

2 tsp sugar or to taste

1 T flax seeds (ground)(optional)

a few fresh mint leaves (optional)

a drop of vanilla extract (optional)

Combine all ingredients either in a blender (add a few ice cubes) or blend with an immersion blender (no ice cubes). If you make this with an immersion blender, add a few ice cubes to the glass you serve it in. You can store the extra smoothie in the refrigerator and have it for breakfast tomorrow. You can put the extra 1/2 banana in the freezer.

PEACH SMOOTHIE

Substitute 1/2 peach or nectarine for the strawberries. The nectarines were small today, so I used a whole one. I also really like mint leaves in my peach smoothie.

Pineapple Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c pineapple

1/2 a banana

1 c plain yogurt

1 T flax seed

1 T coconut

1 tsp sugar

Combine all ingredients either in a blender (add a few ice cubes) or blend with an immersion blender (no ice cubes). If you make this with an immersion blender, add a few ice cubes to the glass you serve it in. You can store the extra smoothie in the refrigerator and have it for breakfast tomorrow. You can put the extra 1/2 banana in the freezer.

Homemade Yogurt

This was my breakfast today. Aren't you jealous? You should be. It's homemade yogurt with homemade granola and strawberries. I think I'm channeling Martha Stewert, or at least a hippy version of Martha Stewart. I've been flirting with the idea of making my own yogurt for years now. (Or is is decades? Who keeps track.) I got a step closer when I saw Alton brown make yogurt on the food network with a heating pad. Then I recently saw this post and had a conversation with Kristy about making yogurt. (Kristy's been threatening for years too.) Making yogurt is not hard. It is a kind or weird scifi voodoo cloning experiment. Since I eat smoothies for breakfast almost every day in the summer, I thought it would be worth it to figure it out. We'll have to see if I want to keep making it or not. If I do decide to keep making it I plan to buy a yogurt maker, which aren't expensive. When I made it yesterday, I just wrapped a heating pad around a quart jar. I did a dry run the day before. I put 100 degree water in a heating pad wrapped quart jar and then took the water temperature a few hours later. Still 100ish degrees, so I was cleared for voodoo yogurt cloning. Here are a few notes on Yogurt making. You need to start with good yogurt so you have good cultures. Your yogurt absolutely must have active live cultures or it won't work. I used low fat Stonyfield farms. They also sell yogurt starters online. Yogurt will only clone itself a few times before you have to get a new yogurt starter. According to Cooking the Hard way, if you want to make yogurt with skim milk you will have to add powdered milk. I used 2 % milk for my yogurt. It's a good idea to sterilize your jars. Running them through a rinse cycle in the dishwasher will do it. I plan to update this post after I have made yogurt a few times and can add my voice of experience.

HOMEMADE YOGURT

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 c milk (I used 2 %)

1/2 c yogurt ( used low fat Stonyfield farms)

Heat milk to 170 degrees. I tried heating the milk slowly, stirring occasionally avoid getting a milk skin. This took forever and I still got a milk skin. I' plan on heating it faster next time. Then you let it cool until it's 100-110 degrees, this took me 20 minutes. Make sure the milk is under 110 or the yogurt cultures will die and it won't work, err on the cool side. Whisk some of the milk into your 1/2 cup yogurt. Whisk the yogurt-milk mixture into the remaining milk. Pour that into a sterilized quart jar. Allow to sit for 8 hours kept at 110 degrees. My yogurt actually set up much quicker then 8 hours. I let it keep going because I wasn't sure if it was really set or not and if you let your yogurt go longer, you get a more tart flavor. There will be a ton of whey (the watery stuff in yogurt). Just pour it off. Don't forget to give the whey to your yogurt loving dog who would really appreciate it. Bad owner. Bad owner.

*second attempt- I warmed the 2 % milk on my simmer burner set to medium to 170 degrees, stirring every few minutes. This took 21 minutes. I stirred the milk every few minutes as it waswarming and cooling (16-18minutes). There was no milk "skin" this time. I think stirring as it cools does it. The yogurt set up somewhere between 3 and 4 3/4 hours. I still let it go for 8 hours so it would be more tart. It made 1 3/4 c yogurt cheese. I drained it overnight and got at least a cup of whey. Based on this, I'd recommend always draining homemade yogurt overnight. I made frozen yogurt and it froze pretty hard. I will either make it again with whole milk or make yogurt Popsicles next time.

*Third attempt-I planned to make yogurt from low fat (1%) milk. That was the plan, but some idiot (OK, it was me) came home with fat free milk (Land O' Lakes with calcium). I figured I'd try anyway. I didn't think it would set up, but it did without a problem. The flavor was not as good with no fat milk however. My plan is to use 1 percent in the future.

*Le Groupe M. Vachon yogurt (bright green package) review- It makes yogurt. Not very good yogurt. It lacks a depth of flavor that I was getting using Stoneyfield Farms Lowfat yogurt. Also the second batch of this yogurt (made from first batch) sets up, but just barely. You could never get a third batch. You can get a third batch from Stoneyfield Farms. I don't recommend this yogurt starter.

Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Muffins

This is another healthy recipe from Kristy. Well, there's a good amount of sugar, but I'll still call them healthy. I've never made the muffins with white flour (as called for in the original recipe), because they are really good with wheat flour. The whole wheat and sweet potatoes make a nice match. I use whole wheat pastry flour for all muffins, because they come out lighter. By the way, paper cup liners are for cupcakes and not muffins. If you bake muffins in greased muffin tins, the outsides of any muffins form a nice enticing crust. Julie taught me that.

KRISTY’S SWEET POTATO MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c canola oil (or whatever oil)
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 c AP flour -I used all whole wheat pastry flour, whole wheat will work too

2 t baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

4 c peeled, grated sweet potato (I use the grating attachment on my food processor)

1/2 c raisins

1 c walnuts, pecans, or almonds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together brown sugar, oil, vanilla, and eggs in a small bowl. Mix together flour, baking powder, spices, salt, and sweet potatoes in large bowl. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture until just combined, stir in raisins and nuts. Spoon into greased muffin tins. The muffins don't really rise in the oven, so fill the muffin tins to the top and smooth the tops of the muffins. If the batter is uneven, the muffins will have bumpy tops. Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Run knife around the edge to release muffins and invert. They taste best when warm (or rewarmed).

Sweet Potato Pancakes

I went on a cooking adventure tonight. I only had one lone sweet potato and I didn't know what to do with it. All my recipes call for more then one sweet potato and I didn't want to heat the oven just to bake it. So I decided to experiment. I combined my recipe for potato pancakes (I'll post it sometime) with the spices in my oven baked sweet potato fries. Oh the tension. Would the sweet potatoes be too much work for the food processor? Would the pancakes cook before the they burned? Would they taste good? The results? The were really good. They would be good as a side dish or served for breakfast along side breakfast burritos. They were good on their own or with ketchup. I doubled the recipe when I wrote it here. I'm sure they would be good with whole wheat flour or without the spices (ya know, for the kids). But, I haven't tried either of these things.

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

Yield 14 3-4-inch pancakes

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs

1 small onion, cut into large chunks

1 tsp salt

2 T flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

2 sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half and then sliced (it's easier then cutting it into cubes)

1/2 tsp chili powder (I used half chili powder and half chipoltle powder)

1/4 tsp pepper

Place all ingredients in the food processor and process until combined. Cook the pancakes in an oiled, nonstick pan. Spoon on the batter and spread it out. Cook on medium to medium-high. Make sure the first side is done before you flip them so the pancake stays together.

Breakfast Cookies

I thought these were terrible. Not cutting the sugar in half might have helped them. However, my mom loved these breakfast cookies. So, I'm posting this recipe at her request so she can make them in Alaska. If you want to try them, I think adding all the sugar is a good idea. This recipe is from Everyday Foods.

OATMEAL-ALMOND CRISPS

INGREDIENTS

1/3 C packed brown sugar (I used 2 T + 2 tsp brown sugar)

1/4 C (1/2 stick)butter, melted (I used 2 T oil and 2T melted butter)

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)

1 1/2 C rolled oats

1/2 C sliced almonds (or sunflower seeds or a mixture)

nonstick cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until smooth. Mix in oats and almonds.

3. Drop mixture by level tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2-inches apart. Spray the underside of a spatula with cooking spray, and use to flatten cookies into 2 1/2-inch disks.

4. Bake until golden, 14 to 16 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets. (Handle with care; cookies are fragile.)

Wheat Berry Pilaf

I like to eat this as an alternative to oatmeal. Ya know, you have to mix things up. Wheat berries have satisfyingly chewy texture and wheaty flavor. Wheat berries are a great whole grain. The larger and less processed a grain is, the healthier it is for you. The more work your digestive system is doing, the better. For example the descending order of healthiness would be Whole oats, Irish oats, rolled oats, and instant oats. Wheat berries are what they call the whole kernels of wheat in a health food store. If you're a farmer or like me and have a farmer friend, you don't even have to go to the store. They just show up at your house. Thanks Steve and Karen. If you use wheat berries for other things, Like Lora's Weird Wheat berry Salad, wheat berries, like all (or at least most) whole gains will freeze well after they are cooked. I added a Tablespoon of brown sugar to Kristy's original recipe. She likes this with a little warm milk. I think milk is kind of disgusting, especially warm. So, I just eat mine plain. By the way, it's a cinnamon stick in the picture if you were wondering.

KRISTY’S WHEAT BERRY PILAF

INGREDIENTS

1 c wheat berries

3 c water

pinch sea salt

1 cinnamon stick

1 T dark brown sugar

1/3 c golden raisins

1/3 c dried cranberries

½ c chopped almonds, toasted

½ T butter or olive oil

Soak wheat berries 8 hours or over night. Drain. Place in heavy-bottomed pot with water, sea salt, brown sugar,and cinnamon stick. Cover and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 1 ½ hours until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and let sit 10 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid and remove cinnamon stick.

Waffles

This recipe comes from Alton Brown. I highly recommend his cooking show Good Eats. He explains the science and the reasoning behind cooking techniques. Even if you don’t make the recipe he’s making on his show, you still come away with useful cooking information that you will use when you cook different recipes.

If you make these as written, they taste like good waffles and not whole wheat at all. If you use 1 ½ c whole wheat flour and ½ c all purpose flour, the taste like good whole wheat waffles, but not out of a health food store. Buttermilk is only 1 % fat (like skim milk) and keeps for 3 weeks. So, I recommend buying a pint and keeping it in your fridge. That way sometime in the next three weeks you can make waffles or muffins or cornbread or coleslaw or buttermilk dressing. Serve the waffles with grade B maple syrup or ginger berry compote.

9-19-I added 1 T of cornmeal to add texture. It was especially good with the 3/4 whole wheat waffles. Next Time I'll try 2 T cornmeal.

BASIC WAFFLES

Yield 7 1/2 waffles

INGREDIENTS

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c all purpose flour

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3 T sugar

1 T cornmeal (optional) *Try 2 T Lora*

3 eggs

2 T butter, melted

1 pint (2 c ) buttermilk

pam, for waffle iron

Preheat waffle iron as directed.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cornmeal. In another bowl whisk together eggs and melted butter. Then, whisk in the buttermilk. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until . Let it rest 5 minutes.

Cook the waffles according to the directions for your waffle iron. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200 degree oven until ready to serve. If you plan on freezing leftovers, cool on a cooling rack before freezing. You can reheat the frozen waffles in the toaster.

For my waffle iron I use 3/4 c batter and cook for 5 minutes. Julie's waffle iron takes 1 cup batter cooked for 5 minutes for a total of 5 waffles.

Skillet-roasted potatoes

I usually make the skillet-roasted potatoes or the skillet-roasted potatoes with chili and cumin. Don't stir constantly or you won't get the really browned sides of the potatoes that makes this recipe so good. Serve skillet-roasted potatoes with chili and cumin with breakfast burritos. This recipe is from America's Test Kitchen.

SKILLET-ROASTED POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ lbs small or medium red bliss potatoes, scrubbed and unpeeled

2 T olive oil (less)

2/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1. If using small potatoes (1 ½ - to 2-inch diameter), half each potato. If using medium potatoes (2- to 3-inch diameter), quarter each potato to create 3/4-to 1-inch chunks. Rinse potatoes in cold water and drain well; spread on clean kitchen towel and thoroughly pat dry.

2. Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add potatoes cut side down in a single layer;cook, without stirring, until golden brown (oil should sizzle but not smoke), 5 to 7 minutes. Using tongs, turn potatoes skin side down if using halved small potatoes, or second cut side if using quartered medium potatoes; cook, without stirring, until deep golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes longer. Stir potatoes, then redistribute in a single layer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender (paring knife can be inserted into potatoes with no resistance, 6 to 9 minutes.

3. When potatoes are tender, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss or stir gently to combine; serve immediately.

SKILLET-ROASTED POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Combine 1 ½ tsp minced garlic or pressed garlic and 2 tsp fresh minced rosemary in a small bowl. Follow recipe for skillet-roasted potatoes; after seasoning potatoes with salt and pepper in step 3, clear center of skillet and add garlic and rosemary mixture. Cook over medium heat, mashing with heatproof rubber spatula, until fragrant, about 45 seconds, then stir the mixture into potatoes.

SKILLET-ROASTED POTATOES WITH LEMON AND CHIVES

Combine 2 tsp grated lemon zest and 2 T minced fresh chives in small bowl. Follow the recipe for skillet-roasted potatoes with salt and pepper in step 3, stir in lemon zest and chives into potatoes.

SPICY SKILLET-ROASTED POTATOES WITH CHILI AND CUMIN

Stir together 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp sweet paprika, ½ tsp ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp cayenne in a small bowl. Follow recipe for skillet roasted potatoes, substituting chili mixture for black pepper and cooking seasoned potatoes over medium-low heat until spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Cornbread

I make cornmeal muffins instead of cornbread like the original recipe. I think the browned sides are the best part so I just oil the sides of a muffin tin and bake the muffins. I also now make these with whole wheat pastry flour and whole grain cornmeal. For those of you who don't know, because I didn't, most cornmeal is not whole grain, but "enriched". Enriched means they take all the healthy stuff out and then "enrich" it with a fraction of the vitamins. Hodgkin's mills makes whole grain corn meal and they sell it at Walmart, so I'm sure most places carry it. Honestly, the corn muffins are better with white flour. But, they can be pretend healthy with whole wheat flour and they are still really good. Plus, you get some veggies and a nice corny taste with the addition of actual corn. The muffins in the picture are whole wheat corn muffins. This recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

CORNBREAD

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ c (7 ½ oz) flour (I use whole wheat pastry flour)

1 c cornmeal

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 c (1 3/4 oz) dark brown sugar

3/4 c (3 ½ oz) frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 c buttermilk

2 large eggs

8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly ( I use 1/4 c butter and 1/4 c oil to cut down on saturated fat.)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8-inch square baking dish (I use sprayed muffin tins) with nonstick cooking spray. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.

2. In a food processor or blender, process brown sugar, corn kernels, buttermilk, butter, and oil (if using) until combined, about 5 seconds. Add eggs and process until well combined ( corn lumps will remain), about 5 seconds longer.

3. Using a rubber spatula, make a well in center of dry ingredients; pour wet ingredients into well. Begin folding dry ingredients into wet, giving mixture only a few turns to combine. Pour batter into prepared 9x9 (or whatever the square dishes measure) baking dish; smooth surface with a rubber spatula. Bake until deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-35 minutes. (25 minutes for corn muffins) Cool on wire rack 10 minutes; invert cornbread onto a wire rack, then turn right side up and continue to cool until warm, about 10 minutes longer. Cut into pieces and serve.

Ginger berry sauce

You can serve this sauce over waffles with whipped cream or yogurt, over ice cream, in plain yogurt, on pancakes, with oatmeal, or over angel food cake. It would also be good over grilled peaches. One recipe doesn’t make very much, so you may want to double this. This recipe comes from Everyday Foods.

GINGER BERRY COMPOTE

INGREDIENTS

1 bag (1 lb) frozen mixed berries

2-3 T sugar

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 tsp minced fresh ginger

1. In a medium saucepan, combine ingredients. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, until berries have softened and released their juices, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Can serve warm or cold.

1/8 of syrup with a slice of cake 1/8 of the angel food cake. 159 calories, 0.4 g fat.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

If you have a crock pot from the 70's in avocado or harvest orange you can make this recipe. If you own a newfangled model, no creamy oatmeal for you. The newer models were built to run at higher temperatures. Unless you like the smell of burnt oats and scraping, don’t try it (ask Kristy). Steel cut (Irish or Scottish) oats are even better for you then regular oatmeal. Sometimes supermarkets keep them with the oatmeal, sometimes they are in the health food section. They are usually in a bag like Bob’s Red Mill products come in. They are also sometimes in the bulk section. People like me who hate, hate, hate the mushy texture of regular oatmeal like steel cut oats for their chewy, but still creamy texture. My two year old niece Eva says I make good oatmeal. You may be interested in my whole grain nutrition entry.

Use any mixture of dried fruit you like. I suggest at least ½ cup dried cranberries. The dried cranberries make it sweet enough that you don’t need extra sugar. Dates help make the oatmeal sweet too. This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown on the Food Network.

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

serves 8 (or less)

INGREDIENTS

1 C steel cut oats

1 C dried fruit

½ C buttermilk or milk, or half-n-half

4 C water

Before you go to bed, put all ingredient into your mid-century crock pot. Cover and cook on low overnight, eight to nine hours. Stir. Add brown sugar, honey, or cinnamon to taste in the morning. The sugar will burn if you add it at night. Leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave.

Julie's Cranberry or Blueberry Muffins

My sister Julie makes these muffins. You can stop looking for a muffin recipe, because Julie's recipe is the best. To make Blueberry muffins, substitute whole (not chopped) blueberries for cranberries and lemon zest for orange zest. I always use walnuts, because that's what I usually have on hand. I've made these with whole wheat pastry flour and they are still really good and you can pretend they are healthy. Regular whole wheat flour works too, but they don't rise as well. The muffins in the picture are whole wheat blueberry muffins.
*Julie makes an important point in the comments. Keep blueberries frozen or you will have purple batter. Be sure to check out all of Julie's great hints in the comments.

*If you make blueberry muffins, don't mix the blueberries with the sugar. Just add the entire 1 1/4 c sugar to the muffin batter.

Julie's Cranberry Pecan Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 c rough chopped fresh or frozen cranberries

1 1/4 c sugar divided plus extra to sprinkle on top

3 c flour (or substitute whole wheat pastry flour)

4 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c butter

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 c milk or buttermilk (I use 1 1/4 c buttermilk)

1 c chopped pecans

1 T grated orange peel

Preheat oven to 400. Mix chopped cranberries with 1/4 c sugar. Combine the flour, baking powder,remaining sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two butter knives. Combine eggs and milk in a separate bowl. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries, orange peel and pecans. Put in a greased muffin tin .(don’t use cupcake liners, you won’t get the nice crust.) Sprinkle tops with extra sugar. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack.

Makes about 1 ½ dozen.

Cheese Sauce

The original recipe called for serving this on English muffins. It’s also good with English muffins, Canadian bacon and eggs. (Like a cheese sauce eggs Benedict) It’s good with leftover brown rice and chicken and spinach, baked in an oven. I’d guess 350 for 30-45 minutes. Or with pasta, broccoli, and chicken, baked in the oven with bread crumbs. Or just over veggies. I’ve mixed this with lots of leftovers to make a meal seem new. This recipe is from the "Frugal Gourmet cooks American."

CHEESE SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 cup milk

½ cup sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (or Swiss)

1 ½ Tbsp each butter and flour roux

Worcestershire sauce to taste

Salt and Pepper

2 tsp white wine

Tabasco to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add flour and cook, stirring to make a roux. This takes a few minutes. Whisk in milk slowly (a silicon coated whisk is great), allowing to thicken between additions. Whisk in cheese, and additional ingredients, being careful not to burn on the bottom.

Granola

Granola

This is my somewhat healthier version of granola. I cut down the sugar, syrup, and cut out the oil from the original recipe. But I left in all the coconut ‘cause I love *the coconut*love love* the coconut. Astute observers may notice that I accidental added the dried fruit to the granola before I put in the oven in the picture. The dried fruit got a little dark and quite chewy. Oh well.

*This isn't granola with granola clusters. See the comments.

INGREDIENTS

3 c oats

½ c wheat germ

1 c nuts (any combination you like)

3/4 c coconut

1/4 c brown sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 C maple syrup (I like the kind that comes from trees, not fields in Iowa.)

1 c dried fruit

Preheat oven to 250. Mix together oats, wheat germ, nuts, coconut, brown sugar and salt.

Mix the maple syrup with the oat mixture. Bake on an oiled or sprayed with pam baking sheet (0r two oiled pizza pans) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Take out of the oven and place in a large bowl. Stir in fruit.