Recipe Review: Oatmeal Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Here’s a combination of two of my favorite things for breakfast – oatmeal and pancakes. Martha’s recipe for Oatmeal Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes is a perfect simple recipe for healthy comfort breakfast. The combination of whole wheat, buttermilk, and blueberries topped off with some butter and maple syrup is heaven for me. The pancake batter can last for a few months so you can quickly whip up these pancakes anytime. Recipe: by Martha Rose Shulman Yield: 12 pancakes Time: Total 1-1/4 hour, 20 minutes active Ingredients: 1/2 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup low-fat milk 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 1/2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries Accompaniment: Maple Syrup Butter 1. Combine the milk and rolled oats in [...]

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Recipe Review: Orange Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

Hot buttered rolls are something I want morning and night. It’s comforting, satisfying and makes the perfect pairing with either a hot cup of tea/coffee or any entree. These adorable Orange Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls have a hint of sweet holiday spices with the most amazing aroma that’s just right for the season. Recipe: by Ruth Cousineau Yield: 1 dozen rolls Time: Total 4-3/4 hour, 40 minutes active Ingredients: 3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted, divided 2 teaspoons active dry yeast (from a 1/4-ounce package) 1/4 cup warm milk (105–115°F) 1 tablespoon mild honey or sugar 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour plus more for kneading and dusting 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/3 cup canned pure pumpkin 2 large eggs, divided, plus 1 yolk 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 tablespoon water Equipment: a muffin pan with 12 (1/3- to 1/2-cup) muffin cups Butter muffin cups with 1 [...]

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Recipe: Blueberry Raspberry Yogurt and Kefir Parfait with Honey

Here is something I’ve really been enjoying lately. This Blueberry Raspberry Yogurt and Kefir Parfait with Honey is like having dessert for breakfast without any of the downside. Not that I’d frown upon anyone who embraces dessert first thing in their day, in fact Bravo for embracing life. I however, need to be able to fully utilize every tiny bit of brain cell function possible during the weekday – especially first thing in the morning. That mean’s 3 things, coffee, coffee, and more coffee before breakfast. Raspberries and blueberries are in season and are perfectly ripe right now in the markets. I wanted to enjoy these berries where I’d still embrace their ripe freshness of the season. What better way than to have spoonfuls of creamy tart yogurt and kefir with plump blueberries, raspberries, and drizzles of gooey sweet honey as my morning breakfast treat. It makes my day so [...]

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Recipe: Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce

The best tasting cakes are usually super moist or made moist from sopping up sauce drizzled over it. I can’t help myself from dunking pieces of the cake into melted ice cream or scraping off the mixed pieces of cake and frosting. I found a quicker way of enjoying this. Here’s a recipe for Chocolate Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce to dunk. This is a perfect breakfast and dessert for anytime of day. In less than an hour, I can indulge myself with moist chocolate pancake dunked in dark chocolate sauce. The key here is to use good chocolate, use the best kind you can find or afford. It makes a huge difference. Definitely serve the chocolate sauce warmed in a small bowl. Recipe Adapted From: Lillian Chou, Gourmet.com Yield: 4 Servings Time: Total 45 minutes Ingredients: For sauce: 1 cup heavy cream 7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), finely [...]

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Recipe: Zucchini Crepes

I look forward to side dishes in every meal. I like having a variety of things to nibble on. Especially brunch, where I get to linger over a lazy afternoon meal with friends and share different dishes. Thanks to my cooking class at the New School of Cooking, here’s a recipe for Zucchini Crepes that are not like any crepes I’ve had before. I think these make a yummy new twist to breakfast sides. They remind me of super thin hash brown patties, but a veggie version. The trick to these is to make sure as much as possible is drained from the zucchini. Recipe Adapted From: New School of Cooking Yield: 12 Servings Time: Total 1 hour Ingredients: 2 medium zucchini, about 1 pound total 1 large egg 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 tablespoon all purpose flour 2 garlic cloves, finely minced about 2 tablespoons corn oil about 2 [...]

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Recipe: Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

Breakfast dishes are my favorite for the weekend. I haven’t found any brunch menu options that allow you to choose different pancakes on one dish. As usual, I like a little variety so I can nibble and taste different things, but I don’t want large portions of each. My ideal plate of pancakes has 1 of each: buttermilk wholegrain and blueberry – all topped with melting butter and a side dish of warm maple syrup for dipping. I can have it with this recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes by simply using half of it without blueberries. You don’t have to run out for fresh ingredients to make this – which is the last thing I want to do on the weekend. Recipe Adapted From: Martha Rose Shulman, NYTimes.com Yield: 12 four-inch pancakes Time: Total 15 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking [...]

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Recipe: Rum Raisin Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those dishes that I’m always surprised by how much I like it. One of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever had was a banana cake with chocolate frosting. I like my banana bread with a little bit of walnuts and some raisins to give each bite a little burst of tart sweetness. This recipe for Rum Raisin Banana Bread is by far the best. You have to eat these warm with a little butter spread and a hot cup of coffee. It’s perfect comfort food. Recipe Adapted From: by Nigella Lawson, Nigella.com Yield: 8-10 slices Time: Total 3 hours Ingredients: 1/3 cup sultanas (white seedless grapes) 1/3 cup bourbon or dark rum 175g plain flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 125g unsalted butter, melted 150g sugar 2 large eggs 4 small, very ripe bananas (about 300g weighed without skin), [...]

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Recipe: Tomato Olive Rosemary Quiche

Here’s a great recipe for Tomato Olive Rosemary Quiche that would be perfect for a special brunch or dinner appetizer dish. All the savory flavors I crave is combined in this dish. I’m totally satisfied with the combination of the sweet roasted tomatoes, bits of salty kalamata olives, and gooey melted cheese. Recipe Adapted From: Food Network Kitchens, FoodNetwork.com Yield: 6 Servings Time: Total 50 Minutes Ingredients: 4 cups grape tomatoes, mixed red and yellow if possible, rinsed and patted dry 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/3 cup pitted black olives, such as kalamata, halved lengthwise 1 1/2 cups (1-inch, day-old) bread cubes, preferably sourdough 1 cup chopped white onion, about 1 medium Kosher salt 1 lemon, zest finely grated 2 cups half-and-half 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks Freshly ground black pepper 3 ounces grated Emmentaler cheese, about 3/4 cup (or Gruyere) 3 ounces grated fontina cheese, about 3/4 [...]

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Recipe: Sour-Cream Pancakes with Sour-Cream Maple Syrup

I rarely ever eat sour cream, but I think this is the exception. This recipe for Sour-Cream Pancakes with Sour-Cream Maple Syrup is to die for. The sour cream creates fluffier pancakes that are more moist than buttermilk. I love maple syrup and butter and mixed with sour cream, it creates a creamy and slightly tart pool over the stack of pancakes. I also like dipping pieces of my pancake into a bowl of the sour-cream maple syrup. This is all I want to eat for the rest of the week. Recipe Adapted From: Lillian Chou, Gourmet.com Yield: 4 Servings Time: Total 25 minutes Ingredients: SYRUP: Scant 1/2 cup sour cream 1/3 cup pure maple syrup 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces PANCAKES: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup whole milk 1 large egg 2 [...]

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Recipe: Ciabatta with Fried Eggs, Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Frisee

Toast with butter is probably my favorite all-time pairing. If there’s no butter, I’ll go for a nice sunny side-up fried egg or even better, poached egg. I find most people are particular about their eggs and are one extreme or the other – all about the yolk or super fried & scrambled up. So I’m all about the yolk. I love a crispy buttered toast with hot egg yolk gooped all over it and then topped with a strong flavor of cheese or smoked salmon. This is why I love this recipe for the Ciabatta Sandwich with Fried Eggs, Bacon, Gorgonzola, and Frisee. This is a handheld comfort food dish that doesn’t require a utensil to devour. The gorgonzola and bacon satisfy the smoky salty flavor craving along with a balance to the crispy texture of the ciabatta crust. Recipe Adapted From: Tom Colicchio, Gourmet.com Yield: 4 Ciabatta Sandwiches [...]

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