Sesame Fig Pancakes

These are tasty thin pancakes, just a bit more robust than a crepe, and with a nice crispy edge.  No sugar is used here - just sweetened with mission fig.  The sesame seeds complement the sweet fig with a savory note, especially when they get toasted on the skillet while cooking the pancake.
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
dash salt (about 1/8 tsp)

1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp canola oil

6 black Mission figs, finely diced
1 Tbsp brown toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbsp black toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together the flour, corn starch, baking powder, coriander and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and oil.

Heat a large non-stick skillet with a dash of oil.

Now add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir in the figs and sesame seeds.

Spoon about 1/4 cup mixture onto skillet to form a pancake. Cook until just browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook through on the other side for just about a minute.

Serve immediately.

Makes about a dozen pancakes.  Double or triple as needed.

Cook’s note: I love pancakes with lots of butter and fresh maple syrup, but I know tastes vary. Top these puppies with your favorite pancake topping - perhaps jammed lingonberries and sour cream, for example. Or better yet, top them with a creamed chicken or shrimp number or something else savory - they could make a great platform for a lunch or dinner.

Artichoke and Bay Scallop Frittata

A frittata transforms ordinary ingredients into something extraordinary every time!
8 eggs
1/4 cup light cream or half-and-half

1 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 12-oz can artichoke quarters, drained
1/2 lb bay scallops
1/3 lb Monterrey Jack cheese, diced 1/4-inch
1/4 tsp dried crushed red chili flakes

Preheat oven to 400F.

Whisk together the eggs and cream in a medium bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a dash of olive oil in an oven-going non-stick skillet. Add the onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until softened and aromatic. Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the artichokes, scallops and cheese to the skillet and spread out evenly. Pour the eggs over the mixture and heat over medium-high het for a few minutes. When the edges begin to firm up a bit, sprinkle on the chili flakes and place pan in the oven.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the frittata is nicely browned. Remove pan from the oven and transfer frittata to a serving platter.

Serves 4.

La Jolla Roasted Breakfast Hash & Eggs

Thanksgiving is not only about the main turkey meal.  How about all the other meals - before and after?!

We had a wonderful breakfast at our Air BNB in La Jolla, CA, that avoided all the carbs we would get on Thanksgiving.  Turns out the great gas oven roasted veggies very well and made a beautiful savory hash possible.
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small floweretts, I used orange
1 red pepper, halved, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or other favorite herb)
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup (1 small) purple Bermuda onion, diced
10 oz fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 lb fresh best Italian local sausage you can find, uncased
5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
4 eggs
1/3 cup grated cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and Monterrey Jack)

Preheat oven to 425F. Toss cauliflower with the red peppers in a large bowl with the rosemary and olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about 25-30 minutes, until veggies are browning nicely along the edges, but still crisp tender - stir once or twice as the cooking progresses.

In the meantime, sauté the onions for about 5 minutes in a large oven-going non-stick, or well seasoned cast iron skillet (at least 10-inches). Add the mushrooms and sate until they release what water they will and start to brown a bit as well.

Remove to a bowl.

Add the sausage to the hot skillet and brown it for about 8-10 minutes over medium-hot heat, to brown nicely.

Remove to the mushroom mixture.

Now add a dash of oil to the pan and sauté the spinach until nicely wilted and releasing its water. You may have to toss some of the water from the spinach if very wet, depending.

Now, return the veggies and the sausage mixture back into the skillet on top of the spinach.

Then form four small pockets for the eggs. Crack the eggs and pour into the pockets. Toss grated cheese atop.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, just until the yokes begin to firm, and gloss over with whiteness.

Serves 4 for breakfast.

 Cook's Note:  This is a great escape from carbohydrates at breakfast.  Use any toasted veggies you might have from the night before, and add as many eggs as you have people to feed. - within reason...  The point is that veggies can swap for carbs at times.

Bird Rock Chorizo and Sweet Potato Frittata California

Breakfast at Bird Rock - I hope you can experience the wonders of a Pacific morning; fresh, cool, with so much to do before you at last put the country to bed.

Pacific morning, La Jolla

At our wonderful AirBNB in La Jolla, we experienced everything it takes to have a great break for Thanksgiving on the West Coast.  Warm weather, kayaking with dolphins, situated only a walk to the shore, with an excellent, well-stocked kitchen!  What a joy, as a break from traditional East Coast Thanksgiving at home.

Everybody arrived for the weekend before Thanksgiving - so feed them!  Always consider frittata.  Almost anything goes and it can be made fast - as long as you get up a bit early and set the coffee going!  We were west Coast, and so close to Mexico - definitely doing chorizo.  And our hosts had a fantastic herb garden, thriving on Thanksgiving; so, fresh lemon thyme and dill - oh thank you wonderful hosts!
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed 1/2-inch, about 1-1/2 cups
1/2 purple Bermuda onion, diced, about 1 cup
1 red chili, diced

10 oz fresh baby portobello mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh lemon thyme, minced
1/4 lb fresh chorizo, uncased
5 oz fresh baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a ‘Mexican Mix’)

8 eggs
1/4 cup half and half or light cream (or heavy!)
1 Tbsp fresh dill (optional)

Fresh guacamole, about 2 cups, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss the sweet potatoes into a large even-going non-stick skillet with a dash of olive oil. Sauté for about 6-8 minutes, until they begin to brown and soften. Add the onions and the chili and continue cooking for about 5-6 minutes, until everything becomes very fragrant.

Add the mushrooms and increase the heat. Sauté while mixing well to allow the mushrooms to release what water they will and brown up a bit - about another 8-10 minutes.

Set aside in a bowl.

Add the chorizo to the skillet and brown up for about 5 minutes.

Add the reserved veggie mix back to the skillet and then add the spinach. Mix with tongs as the spinach wilts, about another 3-5 minutes.

Beat together the eggs cream and dill. Toss the grated cheese over the veggie mix.

Pour the eggs over the mix on medium-high heat. Let the eggs cook a bit; you can stir gently once or just let it be - see Cook’s Note. But let the eggs cook enough such that they begin to define a clear (slightly browned) border on the skillet.

Advance the skillet to the oven and reduce to 375F. Allow to cook for about 15-20 minutes, watching carefully until the frittata is puffy and no liquid sectors remain. I would err on the undercooked side as the eggs will continue to set on the counter-top. Remove from oven and allow frittata to settle about 5 minutes, at least. It will sit for as good 30 minutes or more if you have guests - relax - and it will be wonderful.

Serve with favorite fresh guacamole.  Serves 4-6.

Cook’s Note: In this preparation I did not (have the time to) stir the eggs into the veggie mixture very much at all, so the eggs rose on top, soft and beautifully light as a feather, on a moist base of veggies and chorizo. The more traditional initial stirring should produce an equally wonderful, but perhaps slightly different result. Oh - the art of cooking!

Bird Rock, La Jolla, California

Smoked Salmon Breakfast Sandwich

Whenever the family gets together I always make sure we have smoked salmon on hand.  I also always have a good choice of fun, varied accouterments as well, so the creatvity can freely flow!

With the holidays coming, think of the most wild outlier possibilities and also put those ingredients on the counter early in the morning - and watch what happens as the coffee brews!

Good morning.
4 thin sandwich rounds
1/4 lb favorite smoked salmon,sliced
1/4 lb cream cheese
1/2 English cucumber, cut into half-moons
favorite savory cole slaw
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp small pickled capers, drained

Lay bottom of sandwich round each on a plate. distribute the cream cheese among the rounds evenly. Then distribute the salmon over the rounds.

 Garnish with cucumber and slaw, along with capers and onions on the side.

Serve with java and juice!

 Serves 4.

Over-Easy Brunch Open-Face

Time for a lazy Sunday brunch?  Work these up over a cup of Jo.
1 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and sliced
4 eggs
2 english muffins
4 Tbsp cream cheese
2 Tbsp salsa verde

Toast muffin halves. Heat a small non-stick skillet with a dash of oil. Crack the eggs and tip into pan over medium-high heat. Gently break the yokes and cover pan. Cook for a few minutes, until the yokes just about cook through, but not fully. Salt and pepper to taste.

Spread cream cheese evenly on the toasted muffin halves. Lay sliced avocados on top of cream cheese.

Place an egg on each muffin half. Top with a dollop of salsa verde.

Serve with sliced oranges, if desired.

Serves 2-4.

Black Bean Brown Rice Fritters

The problem I have with so many pancakes is the empty carbs - I need some substance to grab onto, especially in the morning.  While chocolate chip pancakes are indeed delicious, I prefer those with whole grains and fruit.

Or consider even a savory mix for a hearty brunch.  Here I use brown rice and quinoa paired with black bean and green onions to make almost a burger of a fritter.  You can fry these on a non-stick griddle as you would pancakes, or in a smaller skillet in a shallow splash of very, very hot canola oil, for a nice crispy finish - my favorite.
Dry
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup coarse corn meal
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp black sesame seeds
2 tsp baking powder

Wet
2 eggs
1 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1/4 lb mozzarella or other favorite cheese, grated
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cooked brown rice or rice and quinoa mix
2 green onions, finely chopped

In separate bowls, mix together the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients. Heat a large griddle with a few tablespoons canola oil. Now fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir only enough just to mix together. You will get a thick batter the consistency of a thin cooked oatmeal.

When the griddle is hot, spoon about a third of a cup portions of batter to form pancakes. Cook in batches.

Allow the first side to brown over medium-low heat, until you see bubbles coming up the middle of the patty. Flip when first side is brown and cook the other side for a few more minutes until just browned.

Serve fritters on salad, and with a topping of plain Greek yogurts and salsa verde, if you like.

Makes 12-14 fritters.

Cook's Note:  These can be used for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.  For brunch you might want to pair with eggs - that's what the French would do; they add an egg to everything, including pizza!  You could also serve with butter and maple syrup (my personal favorite).

Black Bean Brown Rice Fritters

flavored with butter and maple syrup

served with eggs, avocado and apple

Muesli

This is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that won't let you down mid-morning.  The perfect pre-cycle breakfast for that weekend ride!  Or - rushing off to work and no time for breakfast?  No, no.  Bring this along and eat it when you have time; it'll wait for you.

Cold and refreshing on a hot summer morning, Muesli has another thing over hot oatmeal - it's all made the night before.  Just wake up and eat. Then ride!
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup regular almond milk
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
6 apricots, finely diced
1 Tbsp Zante Currents or golden raisins
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
fresh berries
fresh mint

The night before, mix together the first 6 ingredients.

Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, stir, and tip into 2 serving bowls. Scatter fresh berries and mint leaves over top and serve.

Serves 2.

Cook's Note:  You can substitute milk for almond milk if that's what you have.  You might need to augment with a teaspoon of honey, though.

Frittata with Tomatoes and Sage

When old friends come to visit, with fresh eggs from their own chickens, and when they hand them to you, and they slip from your hand, and drop to the driveway, and you break half of them - quick, make this frittata.

With a base crust of well-browned potatoes, this frittata resembles a Spanish potato tortilla at its base.  Fresh veggies hanging around - here I used orange pepper, zucchini and spring onions - add a sweet, slightly crispy note.  A good cheese lends depth, and comfort.

Breakfast, brunch or dinner.  Just remember, you have to break a few eggs to make a frittata!
8 eggs, broken
1/4 cup half and half or light cream

4 small (lime-sized) or 2 large potatoes (about 3/4 lb), washed
1 orange pepper, diced
4-6 large green onions, sliced, about 2 cups
1 zucchini, diced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, minced

1/3 lb herb-garlic cheddar cheese (or other favorite cheese), diced
1 large fresh, ripe tomato, sliced into 6 slices
6-8 fresh sage leaves

Prick the potatoes with the tines of a fork several times and microwave for 1 minute. Turn the over and microwave another minute. Meanwhile, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large (10-inch) oven-going non-stick skillet. Carefully slice the potatoes thickly (about 1/4-inch) and place in the skillet. Cook over medium heat for about five minutes, shaking often. Allow the first side of the potatoes to brown well, then flip. Cook the other side for about the same amount of time, until it is browned as well.

Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, sauté the pepper, onions and zucchini in a bit of olive oil. Add the oregano after about 5 minutes and continue cooking until the potatoes are browned.

Preheat the oven to 375F. When the potatoes are done, shake them to form a single layer (crust) on the bottom of the skillet. Distribute the sautéed veggies evenly on top. Then scatter the cubed cheese over them.

Whisk together the eggs and the half and half. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour the eggs over the veggies in the skillet and turn on to medium-high.

Lay the tomatoes on top of the eggs, and top with the fresh sage leaves.

Allow the eggs to set a bit, gently running a spatula around the edges, lifting the frittata up gently, a bit, and allowing the eggs to run in underneath.

After the eggs have set well around the edges. Bake in the oven to finish off the frittata, for about 15 minutes, or until the eggs have set and the frittata is nicely browned.

Using a spatula, gently coerce the frittata out of the skillet onto a serving platter.

Serves 4.

Huevos Rancheros con Chorizo

After living in Colorado for many years, I have become hooked on the southwestern style of cooking eggs with chorizo and serving them over toasted tortillas.  You could also wrap the eggs in a soft flour tortilla, if you like, and serve egg tacos.  Either way, make sure you get out your favorite hot sauces and salsas.
8 eggs
4 links chorizo sausage, sliced
2 avocado, peeled and sliced
1 red pepper, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 green onion, sliced
8 soft corn tortillas
favorite salsa and/or hot sauce

You'll need a large skillet, a small skillet (definitely not non-stick) and several small non-stick skillets to pull this off.  Toss the peppers, garlic and sausage in the large skillet with a dash of oil and sauté those puppies until the sausage browns and the peppers soften up a bit.

Meanwhile toast the corn tortillas dry in a skillet over high heat for about 30-60 seconds per side, just to brown the edges and form a few browned spots throughout the surface of the tortilla.  Its easy to burn them - so watch them carefully.  Set the tortillas aside, wrapped in a clean dish towel, or better yet, in some aluminum foil in a warmed toaster oven.

Now the eggs.  I like to use several small non-stick skillets to fry my eggs; two per pan.  First distribute a quarter of the sausage and pepper mixture in a ring around  one of the pans and crack the eggs into the center of the ring.  I cover the eggs as they begin to cook, so the tops cook over as well.  Cook them to taste.

Assembly - lay two tortillas on each of four plates.  Carefully slide two eggs and their sausage companions onto the tortillas.  Garnish with avocado slices and your favorite salsa and/or hot sauce.

Serves four.

Cook's Note: Many people put some grated cheese - say Monterrey Pepper Jack or Cheddar, on top of the eggs before covering.  This is indeed fantastic, and totally up to you.  I like them either way. If you want to cut back of cheese, top them with cilantro - very southwestern.

Mango Peach Strawberry Smoothie

Smoothies are the power drink we love! There are mirad varieties, so experiment and enjoy. Here is one of my favorites.

1 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup frozen mango pieces
1 cup frozen peach slices
2 cups Greek vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup orange juice

Place frozen fruit in a blender and chop using 'chop ice' function until finely minced. Add the juice and yogurt and blend just until smooth. Scrape down sides of blender and pulse a few tines. Serve immediately.

Cook's note: use frozen fruit and serve immediately to achieve that frozen ice-creamy consistency.

Eggs in a Nest

This is a really fun, novelty presentation of an egg - for those with nothing better to do :-) ! Similar in ways to the 'oeufs a la neige' desert our mother used to make, it is an egg yoke baked in a beaten egg white nest. But its savory, not sweet. This is adapted from Egg Nests by Elise Bauer in her wonderful blog, simplyrecipes.com

Elise found it in a book "La Cuisine est un Jeux d'enfants" - "Cooking is Child's Play" - our daughter and I can attest that this is true! 

2 eggs
¼ cup grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450. Prepare a jellyroll baking sheet with either a silicone baking pad or by heavily buttering the sheet - we used the butter approach. Carefully separate the yolks from the whites and place each yoke carefully in a small ramekin or cup without breaking them. Whisk the egg whites (preferably with a blender) until whites are stiff. Gently fold in the cheese.

Carefully divide the egg whites in two and make two mounds on the jellyroll sheet. With a spoon, make a crater in the center of each for the yoke (that goes in later). Bake for 3 minutes. Gently tip one yoke into each crater and bake another 3 minutes. Gently remove egg nest from sheet and transfer to a plate.

Cook's Note:   We did not use any salt in the egg white, as we found the cheese was salty enough.

Crepes with Hazelnut Cream and Confiture

This is based on my Mother's crepe recipe which she would make for all 8 of us on Sunday mornings - you can't believe how many crepes sic hungry kids can eat! God bless her soul!

There are a million ways to flavor crepes - I like peanut butter and real maple syrup. Others like Lingonberries and whipped cream. You could use maple cream - make up your own mind - here is one idea. I used a Hazelnut cream from Turkey we found in a Middle Eastern store in West Hartford, CT - go wild!

2 eggs
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Canola oil
1 cup flour
dash salt

Hazelnut cream
Confiture - fine jam of choice (I use Bon Maman)

Beat eggs in a bowl and whisk in the milk and vanilla and oil. Whisk in the flour and salt until a smooth, creamy mixture results. Heat several (I usually work with two) small frying pans over medium heat. Spray them with oil. Pour about ¼ cup batter into a pan while swirling to coat the whole bottom of the pan. Cook over medium-low heat just until the crepe dries out a bit. Flip and cook another minute, until you just get brown specs on the other side. Remove to a platter in a warming oven. Repeat with the remaining crepes.

Spead 1 Tbsp hazelnut cream and then 1 Tbsp rich confiture (jam of choice) on each crepe and roll crepe up. Top with a bit more jam or whipped cream.

Cooking Orange

Frittata of Sweet Potato, Butternut Squash and Carrot, etc.1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cubed to 1/2 inch; about 2 cups
2 cups butternut squash, cubed 1/2 inch
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 large or 2 small leek, trimmed, washed and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Dash red pepper flakes
8 eggs
1/2 cup half-&-half or light cream
1/4 lb Gruyere or Swiss cheese, diced
Fresh grated nutmeg; just a bit
1/2 tsp dried dill weed

Preheat oven to 375F. In a large oven-going non-stick skillet, sauté potato for about 5 minutes in a bit of olive oil. then add squash and zucchini and cook for another 15 minutes, or just until the squash softens. Remove to a bowl. Sauté the leek for about 10 minutes then add the garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs, cream and nutmeg. Salt and pepper to taste. Return all veggies to pan and turn heat to high. Add eggs to pan and let eggs set a bit. Lift eggs and tilt pan to redistribute uncooked egg. I tend to pull in the eggs to the center of the pan like an omelet. Distribute cheese evenly into uncooked egg and sprinkle with dill.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until well browned.

Apple Flax Pancakes

Our kids love pancakes, but I don't like the simple-carb aspect of regular pancakes. So I beef them up with flax, bran and double the eggs. These will last you until lunch!

Dry ingredients:
2 cups white flour
1 Tbsp milled flax seeds
1 Tbsp wheat bran
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Wet ingredients:
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1½ cup milk
½ cup applesauce
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients without over-mixing; a few lumps are okay. Cook pancakes on a non-stick skillet or griddle, being sure not to over-brown, or they will be tougher and less fluffy.

Frittata Primavera

8-10 eggs
1/4 cup milk or half-and-half
1 tsp dried dill weed
1 cup shredded cheese
1 shallot, diced

Any leftover veggies you have, such as in this case:
1 cup cooked asparagus spears, cut into 1-inch lengths
6 brined baby artichokes, quartered
2 small cooked potatoes, diced
3 small tomatoes, sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Whisk together the eggs, milk, dill and cheese together with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. In a large oven-going non-stick skillet, saute the shallots (with a bit of bacon if you like) until softened. Remove the shallots (and bacon) to a bowl and heat a bit of olive oil in the skillet until just about smoking. Add the eggs, and let set about a minute. Carefully pull in the eggs from each quadrant (noon, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock) to pull in folds of egg towards the center. Let the eggs set again. Continue this pulling-towards-center until you have several level of folds. Then add the veggies, evenly distributed, ending with the tomatoes.

Transfer skillet to oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until eggs are well set. Carefully transfer to a platter for serving.

For another frittata idea see this link.

Back Home to Buttermilk Pancakes

Each time our kids come home from school I hear the same request – “Pancakes, please!” These are really something to come home to.

Apple Buttermilk Pancakes
Dry ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp brown sugar

Wet ingredients:
3 eggs
3 cups buttermilk
4 Tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 apple, peeled, cored and finely diced

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and add the remaining wet ingredients. Preheat a large non-stick griddle or pan to low – give this time so that the whole griddle has become evenly hot. Pay attention to your griddle temperature – you want it hot enough to generate bubbles in the pancakes, but not too hot to over-brown the first side.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Ladle batter into oiled griddle. Cook only until you see the edges of the pancake become well defined and a few bubbles appear in the batter. Flip and cook another 30-60 seconds. Remove to a plate kept in a warm 125˚F oven while you finish the remaining pancakes – or serve them to a hungry crowd as fast as you can make them!

More fun: Sprinkle chocolate chips onto the batter of the pancake immediately after pouring onto the griddle for chocoholics at the table. Or blueberries. Or raspberries. Or whatever.