Tag Archive for: Breakfast

End of Summer = College Football

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It is Friday of Labor Day weekend which to me officially is the end of summer.  One last weekend at the beach before we hope the weather turns a bit cooler. However, as sad as I am about summer being over, it also means that college football has started again.  South Carolina kicked off the season last night against the Tarheels, and yesterday, the whole atmosphere in Charleston was all about college football.  Clearly, tailgates are my favorite part of the whole football season- I am starting to enjoy watching the games a lot more, especially since I recognize some of the names of the players.  But really, it is all about the food.  I was looking on-line today for some great tailgate recipes, and I found it very amusing that the breakfast burrito showed up in a lot of lists- as this is for the serious tailgater who is there in time for breakfast.  So, here is my favorite breakfast burrito recipe in honor of those tailgaters who can last all day.

Breakfast Burritos

Ingredients:

12 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound bulk pork sausage

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 red onion, diced

20 (6 inch) flour tortillas

1 tomato, diced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1  package taco seasoning

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 can diced jalapenos (optional)

Directions:

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and salt in a large bowl. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the egg mixture; cook and stir until eggs are completely set, about 5 minutes. Chop the cooked eggs and place in a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and stir in the sausage and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes, then add the onion. Continue cooking and stirring until the sausage is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Combine the sausage with the eggs, tomato, cilantro, jalapeno, and taco seasoning. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature, then stir in the Cheddar cheese.
Place a tortilla onto your work surface, then spoon some of the filling halfway between the bottom edge and the center of the tortilla. Flatten the filling into rectangle shape with the back of a spoon. Fold the bottom of the tortilla snugly over the filling, then fold in the left and right edges. Roll the burrito up to the top edge, forming a tight cylinder. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Tightly wrap individual burritos with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to serve. Heat in the microwave until hot, 3 to 4 minutes, before serving.

 

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

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This past weekend we spent Friday night out at the Sanctuary at Kiawah Island- a “staycation” if you will.  It was absolutely wonderful.  I felt like I had been on vacation for a week and we weren’t even there 24 hours.  We arrived on Friday afternoon.  It had been raining the whole day in Charleston, but just 45 minutes away, it had not rained at all.  We sat by the pool for a cocktail and then met some friends on the beach.  After that, we had drinks in the lobby bar with some other friends we ran into who were doing the same thing.  We then walked up  to The Ocean Room, sat at the bar and had a fabulous dinner.  Corby got the steak and I had the pesto gnocchi- delicious!  We were then “talked” into getting dessert.  It was going to be a very tough decision but fortunately they had a dessert trio which included the two things I wanted to try- the carrot cake doughnuts and the chocolate and malt. I can’t remember what the third was but I am sure I enjoyed it.  However, I do remember the carrot cake doughnuts very well.  Amazing.  They were served with cream cheese ice cream and a caramel sauce.  And of course since it was a carrot cake doughnut, that means it was healthy because of the carrot- right?  Either way, they were really special.  The next morning we went for a long walk on the beach and then sat at the pool for many hours until it was time to go home and pick up the dog.  It really was a phenomenal night/day/vacation.  Now, Walker is finally home after two and a half months of being away and school starts tomorrow- how has the summer gone by so quickly?  I dug around this morning to find a recipe for the carrot cake doughnuts that might make the first morning of school a little more bearable.

Carrot Cake Doughnuts

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 stick butter, softened
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 whole egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup plain yogurt
2/3 cup crushed pineapple, drained, reserve 4 tablespoons juice for the frosting
2/3 cup finely shredded carrots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease the doughnut pan; set aside.
In a medium sized mixing bowl sift together the flour, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, light brown sugar, and salt. Add egg, vanilla, and yogurt; beat until smooth. Add flour mixutre. Stir in pineapple and carrots.
Spoon the mixture into a ziploc bag and pipe batter into prepared pan, filling only 1/2 way up the doughnut cavities.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Cool doughnuts in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.

Double Coffee Tiramisu

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We are finally home in Charleston, and while we had a great time, it is so good to be back.  The last week we spent up in Linville, NC, getting ready for the Fancy Dress Ball.  This year, instead of family with us, we had some of our closest friends up to participate in the fun.  We all had a great time, and Walker was quite the motivator as Saturday wore on, and we had no plan for what to do.  We ended up coming up with a very funny and very short skit that my brother, who was up with us, MC’d wonderfully.  While we didn’t take home first prize, we did take home 4th, which for the amount of effort we put in (minimal), we were all incredibly happy.  Saturday evening turned into very early Sunday morning quickly, and by the time we all went to bed, we knew the rest of Sunday was going to be a bit rough.  I don’t drink coffee, which is a problem on these mornings, and I was trying to find something that would help me on our long drive home.  I did not find this recipe until today, but I think if I had had the forethought to make this on Saturday in anticipation of Sunday, this would have been a nice little breakfast treat!

Double Coffee Tiramisu

Ingredients:

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1/4 cup coffee liqueur
2 (3-oz.) packages ladyfingers
1/2 cup grated semisweet or dark chocolate

Directions:

Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Beat whipping cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.
Stir together 1/2 cup hot water and coffee granules until dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup liqueur.
Arrange ladyfingers evenly around sides of 8 (6-oz.) coffee cups or ramekins. Drizzle ladyfingers with coffee mixture. Spoon or pipe cream cheese mixture into center of ramekins. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Cover and chill 2 hours.
Note: To serve the tiramisù in a single dish, prepare recipe as directed through Step 3. Arrange half of ladyfingers in bottom and up sides of a 2-qt. serving bowl. Drizzle evenly with half of coffee mixture. Top with half of cream cheese mixture. Repeat layers once. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Back in the South

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We sadly left Twilight this past Sunday, but we drove to Linville and are thrilled to be here.  This view is worth any amount of driving!  As I have said before, Linville in the summer always makes me think of blueberries because we used to have blueberry bushes on the hill behind the house.  There are so many amazing things you can do with blueberries- full scale berry wars with your cousins and friends being at the top of the list, but there are also so many delicious recipes as well.  Here is another favorite of mine for Blueberry Cream Muffins.  Perfect on a crisp mountain morning.

Blueberry Cream Muffins

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups sour cream

2 cups blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.

In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.

Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups.

Sour Cream and Chives Biscuits

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I do love a good biscuit- piping hot and steamy.  It can be the perfect breakfast- you really don’t need much else.  Fortunately, my wonderful husband makes amazing biscuits- not nearly as often as I would like, but when he decides to make biscuits, they are a work of art.  We are heading up to the mountains next weekend with friends, and Corby has said he will make biscuits.  I am excited.  I usually do not have a preference for flavor of biscuit, but I found this recipe for sour cream and chives biscuits that sounds pretty darn awesome, so maybe he will make these!!

Sour Cream and Chives Biscuits

Ingredients:

2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 cup dairy sour cream or 3/4 cup plain yogurt

1 tbsp dried snipped chives

Directions:

Heat oven to 450°. Mix all ingredients until dough form, beat 30 sec. Turn onto surface dusted with baking mix; gently roll in baking mix to coat. Shape into ball; knead 10 times. Roll 1/2 thick. Cut with 2″ cutter dipped in baking mix. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet until golden brown, 8-10 min. Makes 12 Biscuits. Sour Cream-n-Chives Drop Biscuits. After beating, drop dough by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown. 10-12 min.

Berry Breakfast Cobbler

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Walker and I have a morning routine that really never varies during the school week- I guess that is why they call it a routine.  I wake Walker up at 7- we get dressed, and he goes downstairs to fix breakfast while I make the beds.  Corby on the other hand, usually gets up around 6 and is doing work or reading the paper when we get downstairs.  Walker eats breakfast while I feed Nemo, our dog and let him out.  Then we leash up Nemo and go outside to the corner to wait for Walker’s carpool and Corby heads to work.  After everyone is out of the house, I get about 30 minutes to exercise. I do work out videos in our den. I love them.  I have a ridiculous collection of them.  Anyway, after I work out, I shower and then ride my bike to work.  Breakfast is usually whatever candy is at the front desk of the library which defeats the entire purpose or maybe is the entire purpose of working out- not sure which one.  So, I have been trying to find easy, slightly more healthy breakfast options than 8 Hershey Kisses.  This berry cobbler from www.allrecipes.com is super easy, quick and so delicious, and it is sweet enough for me not to go into sugar withdrawal after switching from candy.

Berry Breakfast Cobbler

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups mixed frozen berries

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 cinnamon stick, ground
2 tablespoons flax seeds, ground
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

Stir the berries and brown sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl; heat on High until the berries are hot, about 2 minutes, stirring once about 1 minute into the heating process. Stir the ground cinnamon, ground flax seeds, and coconut into the heated berries and serve.

 

Glazed Lemon Bread

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Now that it is finally getting warm out and hopefully staying that way, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than the taste of lemon.  For some reason to me, the taste of lemon always seems cool.  This is a great recipe for a glazed lemon bread which is really a dessert, but I think it is a treat any time- especially for breakfast.

Glazed Lemon Bread

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 1 9×5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the lemon peel. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.
Blend the flour mixture into the egg mixture, alternately with the milk; stir just to combine. Fold in the nuts; mixing just enough to evenly combine. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.
In a small bowl, dissolve 2 tablespoons sugar in the lemon juice. After loaf has cooled for 10 minutes, spoon glaze over loaf.

Grits and Hominy

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Growing up the words grits and hominy were interchangeable.  There was no difference between the two, and it has only been recently that I found out there actually was a difference.  It was actually brought up last night as a topic of conversation preceding dinner.  What is the difference between grits and hominy.  The answer is is actually only in the way they are ground.  Grits are made from hominy.  Hominy is a corn kernel removed from its hull, and grits are ground up hominy (either stone ground or commercially milled- obviously stone ground is the best).  No matter the answer, both are superb for breakfast or any time.  Here is my favorite sausage and grits recipe since I can’t eat shrimp.  But of course, if you are in Charleston, the best place for either of these is the Hominy Grill!!

Sausage and Grits

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
4 cups water
1 cup quick-cooking grits
4 ounces shredded Gouda cheese
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
3 eggs, beaten

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until the sausage is crumbly and lightly browned. Drain off the grease and place the sausage in a bowl. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Stir in the grits, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir constantly for 5 minutes until the grits are tender, or follow package directions.  Stir together the sausage, cheese, butter, hot pepper sauce, and eggs. Fold in the grits until combined, then spread into an ungreased, small casserole dish. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes.

A Weekend in Savannah

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We spent this past weekend in Savannah, GA.  Having never been there, I really didn’t know what to expect, and I was wonderfully surprised.  Of course I had heard Savannah was beautiful, but being from Charleston I am of course biased.  It really is a beautiful city.  We had perfect weather for walking around, and the squares were enchanting.  The first night, we wandered around until we found a great sidewalk restaurant where we could enjoy the weather and looking around.  It was called The Public and it was a great spot.  We then moseyed back to our hotel, The Bohemian and had a drink on their spectacular roof deck over looking the river.  The next day we explored the river front and then drove out to Tybee Island.  Tybee is a great old beach community, and we thoroughly enjoyed a late afternoon cocktail at the Tybee Island Social Club.  They bingo on Tuesday nights and I was very disappointed that it was not Tuesday.  That night we went to Local 11 Ten for dinner.  We started on their roof deck which was fantastic and then had an amazing dinner.  It was really amazing.  Sunday morning before driving home, we stopped at Goose Feathers Cafe for a quick breakfast.  I was still stuffed from the night before, but they had slices of coffee cake in the display that looked very interesting.  The woman told me they were made of pastry dough, a sweet cream filling and topped with cinnamon.  Of course, I got one, and it was so delicious.  I have now spent the better part of the day looking for some sort of recipe that even resembles what I had, and I can’t really find one.  There are tons of recipes for sour cream coffee cakes, but not many for sweet cream coffee cakes.  I did find one that comes from Taste of Home that I am going to try.  We will see if it comes close!

Cream Filled Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar, plus
1 teaspoon sugar, divided
1 tablespoon salt
1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (110 to 115)
5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour, divided
3 eggs, well-beaten

STREUSEL TOPPING

1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

CREAM FILLING

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup butter or 3/4 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Heat milk, butter 1/3 cup sugar and salt; stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Mix yeast, warm water and 1 teaspoon sugar; let stand 10 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups flour, milk mixture, yeast and eggs; beat until smooth. Add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 6-8 minutes. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning one to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours.Meanwhile, prepare topping. Combine sugars, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients; set aside. Punch dough down; divide in half. Pat or roll each half to fit a greased 9-in. cake pan. With a fork, pierce entire cake top. Divide topping and sprinkle over each cake. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. For filling, combine flour and milk in a saucepan; cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Cool. In a mixing bowl, cream remaining ingredients until well-mixed. Add flour mixture and beat until fluffy.  Cut each cake in half horizontally; spread each with half the filling.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Huguenot Torte

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The wedding is done, and we had a fantastic weekend!  And the cake turned out well which I could not have done without the help of my dear college friend Lance!!  Thanks to her secret icing recipe and talking me through some basics, it all came together!  She is a fantastic baker, and if you live in Vermont or even if you don’t, you should check out her stuff on her facebook page Takes The Cake Vermont.   The photographer took better pictures, but I don’t have those yet, so here is the one I took at my house before transporting the cake.  The food was wonderful, the weather turned out well despite a torrential storm and flood on Friday night.  The water outside of my parents house where we had the rehearsal party was mid calf deep when people were trying to leave.  It added some drama, but it was really funny to see everyone with their pants rolled up and shoes off trying to get to their cars.  We are not really going on a honeymoon, but we are going to Savannah this weekend for a quick get-a-way.  Shockingly, I have never been to Savannah despite living in Charleston, so I am really looking forward to it.  I did take this past Monday off from work to relax, and while sunning on the porch, I came across a recipe for Huguenot Torte in the South of Broad magazine.  I have not had this in so long, and I was so happy to see a recipe for it.  Such a traditional Charleston recipe and so delicious.

Huguenot Torte

Ingredients:

4 eggs
3 cups sugar
8 tablespoons flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped tart cooking apples
2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts
2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

Beat whole eggs in electric mixer or with a rotary beater until very frothy and lemon-colored. Add other ingredients in above order. Pour into two well-buttered baking pans about 8 x 12 inches. Bake in 325 degree oven about 45 minutes or until crusty and brown. To serve, scoop up with pancake turner (keeping crusty part on top), pile on large plate and cover with whipped cream and a sprinkling of the chopped nuts, or make 16 individual servings.