Cherry Fontina Grilled Cheese

Serve Cherry Fontina Grilled Cheese on french bread for an open face summer bite alongside cocktails.  You know Fontina is a great melting cheese in pasta dishes and grilled cheese sandwiches.  Did you know Fontina cheese has an affinity for cherries?  The cherries are flavored with lemon juice, lemon peel, black pepper and a little ground cinnamon.  This is a fun grilled appetizer during the summer and a warming simple treat straight out of the oven when the weather turns cool.

Cherry Fontina Grilled Cheese 
Serves 2 as an entree, 6-8 as appetizers

Ingredients
6 slices french bread
1 cup pitted bing cherries
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
6 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced

Method

1. Lightly brown your bread slices while preparing the cherry mixture.
2. Roughly chop cherries.  In a small bowl mix berries with lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt, cinnamon and black pepper.
3. Cover browned bread slices a heaping tablespoon of cherry mixture and top with cheese.  Leave a few extra cherries to garnish finished sandwiches.
4. Slide a trayful under the broiler or place them on tin foil on a hot grill.  Cover and let the cheese melt.
5. Top with reserved cherries.

This sandwich is approved for breakfast, main course, appetizer or dessert!

Extra Light Waffles

These special occasion waffles are light as air thanks to separating the egg yolks and egg whites for a little extra whip. The stiffly beaten egg whites are folded back into the waffle batter just before cooking.  We reserve these elegant waffles for special occasions and Easter, the egg king of holidays, is one of them.  They freeze well so if your next special occasion is a little too hectic for a leisurely breakfast prep, make them ahead.

Those are not jelly beans on our waffles; they're blueberries heated with a little maple syrup and jam. For breakfast add a little plain yogurt and if you are having these for dessert, some freshly prepared whipped cream is the topper of choice.

Extra Light Waffles
Yield: 8 large waffles

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups milk
3 eggs, separated
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups cake flour*
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sugar

Method
Use 2 large mixing bowls and one 2-cup liquid measuring cup to makes this recipe with ease.  

1. Measure out milk in the measuring cup.  Separate eggs and add yolks to measuring cup and whites to the first large bowl.  
2. Add melted butter to measuring cup and stir ingredients together with a fork.  Be sure the egg yolks break and are throughly mixed in.  
3. In second large bowl, combine cake flour with baking powder, salt and sugar.  Stir dry ingredients together well. 
4. Use a whisk to beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry.  If you have a hand mixer with a whisk attachment, use this but be careful not to over whisk.  
5. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture. Combine with a few swift strokes.  Do not over mix.  Batter will look pebbly.  
6. Turn on waffle iron so it preheats while you finish the batter.  Add egg whites to batter and fold into batter until barely blended.  It is OK if you see a few pockets of egg white.
7. Cook waffles according to your machines instructions.  Our round waffle iron cooks these waffles in a little over three minutes each.  We use about 3/4 of a cup of batter for each thick waffle. The batter is thick enough to puff up your waffle iron and will not drip out like a traditional thinner batter.  Experiment starting with 2/3 cup of batter and add more if you are able.  

*Cake flour is the other ingredient that makes these waffles light.  You can use regular cake flour if you do not have cake flour on hand.  Waffles will still taste amazing.

Egg Avocado Toast

 

It's hard to get more pure than a three ingredient breakfast like this.  A perfect fried or poached egg on whole grain toast with mashed avocado. Salt & pepper optional.

Spring forward!

Egg Avocado Toast
Serves 2, easily halved or doubled

Ingredients
2 slices whole grain toast
1 avocado, mashed
2 fried or poached eggs

Method

1. While bread toasts and eggs cook, mash a ripe avocado roughly with a fork.
2. Spoon a generous layer of avocado on warm toast.
3. Top with cooked egg.  Link here for a great tutorial on how to cook our "froached eggs."
4. Enjoy!

Baked Scotch Quail Eggs

A platter of Scotch Quail Eggs makes a convenient do-ahead football tailgate or fall brunch offering.

A Scotch Egg is a hard boiled egg wrapped in sausage meat.  A portable meal, they can be found throughout Europe as a fast lunch, snack or picnic food.  In the U.S. it is common to find them at English-themed pubs, served either hot with dipping sauces or at room temperature to accompany a beer.

Daylight Savings Time ends here next Saturday night. With the clocks being pushed back an hour, next Sunday is the best day of the year for a fall-back brunch.  Take that extra hour to enjoy a leisurely Sunday featuring graze Scotch Quail Eggs.

Scotch eggs are usually deep fried to cook the sausage but they can be baked.  Baking is far less messy but creates its own challenges.  We found that chicken eggs were a little too large to wrap and bake successfully.  The sausage meat slipped off the egg by the time the meat was cooked through and the amount of sausage needed for one egg was a larger snack than required.

Using quail eggs, about a quarter the size of a chicken egg, turned out to be the solution.  Their small size makes them easy to wrap and because they require less sausage, cook quickly enough to hold onto the inner hard boiled quail egg through the process.  I also prick a hole in the top, through the sausage layer, that lets steam escape and keeps the sausage sticking to the smooth egg.

Baked Scotch Quail Eggs
Yield: 8

8 quail eggs, hard boiled and peeled*
3/4 pound raw bulk sausage meat
2 cups bread crumbs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F
2. Cover a cutting board with wax or parchment paper to protect the board from raw meat. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with a thin layer of oil or spray oil.
3. Divide sausage into eighths.  Take a portion of sausage and spread it in a thin circle on board.  Lay egg in the middle and wrap sausage up around sides and top of egg.  Use your hands to form into a round ball.  It will look like a large meatball, about 2 inches in diameter.  
4. Repeat with remaining eggs and sausage.  
5. Spread breadcrumbs in a wide soup bowl or pie pan.  Roll each ball in the bread crumbs and place in the baking pan.  
6. Give the Scotch Quail Eggs a thin coat of oil.  This is easiest to do with a spray oil.
7. Use a skewer or toothpick to open a small hole in the top of each Scotch Egg.  This will prevent the inside from building up steam that could cause the sausage to slip off the egg. 
8. Bake at 375˚F for 30-35 minutes, until sausage is cooked through.  
9. Place cooked eggs on a paper towel to drain excess oil.  Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.  Eat within 3 days.

Serving suggesitons:
Serve with a mustard-spiked mayonnaise dip.
Cut in half to add to an appetizer platter.  Their small size makes a manageable mouthful.
Slice Baked Scotch Quail Eggs to nestle inside a warm roll for breakfast.

*To hard boil quail eggs, place eggs in a medium pan and add enough water to cover by an inch.  Bring the water to a boil then remove from the heat and cover the pot for 10 minutes.  After 10 minutes, drain and add cold water to stop the cooking process.  Peel eggs immediately.  Their skins are very thin and will be easier to peel right away.  Be patient, they are more delicate than chicken eggs.  Do not be surprised by the greenish-blue color under their shells.  This is the inner membrane and commonly has a blueish tint. 

What else can we wrap in sausage? ¡Scotch Jalepeños!
Cream Cheese-Stuffed Jalepeños can be baked alongside Scotch Quail Eggs.  Allow these to cool completely so that the cream cheese is firm when sliced.  Or enjoy an oozing Scotch Jalepeño. 
Core seeds and membrane using a grapefruit knife. Tin foil allows you to bake the whole pepper without tearing.  Peel the blistered skin after baking at a high temperature, 400˚F, turning the pepper once or twice. 

Sausage sticks to a peeled jalepeño better than an unpeeled one.  An uncooked pepper will not cook further once wrapped in sausage.  Use a plastic sandwich bag to squirt cream cheese or any filling into the pepper.

Farmers Market Nectarines

Nectarines are overflowing their baskets at farmers' markets and its hard to resist this true taste of summer as the days grow shorter.  With an abundance of ripe fruit in the house we needed something fast that would compliment stone fruits at their peak.  Try this for breakfast or a snack-- sliced nectarines with good quality ricotta cheese drizzled with honey.  Whole grain bread goes with the ensemble perfectly.

If you have fresh basil in your garden, add a sprig to your breakfast plate.  Basil loves nectarines and so will you.

Good Morning California! Croissant Avocado French Toast

California cousins inspired this Good Morning California! Croissant Avocado French Toast filled with savory ingredients including bacon, cheddar cheese and fresh summer tomatoes.  Slices of avocado as garnish signal the west coast nod.  Thanks to croissants being available in most supermarkets, you can make this simple baked french toast on either coast.

It's summertime and no one wants the kitchen to get too hot so we baked this pie-plate recipe in a toaster oven.  The dish serves two to four people so if you are making this for a brunch crowd, bake three of four using a regular oven. 

As with most baked bread puddings and quiches, this very likely keeps well and can be reheated or served room temperature with a side salad.  Sadly, we have no leftovers remaining to help us test the theory.

Good Morning California! Croissant French Toast
Serves 2-4

Ingredients 
2 large croissants, split horizontally
1 teaspoon vegetable oil to oil pie plate
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper
3 slices cooked bacon
1 ounce shredded cheddar cheese (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 sliced tomato
1/2 avocado

Method

1. Toast split croissants on lightest setting to help dry out the centers.
2. Meanwhile, oil 9" pie plate. 
3. Preheat oven to 325˚F.
4. Lay toasted croissants, face up, in pie plate.  
5. Mix together eggs, milk, sat & pepper.  Pour over croissants.  Use a fork to ensure egg custard mixture moistens all crevices of bread.  Let dish sit at least 15 minutes (covered and refrigerated overnight is OK too).
6. Break apart bacon and tuck in between croissants.  Lay tomato sliced in a nice pattern as top layer.  
7. Bake dish for 20-30 minutes at 325˚F until egg custard is slightly puffed and beginning to brown on top.  Check the center with a knife to ensure that the egg custard has cooked through.  
8. Let rest five minutes.  While dish is resting top with avocado slices. 

Baked Maple French Toast for a Crowd

This method of baking french toast yields a platterful of breakfast that is delicate and moist on the inside and, thanks to the maple-butter bottom, crsip with caramalization on the outside.

The key to great french toast, whether cooked on the griddle or in the oven is to allow the bread enough time to soak up the tasty custard.   By pricking the bread with a fork and letting it sit an hour before baking, you will get a fully soaked bread that will puff up to a perfect french toast in the oven. It pays to use day old bread as well.

Baked Maple French Toast for a Crowd

Serves 6, recipe doubles easily

Ingredients
½ loaf challah bread, cut in ¾ inch slices
4oz (½ stick) salted butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Method

1. Use the largest baking pan you have with sides.  Fit as many slices of bread as possible in one layer in pan—cut bread as needed to fit any open spaces.  Remove bread and set aside.  
2. Melt butter and mix in maple syrup.  Pour into bottom of baking pan and spread with a spoon to cover into the corners.  
3. Lay bread slices back into pan.  Fill in any gaps with small pieces of remaining bread. Use fork tines to prick bread so that it will absorb custard quickly and completely. 
4. Make custard: Mix eggs with remaining ingredients.   Pour over bread.  Tilt pan to ensure all the bread is soaked.  Add more milk if more liquid is needed to cover bread.  
5. Set aside 1 hour to allow bread to become completely soaked (or leave overnight). 
6. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400˚F.   Bake 20-25 minutes until toast begins to puff and top is starting to brown.  Allow French toast to cool a few minutes before cutting into to serve.  Bread slices will also pull apart.  

You may cool the French toast completely then pull apart or cut in squares and freeze to reheat individual servings.  To reheat, microwave a frozen piece for 30 seconds then heat in a 325˚F oven for 10 minutes on a small baking sheet to recrisp.

The Light Big Breakfast: Ground Turkey and Egg Tostada

Can breakfast be substantial and still feel light?  If you have an important morning ahead of you or want to serve something a little more exciting for a Sunday breakfast, a tostada is an easy option that doesn't take much more talent or effort than scrabbled eggs.

That's because the recipe is made with eggs stirred into cooked ground turkey.  The turkeu is lightly seasoned but you can up the heat easily with extra jalepeños and hot sauce.  To mimic the flavor of chorizo sausage, add a pinch of smoked parpika with the other spices. 

The recipe is flexible and invites variation based on what you have in your kitchen.  The lightness come from ricotta cheese folde into the eggs and ground turkey but if you don’t have ricotta in the house, you can use another soft fresh cheese like cream cheese, goat cheese, queso fresco or even cottage cheese. 

I like corn tortillas but if flour ones are your favorite, that’s fine too.  This dish is even good without the tortilla for those cutting back on carbs.  Use the recipe as a launching off point and you won't go hungry.

Ground Turkey & Egg Tostada

Ingredients for one:
¼ lb. lean ground turkey
¼ jalapeño, diced (seeds removed)
1 egg
2 T ricotta cheese (or other fresh soft cheese like farmers cheese)
Pinch cumin, coriander, marjoram
Salt & pepper to taste
1 corn tortilla (toasted or fried)
Toppings: extra cheese (grated cheddar, jack), sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce or salsa

Ingredients to serve four:
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 jalapeño, diced (seeds removed)
4 eggs
½ cup ricotta cheese
½ teaspoon each cumin, coriander, marjoram
Salt & pepper to taste
4 corn tortillas (toasted or fried)
Toppings: extra cheese (grated cheddar, jack), sliced avocado, fresh cilantro, sour cream, hot sauce or salsa

Method

1. Brown the turkey over medium heat.  Whne cooked thoroughly, drain any fat.  
2. Add diced jalapeños and spices. Cook for a minute more.  
3. Meanwhile crack egg/s into a small bowl and scramble with a fork.  Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Pour eggs over hot turkey in sauté pan.  Lower heat and stir to start cooking eggs.  Top with ricotta cheese by small spoonfuls.  
5. Use a spatula as the eggs begin to solidify to turn the egg-turkey mixture and incorporate the cheese.  Do not mix the cheese in completely.  When eggs are set but still soft, cut portions with a spatula and slide onto warm tortillas.  
6. Top with your favorite add-ons.

Good enough-- and fast enough- to be dinner too.

Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine

The most important part of this refreshing New Year's Day terrine is that you make it a day ahead so it is ready no matter what time you get up. 

Cool on the tongue and not too sweet, the terrine consists of closely placed layers of red grapfruit and orange slices held together with a nearly transparent gelatin made from the  residual juice from the fruit and a little sparkling wine.  We used Cava,  Spain's contribution to the genre, which is a great value among the sparklers.  You could also use Proseco or even ginger ale.

This is technically a jello mold but because the cirus fruit is packed so closely, you may not be aware of anything but the bright citrus flavor in an easy to eat form. Answer the call of retro with the abstract appeal of this Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine.

If you do not have a small terrine, pick up small disposable foil loaf pans at the supermarket.  They are sold in packs of 3-4 and can be reused for mini-meat loaves.   You can also make this recipe in several 1/2 cup ramekins for individual servings. 

How to Supreme Citrus
This recipe calls for 'supreming' the oranges and grapefruit which is a fancy way of saying cut away the bitter mebrane of citrus slices. This technique allows you to have slices of citrus without the bitterness that comes form the membrane and pith.  It also gathers the juice of the fruit.  If you have never supremed, check out a video to see the technique in action.  It is easier than it looks and you will get the hang of it with one or two tries.  Don't worry if your slices are not perfect.  This is a very forgiving recipe and your slices will still look great in the terrine.

To supreme fruit, use a sharp knife to cut away the pith and peel of fruit.  Over a wide bowl, hold the fruit in your non-dominant hand and carefully cut away a slice along the membrane.  The fruit will come away from the membrane quite easily.  Go all the way around the fruit until all the slices are removed.  Squeeze the remaining membrane into a bowl to collect the juice. Discard the membrane.


Red Grapefruit Cava Terrine
Yield: One 6-8 inch terrine (serves 4-6)

Ingredients
3 red grapfruits
2 oranges
1/3 cup citrus juice (reserved from sliced fruit)
1 1/2 teaspoons plain gelatin (powdered)
1/3 cup cava
optional: 1 tablespoon orange liquor, like Grand Marnier
3 tablespoons sugar
optinal: garnish: chopped cranberries, fresh mont leaves, thin citrus slices

Method

1. Supreme the citrus fruit, reserving juice.You should have 1 1/2 cups fruit and 1/3 cup or more of juice.  
2. In a small cup, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons of juice and set aside for five minutes while you heat the remaining liquids plus the sugar in a small pot over medium heat.  
3. When the Cava mixture begins to boil, lower the heat to simmer and stir in the gelatin mixture which should be a loose solid by now.  Stir until the gelatin completely dissolves, them remove it from the heat.  
4. Lay a few slices of citrus on the bottom of the terrine.  You can add decorations at this point, remembering that the bottom layer will form the top of the terrine.  We used some finely chopped cranberries on out terrine.  Other ideas include fresh mint leaves, edible flowers or thin slices of orange or tangerine.
5. Pour some Cava gelatin on the fruit, just up to the level of the fruit.  Place another layer of citrus on top of the first and pour more Cava gelatin to the level of the fruit.  Repeat this process until you use all your fruit or come to the rim of the terrine.  We had a little extra and made grapefruit-gelatin cups in small ramekins.  
6. Make sure the gelatin is evenly distriuted by gently pressing on the top of the terinne in a few spots.  Place the terrine on a plate or rimmed pan, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at leat 6 hours.
7. When you are ready to serve the terrine. place the mold in a vessel with hot water for about 30 seconds to help loosen the sides.  Slide a butter knife along the inside to release the gelatin from the mold.  Place a platter on top of the terrine and flip it over.  The mold should cooperate and slide out neatly.  If it does not, place the mold back in hot water for another 15-20 seconds and give it another try. 

The terrine can be sliced with a serrated knife or scooped out with a wide spoon. 

Happy New Year!

Froached Eggs

A perfect "froached egg" with crispy potato dippers.

We like fried eggs.  We like poached eggs too.  An easy technique that actually speeds the time needed to make eggs results in our newly christened "froached eggs."

While I am interested in ingredients, my husband often contributes to flavor in the kitchen via technique.  Small changes that can have a big impact in the enjoyment of a dish.  He carefully observes nuances as food is transformed from raw to cooked, potential to kinetic energy.

How to preserve the delicate texture of the egg white holding its yolk and still get a crisp edge of delicious burnt butter?  Will an additional granule or two of salt hit the mark perfectly?  What is the best way to reheat baked chicken breasts in less than five minutes but still keep them tender?  What is the ideal temperature for chocolate cake and how long will it take if previously refrigerated then left at room temperature; will microwaving ruin it by melting the frosting too fast?...

Back to our eggs:
The pan makes a difference to well cooked eggs in obsessed households.  Ours is only used for eggs and only utensils made with rubber or silicone are permitted near the cooking surface.  Other skillets handle reheats and stir-fries.  After much experimentation and research, we agreed with America's Test Kitchen and chose the affordable TFal Professional.  We like the 8 inch one that can handle small batches.

So what's the big secret technique?  Steam boosting.  Here's how it works:

Froached Egg
You will need 1 egg, 1 teaspoon butter, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon water

Method

1. Heat your pan to medium heat. 
2. Add 1 teaspoon butter. When the butter sizzles, indicating it is giving up the water in the butter, crack open an egg onto the hot pan.  
3. Salt and pepper your egg to taste.
4. When you see the edge of the egg crisping, add a teaspoon of water around the egg's edge and cover.  
5. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, another minute, until yolk is slightly opaque and the texture is as you like.  We like it  in the "very or just a little" runny range.

A simple modification to the good old “Fried Egg”.
Note to food historians: You have found it; the first written reference to a froached egg, named here in this very house. 

Blueberries for Breakfast

This summer we uncovered a number of struggling blueberry bushes out back.  After clearing away the vines and other plants strangling them, we found one that was producing berries.  We are hoping the others bear fruit next year now that they have been unburdened of their shackles. 



It takes a while to hand pick enough berries for a cobbler or crisp.  Wild berries are much smaller than cultivated.  Though the bush had many berries, the degrees of ripeness varied wildly.  The same stem held a blue gem, a scarlet comer and several green newborns.   It was clear that it would take three or four rounds of picking to get the most out of our new find.  Once we came back with a little under a cup of berries, usually far less. 

With just a few berries, we settled on a quick breakfast treat to get the most out of our foraged berries.  We served up pre-made waffles, yogurt and berries quickly poached in pure maple syrup to make a purple syrup with lovely warm blueberries poking out.  Wild berries can be more tart than store-bought and the maple syrup strikes a natural balance of real fruit with tree sap sugars. 

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Ingredients
Blueberries
Maple Syrup - enough to just cover berries

Method:

1. Rinse blueberries, pick out stems.  
2. Place berries in a microwave safe bowl and barely cover with maple syrup.  
3. Heat on high in the microwave for 10-12 seconds.   
4. Serve over waffles, pancakes, french toast with a little yogurt or butter.  

Strawberry Cream Cheese Panini

My mother used to make us cream cheese and strawberry jam sandwiches.   Made with tightly crumbed white bread, with the crusts cut off and perfectly square,  they added elegance to any child's tea party.  All grown up and more rustic, these strawberry and cream cheese panini provide the same flavorful delight plus a little whiff of spring during March's slow melt into sunnier days.

The filling in our panini is made with frozen strawberries that have been defrosted and macerated with a little lemon juice and cinnamon. Be sure to look for unsweetened strawberries.  You can always add a little sugar or honey if your strawberries are not as sweet as you'd like.  If you are seeing fresh strawberries that have some flavor, go ahead and use those.  The cream cheese is flavored with lemon zest.  A good quality (or homemade) strawberry jam is the only other essential ingredient.

For the bread, use a fairly plain loaf that will not compete with the filling.  Sliced plain white bread is fine and so is brioche, challah, a country loaf or french bread sliced on the diagonal.

We think of these as a daytime snack or breakfast fare, but if you are serving them after dinner try blending a little liquor into the cream cheese or the jam.  If you have some Chambord, creme de cassis or Grand Marnier you can highlight the fruit notes in the sandwich or try something more unusual but complimentary like Drambuie or Amaretto.  You won't need much, just a teaspoon or two.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Panini
Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients
3 ounces cream cheese
1 lemon
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
pinch cinnamon
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4 slices bread
1 tablespoon butter (if using skillet method or panini press allows)

Method

1. Place cream cheese in a small bowl.  Zest the lemon and mix into the cream cheese.  Set aside. 
2. Defrost strawberries and give them a rough chop. (You can defrost strawberries quickly in a microwave.  Use half power for 2-3 minutes.)  
3. Mix in juice of quarter of the lemon (about 2 teaspoons) and a good pinch of cinnamon.  Set aside while you prepare the bread slices.  
4. If you are using a panini press, preheat it now.

If using a pannini press, follow manufacturer's directions for oiling or not oiling the surface of the bread....

• Slice the defrosted strawberries and taste one.  Sprinkle a teeny, tiny amount of sugar on them if needed.  Set aside while you prepare the bread. 
• Spread some good quality strawberry jam on one side; the flavored cream cheese on the other.  Spoon the sliced strawberries over the jam side and cover with the cream cheese side.    
• Place the cream cheese side down and close the press. Most will beep when the pannini is ready.  Remove and cut in half or in quarters to serve. 

If using a skillet....

• Place the pan over medium heat. Slice the defrosted strawberries and taste one.  Sprinkle a teeny, tiny amount of sugar on them if needed.  Set aside while you prepare the bread. 
• Spread some good quality strawberry jam on one side; the flavored cream cheese on the other.  Spoon the sliced strawberries over the jam side and cover with the cream cheese side.  
• Brush the top with some melted or softened butter.  Place the cream cheese (buttered) side down and cook until browned on that side.  
• Lightly butter the top (jam side) while the flip side grills.  Flip and cook until browned on the jam side.  Remove and cut in half or in quarters and enjoy. 

Serving suggestion: These really are terrific on their own but if you know someone who loves chocolate, a little bowl of melted dark chocoalte or warm ganache can be served along side for dipping or drizzling.

Fried Chicken Tenders and a Buttermilk Smoothie

Buttermilk Smoothie
This one is 1 cup buttermilk, ½ banana, ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), ¼ teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon.  Puree in the blender and enjoy.  This is a pure and simple way to get buttermilk, a fermented food into your digestive system today. 

Recipes using buttermilk, especially cake recipes, often use just a ½ or ¾ of a cup yet buttermilk is most often sold in quart containers.  Having a few easy recipes like a smoothie or Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders to use up this valuable food item will make buttermilk a more frequent staple in your refrigerator. 

Using chicken tenders is what makes this buttermilk fried chicken dinner easy to make.  The thin strips of chicken brown quickly. Placing the fried tenders in the oven to finish also keeps the fuss to a minimum.  Serve the chicken over a salad of sturdy lettuce like iceberg or romaine.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing (recipe below).

If you have the time, prep the buttermilk marinade  .a few hours ahead and let the chicken strips soak and tenderize.   When you are ready to cook, you can start at the flour dredging stage.  If you have less time, let the pieces soak for about 15 minutes before flouring. 

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons hot sauce*
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
Optional: dash or two of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders (or boneless chicken breasts cut into strips)
1 cup flour
¼ cup corn starch
¼ teaspoon each salt, pepper, paprika
½  cup canola or grape seed oil for frying

*These are spicy.  If you want a less hot version, omit the hot sauce and use ½ teaspoon each paprika and dried dill weed.

Method

1. In a re-sealable plastic bag,  mix together buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, black pepper and cayenne, if using.  Place chicken tenders in bag and refrigerated at least 15 minutes, preferably a few hours.  
2. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 400˚F degrees.  
3. Mix together in a shallow bowl the flour, corn starch salt, pepper and paprika.  
4. Turn on the stove’s exhaust fan.  Pour the oil into a deep skillet and heat on medium-high until it reaches 375˚K.   
5. Dip 5-6 soaked chicken tenders in flour mixture and carefully lay in hot oil.  Do not crowd your pan (a pound and a half of tenders should take 3-4 batches).  
6. Turn chicken tenders after 2 minutes or when lightly browned.  Fry another 2 minutes and place on a baking sheet.  
7. Put baking sheet in the oven while you fry the next batch.   Bake chicken in oven about 6-8 minutes, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.  

Serve over a chopped salad.  Drizzle with buttermilk dressing.

Variation
Buttermilk-soaked chicken can be grilled or baked too.  Just wipe away some of the marinade and cook as your recipe directs

Pure Buttermilk Salad Dressing
This dressing uses fresh herbs for a bright taste.  If you are using dried herbs, measure 1/3 the amount (1 teaspoon dried for every 1 tablespoon fresh) and be sure to allow the mixture to rest at least ½ hour for the dried herbs to hydrate and flavor the dressing.

½ cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

More Buttermilk Ideas
The easiest ways to use up buttermilk is to swap it for milk in recipes:

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
Substitute all or half the milk in mashed potatoes with buttermilk. Or use half buttermilk and ½ low sodium canned chicken broth. 

Buttermilk Biscuits
Swap out all or part of the milk in any mix or recipe from scratch for biscuits.  This works for any fruit cobbler recipe too. 

Buttermilk Pancakes
Again, you can use buttermilk for all or part of the milk. 

Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties

Snow bound but the power is still on.  On days like these, shovelers and snowblower drivers deserve a really good second breakfast when they make it to the end of the driveway and back.  Easy to make, homemade Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties are the answer.  They are good on their own, next to some eggs or, my favorite, topping a piece of toast slathered with cream cheese.  (I earned my chicken sausage patty shoveling the back porch.)

This mixture, like all fresh sausage recipes, likes to sit overnight before forming patties and cooking but is fine to mix up before you head outside and cook up quickly after the snow moving work is over.  There are generally two types of chicken sausage – lean and regular. For these, I use regular which is a mixture of breast and thigh meat.  It yields a moist, rich flavor assisted by the grated apple and a light touch of maple syrup in the recipe.  You can use a lean ground chicken mixture for this as well. If so, add a little more apple tot he recipe to prevent it from getting dry when cooked. 

Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties
Yield: 9-10 patties

1 pound ground chicken
½ peel and grated apple
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seed
¼ teaspoon paprika
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

To make sausage patties:

1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together.  Use a fork or your clean fingers to ensure spices are well distributed.  
2. Test mixture for seasoning. Form a small meatball with a teaspoon and place in a small bowl or ramekin with a few teaspoons of water.  
3. Microwave for 30 seconds to cook through.  Allow to cool before sampling.  Taste for sweet, salt and spice.  If you like your sausage spicier add more black pepper or a pinch of cayenne. Adjust with a light touch; herbs and spices will be more flavorful when they are fully absorbed into the meat after resting. 
4. Cover bowl and refrigerate an hour or overnight.  
5. Form small patties (about 2 inches across) and cook as directed below. 

To cook sausage patties:

1. Lightly oil a skillet and heat to medium-high.  
2. Place patties on skillet in tow batches.  Cook on first side 3 minutes.  
3. Turn patties and cover pan.  Cook an additional 2 minutes and check temperature (should read at least 165˚F) and have no trace of pink.  
4. Remove patties to a paper towel lined plate and cook remaining patties in the same manner. 

Did I say the snow clearing is over?  I meant we are resting.  Good thing there are more chicken sausages.  Five more inches expected today.  Chicken-Apple Breakfast Sausage Patties freeze well for the next storm and reheat easily in the microwave (no need to defrost).  If it ever stops snowing, this is pure quick breakfast component.  Store cooked patties in the freezer.  Microwave and wrap in a roll or tortilla before heading out the door. 

Breakfast Apple Pie

Your homemade apple pie probably has less sugar and purer ingredients than any toaster pastry or even cereal.  Here is ours with a dollop of cranberry relish on the side. 

Use pie filling to make breakfast yogurt parfaits too.  In a clear glass layer apple or pumpkin filling with yogurt and alternate with crumbled pie crust or struesel toppings, toasted nuts and cranberry sauce. 

Thanksgiving Morning Dried Fruit Compote

With a big feast on the way, breakfast on Thanksgiving day needs to be simple and use minimal kitchen space.  But the first meal must still have some substance and a little something special to mark the day too. 

A batch of dried fruit compote made a few days ahead can be set out to accompany simple fare like oatmeal, granola, toast and quick breads.  It can even be spooned over yogurt.  Stir in baked apples or pears (also prepared a day or two ahead) to extend the meal.  

Our version is all golden to celebrate colors of fall and garnished with crystallized ginger for a bit of sparkle.  You can mix and match the dried fruits you like best.  The key to the dish is to rehydrate the whole dried fruits to plump pillows of sweetness.  A sweet liquor forms as you cook down the juices with the fruit sugars.  We use a cider base with a little rum.  You can substitute brandy or calvados or use all fruit juice.  (Thin the cider with a bit of apple or orange juice if going virgin.)

Rum & Cider Fall Fruit Compote
Makes 2 cups

Ingredients
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup dried calmyra figs (the yellow ones)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup cider
1/4 cup water
1/4 cum rum
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
optional garnish: slivers of crystallized ginger

Method

1. Combine all ingredients together in a small, heavy bottomed pot with a lid.  
2. Bring to a boil, them turn the heat to very low and cover.  Simmer covered for 30 minutes checking every 5 minutes to stir.  If the liquid evaporates to quickly, add more water and lower the heat to the lowest setting.
3. During last 10 minutes, remove top and keep an eye on the pot.  Fruit is ready when plump and about the size of their fresh versions.  (They will be slightly flatter.) Continue cooking on low another 10 minutes if your fruit is very dry and needs extra hydration time.
4. Let fruit cool in the pot.  Transfer to a seal-able container.   Store in the refrigerator.    
5. To rehear, warm in a microwave on half power.  Garnish with crystallized ginger just before serving.  

Variation: Add fresh baked fruits like chopped apples or pears tot he mixture. 

It's Fall Back Brunch Time Again

It’s that weekend when the clocks are turned back and somehow you get an extra hour.   No one in the household knows whether its time for breakfast or lunch. It is the perfect Sunday for an impromptu brunch. 

With the extra time, you can leisurely put together a waffle batter while you sip on some tea or coffee.  Fluffy waffles topped with fruit, syrup, compound butters or yogurt and fortified with a slice of bacon or a sausage patty are easier than you'd think, especially if everyone dresses their own.  

Since it is autumn, try some buckwheat waffles.  They may look like hearty wholewheat health fare, but this surprisingly soft flour creates a mild cake that takes any topping beautifully.  It's fun to have a little waffle toppings bar set out as the waffles pop off the iron.

I learned to make buckwheat waffles after experimenting with buckwheat crepes.  The crepe recipe requires a bit of regular flour but the waffles are 100% buckwheat flour.  This recipe is adapted from the excellent Simply Recipes version that also uses an all buckwheat flour base.

I use 3 eggs instead of their suggested '2 eggs plus extra egg whites.' The additional yolk adds extra moistness and tenderness and 3 whites are plenty to help with the waffles' stability and structure.  Also, the original recipe uses butter which can result in a heavier waffle.  I use vegetable oil instead of butter but you can use half and half.   

A really fun topping to put out with these waffles is an 'all in one' butter made with maple syrup and fruit, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter.  Fresh cranberries are in grocery stores (and on sale) right now and they are easy to rinse and cook down with maple syrup and a touch of cinnamon.  Folded into softened butter, this waffle butter keeps well in the fridge for a week and is good on toast too. (See below for more interesting uses.)

If you are up really early and want to get a jump on the morning, make the waffles and keep them in a preheated oven (under 200˚F) on a flat cookie sheet lightly covered with foil.  They freeze well too.  Place sheet of wax paper between each and store in a resealable freezer bag.

Buckwheat Waffles with Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter

Makes 8 waffles

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour

baking powder

baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch salt

1 cup yogurt

1 cup milk

3 eggs, seperated

1/2 cup vegetable oil (canola, for example)

1-2 tablespoons sugar

 

Method

1. Combine dry ingredients (buckwheat flour through salt) in a medium bowl.
2. Combine yogurt, milk egg yolks and oil in a small bowl or pitcher.  Stir to break up the egg yolks.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy.  Sprinkle on sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form.  (This small amount of egg whites can be whipped quickly and easily with a whisk but you can also use a hand mixer.)
4. Pour the yogurt milk mixture into dry ingredients and combine so that all ingredients are moistened.  
5. Stir into the batter a large spoonful of egg whites.  This will lighten the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the egg whites trying to pour down one side of the bowl so that most of the egg whites remain puffy.  Using a rubber spatula or large spoon, fold the egg whites into the batter by drawing the spatula through the mixture and pulling batter and egg whites up from the bottom.  When the egg wites are nicely incorporated into the batter, you are ready to eat the waffle iron. 
7. Waffle irons very in size.  Follow the manufacturers instructions on preheating.  Place a little cooking oil or spray oil on the cooking surface and pour about 1/2- 2/3 cup batter onto iron. 
8. Close and  cook about 3 minutes (more or less depending on your appliance, ours likes 3 minutes).
9. Use a rubber spatula to help lift the waffle from the iron onto a waiting plate or a platter (that can go in a low oven to keep the waffles warm). 

Serve with your favorite topping including our new favorite, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter.  This lightly sweetened fruit butter goes beautifully on waffles and pancakes.  If you have any leftovers, try a spoonful with roasted acorn squash.  Good on turkey or roast pork sandwiches too.

Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter

Makes 2/3 cup

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons softened butter

Method

1. Pick over cranberries and discard any soft berries and stems.
2. Place cranberries and water in a small, heavy-bottomed pot and cook over medium heat until berries burst and water is almost cooked out.  As the berries break down, they will release their pectin and create a thick sauce.  
3. Lower heat and add maple syrup and cinnamon.  Cook 1-2 minutes more until the jewel red sauce is quite thick.  Remove pot from the heat and allow cranberry mixture to cool. (Hint: you have just made a simple cranberry sauce from scratch).
4. When the sauce is room temperature, whip the softened butter - 1 tablespoon at a time- intot he mixture. 
5. Serve immediately or store in a covered bowl.  When chilled, Maple Cinnamon Cranberry Butter will harden.  It can be rolled and sliced for serving.

Figs, So Simple

It's hard to beat the perfection of fresh figs over plain, whole milk yogurt.  Indulge while figs are in season. Today, no recipe; just cut the figs in slices or quarters. 

Perfect little 4pm snack, breakfast treat, late night dessert too.  No need to add honey even; the sweetness is inside each fig. 

Corn Muffins with Grapes

We do not all feel harvest time in the same way that our grandparents did.  Then, even city-dwellers were aware of when certain foods were at their peak and ready for market.  We see grapes all year these days but some varieties, like red grapes from our northern hemisphere, are abundant now.  It's nice to acknowledge the harvest season and nicer still when you can make something easy and pure. 

These corn muffins with grapes are a fun school lunch or after-school treat.  Adults really like the grape surprise inside too.  Simply take your favorite corn muffin recipe (or the one below) and drop a few grapes into each muffin tin before baking. 

This recipe was inspired by Harvest Grape Breads, a wonderful slightly sweet flat bread or focaccia from Tuscany. After looking around at Harvest Grape Bread recipes, I found a Harvest Cake made with grapes, olive oil and semolina.  Thus was born an original recipe for corn muffins with grapes.  In the recipe below, you may substitute olive oil for up to half of the butter. 

Corn Muffins with Grapes
Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup red seedless grapes (about 40 grapes) washed and dried

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Grease a regular sized muffin pan (12 muffins) with vegetable oil or spray.
3. Melt butter in microwave or small pot over low heat.
4. While butter melts combine cornmeal, flour and salt in a small bowl. 
5. Stir melted butter and sugar together in a medium bowl.
6. Add eggs and beat until well blended. 
7. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture sugar mixture.
8. Stir in cornmeal mixture until well blended and few lumps remain. 
9. Scoop batter into the prepared muffin pan.
10. Press a few grapes into the tops of each muffin.  (Batter will rise up around grapes.
11. Bake at 375˚F for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center muffin comes away clean.

Plum Tartlets

These are the fastest tarts ever and since they are not too sweet, you can have them for breakfast topped with yogurt.  My favorite eating plums are the black plums that have just about peaked.  For tarts, I use prune plums which are coming into season now.  They are smaller, very easy to pit and hold their shape nicely when baked. 

My recipe uses squares of purchased puff pastry.  You can make your own or use regular pie dough instead.  The tarlets are baked in regular-sized muffin pans to create their small uniform size. 

They freeze really well and reheat quickly in a hot oven-- no need to defrost.  Also good travelers for the last picnics of the summer.

Plum Tartlets
Makes 12-14 tartlets

Ingredients
1 pound prune plums
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons jam (fig or your favorite flavor)
2-3 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
dash salt
2 teaspoons corn starch dissolved in 1 ounce cold water
1 sheet puff pastry (about 12" X 12")
2 tablespoons grounds almonds (or fresh breadcrumbs)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375˚F.  Chill a regular 12-muffin pan in the refrigerator.  
2. Prepare plum filling. Halve each plum and remove pit.  Cut plum halves in thirds and place in a medium pot with a heavy bottom.
3. Add brown sugar, cinnamon, jam and water.  Cook plum mixture over medium-low heat and stir as needed to prevent sticking.  Cook unitl plums are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8 minutes.
4. Lower heat and add cornstarch dissolved in water and vanilla or almond extract.  Cook another 2 minutes.  Add a touch of salt. 
5.  Remove from heat and taste. Add a bit more sugar if your plums are not very sweet. 
6. Pour plums into a bowl to cool while you prepare pastry cups. 
7. Place puff pastry on a lightly floured board.  Using a rolling pin, roll out puff pastry to create a large square, a little over 12" X 12" inches.  Larger is fine.  
8. Using a non-serrated knife or pizza cutter, cut puff pastry into 12-16 squares.  (If you cut 16 squares, you will have leftover for more tarts or can form the remainder into a mini-tart (see photo below).
9. Press each square into the chilled muffin pan.  Spoon about 2 tablespoons plum mixture into each pastry. 
10. Bake at 375˚F for 18-20 minutes until edges of pastry are lightly browned and crisp.
11. Remove muffin pan from oven and let pastry rest 2-3 minutes.  Then, remove each tartlet to a wire cooling rack.  If fruit has spilled over and tarts are sticking to pan, place them back in the warm oven for a few minutes to help loosen.