Column 21 of The Inspired Cook for the Van Zandt News
Serving breakfast foods any time of day
Good day, readers! Have you had breakfast yet, or are you eating it as you read the newspaper?
As for me, well, I’m a steadfast breakfast eater. During all the stages of my life, I have eaten breakfast nearly every single day.
With the primary function of breakfast being to reboot the metabolism by providing an energy source to fuel the body for its daily functions and activities, we can do so by eating a variety of different types of food. Some of the most popular breakfast foods consist of cold or hot cereals, biscuits, breads, meats, doughy cakes particularly pancakes and waffles, and potatoes, mostly fried home-styled and hash browns.
Of all of those breakfast foods listed, I must confess that I like all of them. In fact, I along with myriad Americans enjoy eating breakfast foods any time of day. I particularly am partial to eating breakfast meals at dinnertime, especially if I’m preparing the food. Two reasons for this include that mornings are too early for me to eat a big meal and I don’t have enough time to prepare some of the more labor-intensive dishes.
I’m sure many people can relate to these reasons. Actually, I believe that is why so many restaurant chains are now serving their breakfast menu items throughout the day.
To add to my bonanza of breakfast goodies, I’ve formulated some new dishes to share with you. Inspired by recipes of one of my favorite Food Network chefs, Nancy Fuller, I created my own version of spiced pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup.
As for my bacon-avocado-tomato crustless quiche or BAT quiche as I like to call it, my love of avocados inspired me to create it. By omitting the crust, I not only simplified its preparation but also eliminated many unwanted calories. And, who doesn’t want to reduce caloric intake whenever possible? Not I.
Spiced Pancakes with Homemade Blueberry Syrup
Syrup Ingredients:
1 (12.5-oz.) bottle Walmart Great Value Pure Maple syrup or 1 1/2 c. of preferred syrup
1 c. fresh blueberries, washed and patted dry
1/2 t. lemon juice, fresh or bottled
Pinch (1/16 t.) each of ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
Syrup Directions:
I recommend making the syrup first, allowing it to remain on the Warm setting of your cooktop. You may make it a day ahead and then reheat it while preparing the pancakes.
Place the syrup, lemon juice, spices, and half of the blueberries into a small saucepan. Using a potato masher or spoon, mash the berries to release their juices; stir. This will make the syrup more flavorful.
Add in the remainder of berries and place the pan over medium heat. Cook the mixture until it slightly thickens, about 15 minutes. When it’s done, place into a gravy boat, small pitcher, or bowl to serve.
Refrigerate any leftover syrup. Reheat it in the same manner.
Yield: about 2 cups
Pancakes Ingredients:
2 c. Flour
3 T. Sugar
1 3/4 t. Baking powder
1/2 t. each Ground cardamom, ground cinnamon, and finely ground sea salt
Dash (1/8 t.) ground nutmeg
Smidgen (1/32 t. or 1/4 of a dash) ground cloves
2 c. Organic coconut milk or preferred milk
2 Large eggs
3/4 t. Vanilla extract
3 T. Organic coconut oil
Cooking spray for griddle
Pancakes Directions:
Into a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil. Do not let it boil. Once it has melted, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool; set aside.
Heat an electric griddle to 350 degrees F. If using a stovetop griddle, heat it over medium heat.
Into a large mixing bowl, place the flour, sugar, baking powder, cardamom, and salt, stirring well to combine; set aside.
Into a medium-sized mixing bowl, place the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and cooled oil, whisking until thoroughly incorporated. Add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring to blend. The batter will be somewhat lumpy, so do not over-stir.
Once the griddle is hot, coat it with the cooking spray. Use a pancake dispenser to drop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the griddle. If you do not have a dispenser, coat a 1/4-cup measure or a ladle with cooking spray so that the batter will slide off easily.
After about 3 minutes of cooking time, bubbles will begin to appear on the pancakes. At this time, flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes or until done. To keep them warm while making multiple batches, put them onto a cookie sheet or baking pan and then place it into a preheated 250-degree oven until time to serve.
Remember to clean the griddle with paper towels between cooking batches of pancakes and reapply cooking spray each time.
Yield: about 6 servings
Bacon-Avocado-Tomato Crustless Quiche
Ingredients:
7 Large eggs
1/3 c. Half and half milk
1/4 t. each Seasoned salt and black pepper
7 slices Cooked bacon, crumbled
2/3 c. Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 c. Roma tomato, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 Hass avocado, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray; set aside.
Into a medium-sized mixing bowl, place the eggs, milk, salt, and black pepper, whisking well to thoroughly combine. Add the cheese and gently stir.
Scatter the tomatoes in a single layer onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Repeat with the bacon and then the avocado pieces. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan.
Make sure that the tomato, bacon, and avocado pieces are evenly distributed. Using a spoon or your finger, push down any pieces protruding above the surface of the egg mixture to submerge them so that they don’t over-cook.
Bake the quiche for 15 minutes. Rotate the dish and then bake for another 15 minutes or until it’s done in the center when tested with a toothpick. When it’s done, remove the pan to a rack and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Leftovers can be kept refrigerated for up to three days if covered and reheat very well. To reheat, cut the quiche into smaller slices, place on a greased pie plate covered with foil and bake in a 350-degree oven for about 15-18 minutes.
Yield: 4-6 servings
Note: I baked mine in a 10-inch Corningware® French White quiche pan simply because it has a plastic lid, which is perfect for storing leftovers. Because my pan was bigger in size, the cooking time was shortened. I cooked mine for 12 minutes, then rotated it, and baked it for another 11-12 minutes.