Confessions of a Foodie

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Thursday, December 28, 2023

Breakfast

When I was growing up (more years ago than seems possible), two of my friends - a brother and sister - lived next door. They were the oldest of four kids, and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging around with them. Frequently, when my mother was fixing dinner, I'd wander over to Robbie and Audrey's place to see what they were doing.

At one point, I noticed that on Thursday evenings (the last night before pay-day for most families in our neighborhood), their mother would have the four kids at the table, wolfing down cereal, pancakes, French toast, or other breakfast foods for dinner. If it was a cereal night, all the remaining cereal boxes from the previous shopping trip would be on the table, along with a gallon of milk, happy slurping noises coming from the table.

"Eat up!" their mother would admonish. "We'll get more cereal tomorrow, so you guys can finish those boxes up."

I so envied them. "Why can't we have cereal (or pancakes or French toast) for dinner?" I'd ask my mom. This, of course, was especially true whenever she was making that dreaded of meals, liver and onions.

"Those are breakfast things," Mom would explain, as though to a slow child.

Mom, with my younger brother, circa early 1960s



No matter. Since moving out on my own, and starting my own family (who are now grown), I occasionally made breakfast for dinner. There's nothing wrong with that, opinions to the contrary.

And so, here are six breakfast recipes that you can make for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, including Parisian-Style Sweet Crepes and Pirate Eggs. Enjoy!

EGG AND POTATO BREAKFAST TACOS

This is from the Food Network, and begins, "Quick and easy to assemble, it makes sense why tacos are enjoyed during any time of the day in Mexico. Roast potatoes with poblano peppers and onions until golden brown, then enjoy on warm tortillas with buttery scrambled eggs."

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes; Total Time: 40 minutes; Makes 4 servings; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/egg-and-potato-breakfast-tacos-3363842.

Ingredients

8 large eggs

1 teaspoon chili powder

Kosher salt

2 Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 pound), diced

1 onion, diced

1 poblano chile pepper, thinly sliced

Cooking spray

3 plum tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons jalapeno hot sauce

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

12 white corn tortillas

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475 degrees F. Separate 1 egg; set the yolk aside. Whisk the egg white, chili powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl until frothy. Add the potatoes, onion and poblano; toss. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray; spread out the vegetables, then coat with more cooking spray. Bake, flipping once, until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the tomatoes, 2 tablespoons cilantro and 1 tablespoon hot sauce in a bowl; season with salt and set aside.

Whisk the reserved egg yolk and 7 eggs with 1/4 cup cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl until frothy. Melt the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat; swirl to coat. Add the egg mixture and cook, stirring, until just set, about 5 minutes.

Toast the tortillas in a dry skillet or wrap in a damp paper towel and warm in the microwave. Toss the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro and 1 tablespoon hot sauce with the vegetable mixture. Divide the vegetables and scrambled eggs among the tortillas. Serve with the tomato salsa.

MEXICAN BREAKFAST BURRITOS

This is from Weight Watchers, and begins, "Breakfast burritos are worth waking up for, and this one brings a mix of Mexican flavors in a hearty and portable package. These are wrapped individually in foil so they’re warm and ready to go, no matter the size of your crowd. The scrambled eggs get a flavor boost thanks to cumin and cayenne. You can make these burritos ahead and refrigerate them to have them ready to go for breakfast for the next couple of days. Just unwrap them and reheat them in the microwave or in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Replace the sour cream with diced avocado tossed in lime juice, if you like."

Prep Time: 14 minutes; Cook Time: 34 minutes; Total Time: 49 minutes; Serves: 6; Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

6 Tbsp Reduced-fat sour cream

6 Tbsp Fat free salsa

2 sprays Cooking spray

1/2 medium Uncooked onion, chopped

1 medium Poblano chile, chopped

8 eggs

3/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp Ground cumin

1 pinch Cayenne pepper

6 medium Whole-wheat tortillas

3/4 cup Weight Watchers Reduced fat Mexican style shredded cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream and salsa; set aside.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; set over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper to skillet and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together eggs, salt, cumin, and cayenne; pour into skillet after vegetables are softened. Scramble mixture until cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Place a tortilla on a square of aluminum foil big enough to wrap tortilla in when rolled up; spoon about 1/2 cup egg mixture down center of tortilla. Top with 2 tablespoons each salsa mixture and cheese; fold up burrito-style and wrap tightly with foil. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake until heated through, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Yields 1 burrito per serving.

YOGURT PARFAIT BREAKFAST POPSICLES

This one comes from one of my favorite emailing sites, thekitchn. If you haven't already signed up for the great emails from thekitchn or its sibling site, Apartment Therapy, you're missing some really cool stuff.

You can view this recipe online here, along with photos of these incredible breakfast popsicles and everything that Faith Durand has to say about these. Serves 6.

Ingredients

1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and roughly chopped (around 3 cups chopped)

1/4 cup sugar (or honey)

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

2 to 3 tablespoons honey

3/4 cups granola

Directions

Combine the strawberries and sugar (or honey) in a small saucepan and stir gently to combine. Let the berries macerate on the counter for at least 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and syrupy.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a r. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the strawberries are thick and jammy. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. You should have about 1 cup of jammy fruit. (At this point, the strawberries can be refrigerated for up to a week.)

When ready to assemble the popsicles, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 2 tablespoons of honey. The yogurt should be thick, but pourable (roughly the consistency of regular yogurt). If needed, whisk in a little more milk. Taste and add more honey if desired.

Scoop out 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and stir it into the granola. This will help the granola freeze into the popsicles.

Arrange 6 popsicle molds (1/2 cup capacity) on your work surface. Pour a generous spoonful of yogurt into the bottom of each mold. Add a scoop of granola and then a spoonful or two of strawberries. Continue layering yogurt, granola, and strawberries until the molds are filled. Tap the molds lightly agains the counter or use a popsicle stick to work out any air bubbles between the layers.

Insert popsicle sticks into each mold and place the popsicles in the freezer. Freeze until solid, at least 6 hours.

To unmold, run the popsicle molds under hot running water for a few seconds and gently easy the popsicles out of the molds. Popsicles will keep in the freezer for several weeks.

Recipe Notes

You can substitute 1-1/4 cups of regular yogurt for the Greek yogurt. As long as it's pourable, there's no need to thin the yogurt any further.

The strawberries can be replaced with an equal amount of any other fruit.

You can also substitute 1 cup any flavor of jam or fruit preserves for the berries. Skip the jam-making step and proceed with assembling the popsicles.

HAM AND PEPPER FRITTATA

Recipe Yield: Yield: 4 servings, Serving size: 1/4 of recipe

Source: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

Book Title: The Complete Diabetes Prevention Plan

View this online at https://diabeticgourmet.com/diabetic-recipes/ham-and-pepper-frittata.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or canola oil

1/2 cup diced yellow bell pepper

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup diced, lean, reduced-sodium ham

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 cups fat-free egg substitute

1 cup shredded, reduced-fat, white Cheddar or Swiss cheese

Directions

Coat a large ovenproof skillet with the olive oil and preheat over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, ham, parsley, and black pepper and saute for several minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the ham is beginning to brown. Spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the skillet.

Pour the egg substitute over the skillet mixture and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook without stirring for about 6 minutes, until the eggs are almost set (the edges will be cooked but the top will still be runny).

Remove the lid from the skillet and wrap the handle in aluminum foil (to prevent it from becoming damaged under the broiler). Place the skillet under a preheated broiler and broil for a couple of minutes, until the eggs are set but not dry. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and broil for another minute to melt the cheese. Cut the frittata into 4 wedges and serve hot.

Nutritional Information Per Serving: Calories: 222; Fat: 8.3 g; Sodium: 690 mg; Cholesterol: 32 mg; Protein: 28 g; Carbohydrates: 7 g

Diabetic Exchanges: 4 Lean Meat, 1 Vegetable, 1/2 Fat

PARISIAN-STYLE SWEET CREPES

This comes from the September 2009 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 37. It begins, "Cafés and brasseries in the French capital sell passersby sweet crêpes slathered in butter, jam, chestnut purée, and (VT favorite) Nutella. The experience iseasy to re-create at home for breakfast, Sunday supper, or a snack."

Makes 8 crêpes

To view this online, go to https://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/parisian-style-sweet-crepes/.

Ingredients

Crêpes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 cup low-fat milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Fillings (optional)

Nutella

Jam

Butter

Chestnut Purée

Preparation

Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in bowl. Whisk in egg; mixture will be shaggy. Whisk in milk 1/4 cup at a time. Whisk in vanilla. Cover, and chill 30 minutes, or overnight.

Whisk 1/4 to 1/2 cup water into batter to thin. Lightly grease 9-inch nonstick skillet with canola oil. Heat skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour 1/4 cup batter into hot skillet, tilting pan to swirl batter so it coats bottom of pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until edges begin to brown and center is dry. Flip; cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.

Transfer crêpe to plate, and repeat with remaining batter. To serve crêpes: Reheat 1 minute in lightly greased skillet. Spread with desired fillings, fold into quarters, and serve.

PIRATE EGGS

When my sister and I were kids, my mother used to fix this for us on a regular basis, except that she called them Gypsy Eggs. Once my brother came along, though, they became Pirate Eggs. The name stuck. Most people from the Northeastern U.S. tend to call them Eggs-in-a-Hole or some variation of that. But whatever you call them, they're good.

The instructions are for one person. Adjust for the number of people you're feeding.

Ingredients

1-2 eggs

1-2 pieces of bread

margarine for the pan

Directions

Melt the margarine in the pan over medium heat. Take the bread and cut a round hole in the middle. Place bread in pan, then crack the egg and dump onto the bread so that the yolk is in the hold. If you prefer non-runny yolks (my preference), crack the yolk with the corner of a spatula. Cook on the first side for several minutes, then flip over and cook the other side. You can flip it several times until the egg looks cooked. Enjoy!

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