Okay…here is the scenario. You are the first one up and all is quiet. You slip into the kitchen and turn the coffee pot on (You did set it up the night before, didn’t you?). Now, you can hear stirrings throughout the house.
Get ready to put out a totally scrumptuous breakfast..
- 10 eggs beaten
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1 lb. bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
- 1 lb. Monterey Jack Cheese (one of my favourites)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, cut into small squares
- 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced and fried
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat the eggs, flour and baking powder really well. Oh, ask one of the bodies that just entered the kitchen to pour the orange juice and set the table for you, please.
Add the crumbled bacon, cheeses and mushroom to the mixture and beat well to combine.
Pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish that has been sprayed with Pam. Bake for about 35-40 minutes.
Get everyone around the table, plate the baked eggs and add fresh hot, buttered toast, fresh coffee and it is all done. How happy are we now??
Did I hear you say “Damn, I actually did this?” Aww go ahead, it’s is okay.
Creme Grand Marnier
A lovely ‘bread pudding’ with a difference. Can be made ahead and then while eating the entree, put this in the oven. Perfect. Get the vanilla ice cream ready.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 large sandwich loaf, unsliced
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups half and half cream
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 2 tsp. Grand Marnier
- pinch of salt
In a small saucepan melt the butter and add the brown sugar and syrup. Stir until melted and smooth. Pour this into a 13 x 9 inch greased baking dish. Cut the bread into 1 inch pieces, crusts removed. Arrange into one layer, scrunching to make it all fit.
Beat together in a small bowl, the eggs, cream, salt, vanilla and Grand Marnier until well mixed and pour over the bread mixture. Cover with plastic and put in the refrigerator over night.
In the morning, remove from refrigerator and pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the plastic and bake in the oven until it becomes puffed and pale golden which could take 5-40 minutes.
Serve hot in pretty bowls with a scoop (large) of the best vanilla ice cream. (Chapman’s ice cream comes to mind).
Puffiest Cheese Omelet EVER
This is one impressive omelet to serve guests, family or….just you!
You will need:
- 2 large eggs, separated
- Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 3/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese OR Balderson’s aged cheddar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff, moist peaks form. In another bowl, beat yolks with the salt, pepper and nutmeg until thick and lemon coloured. Whisk in the sour cream. Pour yolk mixture over beaten egg whites and GENTLY fold together.
Melt butter in a 10″ oven-proof frying pan over medium heat. Tilt to cover the bottom of the pan and then pour in the egg mixture.
Do not stir but cook until omelet is puffy and lightly golden on the bottom. This will take 2-3 minutes. Transfer pan to the oven and bake until top is a pale golden brown (takes 6-9 minutes) and a knife, when inserted, comes out clean. Sprinkle with cheese. Using a spatula, fold half the omelet over the other half. Slide omelet onto a warm plate and serve immediately.
This can be cut in two as it is quite a generous serving.
To take it up a notch, add pre-steamed asparagus, red peppers or mushrooms before folding over the top edge.
This recipe is from my published cook book ‘”The B & B Cook Book”.
French Toast with Pears and Pomegranate Sauce
Every once in awhile you feel like going the extra mile and don’t know where to start. Noooo! Martinis for breakfast is a real bad choice. ‘Cuz then you would miss this wonderful recipe. Besides, this is from my cookbook “The B & B Cookbook” from Amazon.
This serves 2 and you will need:
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp. cardamom, divided
- 2 thick slices of bread
- 4 tbsp. butter, divided
- 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ripe, but still firm, red skinned pear, cut into thin slices
Whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and 1/2 of the cardamom and pour into a 9″ square glass baking dish. Add bread and let stand about 10 minutes, turning over with a spatula until the mixture has been absorbed.
Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Add the pear slices. Saute for 3 minutes until soft and transfer to a plate.
Add 2 tbsp. butter to fry pan; add juice, brown sugar and cardamom simmering until it thickens and syrupy (about 5 mins). Remove from heat. Melt remaining butter on griddle, add bread slices and cook until golden (about 3 minutes each side) cut in half and divide onto plates. Top with pears, spoon sauce over top. Serve (with a big smile, of course) immediately.
In a word or two….yummy-yummy.
Puffy Cheese Strata
Another treat for breakfast. Make this for special occasions – Anniversaries, Birthdays, Saturdays, Sundays….you get the picture.
Using a 13″ x 9″ pan, use enough crustless bread slices to make a double layer.
You will need:
- 1/2 lb. Balderson’s white cheddar cheese
- 3/4 lb. Monteray Jack Cheese (extra for later)
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- Fresh parsley
Place one layer of bread in the baking pan.
Grate both cheeses and sprinkle 1/3 mixture over the top of the bread. Add second layer of bread.
Blend the milk, eggs and cream until completely mixed and pour over the bread. Top with remaining cheese.
Cover and refrigerate over night. Take the pan out of the fridge and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Take cover off and bake another 30 – 45 minutes. When done, it should be really puffy and just starting to turn a golden brown. Cut into 8 pieces and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
To make this even more special, add some beautiful fresh fruit on the side. i.e peaches, nectarines, pears, and/or figs for example.
Ramekin Puffed Potatoes
Potatoes can be prepared in a million different ways, that’s for sure. Guess what? Here is one more. This is a classy presentation.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- 2 1/2 lbs. potatoes (Yukon Gold is best)
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup flour
- pinch of pepper
- 1/2 tsp. finely crushed fennel seed
- salt to taste
- softened butter
- 1/4 cup panko crumbs
Peel potatoes and cook until tender (about 15-20 minutes). Mash the potatoes and place in a mixer and mix until smooth.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, flour, fennel seed, pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir into the potatoes until well blended.
Butter generously eight ramekin dishes. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and shake off the excess. Spoon the potato mixture equally in the dishes and smooth off the tops. Now for some quirky reason let this stand for 30 minutes before putting into oven.
Bake these for 30 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve immediately.
When you prepare your dinner with that extra touch, you elevate the dinner to a higher level. You feel good when everyone raves about it and you say, often now, “damn I DID this”.
Stuffed Upright Potatoes
Serves 4
- 4 small baking potatoes
- Butter (optional) or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 tsp. mustard
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- Whipping cream (as needed)
- 2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
- 1 half large green pepper, chopped
- Fresh chives (optional)
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scrub potatoes and prick all over with a fork. If you wish to have softer skins, just rub in some olive oil. Bake about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.
To make the potatoes stand up, cut enough off the bottom so they won’t tip. Cut a small bit off the top. Scoop pulp from the slices and discard the skin but do not break it. You want to be able to use them like a “bowl ‘ later on.
Place the pulp in a bowl and mash. Stir in the sour cream and butter (if using) cheese, mustard, salt and pepper. If needed, add a little cream to make the desired consistency. Stir in the hard cooked eggs. Carefully spoon this mixture into the skins of the potatoes equally. Stand the potatoes upright in a square baking dish.
Bake in your preheated oven for about 20 minutes until completely heated through and tops are browned. You can prepare these ahead up to putting them in the oven. Cover and refrigerate. Can be reheated in a 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes.
Besides looking pretty they taste amazing.
Creamed Eggs with Smoked Salmon in Puff Pastry
This was one of our most favourite recipes selected by our guests during the 12 years we operated our Bed and Breakfast. This really is good. More than that…Scrumptuous!
- 4 puff pastry shells
- 8 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 4-6 tbsp. chopped salmon (or ham if you prefer)
- 2 tbsp. each of red and green bell peppers
2 tbsp. sour cream
Hollandaise sauce mix (yes, you can cheat here)
parsley for garnish
Bake shells are directed on the package. Cool and prepare for serving.
Beat eggs until light and fluffy. In a fry pan, melt butter and add salmon and peppers. Saute until barely limp.
Add eggs, cooking and stirring until almost done. Add sour cream and stir. Do not let eggs dry out, so remove them while still creamy (but cooked). Spoon mixture into each pastry shell allowing some of the mixture to flow over the sides onto the plate.
Cover with 2-3 tbsp. of sauce and sprinkle with a little of the parsley. Serve this with fresh fruit and say: Damn I did this. Well?
I told you it was good.
- You can also change out the salmon for trout. It would be a softer flavour.