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Frittata (Italian open faced omelet)
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 2 Tbs Olive Oil ½ c Julian Onions ½ c Sliced Ham ½ c Chopped Asparagus 1 sm jar Marinated Artichoke Hearts ½ c Chopped Sun Dried Tomatoes 6 ea Large Eggs, beaten 1 c Shredded Fontina Cheese to taste Salt & white pepper 1. Heat oil in a 9” nonstick or cast-iron skillet. 2. Add onions, ham, asparagus, artichoke hearts and tomatoes and sprinkle with salt & pepper. 3. Cook over medium to high heat until soft. 4. Add eggs and mix well with other ingredients until eggs begin to get stiff. 5. Mix in cheese. 6. Reduce heat and cook until the bottom is set, the top will still be runny. 7. Cover skillet with a lid and quickly invert frittata and just as quickly slide it back into the pan. 8. Cook until set. Frittata should have a little give when pressed in the center and the sides should be firm. 9. Turn frittata out onto a platter and let it rest at least 15 minutes before serving. The frittata can be served chilled, at room temperature or heated and can be served as an appetizer or as a light meal with a salad. I garnished this one with a red sauce, Parmesan cheese, and some green onions. Any one of the ingredients can be replaced with any other like ingredient. Try adding some fresh basil, roasted red peppers and prosciutto. You can also leave out any of the listed ingredients. 
Fruit Omelet
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 3 ea Large Eggs ¼ tsp Vanilla ½ tsp Sugar 1 c Diced fruit ½ c Vanilla Yogurt 3 Tbs Vegetable Oil 1. Whip eggs with vanilla and sugar. 2. Heat a well-seasoned 8” skillet with oil. 3. Pour eggs into hot skillet and stir with a rubber spatula, lifting so raw egg can seep under to cook. 4. Flip so top can cook. 5. Add fruit and yogurt. 6. Fold and slide out of skillet onto a plate. Easter is next month and I thought this would make a nice brunch idea. You can garnish this by topping it off with some of the yogurt and some nuts or granola. I like to do my bacon by placing it on a sheet pan and sprinkling it with cracked black pepper and brown sugar. Then bake in a hot oven. Watch carefully. Also, try using sweet potatoes for hash browns and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Of course butter can be used in place of the oil to give the omelet a buttery flavor. Some other ideas for the omelet try adding some rum to the eggs and filling it with some sautéed diced apple and pecans with some cinnamon and brown sugar. In this one I used berries and Kiwi. If you don’t have a seasoned skillet you can use a coated one or season one your self. To do this, place a skillet on very low heat with vegetable oil for about an hour. Make sure you watch the skillet so it doesn’t get too hot and catch fire. You will also need to roll the oil around the skillet making sure to coat the sides. Once you have a well-seasoned skillet it should never be washed. If something sticks add some oil and salt and heat on low. Then scrub with a wad of paper towels thick enough not to burn you hands. 
German Baked Blueberry Pancakes Martha's Southern Cooking by Martha Faltynski Blueberries contain a powerful cholesterol- and fat-fighting compound, USDA researchers report. You already know blueberries are good for you. They're already touted as antioxidant-rich fruits that protect against the ravages of aging, heart disease, and cancer. Now add potential cholesterol-fighting effects to the list of blueberry benefits, suggests Agnes M. Rimando, PhD, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Products Utilization Research Center in Oxford, Miss. Rimando and colleagues tested a compound found in blueberries, pterostilbene, for its ability to turn on a switch in cells that breaks down fat and cholesterol. They reported their findings at the 2004 national meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia. "We are excited to learn that blueberries, which are already rich in healthy compounds, may also be a potent weapon in the battle against obesity and heart disease," Rimando says in a news release. Pterostilbene -- the fat-fighting compound in blueberries -- has been found to have cancer-fighting and diabetes-fighting properties. It's similar to resveratrol, which is found in grapes. That's one reason why moderate amounts of red wine are good for you. Rimando and colleagues report that the blueberry compound may be even more potent than the red-wine compound. In their laboratory studies, Rimando's team used rat liver cells. Since there were no human tests -- or even animal studies -- there's no way to say how many blueberries humans have to eat to cut their cholesterol. But the experiments showed that the blueberry compound worked better than ciprofibrate, a drug used outside the U.S. to lower blood fats and cholesterol. So with this in mind, today's recipe is for: GERMAN BAKED BLUEBERRY PANCAKES 5 tablespoons butter 4 eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, salt, flour and milk. Use a blender if desired. Melt the butter in a 9x13 inch baking pan. Pour the contents of the mixing bowl into the pan. Add blueberries to the top of the mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the mixture rises. Serve at once. Sprinkle lemon juice and powdered sugar on top at the table. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Enjoy - from my kitchen to yours - Martha |
Chai Oatmeal
Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 2 bags Rooibos Chai Tea by Yogi Tea 8 oz Water ½ c Old Fashioned Oats ¼ c Milk to taste Honey 1. Bring water to a boil and steep tea bags for about 15 minutes. 2. Place oatmeal in a bowl with brewed tea. 3. Follow cooking directions on the label of the oatmeal. 4. Top with milk and honey. I looked at several recipes for chai tea and found they all had basically the same ingredients cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Some of them added ginger, black pepper and vanilla. I decided to look at several different store bought chai teas to see which would have the best flavors with the oatmeal. I found that I liked the Rooibos Chai by Yogi Tea. The Original Oregon Chai was too sweet and some of the others didn’t have strong enough flavors. The tea can be made ahead of time in larger batches and kept in the refrigerator until it’s needed if you wanted to save some time in the morning. If you have a favorite chai recipe then go ahead and use it. Just make it stronger. Sugar will work in place of the honey but won’t be as healthy. I always use the Old Fashioned oats because the texture is a more defined. Try adding some nuts and/or some fruit. This recipe is for my friend Deahna. Winter is coming so I thought what better way to start the morning when it’s cold. The spices in chai tea have a warming for effect on the system and oatmeal is a great way to lower your cholesterol. 
Pumpkin Pancakes Patricia's Cafe - by Pat McClelland 5 ea Eggs ½ c Sugar 2 tsp Salt ½ c Vegetable Oil 2 c Buttermilk 2 c Pureed Pumpkin 2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice 2½ c Cake Flour 4½ tsp Baking Powder 2½ tsp Baking Soda 1. Separate yolks from whites and cream yolks with sugar and salt. 2. Slowly add oil into yolk mixture while mixer is going. 3. Add buttermilk, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and mix well. 4. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda and mix well. 5. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold into the batter. 6. Spoon onto hot griddle that has been lightly buttered. 7. Flip when edges become dry and bubbles start to appear in the center and pop. It’s fall and pumpkins are already at the store so I thought this would be a great way to start the season. Serve with real maple syrup and butter. If you want to add some nuts, sprinkle walnuts or pecans onto each pancake before flipping. I used canned pumpkin because it was easier but you can always cook down a pumpkin and puree it. The batter will last several days in the refrigerator and is even better after it sets a day. Separating the eggs make the batter much more fluffy but you can cream the whole eggs with the sugar and salt and skip step 5 if time is an issue. 
Smoked Salmon Quiche Gretchen's Goodies - by Gretchen Gire Anthony Yields 1 8-9 inch quiche This is a special Mother’s Day recipe and hopefully easy enough to whip up for your favorite mother on her special day. If salmon and asparagus aren’t her favorites then you can substitute ham and bell peppers. • 2 whole eggs • 2 egg yolks • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground is best) • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill • 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese • 3 ounces smoked salmon (wild) • 2 tablespoons chopped green onions • 12 pencil thin asparagus, blanched or steamed for 1 minute and left whole for topping quiche • One 8-9 inch unbaked pie shell • Beat the eggs, egg yolks, cream, dill and pepper in a mixing bowl with a wire whip until blended but not frothy • Place crust on sheet pan lined with wax paper or parchment paper • Layer with Swiss cheese, smoked salmon, and green onions • Pour egg mixture over all and then place whole pencil asparagus on top, fanning them from the center of the quiche • Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until quiche is puffed up and browning on top • Let sit a few minutes before cutting and serving 
Hazelnut-Orange Waffles Gretchen's Goodies - by Gretchen Gire Anthony The nuttiness of these waffles is balanced out by the sweetness of the oranges. The aroma when you bake these will fill your entire house and is sure to lure all the sleepy heads out of bed. If there happens to be any left over I love to store them in an airtight container and pop them in the toaster the next morning and smother them with butter. 1 C. all-purpose flour 1 C. whole-wheat flour 2/3 C. chopped hazelnuts ¼ C. packed brown sugar 2 tsp. baking powder ½ tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 2 large eggs, separated 1 C. buttermilk 1 C. fresh squeezed orange juice ¼ C. orange zest 4 T. unsalted butter, melted ½ tsp. almond extract maple or orange flavored syrup Preheat a waffle iron. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, nuts, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft, glossy peaks form. In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, juice, zest, butter, and almond extract. Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, fold in the egg whites. Spoon about 1 cup of the batter on to the hot waffle iron. Close the lid. Bake until the waffle is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Remove with a fork. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with your favorite maple or orange syrup. |