Breakfast

Asparagus-Ricotta Tart

Sometimes I’m not sure how I should feel about seeing produce that is on sale when it’s not in season.  Usually, that’s when out-of-season produce is most expensive. So when I saw that bundles of asparagus were on sale at my grocery store, I had to wonder if something was wrong with them.  But at this point in the fall, I can only eat so much broccoli. This asparagus looked perfectly green and the spears were nice and thin, the way I like them so I scooped them up. This recipe for Asparagus-Ricotta Tart was a perfect fall-time use for them.

Eggs are mixed with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, milk, chives, salt and pepper and poured into a pie pan before being topped with trimmed asparagus spears and baked until set and golden. Don’t like asparagus or have another veggie on hand? Use whatever vegetables float your boat here: peppers, broccoli, spinach or potatoes would work perfectly either scattered on top or mixed in with the eggs and ricotta. This is a perfect weekend morning meal served with some fruit or even a busy weeknight meal served with a salad thanks to its ease. Leftovers store perfectly in the fridge for a few days making this an easy make-on-the-weekend-for-weekday-grab-and-go breakfast.

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The ingredients:

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Mix ricotta, eggs, Parmesan cheese, chives, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Pour mixture into a 10-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet.

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Top with asparagus spears.

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Bake in 375 degrees F  oven for 40 minutes.
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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Good Housekeeping magazine

Double Chocolate-Mocha Muffins

I haven’t really been cooking as much as I want to, let alone doing much baking.  There are so many things to do, so many things I’m interested in, so many ideas, and so many plans on my mind.  It can sometimes seem a little overwhelming.  But then I remember than cooking calms my head and sometimes I forget just how easy baking can be.  I love the fact that most of the time, you can whip everything up in one bowl and once it’s in the oven, you get to leave it alone.  You can write, clean, do laundry, read a book, watch TV, anything you want.  Try doing that with a skillet of chicken and you’ll have your smoke alarm going off.  These Double Chocolate-Mocha Muffins are another one of those really easy recipes to whip together when you just have too many other things to do or think about.

Chocolate chips and cocoa are both added to this batter to make some really chocolate-y muffins and espresso powder or instant espresso is added to give it yet another layer of flavor making these perfect for breakfast, as a sweet addition to brunch, or even as a late night chocolate snack.  The recipe calls for chocolate chunks but I used mini-chips because I had them on hand so use any kind of chocolate you want.  I also substituted applesauce to lighten their calorie load and the end result was still a light, fluffy muffin.  Also consider replacing up to half of the flour with whole wheat flour.  These muffins puff up nicely, just the way you want a good muffin to and also freeze well.  Craving a little chocolate with your coffee?  Or a little coffee with your chocolate?  Just mix them together and make these muffins.

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The ingredients:

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Whisk together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder, salt and chocolate chips in a large bowl.

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Whisk together eggs and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; stir egg mixture into flour mixture just until blended, being careful to not overmix.

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Pour batter evenly into muffin pans lined with paper liners.

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Bake 18 to 20 minutes in a preheated  350°F oven.

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Serve warm, or cool on a wire rack.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:

  • Mini-chocolate chips
  • Applesauce

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Coastal Living magazine

Spinach and Parmesan Soufflés

As I mentioned the other day, I’m a big breakfast fan and will eat it for any meal.  Eggs are one of my favorite foods to make but I’m usually either a simple fried egg or scrambled egg girl (I’ve only recently started eating runny yolks).  So when I come across a recipe like this one for Spinach and Parmesan Soufflés, I get a little excited to make something new, something that might become another breakfast favorite in my book.  Soufflés seem intimidating but I was up to the challenge.  And I was prepared to eat these whether they were puffy or floppy.

Spinach is mixed with thickened milk, cheese, and egg yolks before being gently combined with whipped egg whites.  Once baked until golden brown, they become puffy and are a true picture (although I didn’t take the picture right away and they had deflated by the time I was ready to snap…boo).  The result is a light, healthy, nutritious breakfast sure to impress everyone.  Don’t like spinach?  Swap it out for broccoli or green peppers.  Serve this with some toast, a little fruit or as a complement to any meat.  And don’t be afraid of or intimidated by soufflés.  They really aren’t hard and even if they lose their puff, they’re still good.

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The ingredients:

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Place a baking sheet in the oven. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Coat 4 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, tilting and turning dishes to coat sides completely.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach; cook for 2 minutes or until spinach wilts, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander; let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop spinach.

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Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients (through black pepper) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook for 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese, and egg yolks.

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Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl, and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer at high speed until medium peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently stir one-fourth of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

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Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times on counter to level. Place dishes on preheated baking sheet; return baking sheet to 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 350°; bake soufflés at 350° for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown.

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Serve immediately.

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Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Love It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine

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