Some weekend mornings in our household are mad dashes out the door for a sporting event, the farmer’s market, to run errands, shop or get somebody where they need to be. Continue reading
Crustless Breakfast Pie
Posted in Breakfast, Casseroles, RECIPES
Tagged baked crustless, Breakfast, breakfast pie, eggs, fontina cheese, pancetta
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Spring Green Vegetable Sauté
In the kitchen certainly, it takes just a little effort to make the ordinary a little more special. Asparagus in the spring is so readily available and so versatile that I find myself buying it at least once a week and frequently more. Continue reading
Posted in RECIPES, Side Dish, Vegetables
Tagged asparagus, Peas, spring vegetables, vegetable saute
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Kentucky Hot Brown Sandwiches
Revolutionary…Palace Malice…Normandy Invasion…Vyjack…Lines of Battle…Overanalyze…I’d love to know the stories behind the naming of these horses– some of the contenders that will compete at this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Continue reading
Posted in Main Course, RECIPES, Sandwiches
Tagged Bacon, hot open face, hot open face turkey sandwiches, kentucky derby, mornay sauce, Sandwiches, Tomato, turkey
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Roasted Cauliflower with Capers and Breadcrumbs
Roasted cauliflower is a side dish for all seasons. In the winter, it comforts, in the spring it satisfies. It serves as well with a barbecue in the summer as it does as a basis of a hearty, creamy fall soup. Continue reading
Homemade Granola
My favorite everyday breakfast is a cup of blueberries, a dollop of Greek yogurt, a drizzle of local honey and a small scoop of granola. I never grow tired of this combination of creamy, crunchy, sweet and tart ingredients. This breakfast is also a powerhouse for morning energy and nutrition. The choice of granola is the creative part of the dish, also the variable one. There are so many varieties of granola available in our stores these days—everything from high-end gourmet varieties that will set you back $20 or more for a bag or a box, to big-box containers for just a few dollars, to homemade-the reason for today’s post.
I wanted a mixture that I knew had no preservatives/chemicals/etc. and I wanted to include coconut oil, which is so very healthful. Here is the result that has also become a run-through-the-kitchen-and-grab-a-handful-snack for the family. This is low-stress cooking at its best.
Homemade Granola
Ingredients
½ cup butter
¼ cup coconut oil**
¾ cup local honey
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup coarsely chopped almonds
½ cup coarsely chopped cashews
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 cup dried berries (cranberries, cherries, blueberries, whatever you like the best)
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a small saucepan, gently heat and stir the butter, coconut oil and honey until melted and combined.
In a large bowl, toss together the rolled oats, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds. Add ½ of the hot honey mixture and toss to combine well. Spread the mixture out on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the kosher salt and the coconut flakes and toss gently with a spatula. Drizzle the remaining honey mixture over and toss again. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Add the dried berries, stir again and bake for another 5 minutes or until the mix is a nice golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool. Store in an airtight container.
**If you don’t have coconut oil, just use a full cup of butter—it will be delicious if slightly less healthful.
Fresh Fruit with Lemon Yogurt
In Florida, our February is punctuated by the arrival of beautiful strawberries in our markets. They are locally grown, luscious and economical. I’m always on the lookout for great ways to serve them. Ina Garten has a wonderful recipe in her book Back to Basics for Fruit Salad with Limoncello. She tosses fruit with sugar and Limoncello liqueur, lets it stand for a bit and then tops it with a lemon yogurt topping. That’s a great idea for brunch or dessert, but I wanted something without the liqueur for everyday breakfasts. My version cuts back on the sugar a bit and trades the Limoncello for lemon juice. Made either way, it is a fresh and delicious way with fruit.
If you would like more information about Ina Gartens book, click here: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics: Fabulous Flavor from Simple Ingredients
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 cup Greek Yogurt (I use Fage)
¼ cup lemon curd
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups of fresh fruit, cleaned and cut into bite-size pieces
Preparation:
In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey and vanilla extract. Put the fresh fruit in a serving bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice and sugar and toss gently. Let rest on the counter for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve the fruit with the yogurt topping.
Posted in Breakfast, Dessert, Fruit, RECIPES, Salad
Tagged fresh fruit, lemon, strawberries, yogurt
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