Shortcut Week Day 4: Brie Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls have been on my bucket list for years. A quick perusal of my Pinterest boards shows at least 15 different recipes for these sweet breakfast treats. A while ago I made homemade cinnamon roll biscuits that were delicious and allowed me to get them to my stomach table in just over a half hour. But they aren't quite the puffy, fluffy, yeasty cinnabon-like rolls that I'm really craving to make from scratch. The ones I want to make take a long time: typically kneading, two rises of at least an hour each, plus baking. I'm sorry but I do not normally put that much effort into breakfast for myself. Now if you (any of you) came to visit and I had an excuse to get up extra early and make you a special treat, maybe I could convince myself the time was worth it.

Since most normal people don't spend hours prepping breakfast, today's shortcut recipe is a great one for when you want to impress your overnight guests. I cannot take credit for this ingenious idea of stuffing cinnamon rolls with brie cheese. One of my friends totally did this first and as soon as she told me about it, I put cinnamon rolls and brie on my grocery list. Oh it lives up to what you would expect. Delicious! And so easy!

Make this on Saturday. Or Sunday. And say thank you to Alison!

Brie Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients:
1 package cinnamon rolls with icing
about 1/2 of 6 oz log of brie cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly spray a round baking dish with cooking spray.

Slice the cheese into 6 pieces. There is no need to remove the rind. Pop open the cinnamon rolls. Working with one at a time, unroll the cinnamon roll, place of piece of cheese in the center and reroll covering all sides to seal in the cheese. Place into the baking dish.

Bake for 14-18 minutes until hot and browned. Let cool slightly and then spread the icing on top.

Kale Strawberry Smoothie

Let's talk crazy college traditions.

At Hope College we had the Pull, a giant tug-o-war competition, and Nykerk, a singing/acting/speaking competition. At Duke University, we had graduate student campout weekend and everything that revolves around being Cameron Crazies. At the University of Illinois, they have this thing called Unofficial. Apparently it was a tradition started in the mid 90s so that the students could celebrate St Patty's day early because the actual holiday fell on spring break. From my understanding, it is an excuse to dress in green, drink green beer and party like, well, college students. As a person outside of the student life on campus, I had no idea that Unofficial was today. So imagine my surprise when my boss's office assistant asks if I'm wearing my green shirt in honor of Unofficial. Oh boy. Nope, I just picked out this shirt this morning without any thought. So I spent the rest of the day just trying to hide my shirt from everyone and waiting to get home to the safety of my apartment before campus got to crazy tonight. It's funny how the further you are removed from the ungraduate students, the less appealing these traditions seem.

Did you participate in any crazy college events?

In honor of those UIUC students celebrating Unofficial today, I bring you this green smoothie. Not quite green beer but certainly a lot healthier for you-- chalked full of nutrients from fruit, yogurt and kale! I think kale green smoothies taste more "green" than spinach ones, so feel free to sub in a handful or two if you don't want a kale taste.

Kale Strawberry Smoothie
Ingredients:
10 strawberries, washed and halved
1/2 frozen banana
6 oz vanilla yogurt
5 pieces of kale, washed and thick stems removed
splash of fruit juice (as needed)

Directions:
Place the strawberries, banana, yogurt and kale in a blender. Pulse on high until smooth. If you are having trouble getting it smooth, add a splash of fruit juice (any kind you would like) and pulse again. Use the juice to thin the smoothie to the consistency you desire.

Strawberry Banana Mini Muffins

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Since I've spent the night completely unplugged from the world, I always check my email and the weather. If I'm feeling extra lazy, like I was this Saturday, I check Facebook and Pinterest while still cuddled under the covers in bed. And this week I learned that February 23 is National Banana Bread Day. Note: I'm pretty certain that there is a food holiday or month or something that we could celebrate everyday. But regardless, I had a few bananas that were on their last legs and I figured I might as well take part in banana bread day. I checked my fridge and found some strawberries that were also calling out to me, so I searched for a strawberry banana bread recipe. To make things quicker I went for a muffin AND I made them mini so I can pop them in my mouth on my way out the door on a workday morning.

What's great about this recipe is the lack of fat. There is a significant amount of sugar so they aren't exactly health muffins but they are better than what you would pick up at the coffee shop. Speaking of which, they go great with a cup or two of freshly brewed coffee.

Strawberry Banana Mini Muffins (adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 medium banana, mashed

1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 medium banana, thinly sliced
1 cup diced strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat a mini muffin tray with cooking spray.

Mix together the flour, sugars, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the mashed banana, applesauce, egg white and vanilla and stir until combined but do not overmix. Fold in the banana slices and strawberries. Scoop the batter into the mini muffin tray, filling almost to the top.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Makes 20-24 mini muffins.

Store in an airtight container.

Grapefruit Green Smoothie

How long would you need to clean and de-clutter your house for a guest? Are you ready for someone to stop by right this second?


The other day I was talking with a couple of my friends about this exact topic. One of them is good friends with a girl who married a London native; apparently they live there now and she is expected to be ready for guests at less than a moment's notice. Like she dresses nicely and always has the table cleared off. I'm imagining she has cookies coming out of the oven and not a dirty dish in sight.

Is that you? If it is, do you want to be my live-in maid? I'll pay you with yummy food.

Maybe it is a cultural thing but the three of us Americans (I could totally be generalizing and please excuse or correct me if I'm wrong) agreed that we certainly need at least a day to really get ready for our guests. For me, it would require making sure all the dishes are cleaned, clearing off old magazines and mail from my kitchen table, giving my toilet and countertops a little scrub, and on most days, making my bed. It would also require the foresight to not come home and immediately change into sweatpants. If you were coming over, I'd probably bake you cookies too.

I promise I won't make you eat this green smoothie if you are frightened of putting spinach into a blender. But I do encourage you in the comfort of your own home, no matter how clean or messy it is, to give a green smoothie a chance. You've probably heard people rave about the nutritional properties and how you can't taste the spinach at all. I'd tell you those same things but you won't actually believe me until you try one. I went with grapefruit and banana and it was quite delicious. There are so many options just like with any smoothie that you can chose whichever fruit you enjoy the most. Try it out!


And I'm totally serious about the live-in maid thing.... any takers?

Grapefruit Green Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented (with as much of the pith as you want)
1 fresh or frozen banana, sliced
2 cups fresh spinach
1/4 cup water
ice, approximately one handful

Directions:
Combine the grapefruit, banana, spinach and water in a blender. Pulse until smooth. Add ice and pulse again until you have the desired consistency.

Quinoa and Nut Granola

Saturday was an up-and-down type of a day. I was invested in two very important sporting events. Duke basketball vs cross-triangle rivals NC State and Ravens vs Broncos football playoff game. Unfortunately only one of those had the outcome that I desired. The Ravens are moving on to the AFC championship this coming Sunday night. Bdddddd (in case you are wondering, that is a bird sound). Both games were up and down, nail biting, pacing the living room types of games. I will spare you all my thoughts on the Duke loss and just take a moment of silence for R. Kelly and Spice to heal rapidly and get back on the floor (for a detailed recap of the game and my thoughts on how the team is doing this year, feel free to email me). 

Since I knew I was going to be spending the majority of the afternoon yelling at the TV, I figured I would treat myself to a nice breakfast. I debated pancakes or waffles or eggs but I decided instead on homemade granola. I always enjoy yogurt topped with granola and since I had seen one my regular food bloggers post about quinoa granola, I knew I had to try it out. I changed around a few things to use what I had on hand. You could certainly use any combination of nuts and dried fruit that you like the most. I think the quinoa gives it an extra crunch (and a boost of protein) over "normal" granola, and the sweetness of the sugar combines well with the tartness of the applesauce. I have been enjoying it all week so far.

As I've told you with many of my DIY recipes, I enjoy making things at home that you can easily purchase at the store. Sometimes it takes about the same amount of time as a trip to the store; others may take a little bit of effort, but the ability to customize to your likes and dislikes and to control the additives (salt, MSG, etc) wins out for me. Many times it will also save you some money (especially when it comes to granola which I find is over-priced). I'm not strict about my homemade things because sometimes I'm lazy or in a rush or craving something that mass production just does better, but I would encourage you to try out a new homemade thing or two this year.

Anything in particular you want to see "homemade"? Let me know, I'll add it to my list!

Quinoa and Nut Granola (adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup quinoa (I used a combination of white and red)
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup pepitas
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup applesauce (I used granny smith flavored)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Rinse and drain the quinoa. Combine the quinoa, oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Toss to mix.

Melt the butter in a small bowl. Whisk in the applesauce, honey and vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix to coat completely. Dump out on the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, mixing every 10 minutes, until everything is golden brown. Remove from the oven and mix in the cranberries. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Hashbrown Waffles

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Only in the house

Take a look at the rain and gloom pattering on the pane

With temperatures at sixty and above

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sales in ev'ry store

Where the prettiest sight you'll see is the tree that you put up

In your own front room.

Please re-read that and sing it out loud to the tune of, you guessed it, "It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas".


Really isn't it crazy that the weather this week as been so nice?!? It was in the 70s on Sunday and Monday and now it is rainy and in the high 50s. This so feels like spring weather not DECEMBER.

Okay, let's just take a moment to FREAK OUT that it is the last month of 2012 already?!?! How in the world did that happen?!?! Why is life flying by in a blink of the eye?!? AHHH!


Okay, freak out officially over.

Well, until you make these hashbrown waffles. If you are on Pinterest, you have probably seem them floating around all over the joint. And if you are like me, you probably thought to yourself, wow what an amazing idea and how did I not come up with that? I love love love love love crispy potatoes and that is exactly what these are. Plus you get to use that waffle maker for something other than waffles. And it's so easy. I mean all you do is shred your potato, season and let it cook. Have I sold you yet?

So make these for breakfast, brunch or even dinner. You won't regret it (although you may freak out a little bit... oh, you don't freak out at the drop of a hat like me? Okay, then maybe you won't freak out. Just don't judge me and my freaking out nature...please...please...please...).

Hashbrown Waffles (from Teas and Cookies)
Ingredients:
1 potato (per person)
Salt (start at about 1/2 tsp per potato)
Canola oil
Optional: eggs cooked to order and ketchup

Directions:
Shred the potato using a hand grater or food processor. Wrap a towel around the potatoes and squeeze to remove the water (you want your potatoes to be as dry as possible to get crispy potatoes). Place the potatoes in a bowl and season with salt. Toss to mix.

Heat your waffle iron to hot. Carefully oil the top and bottom of the hot iron. Spread the potatoes over the bottom of the waffle iron and close. Cook for 10-20 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove from the iron and top with the egg and ketchup, if desired.

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

I know, I know. Thanksgiving is all about dinner. The turkey. The mashed potatoes. The green beans. The rolls. The cranberry sauce. The stuffing. The gravy. The pies. The eating way too much that you have to loosen your belt. The falling into a food coma while watching the Lions play (and maybe win this year?). The "we should take a walk" because we ate too much. The leftover turkey sandwiches on Friday.

            Side bar-- is anyone else hungry now? I'm so ready for all that food to be in my mouth on Thursday. Can. Not. Wait.

But in addition to dinner, you'll probably be eating breakfast; you know, to stretch out your stomach and warm up for the real show. Or maybe you'll need breakfast on Friday or Saturday before the family leaves to head back to reality. If so, you'll probably want something that doesn't take a lot of effort (since you're putting so much time and energy into dinner). I have the perfect solution for you! Overnight french toast-- specifically this apple cinnamon french toast. It is delicious and so easy. It's kinda like sweet stuffing that you eat in the morning. Feel free to multiple to feed the hoards of people at your house.

I expect this to be on your holiday menu (doesn't have to be Thanksgiving, but certainly around Christmastime). You'll enjoy it. I promise :)

Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Ingredients:
4 cups white bread (I used Vienna bread), cut into 1 inch cubes
1 apple, cored and diced
2 oz cream cheese, diced
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Grease a 8 X 8 inch baking dish. Place half of the bread and half of the apple in the dish. Top with the cream cheese. Top with the rest of the bread and apple.

Combine the eggs, milk, syrup and cinnamon. Pour over the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 F. Bake for 45 minutes until set. Serve topped with more syrup (and alongside crispy bacon!).

Serves 3-4.

Cinnamon Roll Biscuits

There's nothing better than a lazy morning of coffee and a good book, right? Throw in some homemade cinnamon rolls and you'll never want to change out of your pjs and get the day started.

For me the coffee flavor doesn't really matter (as long as it's black, no cream or sugar here). And if I'm entirely honest, the book (as long as it is captivating) doesn't really matter either. I've read a LOT of "for fun" books since I started my postdoc. Mostly because I gave up on them during grad school (and I don't have a very active social life). I tend to get sucked in and can't put the book resulting in perfect lazy mornings. As long as the coffee mug keeps refilling itself and the cinnamon rolls are tasty.

Oh. You want to know what books I've been enjoying lately? Thanks for asking. I'll tell you because you asked so very nicely. ;)

1. The Private series of books by James Patterson and cohorts. I actually read all three of these books in reverse order starting with Private Games during the Olympics (it is set during the London 2012 games) and thoroughly enjoyed them all. As with every Patterson book and affiliate, the short chapters and page-turning mysteries have me reading "just one more" for about 25 chapters before setting them down.

2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Like you, I'm sure, I've seen the movie trailer featuring the lovely Hermione Granger Emma Watson. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the book but I certainly didn't consider it the modern day "Breakfast Club" as the trailer led me to believe. It was one of those books, like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, that left me wondering who read it and thought, wow this would make a good movie. Not that it was a bad book... I'll leave it at that. Read it and let me know what you think.

3. The Vampire Academy series. Ok, ok. I'm a sucker for a vampire storyline. But these books, although targeted at teenage girls, are very well written; with just enough love, lust, action, and intrigue, they have pulled me into this fantasy world of good vs bad vampires, the bodyguards that protect them, and the alchemists that help guard the secrets. I highly recommend all of them.

4. Catch Me. Lisa Gardner has done it again. I don't know how she comes up with all of these crazy back stories about terrible childhoods that lead to serial killers but somehow it all works. A page turner for certain. Just make sure you lock your doors (especially if you live in Boston).


So enough about the books I've been reading, moving on to what you really want--- the cinnamon rolls. I've been wanting to make homemade cinnamon rolls for quite some time (they're on that bucket list), but they typically take a bit longer than I want to spend on Saturday morning. Especially for only me. If I'm going to put the effort it, I gotta be sharing it with someone else (or multiple people). When Brown Eyed Baker posted these biscuit cinnamon rolls that didn't require yeast and rising time, I knew they would totally be perfect for me. And they are. Simple and easy and to your tummy within 1 hour. I decided to go with a cream cheese frosting instead of her simple glaze and I think it was worth the extra ingredients. Delicious.

So cuddle up with your coffee and a good book and enjoy these cinnamon rolls!

Any books you recommend? 

Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
Ingredients:
For biscuits (adapted from Brown Eyed Baker):
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 dash salt
1/2 cup (+ a little more) half and half
1 tbsp melted butter, unsalted
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

For cream cheese frosting:
3 tbsp softened low fat cream cheese
1/8 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp half and half

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 F.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the half and half until a dough forms. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for about 30 seconds until smooth, adding more half and half or flour as necessary.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a rectangle about 5 X 12 inches. Brush half of the butter on the top of the dough. Mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the dough. Roll up the dough long way (start at the end of one of the 5 inch sides and roll along the 12 inches). Cut the dough into 6 pieces about 1-1 1/2 inches wide.

Brush the rest of the butter on the bottom of a baking dish. Place the pieces of the roll round side down on the buttered dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Make the cream cheese frosting, by mixing the cream cheese with a spoon until slightly fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and stir until completely incorporated and a soft and smooth texture is reached. Add the half and half and stir until smooth and slightly runny. Spoon the frosting over the rolls.

Eat while warm.

Serves 2-3.

Apple Crumble Muffins

Sometimes I think inanimate objects are capable of feelings. 

For example, my iPod gets into certain musical moods: the other day it was on shuffle of the 1303 songs and it played me Rascal Flatts for every other song for about 10 songs (there are only 75 Rascal Flatts songs on my iPod, FYI). Additionally, my rotovap knows when I'm watching it: it will be working perfectly fine, solvent coming off with no issues while I'm standing there watching it but the minute I turn my back to start cleaning some glassware, it decides to bump. The cup sink collecting the water running through my reflux condenser likes to play tricks on me: if it knows I need to use the restroom, the water falls just so and I can hear the sound of rushing water, otherwise it is mostly silent.

This week at the farmer's market, the bin of apples was speaking to my heart. I knew I needed to buy some for eatin' and for bakin'. I ate a few and baked another into these delicious apple crumble muffins. Both of my parents approved when they were in town. And the best thing about them-- they are practically diet. Within the muffin, the butter is swapped with canola oil and the egg with applesauce. Plus the chunks of fresh apples are delicious. Of course, the crumble has a little bit of butter in it, but who cares when it adds a little extra. They are moist and filling and a great way to start your morning.

Take a look at the picture below; aren't they just calling you to make them and consume them right away? They will tell you stories of autumn in an orchard during every bite.

Apple Crumble Muffins
Ingredients:
For muffins (adapted from Carla's Confections):
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of ginger
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup natural applesauce
1/8 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 apple, cored, peeled and diced

For crumble topping (adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook):
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
dashes of cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground ginger, to taste/smell
1 1/2 tbsp cold unsalted butter
2 tbsp crushed walnuts

Directions:
Add the vinegar to the milk and let sit for about 30 minutes (you are making sour milk here).

Preheat oven to 400 F. Add liners to a muffin tin.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a small bowl. In another bowl, mix together the brown sugar, applesauce, sour milk, oil and vinegar. Add in the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the diced apple. Fill the muffin liners about 2/3 full with the batter.

In another bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, and seasonings for the crumble topping. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or two forks until it is coarse clumps. Mix in the walnuts. Sprinkle the crumble topping on the batter in the muffin tins.

Bake for approximately 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly.

Makes 12 muffins.

Peach Pancakes

Pancakes, Farmer's Market Style.

You know what it takes to make pancakes, farmer's market style? 

A very, very small amount of effort. 

Pick up some fruit (peaches, as below, or blueberries or strawberries or raspberries or apples or cherries or etc.) from your farmer's market, get out your normal pancake supplies and get to cooking!

So ridiculously simple that you should probably do it tomorrow morning.

Do.

It.

Tomorrow.

Morning.

I totally love the Better Homes and Garden cookbook (I actually have TWO of them!) and I always turn to it for simple and reliable recipes. That's from where I pulled this base pancake recipe. I love it because it is so adaptable. Like for the incorporation of fruit (point and case below) or substitution with whole wheat flour. If I don't have buttermilk in the house, I simply mix up the sour milk described below. It works great. You need the sour milk or buttermilk in order to generate fluffy pancakes (it's chemistry!! an acid-base reaction that allow air to be incorporated into the batter).

Peach Pancakes (adapted from Better Homes and Garden Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk + 1 1/2 tbsp white vinegar (or 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 peaches, chopped finely
1-2 tbsp of butter, sliced into very small pats
1/2 peach, sliced, for garnish
Butter, syrup and/or powdered sugar, for serving

Directions:
Combine the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and let stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. **This is an easy way to make homemade buttermilk, in case you don't want to make another trip to the store.**

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

Add the egg to milk mixture and stir with a fork. Add all of the wet mixture to the flour. Stir until just moistened. Add the chopped peaches and stir to combine.

Heat a griddle or heavy skillet over medium heat. Add one pat of butter and move the pan until the melted butter spreads over it. Using a ladle, add about 1/4 cup batter onto the skillet. Cook over medium for 1-2 minutes on each side until golden brown turning halfway through when the pancake has a bubbly surface. Repeat, adding butter pats between pancakes, cooking however many fit in your pan, until all the batter is used up. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Garnish with extra peach slices, butter, syrup, and powdered sugar as desired.

Makes approximately 12 pancakes.

Overnight Oats with Chia Seeds

Ch-ch-ch-chia!

Did you have a chia pet when they were sweeping the nation in the 80s? I find them a little creepy but kinda cool. Know what I mean?

Well, chia is back, repurposed and sweeping the (health food) nation again. You heard me right, the same thing that made those funny animals (and characters) is something you can eat. Actually, it is the seed that has gained a lot of popularity recently. The seed is chalked full of fiber and many essential nutrients. If you haven't seen them, they are this little black balls that are very crunchy. They swell up when they are soaked in liquid and become soft.

After reading numerous blog posts and articles about this little seeds, I decided to try them out and make my own decision. Conclusion- I like them. I have just let them soak up in a glass of juice (you really can't tell you are drinking seeds along with it). I also tried them out in this overnight oats recipe. Overnight oats are great because you can mix everything up before you go to bed and your breakfast is waiting for you when you get up in the morning. If you are not a big fan of bananas, I would suggest skipping the banana because it is definitely the dominant flavor. I used coconut milk to make mine, but any type of milk would work great. Play around with the fruits to get something you really enjoy. It will brighten up your breakfast and hopefully get you energized for a productive day.

Overnight Oats (adapted from Skinny Taste)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup milk (cow's, almond, soy, coconut, etc)
1/4 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 medium banana, sliced thinly
1/2 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup blueberries
1 tsp honey (or other sweetener of choice)
dash of cinnamon

Directions:
Mix everything in a jar or glass. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Breakfast Sandwiches on Buttermilk Biscuits

Happy 4th of July! Happy birthday, 'a-Mer-ca!

What did you do this morning? Did you sleep in? Did you roll out of bed and head straight to the pool or beach? Did you starting making food for your cookout this evening?

Oh, what did I do?

Thanks for asking.

I slept in a little bit and then made a good American breakfast to celebrate our nation's birthday. As you may have guessed from my a-Mer-ca, I went Southern with my cooking-- buttermilk biscuits with egg, cheese and bacon. I adapted Alton Brown's recipe for buttermilk biscuits subbing in half whole wheat flour; you may think I did this to make these healthier and go ahead think that, but the real reason is that I didn't have a full two cups of all-purpose flour. Sometimes whole wheat flour can add density and I was a little worried the biscuits wouldn't be quite a fluffy as expected. However, they turned out great! And perfect vehicles for the eggs, bacon and cheese.

Go all out and make this sandwich, or make it your own and use sausage or ham (or Canadian bacon, but pretend I didn't suggest this on a-Mer-ca day). Or just skip the meat altogether and add some cooked portabella mushrooms or spinach for a hearty vegetarian breakfast. Alternatively, I think the biscuits would be perfect as a side to a soup or salad for lunch or dinner... I'll probably be doing that later in the week since I have 10 fluffy biscuits sitting in my kitchen right now.

Well, enjoy these and your 4th of July celebrations!

Egg, Cheese and Bacon Biscuits
Ingredients:
1 egg
3 tbsp egg white substitute (or another egg)
2 slices bacon, cooked to your desired crispness
2 tbsp shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 buttermilk biscuits (recipe below)

Directions:
Beat the egg and egg white in a small bowl. Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Add the egg and season with pepper (you probably won't need more salt since there is plenty of salt that comes along with the bacon). Cook, without stirring, until the eggs are cooked almost through. Flip over and cook the other side (it may be easier to cut the egg patty in half before flipping). Once the eggs are cooked through, fold the egg into two pieces that are around 2-2.5 in round.

Split the biscuits in half. Add one half of the eggs to the bottom half of each biscuit, top with approximately 1 tbsp cheese and 1 slice of bacon, broken in half. Top with the other half of the biscuits.

Makes 2 small biscuits (serves about 1 person depending on your appetite).



Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits (adapted from Alton Brown)
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp cold butter
1 cup cold buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F.

Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until a crumb-like texture is formed. Add the buttermilk and mix until the dough is moistened and sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and dust the dough with a small amount of flour. Gently fold over the dough on itself about 5-6 times. Using your hands, press the dough into a round with about 1/2 in thickness. Cut into approximately 2 in round pieces (either use a round cookie cutter or eyeball it with a knife). Reshape the dough and repeat until you have used up all the dough. Make sure not to handle and knead the dough too much or the biscuits will not be fluffy.

Place approximately 1 in apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.

Makes 12 biscuits.

****Please note that I have added a few things to the blog. On the right hand side, under pages there is a link to "Recipe Archives". I have classified the recipes under various headings so you can search as you would like and link to particular posts. I will keep this up-to-date as I add new recipes.

Additionally, if you are on Pinterest and would like to follow my pins, please click the "follow on Pinterest" button to the right.****

Honey Wheat Waffles with Homemade Strawberry Syrup

Name this movie:  “We can stay up late, swapping manly stories, and in the morning, I'm making waffles!”

I enjoy a weekend morning when I can sleep in and lounge around in my PJs while catching up on some TV and drinking my coffee. On those mornings, I also prefer to make something a little more elaborate for breakfast like an omelet, biscuits or waffles (a typical morning is usually toast, yogurt or cereal). So today I'm sharing with you a great waffle recipe made with mostly whole wheat flour and flavored with yogurt and honey. In addition, please please please, make this homemade strawberry syrup. It is strawberry season right now and it is so easy! You can load it up on waffles like I did, or maybe pour it over some vanilla bean ice cream. Or just eat it directly out of the pan... (I may have done that as well).

Honey Wheat Waffles (adapted from Annie's Eats)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup honey
1 egg

1 tbsp canola oil 

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, yogurt, honey, egg and oil until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.

Pour into a pre-heated waffle iron and cook as directed by the manufacturer. 

Serves 2.

Strawberry Syrup

Ingredients:

1 cup diced strawberries

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp orange juice

1/4 tsp orange zest

1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan over med high heat. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Simmer until thicken 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before use.

Makes 1/2-3/4 cup.

P.S. Shrek! :)