Recipe of the Week: Breakfast Puffs

Have you ever made Yorkshire pudding? I hadn't even heard of it until I was watching Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives on Food Network a few weeks ago. A Yorkshire pudding is a savory bread-like dish that is simultaneously crispy, chewy, and all around delicious!

I decided to make a sweet, breakfast version so here is my recipe for Breakfast Puffs!  They are a cross between a muffin, doughnut, and a pancake.

They are so easy that my son (who calls them "Hush Puppies"…go figure?) asked me to make them on a school morning and I easily agreed (granted, school starts at 8:35 for us so…we had a bit of time).

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

3 eggs

dash of salt

2 TBS sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

Vegetable oil

Sliced strawberries

powdered sugar

Make it!

Preheat oven to 425 (key step!).

Warm milk in microwave for 60 seconds. This helps bring all the ingredients (including the cold eggs) to room temperature for optimum PUFF while baking.

In a blender, add milk, eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, and then flour on top. Blend until smooth. Scrape down sides to incorporate all the flour and blend again if necessary.

Carefully pour one teaspoon of oil into 10 cups of a regular muffin tin. Put the muffin on a sheet pan (to  catch any overflow while the puffs cook) and put the tin in the oven while it is preheating. You want the oil to get nice and hot (but not smoke! so keep an eye on it. I usually put the tin in when the oven is half way heated and the oil does just fine).

Slice the strawberries and add a little sugar so they will make their own syrup. Set aside.

When the oven is preheated, pull the muffin tin out and carefully pour the batter into the cups, filling 2/3 of the way full. This recipe makes 10 puffs.

Put the tin back in the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes.

This recipe is very entertaining to watch bake! The puffs start out as a really thin, unimpressive batter and then they quickly puff up as they cook. It is really exciting. (if you get excited about food. I do!) I have actually put a chair in front of my oven and watched them bake the entire time! (can you say "food nerd"?) This morning, though, I took a shower while they baked. Hey, it was a school morning, after all.

When they are done, the puffs should be huge, (3+ inches above the tin) and golden brown. Loosen the puffs with a small knife and place them on a paper towel lined plate upside down to drain off some of the oil.

Note: The ONLY downside to these puffs is that they are hard to get out of the pan. I have tired cooking spray + oil, butter, more oil, etc. and every method sticks. So…just be prepared. But they are worth it, I promise!

Sprinkle puffs with powdered sugar and top with strawberries. Serve to your hungry kiddos!

Serves 4-6.

Yum! They are filling and delicious: crispy, chewy, and slightly sweet. Mmmm!

Enjoy!

Recipe of the Week - One Skillet Cowboy Breakfast

This month we took our annual vacation as a family. We decided to try something new and go camping - in a tent - with a 9 month old - and a 5 year old. It was - interesting! We did have fun, but I was beyond proud of myself for being extra prepared and for opting in to do a little extra work at home to eat well when we were there. Instead of the usual burnt hamburgers over the open flame, I did what my mother calls “hobo dinners”. Basically it was meat, veggies, olive oil, and seasonings in a foil packet. They were wonderful! You really can cook most anything over a campfire like that. I had something else in mind for our Sunday breakfast and I could not wait to try making a big cowboy breakfast in one skillet. Well, rain rain rain changed that plan. We did not get to cook that Sunday morning meal, so I used the same idea for a lower effort meal at home the next evening. Heck, half the prep was done!

I made a few minor changes to make things easier for me and boy was I glad that I did. I will include the original suggestions with a strikeout so you can see what I changed and add the variations. And since I had already prepared the “at home” ingredients, so the first part of this recipe was a snap!

Ingredients: 2 medium potatoes 4 small red potatoes 2 Tablespoons cooking oil 1 clove of garlic 1/2 small onion 1/3 lb. ground sausage 1 can of SPAM 5 eggs 1/2 cup cheddar cheese Salt & Pepper to Taste

Instructions: At Home: 1.  Dice the potatoes and onion into small, bite-size pieces. Store them in separate airtight containers. 2. Mince the garlic and place them in a separate container. 3. Shred the cheddar cheese. Pack them in a separate container.

At the Campground: 1. Add the oil to a large skillet and heat it on a stove (if you're camping with an RV) or over the campfire (if you're tent camping). 2. Fry the potatoes until golden. 3.  Add the onions and garlic and fry them until they start to change color. 4. Fry the sausage diced SPAM until they are brown heated all the way through, breaking it up as you cook it. 5. Add the eggs into the skillet, breaking the yolks and mixing them through the entire pan. Cook until the eggs have set. 6. Add the shredded cheddar cheese. Cover the pan for a few minutes to allow the cheese to melt. *I didn’t need to cover the pan…everything was hot enough to melt the cheese with a little mixing.

We absolutely loved this recipe. I loved that it was only one pan to clean up and that the entire family was salivating for more! Of course, you can use other veggies instead of potatoes and organic meat. (I could hear some of you cringing at the very mention of SPAM, but I’m not ashamed to say that I love it on occasion!!)

Enjoy!!

Recipe courtesy of : http://www.campingroadtrip.com/outdoor-living-newsletter-february-2012/ten-easy-breakfast-camping-meals

Recipe of the Week - Baked Oatmeal

Looking back to my engagement, I think the recipe exchange was my favorite part of bridal showers.  I loved getting to see what each friend brought as a tried-and-true family recipe that should be shared with a new couple starting off.  Of course, some were okay, some were just weird, and some became instant favorites. This baked oatmeal quickly filled the latter.  Amazing.  We will eat it any time of day, and you just might see it on the dessert menu as well. Ingredients: 3 cups oatmeal 2/3-1 cup sucanat (or other sweetener) 2 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. salt 1 cup milk (I use almond or coconut) ½ cup melted butter (or other oil) 2 eggs, beaten Fruit, optional—I LOVE adding mashed bananas.  Peaches also taste heavenly!

Directions:

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.  Pour milk, eggs, and butter in and mix well.  Spoon into a greased 9” pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes.

It’s great warm out of the oven.  You can add extra fruit, pour milk over it…yum.

Recipe of the Week - Cinnamon Puffs

We are big fans of breakfast-for-dinner at our house. Especially when it's cold out! Because of our schedules we don't get to share breakfast together often in the morning. Many times we will whip up a morning favorite on a Saturday night. To me, breakfast isn't breakfast without a bread product. While I love pancakes and waffles, I am either eating cold waffles or standing by the skillet/waffle iron while my family eats. Either way, it's not ideal. My favorite solution to this is either cinnamon rolls or muffins. I thought I would share my favorite muffin recipe with you all. Some people call these doughnut muffins, but growing up we called them cinnamon puffs.(Note: These are NOT healthy, but every once in a while it's ok to splurge!)

Cinnamon Puffs: ½ cup shortening ½ cup sugar 1 egg 1 ½ cup flour 1 ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp nutmeg ½ cup milk

Cream sugar and shortening until smooth. Beat in egg. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with milk. Put in greased muffin pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Topping: 1 ½ cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon ½ cup melted butter

Mix cinnamon and sugar. Dip muffin in melted butter and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Recipe of the Week - Mini Pancake Muffins for Toddlers

My 13 month old daughter has become a bit of a picky eater and has been going through spurts of not wanting to feed herself. What a little weirdo, right? Anyway. She's really active and a little skinny in my opinion (the pediatrician says she's just fine, thankfully) so I've been searching for some new toddler-friendly recipes to use to ensure she's getting enough in that skinny belly. Breakfast is generally the meal she's a pro at, so I decided to find a fun breakfast-esque snack that she could enjoy with just about any meal. I looked on a few 'baby food' websites and blogs and finally, because we all know it's like an online Bible for moms, found a great recipe on PINTEREST! With a name like "mini banana pancake muffins" you really can't go wrong, right?

So, I gave them a shot and my daughter went nuts for them. In fact, she totally poo poo'd her scrambled eggs (a normal favorite) and hopped on the pancake muffin train! She loves these little guys, and so do I! They are super easy to make, super easy to tweak (use your kid's favorite fruit), and super easy to store in large batches.

Here's the recipe from Once A Month Mom.

• 1 cup complete pancake mix (the “just add water” kind)
• 2/3 cup water
• 2/3 cup syrup
• 1 whole banana, sliced and quartered

Now, when I first saw the ingredients and quantities, I was a little shocked that there was so much syrup so I did a little tweaking of my own to start in an attempt to make them less sugary. I basically halved the amount of syrup and added more water.

You mix all the ingredients together, fill your greased mini muffin pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until they are golden brown. They turned out great with my small change and after letting them cool slightly I was able to pop them in a large tupperware container and freeze them for an easy go-to snack.

They turned out so great (and were such a hit with the little one) that I immediately made another batch using peaches instead of bananas. Still great!

In my third attempt I tried switching things up a little more and I knocked down the syrup even more - about 1/8 cup. I used the same amount of water and pancake mix, but added some sugar free applesauce to make up for the missing sweetness from the syrup. Then I used assorted fruit including strawberries, raspberries, mango, and pineapple. The batter looked great but once I took them out of the oven and let them cool a bit they sank in the middle slightly. I think if I added more pancake mix and left them in the oven for a few extra minutes they would have turned out perfectly.

Do you have any other great breakfast/snack ideas that are easy to make and modify based on your child's taste? Please share in the comments below, or let us know how these turned out when you made them at home!

Recipe of the Week - Natilla, A Cold Morning Delight

Its hard to believe that fall is just around the corner! You know what, that's just fine with me. Having grown up in Massachusetts, fall is the perfect time to think of my favorite cold weather foods.

None comes to mind quicker than the crema that my Abuela Elena used to make. According to Puerto Rican Cookery its name is Natilla (pronounced nah-tee'-ya) and it's classified as a cold custard dessert. But to me, it will always be a breakfast similar to oatmeal.

My abuela passed away when I was young, yet whenever I make this cold morning treat, I remember how I felt when my grandmother would place that warm plate in front of me. Unfortunately, food that comforts the soul does not always do well for the body and this natilla is no different.

The recipe is provided as it appears in the Puerto Rican Cookery, but as my mother pointed out, it can be adapted. For instance, as a child I was never a fan of the lime peel, so now I don't add it. My mother adds vanilla and decreases the amount of sugar. Both of us double the cornstarch to make it a little thicker, and as I've said before, we prefer it warm.

One thing I know for sure, I can't wait to share this with daughter, Elena, named for the the woman who inspired this recipe.

Group A 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/8 teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 2 cups milk

Group B 1/2 cup sugar 1 thin cinnamon stick 1 lime peel, rinsed and drained

In saucepan, blend cornstarch and salt with part of the milk. Add egg yolks and mix well. Add remaining milk and ingredients included in Group B. Place saucepan over moderate-high heat and bring to a brisk boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove immediately and strain into a dessert bowl or 4 individual cups. Allow to cool and set in refrigerator.