Saturday Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash

I don’t even like corned beef, but I went to the grocery store starving and it was on sale (after St Patty’s Day), so I said – what the heck? My husband feels the same way about it, but we both loved the way this meat came out, as well as the breakfast we used it in the next day!

 

Then my co-worker brought me three fresh eggs from her own chickens. There was one brown and two with different shades of green. I was so excited to try them since I’ve heard you can really taste the difference between fresh verse store bought eggs. The yolk was larger and more yellow. They were delicious. A great accompaniment to the corned beef hash.

 

4 servings

 

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

2 medium Russet potatoes, peeled, diced and boiled until tender (make the day before)

2 cups chopped corned beef - see corned beef recipe below, make the day before

½ small yellow onion, diced

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp minced fresh flat leaf Italian parsley

Salt & pepper, to taste

 

In a large frying pan over medium high heat, add EVOO. Once oil is hot, add potatoes, corned beef, onion, peppers and garlic. Press down with a spatula and let cook for about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley, salt and pepper. Press down with spatula and cook for another 5 minutes, until potatoes and beef are browned and crispy. Serve with fried eggs and toast.

 

Crock Pot Corned Beef:

2 ½ lb corned beef brisket

Vegetable broth (low sodium)

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

 

In a crock pot, add corned beef. Cover with broth. Add garlic and bay leaves. Cook on low for 8 hours. Remove from liquid, place on cutting board and cut against grain.

 

Tip: Make the day before and use leftovers for corned beef hash.

NY Strip Steak Hash with Eggs

I created this breakfast using all the leftovers from our Valentine’s Day feast … and then added two eggs! Yum … and Valentine’s weekend continues!

 

 

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

2 large red skinned potatoes, steamed or boiled, cubed

½ cup diced cooked steak

½ cup chopped steamed cauliflower

½ small yellow onion, diced

2 eggs

Salt and pepper to taste

 

In a frying pan over high heat, drizzle EVOO. Add potatoes and cook until all sides are browned and crispy. Turn heat to medium, add steak, cauliflower and onion; mix together.

 

Create two holes in the hash mixture and crack an egg into each hole. Cover pan and let egg cook until the whites are settled, but the yolk is still soft (or cooked to your liking). Season with salt and pepper.

 

Enjoy with a few dashes of hot sauce and a side of fresh fruit.

 

Chorizo Stuffed Chile Relleno Casserole

Since we weren’t going to be around for Thanksgiving, I wanted to have an early celebration and throw a big brunch for my friends. I made several egg casserole/frittatas, but this one stood out as the crowd favorite. 

 

If you’re having guests in town for the holidays, I’d recommend this simple and quick dish as a part of your brunch menu.

 

 

1 chorizo sausage link (1 lb)

1 large can of whole roasted chile rellenos (about 10-12 peppers)
6 eggs
¼ cup milk
A dash of Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated pepper Jack cheese

Remove sausage from casing and into frying pan. Over med-high heat, cook sausage through. Using a spoon, carefully stuff chile peppers. Place stuffed peppers onto a greased baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over chiles into dish. Cover with shredded cheese.

Bake on 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until the middle is set. Let casserole rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into squares.

Top with sliced avocado and serve with salsa.

 

Blueberry Bread Pudding

I found that people typically really like bread pudding or won’t touch the stuff. I usually fall into the latter category, but decided to give it another shot. Recently, I made a big brunch for some friends and since I’m not a huge breakfast or sweets person, I wasn’t sure what to make for “dessert”. I thought about pancakes and French toast, but decided it was too much work and couldn’t really prepare beforehand.

I settled on the bread pudding because it was easy. I could make it the night before and finish baking it right before everyone arrived. Even my friend who said she didn’t like bread pudding, ended up going home with the recipe. This dish was devoured by the end of the day! I’m looking forward to making it again around Christmas when family is in town.

 

Crispy on top and warm in the middle.

 

 

10-12 servings

3 eggs
3 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Zest from one lemon
2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 loaf (1 lb) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir in frozen blueberries. Stir in bread cubes; let stand for 15 minutes or until bread is softened. I made mine the night before and then baked it the next day.

Transfer to a greased 13” x 9” baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Top with fresh blueberries and serve with fresh whipped cream or maple syrup.
 

Homemade Granola with Nuts and Dried Fruit


When my parents come to visit, it means we’re going to cook and eat…A LOT. Among the many things we cooked that week, we made a batch of homemade granola with toasted nuts and dried fruit. For breakfast every morning, my husband and I eat yogurt topped with fresh fruit and granola, so it was nice to create a batch of granola with the combination of flavors that we love. 


Mom & Larry making granola.



Whisk syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt and oil.

Fold in oats until coated.

Spread mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Press down until mixture is compact and then it is ready to bake.

Serve over yogurt and fresh fruit.

1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar

1/3 cup brown sugar

4 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp salt
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries  

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk syrup or nectar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Whisk in oil. Fold in oats and nuts until well coated.

Spread a thin layer of the mixture to the baking sheet. Press mixture down until compact. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Rotate rack half way through.

Remove from oven and let cool completely for about 1 hour. Break granola into desired pieces. Stir in dried fruit. Store into an airtight container.

Try these variations to create your perfect flavor combination:

·         Add dried apples
·         Add shredded coconut
·         Add 2 Tbsp orange zest
·         Add dried mango or pineapple for a tropical flare
·         Try a variety of nuts like hazelnuts or macadamias

Vegetable Frittata Squares

I made these for a Birthday breakfast celebration at my work. I prepared the sauté veggies the night before then just added the eggs and baked it in the morning. Include your favorite vegetables and then serve them warm or cool.

6 eggs

½ small red bell pepper, diced
½ small green bell pepper, diced
About 10 thin asparagus spears, cut into ½” pieces
3 large baby Bella mushrooms, diced
2 green onion sprigs, diced
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
A few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp butter
Shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, sauté all the veggies over medium high heat in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Meanwhile, beat eggs with an electric mixer until fluffy and bubbly. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes; stir in sautéed veggies.

Pour mixture into a greased 9”x9” casserole dish. Dot mixture with butter pieces and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. Cut into squares and enjoy.

Sourdough Breakfast Sandwich

What a delicious Saturday morning!

Servings: 2

6 slices of bacon

4 eggs
Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Salt & Pepper
4 slices of hearty sourdough bread
Extra sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
½ avocado, sliced

In a frying pan, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove bacon from pan and set on a paper towel lined plate; set aside. Wipe grease out of pan.

Add a little butter or EVOO to the pan. Crack the eggs into the pan (try to keep the two sets of eggs together). Once the whites are set and the outer edges are just starting to curl up, flip. Season with salt and pepper. Depending on how soft you like the yolks, remove pan from heat when it’s ready.

In a toaster oven, toast bread. On one side of bread, cover with Cheddar cheese and melt.

To assemble sandwich, stack bacon and eggs on slice of toast with cheese. Add sliced avocado and top with second piece of toast. Cut in half and enjoy with some fresh fruit.

Vegetable Frittata

My parents are in town and I had some nice asparagus and tomatoes on hand, thus the perfect recipe for a frittata brunch! Serve warm with toast, or serve cold with a small salad for a light lunch.

6 eggs

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

1 Tbsp minced fresh Rosemary

½ tsp sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

¼ cup diced red onion

About 5 asparagus

About 5 red bell pepper rings, quartered

About 5 tomato slices

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Freshly shredded Parmesan and sharp Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to broil.

In a 10” skillet over med-high heat, drizzle EVOO and sauté onion, asparagus and bell peppers for about 4 minutes. Remove asparagus and bell peppers from pan; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk eggs, herbs, salt and pepper. Add eggs to skillet over onions. Allow mixture to cook and set, lifting edges and allowing runny middle underneath. Arrange tomato slices, asparagus and bell pepper on top of eggs while they are still soft.

Sprinkle with cheese and set under broiler for 2-3 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.

Variations: Add crumbled sausage, chopped steamed broccoli or goat cheese.

Loaded Potato Cake Benedict

There’s a lot going on here, but worth all the effort when you hear your husband say it’s the best breakfast ever. It consists of my Loaded Potato Cakes on a bed of sautéed spinach and steamed asparagus, topped with a fried egg and homemade Hollandaise sauce. Enjoy!

Loaded Potato Cakes (I had some leftover from this recipe and froze them for future use. I thought this would be a delicious substitution for hash browns.)

5 eggs, separate the yolks from 3 eggs, save the whites
3 tsp butter, sliced, room temperature
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
6-8 thick asparagus spears, ends trimmed
2-3 large handfuls of fresh baby spinach
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

In a double broiler, add 3 egg yolks, 1 slice of butter, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper. Whisk rapidly. Once butter melts, continue to add another slice of butter until it’s all whisked in and sauce thickens. Do not let sauce curdle or scramble. Once thickened, remove from heat and set aside.

NOTE: If you don’t have a double broiler, just use a large pot, fill with 1” of water and bring to a boil. Then place a glass bowl over the pot. The glass bowl has to be larger than the opening of the pot so water does not get into the bowl.

Once the Hollandaise sauce is done, add asparagus to the pot of boiling water, add a little salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain and place asparagus in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain and set aside.

In a large frying pan, drizzle EVOO over med-high heat. Fry potato cakes on each side for about 3-4 minutes, until crispy and brown. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to soak up excess oil.

Once potato cakes are done, add a little more EVOO to the same pan and sauté spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with a little salt to season. Once spinach is finished, start to plate by creating a little bed of spinach on each plate. Stack a few asparagus spears on spinach. Top with two potato cakes.

In the same frying pan, add more EVOO over high heat. Add remaining egg whites and two whole eggs to pan. Let eggs bubble and edges turn crispy and golden. Flip eggs and fry for another 1-2  minutes, depending on how soft you want your yolks. If the egg whites spread and all run into each other, use your spatula to cut in half and flip one half at a time.

Top potato cakes with eggs (you might need to fold it in half if it’s too wide). Spoon Hollandaise over eggs. Stack nice and tall for an extra wow factor.

Breakfast Tostadas

A yummy way to start your weekend!

4 corn tortillas
Non-stick cooking spray
4 eggs
Salt and pepper
½ red bell pepper, diced
4 slices of Canadian bacon, or ham, diced
2 green onion sprigs, or regular yellow onion, diced
Freshly grated Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray one side of the tortillas with non-stick cooking spray, place on a baking sheet and cook for 7 minutes. Turn tortillas over, spray with more cooking spray and cook for another 7 minutes, until crispy. While tortillas are baking make eggs.

In a frying pan, spray with cooking spray, add peppers, ham and onions; sauté for a few minutes. Add eggs and scramble together. Season with salt and pepper. Don’t overcook the eggs since they will go in the oven for a few minutes and cook more.

Top each tostada with scramble eggs mixture, top with cheese and bake for a couple minutes until cheese is melted.

Top breakfast tostadas with sliced avocado, salsa and fresh minced cilantro. Serve with a fruit salad.

Apple Banana Nut Loaf

1 large ripe banana (about one cup of mashed banana)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 Tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
2 apples, peeled and grated
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Zest from one lemon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan; set aside.

In a small bowl, mash banana with a fork. Beat in sugar, then egg and butter. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon; add to banana mixture and stir just until flour is moistened. Add apples, nuts and lemon zest; stir just until combined. Pour batter into pan.

Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes.

Let loaf cool before removing from pan. Wrap loaf with aluminum foil and enjoy the next day for breakfast.

Blueberry-Lemon Oatmeal Pancakes

A perfect breakfast for a sunny Saturday morning with the parents in town.

Fruit & Yogurt Parfait

I made this simple and light, yet elegant breakfast while my in-laws were here over Thanksgiving weekend.

Serves 4

2 yogurts – two different flavors (I used mixed berry and peach)
1-2 bananas, sliced
1 package of raspberries
1 package of black berries
About a handful of red grapes
Granola

Using 4 wine tumblers, split the first yogurt among the glasses. Next add a layer of bananas and raspberries. Add another layer of the second flavor of yogurt. Top with grapes and black berries. Sprinkle with granola. Feel free to drizzle with a little honey too.



Cran-Apple Pecan Bread

1 ½ cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 apple, peeled & chopped
¼ cup cooking oil
½ cup milk
1 egg
¼ tsp lemon zest
½ cup pecans, chopped

Grease bottom of a loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.

In another bowl combine sugar, apple, cranberries, oil, milk, egg and lemon zest. Add dry mixture to apple mixture. Fold in nuts.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until a wooden toothpick is inserted in the middle of the loaf and comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pan, wrap and store over night in the fridge. This allows the flavors to mellow and the loaf to cut easier.

Cranberry Carrot Bread

Talk about random cravings. I woke up this morning craving carrots. First I was going to make fresh carrot-apple juice in the juicer, but the then I busted out my faithful Better Homes and Garden Cook Book and looked up some loaf/bread recipes. I combined a few of the ones listed in the book together and came up with this, which was perfect for breakfast with coffee.



¾ cup of dried cranberries
¼ cup rum
1 ½ cup flour
¾ cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 cup finely shredded carrots (3 large carrots)
¼ cup of cooking oil
¾ cup chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp sugar

Grease the bottom of a loaf pan (8”x4”x2”) and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl stir together cranberries and rum; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.

In another medium bowl combine egg, carrots and oil. Stir in cranberry mixture. Add egg mixture to dry mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fold in walnuts.

Pour batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. To test if done, insert a wooden toothpick and it should come out clean.

Remove from oven. While bread is still in the pan, brush lemon-sugar mixture over the top of the loaf. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.

Cheesy Vegetable Scramble with Garlic Potato Pancakes

I’m not a huge breakfast person or fan of eggs, but this morning I woke up starving and decided to make this tasty number. The hubby was happily surprised.



1 large russet potato
¼ yellow onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp freshly minced parsley
3 eggs (1 for potatoes, 2 for scramble)
½ red bell pepper, chopped
3 large asparagus, steamed and chopped
2 green onion sprigs, chopped
Pepper Jack cheese, freshly grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
EVOO

In a large bowl, grate potato. Move shredded potato a paper towel or cheese cloth and ring out excess liquid. Return potato to bowl. Grate onion into bowl, and then add garlic. Add parsley and one beaten egg. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well.

In a large frying pan, heat a few drizzles of EVOO over medium high heat. Scoop several large spoonfuls of potato mixture onto frying pan; flatten a little to make small pancakes. Fry until they are crispy and browned, then flip and cook the other side.

In a small skillet, heat EVOO over medium high heat. Add bell pepper, asparagus and green onions. Sauté until peppers are tender. Add 2 beaten eggs. Mix and cook all together until eggs are no longer runny. Season with salt and pepper. Add Pepper Jack and remove pan from heat.

Enjoy with buttered toast or an English muffin.

Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches with Rosemary and Garlic Potatoes

3 servings

Pillsbury biscuits (5 pack)
1 large red skinned potato, sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 rosemary sprig, minced
S&P to taste
EVOO
4-5 eggs
4-5 slices of American cheese
4-5 slices of ham
Nectarine, sliced in wedges

Bake biscuits accordingly to directions (350 degrees for about 15 minutes).

Blanch potatoes, by placing potato slices in rapidly boiling salted water for a few minutes. Heat EVOO in a frying pan over med-high heat and add potato slices to sauté. Add garlic, rosemary and S&P to taste. Sauté until both sides of potato slices are crispy and brown, about 10 minutes.

Fried each egg in a little EVOO, flip after a few minutes, so the egg is soft in the middle and the outside is fried and brown. Heat up slices of ham by lightly frying each slice in a little EVOO in a frying pan.

Make sandwiches by splitting each biscuit, add egg, topped with ham and cheese. Serve with potatoes and nectarine.

Open Faced Breakfast Sandwiches

Saturday morning breakfast for my hubby.

1-2 eggs
1 Tbsp of heavy cream or milk
Couple dashes of hot sauce
Salt & pepper
2 slices of Black Forest Ham
Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 Sourdough bread slices
2 slices of cantaloupe
A few grapes

Heat some EVOO in a frying pan. Whisk eggs, cream, hot sauce, s & p until fluffy. Scramble eggs until they are barely runny. They will continue to cook in the hot pan and you don’t want to overcook them so they’re dry. Move eggs to the side and heat ham in the same pan until it’s warmed through.

Toast bread. Top with ham, eggs and cheese. Put back in toaster oven so cheese melts. Top with freshly cracked pepper. Plate sandwiches with a side of fruit. Serve with OJ and coffee.

Special Saturday Breakfast

Pillsbury biscuits

Home-style herbed potatoes
1 large Russet potato, cubed into small pieces
¼ small red onion, chopped
¼ - ½ green bell pepper, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
Sprig of Rosemary, minced
Handful of parsley, minced
Salt & Pepper to taste
EVOO

Eggs Scramble
2 eggs
A few sprigs of chives, minced
¼ cup of shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Dash of Tabasco
EVOO

Heat oven to 350 degrees for biscuits. Brush top of biscuits with egg for a nice, brown top. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Heat EVOO in skillet over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and brown. When potatoes start become soft and translucent around the edges, about 15 minutes or so, turn down heat, add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Cover with lid and occasionally sauté until veggies get soft and potatoes are tender when poked with a fork. Sprinkle with herbs towards the end, right before veggies are done.

Heat EVOO in skillet over medium-high heat. Scramble eggs in a bowl, add salt, pepper, and a dash of Tabasco. Scramble eggs in skillet. Once eggs are almost done, mix in chives. Once everything is plated, top eggs with cheese.

Plate eggs, potatoes and a biscuit. Enjoy with a Bloody Mary or Mimosa!