Archive for Breakfast

Easy Homemade Chorizos

I made pancakes for my kids’ breakfast this morning, but the hubby and I wanted something heartier. Here’s my version of homemade chorizo. It’s delicious with eggs and rice!

Here’s how it’s done:

 

Brown the ground beef and drain off excess fat.

Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well.  Cook an additional 5 minutes.

 

Add more hot pepper to taste.

 

Stir to combine.

 

Serve and enjoy!  I especially love this with hot steamed white rice and a fried egg.

 

 

Easy Homemade Chorizos
 
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 packet achote powder
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons vinegar (Apple Cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar)
  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon Donne dinanche (crushed pepper), more or less to taste
  • *I also added 1 teaspoon fennel seed, and 1 teaspoon ajinomoto, but this can be omitted.
Instructions
  1. Brown the ground beef and drain off excess fat.
  2. Add all the remaining ingredients. Stir to mix well.
  3. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Crepes

Life is short…have dessert for breakfast.  😀

Okay, this is not really a dessert, but it could be.  In fact, crepes are one of those versatile foods that can be sweet OR savory (cheese, mushroom, spinach, and chicken crepes are a favorite!).

My family loves fruit-filled crepes with a sweet cream filling.  We have it for breakfast, as snacks, and they’re a special treat for dessert.

image

My youngest loves filling hers with Nutella and strawberries, but add some sliced bananas (oooh, and maybe some peanut butter too) for an Oh-My-Goodness flavor experience!

image

These crepes and tender and sweet all on their own, and do not taste eggy like the ones served in some restaurants.

Speaking of restaurants, I used to think that crepes were an indulgence we could only have at those popular breakfast restaurants.  Not anymore.  Crepes are really quite simple to make.

image

Have I tempted you enough to make some for yourself?  No?  How about now? 😀

image

So what are you waiting for?  Head into that kitchen and get started.  Here’s how to make it.  (If you’re new to my blog, you will always find my complete recipe at the bottom of my post.)

For the batter, you’ll need the same basic ingredients you use to make pancakes — eggs, sugar, butter, milk, and flour.  I also add a pinch of salt and vanilla extract my batter.

Place the eggs into a large mixing bowl.  Beat it slightly with a whisk.

image

Add sugar to sweeten it a bit.  If you plan on making savory crepes, I recommend decreasing the amount of sugar or omitting it completely.

image

Vanilla extract gets mixed in next.  You could also use lemon extract, or some lemon zest instead of vanilla extract, but remember that a little goes a long way.

image

Add a pinch of salt to the mixture.  Did you know that salt is a natural antioxidant?  Salt also adds taste and helps bring out the flavors present in the flour and other ingredients.

image

Melted butter gets mixed in next.  The butter serves two purposes in this recipe.  It adds flavor, but it also helps the crepes not stick to the pan during cooking.

image

Whisk in the milk.

image

Next comes the flour.  It may seem like you’re adding way too little flour for the amout of liquid.  However, unlike pancake batter, the ratio of milk to flour is 2:1 for crepe batter, which makes a very thin batter.

image

Whisk until you get a smooth batter.  A few tiny lumps of flour left in the batter are okay.

image

Set the batter aside while you heat up your pan.  I recommend using a non-stick skillet.  I use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet.

Lightly spray the pan with butter-flavored cooking spray (just to be on the safe side to ensure your crepes don’t stick to the pan).  Pour 1/2 cup of batter onto the heated skillet.

image

Cook the crepe over medium-low heat; you may need to adjust the heat as you go along, turning it down or up, depending on how quickly the crepes cook.

Use a spatula to gently lift the edges. If the crepe feels like it is still stickng to the pan, let it cook for a little while longer.  A telltale sign the crepe is ready to be flipped over is when you see it start to “wrinkle.”

image

Flip the crepe over to lightly brown the other side; this should only take a minute or less.

image

Continue making crepes until all of the batter is used up.  This recipe makes 8 crepes (more if you use less than 1/2 cup of batter per crepe).

image

So now that the crepes are done, it’s time to make the filling.  This recipe is for a sweet filling.

Cream together softened cream cheese and a bit of powdered sugar.

image

It should resemble cream cheese frosting at this point.

image

To lighten it up, mix in whipped cream.  I use Cool Whip to make things easier.  Hey, I’m all about making things from scratch, but sometimes semi-homemade is just fine. 🙂

image

Okay, so let’s see where we are in this endeavor.

Crepes — CHECK.

Sweet cream filling — CHECK.

All that’s left to do is fill the crepes with filling and your favorite fruit.  We like — okay, we LOVE — fresh berries in ours.

image

Spread some filling down the middle of a crepe.

image

Add fruit, as much as you like.

image

Fold each side over the middle, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and ENJOY! 😀

image

Scroll down for my complete recipes.

 

 

Crepes
 
Tender crepes filled a sweet cream; it's perfect for breakfast or served as a dessert.
Author:
Ingredients
Crepe batter:
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 cup flour
Filling:
  • 8-oz cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
  • 8-oz cool whip
  • Fresh berries
Other:
  • Powdered sugar
  • Butter-flavored cooking spray
Instructions
Make the crepes:
  1. Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl; beat slightly with a whisk.
  2. Mix in the remaining ingredients for the batter. Whisk until smooth.
  3. Pour ½ cup of batter onto a heated skillet. Cook over medium-low heat until lightly browned on one side. Flip the crepe and cook the other side until lightly browned.
Make the filling:
  1. Place the cream cheese and powdered sugar into a small mixing bowl. Use a hand mixer to mix until creamy.
  2. Mix in the Cool Whip.
Assemble the crepes:
  1. Spread some cream filling down the middle of a crepe.
  2. Top with fresh fruit.
  3. Fold the sides over the middle. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.
ENJOY!

Bacon and Sausage Breakfast Casserole

Cheese, Sausage, Bacon, Eggs, and Bread (well, garlic croutons in this case) all form the basis for this quick, easy, and delicious breakfast.

You can make in minutes…seriously.  I use a bag of already cooked sausage and bacon crumbles, but if you prefer a specific brand or flavor, by all means, use that.  Sometimes my kids request maple sausage and bacon instead of the pre-cooked stuff, so I make it for them.  Otherwise, aside from beating some eggs and half-and-half together, this recipe is easy-peasy.  In fact, this is a great recipe to get your kids into the kitchen and help cook.

image

I usually have a bag of croutons in my pantry.  This is the kind we like to use.  You don’t have to use these particular type of croutons (use your favorite), or croutons at all for that matter.  If you have extra crusty bread on hand, use that.  I don’t recommend using regular sandwich bread for this recipe, however.  Regular sandwich bread would soak up all of the liquid quickly, and because this recipe cooks QUICKLY, the cooking time is not long enough to cook the soaked bread.  Using croutons ensures you don’t get soppy breading at the bottom.

image

Pour the entire bag of croutons into the bottom of a 9×13 pan.

image

Crack the eggs into a medium sized mixing bowl.

image

Add the half-and-half (you can use cream instead, if you’d like).

image

Use a whisk to mix the eggs and half-and-half together.  You don’t need to whisk this for very long; mix just enough to break the yolks apart and mix up the whites so you don’t have any large globs of egg.

You can mix in some black pepper to this too.  DO NOT add any salt…the croutons, meat and cheese add enough sodium to this recipe.

image

Pour the egg mixture over the croutons.

image

Sprinkle the sausage and bacon mixture over the top of the pan.

image

This is the brand of sausage I buy.  It comes fully cooked, and this particular brand includes bacon.  You can use breakfast sausage if you prefer (since this IS a recipe for breakfast casserole), but I’m usually pressed for time most mornings, and this helps move things along in my house. 🙂

image

Okay, back to business.  Sprinkle some shredded cheese all over the top.  I used a mixture of grated mozzarella and cheddar cheese.

You can add other ingredients to this as well.  I think the next time I make this I’ll add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and maybe some diced bell pepper and onions.

image

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.

image

Cut into 12 pieces, serve, and ENJOY!

image

 

THM NOTE:

For any THMs reading this, this is still an S meal despite the croutons.  This particular brand of croutons has only 5g of total carbs per serving, which is about the amount in one serving of this casserole (the size of the photo above).  The casserole makes about 12 servings.

 

Breakfast Casserole
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 bag garlic flavored croutons
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 1 bag sausage and bacon crumbles
  • 2 cups shredded cheese
Instructions
  1. Layer the croutons on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
  2. Mix the eggs and half-and-half together. Pour over the croutons.
  3. Sprinkle the sausage and bacon crumbles evenly on top of the crouton-egg mixture.
  4. Top with shredded cheese.
  5. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Serve and ENJOY!

 

 

 

Eggs with Ham and Greens

This is not Green Eggs and Ham, mind you, but eggs cooked your favorite way on a bed of lean ham and tasty mixed greens. 😉

“Tasty greens?  Ich!” said my super picky 12 year old.  YES…TASTY GREENS.  Cook these nutrition-packed greens in a tiny bit of butter (everything’s better with butter, I always say) and garlic and it’s guaranteed to please a picky palate.

This is a healthy breakfast alternative for those mornings when you have a bit of time to actually cook something nutritious AND DELICIOUS.  Trust me, as a full-time working mom (and Soldier, by the way), breakfasts in my house consists of leftovers from dinner, or a cup of coffee and a piece of toast…not very healthy if you as me.

My family is slowly coming around to incorporating healthier eating habits.  This breakfast is getting us on our way.  It consists of two over-medium eggs (cooked on a well-seasoned cast iron skillet so no grease was necessary) on a bed of wilted spinach and baby kale and a slice of low-fat ham. Delicious!

Cook the eggs your favorite way; we like over-medium eggs.

image

For the greens: Sauté 6 cups of mixed greens in just a pat of butter, and add a teaspoon of chopped garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook the greens until they wilt then place them on a plate. This makes enough for 3 people.

image

Add a slice of lean ham and voila! You have a delicious and healthy breakfast that’s the perfect start to your day.

Enjoy!

Mini Breakfast Pizzas

I’m a firm believer that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  These pizzas are gluten-free and absolutely yummy, and make a great start to your day.

image

I found the original recipe here, and adapted it just a bit based on the ingredients my family likes (not to mention using what I had on hand).

The crust is a magic crust, in my opinion.  It’s made with cheese (we love cheese), an egg, a tiny bit of butter, and almond flour — that’s it!  No gluten flours here!  I flavored it up a bit by adding pesto (I also keep a tube of pesto in the fridge) and chopped garlic.  This bakes up into a delicious crust, believe it or not.

image

The original recipe made these into mini pizzas using a cupcake pan, so that’s what I did too.  You can spread the dough out into one larger pan and make a breakfast casserole as well.  This dough is so versatile, however, that you don’t need to limit yourself to breakfast pizzas.  Make this into a dinner pizza by adding a small amount of your favorite sauce and pizza toppings on top of the cooked dough (I’d double the recipe for the dough, however).

image

Here are my step-by-step photos with instructions. The complete recipe is at the bottom of this post.  Give it a try and let me know what you think. 🙂

image

Place the cheese into a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt in the microwave for about a minute.

image

Add pesto and garlic to the melted cheese.

image

Stir to mix the pesto and garlic into the cheese.

image

Add butter.

image

Microwave for another 30 seconds to a minute, or just long enough for the butter and cheese to melt.

image

Mix in an egg and some almond flour.

image

Stir to create the pizza dough.

image

Press the dough into the wells of a cupcake pan.

image

Bake the dough for 10 minutes at 425 degrees.

image

Lightly beat 3 eggs; pour onto the baked crusts.

image

Sprinkle more cheese on top of the egg.

image

Top with crumbled bacon and sausage.

image

I like using this brand of cooked sausage crumbles. This particular bag already had bacon bits in it.

image

Bake for 6 minutes at 425 degrees (you’re really only cooking the raw eggs during this step).

image

Serve and ENJOY!

 

Mini Breakfast Pizzas
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
A very satisfying breakfast made with a cheesy gluten-free crust and delicious breakfast toppings (eggs, bacon, and sausage)
Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 12
Ingredients
Crust:
  • 1 bag (8 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon pesto
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 large egg
  • ¾ cup almond flour
Topping:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • ½ bag sausage crumbles
  • ¾ cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
Make the crust:
  1. Place the cheese into a microwave-safe mixing bowl. Heat on high for about a minute, or until the cheese begins to melt.
  2. Add the pesto and garlic to the melted cheese; stir to combine. If the cheese is too thick (not soft and melted enough) to stir, don't worry about it. It'll be better once you add melted butter.
  3. Place the butter into the bowl; heat in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until the butter melts. Stir to combine.
  4. Add the egg and almond flour to the bowl. Stir to combine. I used a small spoon to mix it together, but a sturdy cooking spoon works too if it's too difficult to stir the mixture.
  5. Separate the dough into 12 pieces. Lightly spray a muffin or cupcake pan with cooking spray. Press the dough into the bottom of each section of the pan.
  6. Bake the dough for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove from the oven when done, but keep the oven on (you'll be baking the topping next).
Prepare the topping:
  1. In a separate bowl, slight beat the three eggs. Pour the beaten eggs onto each of the 12 cooked pizza crusts.
  2. Top with more shredded cheese.
  3. Top with sausage and bacon crumbles.
  4. Return the pan to the oven and bake for 6 minutes (still at 425 degrees).
Serve and ENJOY!

 

« Older Entries