Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs

"Everyone runs around trying to find a place where they still serve breakfast, because eating breakfast, even if it's 5 o'clock in the afternoon is a sign that the day has just begun and good things can still happen. Having lunch is like throwing in the towel." (Lenny Bruce is Dead, Jonathan Goldstein At some point in my life I went from skipping breakfast to wanting to 'breakfast' foods at any or all of the meals of the day. While I have scaled back significantly going to fast food restaurants, learning that McDonald's would be serving some of their breakfast foods 24 hours a day felt like a long awaited wish had finally been granted by the fast food fairy godmother. Could this mean the recently reported egg shortage news causing so many of us to go into a state of panic is coming to a sooner than later predicted end? I certainly hope so. Because I already envision myself making regular trips to the drive-through ordering my not-so-guilty pleasure Egg McMuffin to satisfy 'my too frequent to admit to' after 10:30 in the morning craving for it.

If there is one thing you can always find in my refrigerator, besides butter, it would be eggs. The large, brown, organic ones. Every time I watch one of Martha Stewart's baking shows, I enviously drool over the large bowl of fresh eggs sitting on her counter. If it were feasible to raise chickens where I now live and I wasn't such a 'picking up chickens wimptress', there would always be a large antique yellow ware bowl filled with fresh eggs gracing the counter of my kitchen. Not that anyone on the planet could compete with Martha Stewart, but this bowl of eggs would come as close to rivaling hers as possible. Maybe in my next life I will live in a chicken raising friendly place and have someone to pick up the chickens for me.  My dreams of having readily accessible fresh eggs don't include conquering my trepidation over handing either chickens, let alone a rooster. 

As much as I like eggs poached, fried sunny-side up, soft hardboiled, and soft scrambled, I also like their custard-like quality when mixed with cream and cheese. These Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs are kind of like a crustless quiche. They deliver all of the flavor of a quiche, without the work of having to make a crust. Served in individual ramekins makes them feel like you are receiving a personally made gift.

As with most quiche recipes there are no hard and fast rules in the making of these Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs. But unlike most quiche recipes it does not follow the 2 to 1 cream to egg ratio. Instead of a 1 1/2 cup of cream to 3 egg mixture, this one has a 1 1/2 cup of cream to 4 egg mixture. The fresh basil works as a great compliment to the three cheeses, sun dried tomatoes, dijon mustard, and bacon, however, fresh thyme, fresh oregano, or a mixture of any or all of these herbs would equally be delicious. 

There are three freshly grated cheeses in these baked eggs: Sharp Cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. For each half cup of cheese, the general rule of thumb is that you will need a 2 ounce block. These Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs contain a total of 6 ounces of cheese or 1 1/2 cups of grated cheese. If you don't have all three of these cheeses, choose a combination of two of them and increase the weight of the cheese blocks accordingly to ensure you have a total of 6 ounces of cheese before grating.

Whether you call them scallions or green onions, you are still talking about the same onion-y, mild in bite vegetable. Thinly sliced they add the right amount of onion mellowness to the baked eggs.

After mixing the eggs and light cream (half and half) until combined, all of the other ingredients, except the crispy, cooked bacon are blended together.

There are many reasons why we are all so obsessed with bacon. Sometimes referred to as the candy meat, bacon is rich, indulgent, and slightly decadent. From its' aroma to it's taste, bacon broke out of its' 'for breakfast only' niche awhile back now. However, any morning that begins with bacon is a great morning. You can make these Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs with Canadian Bacon, but I would encourage you to first make them with some crispy, fried applewood smoked bacon. If you have a craving for Canadian Bacon, go out and get an Egg McMuffin.

In lightly greased or sprayed ramekins, the egg-cheese mixture is equally divided. To ensure each ramekin has the same amount of bacon (God forbid one should get a bacon shorted ramekin), the bacon is added after the ramekins are filled the egg-cheese mixture. Pressing the bacon down slightly into the mixture, they are baked in a preheated 350 degree (F) oven for 30-35 minutes.

The Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs become golden, slightly firm and puffed when done. During the cooling process they will lose some of their height, but none of their flavor.

You can serve the Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs hot, warm, or even at room temperature. The ramekin filled Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs are the perfect portion for breakfast, lunch or even dinner (depending on your appetite at that time of the day). 

There are an almost infinite number of reasons why eggs should be one of those foods we always have in our refrigerator or on our counters, that is, if we are fortunate enough to have access to freshly gathered eggs. These Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs were just added to that list.

Recipe

Herb and Cheese Baked Eggs

Ingredients

4 slices (5 ounces) of thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cooked crisp and cut into pieces or 3 ounces of Canadian bacon cut into pieces

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups half and half (light cream)

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard (recommend Maille)

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

2 ounces of sharp Cheddar cheese, grated (1/2 cup measured)

2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, grated (1/2 cup measured)

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (1/2 cup measured)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder (optional)

2 green onions, sliced thinly (both green and white parts)

2 Tablespoons fresh basil, julienned 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter or spray six 4.5 ounce ramekins. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and light cream until blended.

3. Add green onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mustard, cheeses, salt, pepper, baking powder, and basil. Mix until blended.

4. Spoon or pour mixture into prepared ramekins. 

5. Divide the chopped bacon (or Canadian bacon) evenly amongst the ramekins. Lightly press the bacon into the egg-cheese-herb mixture.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden or set.

7. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Just a few of the animals residing on a family farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island.

Blueberry Pancakes

"Have blueberries whenever you are low-destiny will change and you will be high." (Adam Voichester) Being slightly gullible, maybe the solution to getting me out of this unseasonably rainy weather and running injury funk was as simple as eating blueberries. Whether or not they actually do possess some life-changing mystical qualities, they might certainly be a better option than some of the alternatives currently under consideration. With blueberries having the highest antioxidant levels in the entire fruit/vegetable universe, eating the world's healthiest fruit would at least have nutritional value benefits. I guess that would be some consolation if the whole life-changing and experiencing a buzz thing doesn't really happen.

I really do love blueberries. And I really do love pancakes, although not just any pancakes. Take it from someone who has taken bites of more than their fair share of bad ones. For several years now I have been making pancakes using the amazing recipe my sister had discovered in a newspaper. However, I hadn't been adding blueberries to them, preferring instead to be a pancake purist. 

If you like the taste of fresh blueberries eaten by the handful or picked fresh off of a blueberry bush, you will gasp at the deliciousness of the oozing with sweetness cooked blueberries in these pancakes. The delirium experienced from eating the blueberries in these pancakes had me realizing that may not have been one of my better decisions. Not exactly the life-changing experience I was hoping for, but going forward my plain pancake days have now come to an end.

Eggs, all-purpose flour, sugar, unsalted butter, baking soda, baking powder, kosher salt, buttermilk, and now yes, blueberries are all you need to make these fluffy, slightly addictive pancakes. No sifting and no mixers required make it the kind of recipe you can make anywhere. 

These are one of those perfect make on vacation pancakes. With the dry ingredients pre-assembled in a ziplock bag, you can pick up the remaining ingredients from any grocery store and/or roadside stand. Not going on vacation? Serving these pancakes to your family and friends will have them feeling as if they were on vacation! 

The wet ingredients (buttermilk, eggs, melted butter) and gently mixed into the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt) and allowed to rest 10 minutes. The batter should be thick and lumpy. Stirring the batter until smooth will adversely affect the fluffiness of the pancakes. When in doubt, under stir and not over stir.

After the batter rests, the generous two cups of blueberries and again gently mixed into the batter. The batter will deflate slightly. Adding the blueberries after the resting stage ensures your batter does not turn 'blue' or have streaks of 'blue' running through it. Note: Any unused batter can be covered and stored in the refrigerator overnight. The batter will begin to break down if left in the refrigerator longer than overnight.

Cook the pancakes on a non-stick griddle rubbed very lightly with oil. I have used both the All-Clad and (a seasoned) Lodge Cast Iron griddles with great success. Not cooking them in a pan of 'oil or butter' gives you the semi-guilt free option of lathering the pancakes with butter and/or maple syrup. The cooked pancakes can be kept warm in a preheated 200 degree oven. 

For those of you who have followed this blog from the beginning, you will recognize this is the same as my first posted recipe. Sometimes recipes are so good they need to resurrected, brought to everyone's attention a second time. This is one of them. And yes, I am one of those who believe redundancy can be a good thing. For those of you new to the blog, this is your lucky day! Maybe even one of those life-changing kind of days. 

Recipe 

Blueberry Pancakes (original recipe discovered by my sister)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (Kosher salt is always my preference)

2 large eggs

2 cups buttermilk

1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter

2 generous cups of fresh blueberries

Serve with room temperature salted butter, maple syrup, and blueberries

Directions

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

2. In a separate bowl lightly beat eggs then stir in buttermilk and butter.

3. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients stirring gently with a wooden spoon just to blend.  Note: The batter will be slightly lumpy and quite thick. 

4. Let the batter rest 10 minutes. 

5. Gently add blueberries.

5. Heat a very lightly oiled non-stick frying pan or griddle. Using either large ice cream scoop or a 1/4 cup measure pour to pour batter.

6. Cook 2-3 minutes before flipping.  The bottom should be lightly browned or golden when you flip.

7. Once gently flipped, cook until the other side is lightly browned or golden (Another 2-3 minutes).

8. Transfer to a plate or platter to serve.  To keep keep pancakes warm, transfer pancakes to a baking sheet and place in a 200 degree (F) oven.

One of my favorite places in Tucson, the historic San Xavier del Bac Mission. 

Swedish Pancakes

Watching the Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights) segment on my favorite Sunday morning television show this past weekend reminded me how energizing and emotionally overwhelming it can be to take in and capture nature's beauty. Like it was yesterday, I can still recall how the up-close experience of seeing and feeling the majesticness of mountains on my very first trip to Rocky Mountain National Park literally caused me to weep. The beauty of the sky, mountains, and surrounding landscape combined with the energy emanating from the mountains was more than just one of life's memorable moments, it changed something for and in me. This first trip to Colorado turned into an annual trek. Not only to capture as much of the landscape as possible with my camera (am trying to find an inner Ansel Adams) but to find some solace as well as escape from the stressful chaos of my life. As perplexing and worrisome my solo trips were to some of my friends (sometimes with good cause), I almost always experienced a sense of calm and fearlessness when in the midst of nature's beauty. Retrospectively though, I wished a little more common sense and caution was operating before I made the knuckle-clenching drive from Leadville to Aspen on a sudden, dramatic shift in the weather day. One causing snowy, icy, and treacherous driving conditions on Independence Pass. For a little more than an hour I failed to appreciate the splendiferousness of the mountains while trying to hold back the tears.

Getting energized through the consumption of carbohydrates isn't exactly the same kind of energy one experiences from a hike in or a drive through the mountains. Because when one lives in the flat lands of the midwest the only kinds of mountains in existence are the imaginary ones created by squinting one's eyes on days when the sky is filled with those large, billowy Cumulus clouds (yes, I have a very active imagination). Needing to energize my body after a pre 5K race run with my running group on Saturday, I was craving a plate of pancakes. Not my favorite buttermilk pancakes, but Swedish pancakes sprinkled with confectionary sugar and served with some butter and lingonberry jam. My cravings can sometimes very specific.

Traditionally considered a dessert, Swedish pancakes (Pannkakor) have been around since the middle ages. The Swedish tradition of serving the pancakes with pea soup for dinner on Thursdays traces back to a time long ago when Sweden was largely Catholic due to Danish influence. Considered a hearty meal, it was intended to stave off any of the anticipated Friday fasting hunger. While the Thursday pea soup and Swedish pancakes meal custom remains a part of the culture, today the large, thin, crepe-like pancake has evolved into a breakfast or lunch main dish. One you can savor on any day or should your little heart desire, every day of the week.

When I was very young my maternal grandmother once told me there was some Swedish heritage in my genealogy. However, this did not manifest itself in the celebration of any Swedish customs or the handing down of any Swedish family recipes (not even the Swedish meatballs we ate growing up). Other than having one of my best friend's 'super secret can't ever share or risk life and limb' recipe for Glogg, I have not been fortunate enough to be the recipient of any other traditional, family Swedish recipes. As in most cultures, there are multiple versions of recipes for the same foods. Without the benefit of a family recipe for Swedish pancakes, I had no choice but to try to find the 'best' one out there. Or at least one that tasted as close to the Swedish pancakes I had recently had in the north woods of Wisconsin. It can be sometimes hard to 'trust' a recipe one finds in a cookbook, food magazine, or on the internet, but when I rediscovered the Swedish Pancake recipe shared in Cook's Country magazine I had faith this could be the 'one' worthy enough to be described as one of the 'best'. However, there were two ingredients listed in the recipe I thought would cause anyone growing up 'Swedish' to immediately gasp and declare it as being devoid of any authenticity. Club soda or instant flour (Wondra) were probably not in existence in the middle ages.

But had they been, maybe Swedish Pancakes would have become embraced as a main course (breakfast, lunch or dinner) centuries earlier. However, I can't imagine the early version of the recipe could have been as buttery, silky or as addictively delicious as the Cook's Country version.

The batter for these Swedish pancakes does not need to rest several hours or even overnight. Instead any craving you have for them can be almost instantly gratified (and for some things I skew more to the instant versus delayed gratification end of the spectrum).

Whether you are using either a 9 or 10 inch cast iron or non-stick skillet, the pan needs to be hot and butter needs to be added to the pan each time you make a pancake. Swirling a generous third of a cup of batter into the hot, buttered pan helps to create a perfectly round, even in thickness pancake. The cooking time for each pancake is approximately 1-2 minutes (one minute per side).

The cooked pancakes can be stacked on one another and kept warm in a preheated 200 degree oven. This is critical as it will take at least 20 minutes to make all of these pancakes. To prevent the pancakes from sticking together, lightly dust with confectionary sugar. When serving the Swedish pancakes, I like folding before plating them, however, many roll them 'crepe-style'. Note: Any leftover pancakes can be covered, stored in the refrigerator, and reheated in the microwave.

The fearlessness I experienced when making the Swedish Pancake recipe from the Cook's Country magazine was rewarded well beyond my (high) expectations. They were as good as, if not better than, the ones I recently had. Think I may have just found the perfect long run reward food, although, I wouldn't want to limit the making of these Swedish pancakes to an activity, event or even to a day. Now that I have the perfect recipes for Glogg and Swedish pancakes, I need to start looking for that 'perfect' Swedish meatball recipe so I begin to channel some of that Swedish heritage I supposedly have.

Recipe

Swedish Pancakes (slight adaptation of Cook's Country Swedish Pancakes recipe, October 2010)

Ingredients

2 cups instant flour (recommend Wondra)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/2 cups half and half

1 1/2 cups club soda, room temperature

2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks, lightly beaten, room temperature

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Additional butter for cooking 

Confectionary sugar for dusting

Ligonberries for serving

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees (F). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.

3. Combine the half and half, club soda, lightly beaten eggs and four tablespoons of melted butter until just blended. 

4. Slowly whisk the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients until the flour mixture is smooth.

5. Pour or brush two teaspoons of melted butter onto the hot skillet (be careful to not let butter brown or burn), and immediately pour a generous 1/3 cup of batter into the skillet, tilting pan to evenly coat bottom of pan. Cook until lightly golden, approximately 1-2 minutes per side.

6. Transfer cooked pancakes to baking sheet and place in preheated oven or transfer to a plate and cover tightly with aluminum foil. Note: Lightly sprinkle confectionary sugar over each pancake before stacking.

7. Serve folded or rolled along with sides of room temperature butter and lingonberry jam.

Baked Cinnamon Cake and Chocolate Ganache Doughnuts

"You don't make a photography just with your camera. You bring to the act of photography all the pictures you have seen, the books you have read, the music you have heard, the people you have loved.' (Ansel Adams) While I was away visiting one of my closest friends out in Tucson this past week, another friend posted the comment on my Facebook page 'don't you ever sit still?' In my former life I would have answered that question by saying 'sometimes' when the real answer was 'unfortunately, no'. Now in my current life it feels as if I am having more than my fair share of 'still' moments. Although it probably doesn't always look that way to others. Stillness is a concept I am getting used to (and redefining), however, I am slowly beginning to realize its' value in renewing and reenergizing my spirit, my soul. Whenever I give myself permission to have some 'down time' or whenever my body gets to a place of 'exhaustion', I sometimes actually stop 'thinking about all of the things I could or should be doing', instead just savoring the moment. Being one who has always subscribed to the 'life is short' way of thinking, I have come to believe life is much shorter when you don't do things just for you or when you don't step out of the chaos of life. In my world, the feeling of stillness happens when I am taking a long drive, taking in the landscape with my camera, or reading a book. While there may not be the absence of motion in my concept of stillness, there is silence. The kind of silence that allows my mind to stop racing, to stop thinking of a million different related and unrelated things. Instead, what my mind feels is something very close to the euphoria runners sometimes feel when out on a strenuous run. And like all euphorias, they are those things we consciously and subconsciously seek to experience.

I had every intention of paying homage to St. Patrick's Day with a recipe for a dish one might associate with Irish cooking on the blog this week. Let's suffice to say there is a rather long list of excuses of why this didn't happen. Then I thought maybe I should at least make something 'green' in an effort to evoke the spirit of the 'holiday'. This list of excuses of why this didn't happen is significantly shorter. Experiencing a little bit of (Catholic) guilt over this, I thought the least I could do was bring in a bit of 'green' (there is, after all some Irish blood in my heritage). The best I was able to do was incorporating some vintage and antique green dishes in the posting as well as sprinkle (my go-to favorite) pistachios on the doughnuts. If I went through my long list of excuses you might actually think this effort wasn't just one for the 'nice try, but lame' category.

I had seen Sweet Paul's doughnut recipe while I was traveling last week and immediately knew it was one I had to make sooner rather than later. Baked doughnuts are hard enough to resist. Throw in some chocolate and well, wild horses (or even snakes, like the one St. Patrick allegedly rid Ireland of) couldn't keep me from making them.

These doughnuts are made with cake versus all-purpose flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, eggs, unsalted butter (melted), buttermilk and honey. Other than bringing the eggs and buttermilk to room temperature, these doughnuts require very little advance planning.

What is not to love about a one bowl, no sifting required batter? Mixing the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until blended, the thick batter is similar to that of a quick bread. After watching a recent Cook's Country show I learned about a 'new to me' tool called a 'dough whisk'. It turned out to be perfect for mixing quick breads and doughnuts!

Whether you make these doughnuts mini or regular size, the doughnut pan is filled 3/4 full (or just slightly below the rim). You can fill the pan using a spoon, but using a pastry bag (or ziplock bag with one corner cut off) makes it much easier  (as well as less messy).

The doughnuts are baked in a 400 degree preheated oven. Baking time ranges from 5 to 8 minutes for the mini doughnuts and 10 to 12 minutes for the regular sized ones. 

Initially I was going to dip the baked doughnuts in a confectionary sugar glaze (colored green, of course), but abandoned that plan in favor of a chocolate ganache glaze. The number of toppings for dipped doughnuts are almost endless. Sprinkles, fresh or toasted coconut, chopped nuts, or mini-chocolate chips are just some of them. For those of you who follow Molly Yeh aka 'the sprinkle queen' you know that sprinkles can transform any baked good into a work of edible art. 

These doughnuts are cake-like dense, yet tender. The look and taste of the doughnuts will change depending on which dip (confectionary sugar or chocolate ganache) as well as which toppings used. They are perfect for a morning or afternoon treat as well as perfect to celebrate holidays and important occasions. With the NCAA basketball tournament starting, you might even want to make a tray of these doughnuts topped in your favorite team's colors. Whether you make them before your team plays or after your team plays (and wins) is up to you. Just make them. Who knows, in just one bite you might even experience a little bit of 'doughnut' euphoria. 

Recipe
Glazed Cinnamon Cake and Chocolate Ganache Doughnuts (inspired by Sweet Paul's Baked Doughnuts with Chocolate)

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 Tablespoon honey
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

Glaze
1 1/2 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
2-4 Tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
food coloring, optional
Directions: In a small-medium sized bowl, mix together the confectionary sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth and it reaches the desired consistency. Optional: Stir in food coloring of choice.

Chocolate Ganache
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream, heated
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
pinch of sea salt
Directions: Place chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in small-medium bowl. Heat cream until just before the boiling point. Pour heated cream over chocolate. Wait at least one minute before whisking the chocolate and cream until smooth. Whisk in butter and pinch of sea salt until mixture is smooth. Use immediately. If mixture hardens, reheat on low in the microwave or set bowl in a large bowl filled with warm water.

Optional toppings: Sprinkles, coconut, chopped nuts, or mini-chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F). Spray mini-donut pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and melted butter until blended.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
5. Spoon batter into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
6. Fill donut molds about 3/4 full (just a little below the rim).
7. Bake 5 to 6 minutes for mini donuts (Note: My baking time ranged between 7 and 8 minutes). Baking time for regular sized donuts is 10-12 minutes. 
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer donuts to cooling rack and set aside to cool.
9. For glaze, mix together confectionary sugar, milk, vanilla, salt and food coloring in a medium sized bowl until well blended.
10. Dip the donuts into the glaze. Optional: Sprinkle with topping(s) of choice.

Garden Gates at Tohono Chul and Mission San Xavier del Bac (White Dove of the Dessert) respectively, both in Tucson, AZ