Week 5: Barb's Breakfast Bonanza

The Month 1 challenge involves cooking a new breakfast recipe. I did the cooking on Sunday but just managed to recover enough to actually blog about it.

Here's the evidence.




Don't let the dishes scare you, though. These are actually dishes from Saturday's dinner (beef stroganoff), Saturday's dessert (chewy chocolate chip cookies), and Sunday's breakfast extravaganza. Poor Brad!

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We began breakfast with our very own pumpkin spice lattes.

Adapted from
"Pumpkin Spice Lattes"
posted September 21, 2009 on Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn

Makes 1 - 2 servings



2 C milk
2 Tbsp. canned pumpkin
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee

In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin, and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice. Whisk really well with a wire whisk. It takes lots and lots of whisking to get all the pumpkin chunks out.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs. Add the espresso on top.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

They weren't as good as Starbucks.

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We had brown sugar bacon and pumpkin waffles after the lattes. (Not exactly a photogenic breakfast but really tasty!)

Adapted from
"Brown Super Bacon"
Paula Deen for Food Network

1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
2 tsp. chili powder
8 slices thick-cut bacon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Set a cooling rack inside the prepared pan and set aside.

In a shallow dish, combine the brown sugar and chili powder. Dredge the bacon slices in the brown sugar mixture and arrange the bacon on the rack. Bake in the preheated oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

This is the second brown sugar bacon recipe I've tried. The first one is from Gina Neely. I preferred the spicy taste of Gina's recipe (cayenne pepper) to the smoky taste of Paula's (chili powder).

Once the bacon hit the oven I started the waffles.

Adapted from:
"Pumpkin Waffles with Maple Walnut Apples"
from Food Network Kitchens

Makes 8 4-inch waffles

Waffles:
1 C cake flour
1/4 C wheat germ
1/3 C granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp fine salt
3/4 C milk
1/2 C pumpkin puree
1/4 C melted butter
1/4 C melted shortening (transfat-free)
1 large egg
1 large egg white

Topping:
2 to 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 crisp apples, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 C pure maple syrup
1/2 C toasted walnuts

For the waffles:
Preheat a waffle iron to medium heat.

Whisk the flour, wheat germ, sugar, baking powder, spice and salt together in a large bowl.

Beat together the milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and melted shortening, egg and egg white, in a large measuring cup. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Whisk together to make a slightly lumpy batter.

For the topping:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and let cook until slightly browned, but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Add the maple syrup and walnuts and toss to coat. Set aside.

Pour and spread about 1 cup batter into the waffle iron. Cover and cook until crisp and a rich golden brown, about 7 minutes. (Try to resist the temptation to open the waffle iron too soon. Steam will puff out of the iron while the waffles cook, when this stops the waffle is cooked.) Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve hot with the apples.

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Here are a few more breakfast recipes that didn't make the cut:
Breakfast Skillet
Mascarpone Stuff French Toast with Peaches
Baked Caramel French Toast (from an all-breakfast recipe site)

Week 4: The Chewy Recipe

There have been far too many real meals cooked around here. It's time for something fun, right?

Adapted from:
The Chewy Recipe
Alton Brown, for Food Network

Makes 2 1/2 dozen (or 2 dozen if you eat lots of dough) cookies



2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 C sugar
1 1/4 C brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. (In retrospect, I'd wait to do this. The dough has to chill later. That's the perfect time to preheat the oven.)

Melt the butter. (Yup. That's right. It says melt the butter. Weird, no?) Dump the flour, salt, and baking soda in a big bowl and stir around with a fork. Set aside.

Use a mixer to cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, milk and vanilla and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough. (This is an important and easily overlooked step - I speak from experience.)

Scoop dough (the globs were about 1" round) onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Much to my dismay and despite lots of experimentation with the oven (two sheets at one time, one sheet at a time, moving oven racks, reducing cooking time to 12 minutes) the bottoms of every single batch burned. Alton would probably blame the gear - wrong brand of parchment paper or cookie sheets that didn't distribute the heat evenly. The non-burned part of the cookie was really tasty, though. I only tried them warm out of the oven - will see how they are on Day 2.

And, if chewy chocolate chip cookies aren't your thing, be sure to check out these recipes:
The Thin
The Puffy

Week 4: Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese

I'm a big Giada de Laurentis fan. I like her for different reasons than my husband; I watch for the food while he watches for other reasons which I won't go in to here.

Many of my favorite recipes come from her cookbooks - especially Everyday Italian. You have to try the shrimp diavolo or the penne with asparagus, smoked mozzarella or prosciutto or salmon in a foil pouch with tomatoes.

But, I've had her most recent cookbook for almost a year and haven't made even one single recipe from it. That's how I picked this one. It seemed like time to spill some stuff on the pages of an unused cookbook.


Adapated from
"Rigatoni with Vegetable Bolognese"
in Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites
by Giada de Laurentis
p. 131

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 oz. dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 C very hot water
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/4 C olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
5 oz. assorted mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 C red wine
1/2 C mascarpone cheese
1 lb. rigatoni pasts
1/4 C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with the hot water. Set aside and let the mushrooms soften.

Place the carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped but still chunky. Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the chopped vegetables, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-high heat until tender, about 6 minutes.

Strain the porcini mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Use the food processor to chop the porcini and assorted mushrooms.

Add all of the mushrooms and tomato paste to the vegetable mixture. Continue cooking, stirring to dissolve the tomato paste, until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the mushroom soaking liquid and the red wine. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and let the mixture simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir just until the cheese is incorporated.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 C of the cooking liquid, and add to the vegetable mixture. Add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid, if necessary, to moisten the sauce. Toss with the Parmesan and serve.


Brad and I both enjoyed this. It had a really distinct taste - from the mushrooms, I think. I might try a different type of dried mushroom (instead of porcini) next time. Overall, I was amazed at how "meaty" it tasted. Definitely comfort food.

I also should have used my time better. A smart girl would have started heating the pasta water at the same time she started cooking the vegetables. This would mean the noodles would be cooked at about the same time the sauce is finished.

Week 4: Pork with Brussels Sprouts

I have spent my entire life thinking I didn't like Brussels sprouts, yet I don't remember ever actually eating even a single Brussels sprout. My mom makes them every Thanksgiving - except the year I hosted Thanksgiving. I wouldn't allow the Brussels sprouts in my house.

Honestly? I've always been unwilling to try them because they make me think of Cabbage Patch dolls. It didn't seem right to eat something that made me think of eating Xavier Robert or Edie Erna or some other yarn-haired, puffy-plastic-faced doll that I coveted every Christmas from ages four through six.

Anyway, I decided I owed it to Brussels sprouts to actually try them before continuing to declare that I do not like them.

Here's the Brussels sprout infested dish I made before I ate.


Here's the same plate after I ate.

Turns out I do not, in fact, like Brussels sprouts. (And, that barbecue sauce can fix even the blandest of pork tenderloins.)

Adapted from
"Roasted Pork with Brussels Sprouts and Apricots"
in Real Simple, October 2009, p. 204

Serves 4
Ready in 25 minutes

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 lb.)
Salt and Pepper
12 oz. Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
1/4 C dried apricots, chopped
2 Tbsp. roasted unsalted almonds, chopped

Heat oven to 400. Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Season the port with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the skillet to oven and roast until the pork is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. (Note. It took my pork almost 20 minutes to cook.) Let rest before slicing.

Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in second large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Brussels sprouts, aprcitos, almonds, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and cook, tossing, until the Brussels sprouts are just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve with the pork.

I was forced to wash it all (meaning the few slices of pork tenderloin I actually ate) with a chocolate malt from our newly-opened Sonic.



I won't be making this one again. Ever.

Week 3: Beef Enchiladas

Brad picked this meal. I set him loose with the latest Healthy Cooking and a pack of Post-Its to mark what he'd like me to make. (He picked this, a sausage and pasta toss, Mexican chicken meatballs, and coconut-pecan sweet potatoes--completely different choices than I would have made.)

Adapted from
"Makeover Gourmet Enchiladas"
Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking, October / November 2009, p. 21

Makes two dishes (6 servings each)
35 minutes of prep
35 minutes of baking



Enchiladas:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 C (12 oz.) 2% cottage cheese
1 1/2 C (12 oz.) reduced fat sour cream
2 cans (4 oz. each) chopped green chilies
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander

Sauce:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (8 oz. each) tomato sauce
1 C salsa
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
12 whole wheat tortilla (8 in.), warmed
3/4 C shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, turkey, and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cottage cheese, sour cream, chilies, cumin, and coriander; set aside.

2. For sauce, in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute onion until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, salsa, chili powder, oregano, garlic powder, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

3. Place a heaping 1/2 C meat mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in two 13" x 9" baking dishes covered with cooking spray. Pour sauce over the top.

4. Cover and freeze one dish for up to three months. Bake the remaining dish, uncovered, at 350 for 30 - 35 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with 6 Tbsp. cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

5. To use frozen enchiladas:
Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake as directed.

1 enchilada equals 358 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 3 g fiber

This was tasty. The enchiladas got a little crispy on the bottom (maybe I baked it too long?). And, the portions (only 1 enchilada per person) were a little skimpy for my unhealthy eating habits. And, it was a lot of prep and many, many dishes. But, I did like it enough that I'd gift the extra tray to a friend next-time around.

Week 3: Apple Walnut Ravioli

Not a lot to say about this one. I was looking for something quick, simple, and different.

Adapted from
"Ravioli with Apples and Walnuts"
in Real Simple, October 2009, p. 208

Serves 4
Ready in 20 minutes

1 pound cheese ravioli (fresh or frozen)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 C walnuts, roughly chopped
1 crisp apple (such as Braeburn or Gala), cut into matchsticks
1/2 C fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper
1/4 C grated Parmesan (1 oz.)

Cook ravioli according to package directions.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the walnuts and cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the apple, parsley, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper and toss to combine. Spoon over the ravioli and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

My first mistake was to substitute spicy sausage ravioli for cheese. I thought the sausage would taste good with the apples. It didn't.

I did, however, also add some cheese tortellini. That tasted much better.

The 1/2 tsp. salt was also way too much for me.

Overall, I'm not so sure I'd make this again. It was quick, though, and a surprisingly good combination of flavors.

Kitchen Challenge 1: Breakfast Bonanza

I had a stellar breakfast recently. It seems some of my most favorite breakfasts are eaten out. This particular favorite was at Yolk on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

I had Fruit and Nut Pancakes.


Brad had Banana Nut Bread French Toast. (And, yes. That's a side of peanut butter instead of syrup. YUM!)


There was plenty of plate trading going on.

In honor of my recent eating-out breakfast triumph, I'd like to pose a challenge to you, our readers. (We have at least a few readers out there, right?)

Cook something new for breakfast.

Sometime between now and October 11 (Sunday). . .

Option 1: Blog about it
Cook a new breakfast item. Take a picture of the breakfast creation. Create a post on your own blog that includes the recipe and the picture. Add a comment on this post linking us back to your creation.

Option 2: Email us about it
Cook something new for breakfast. Take a picture of it. Email the picture and the recipe to CookEatRepeatChallenge@gmail.com

I'll randomly draw a name from those who participate and send some kitchen-related mail love to a lucky reader.

And, we'll all learn lots of great new breakfast recipes.