Cooking San Francisco

Rye Flour Pancakes

Our kids are back at school and we are back to conjuring up healthy food on the fly.  When it comes to healthy eating we are constantly referring to one of our favorite books, The Jungle Effect, written by local doctor Daphne Miller. This time, we tried her pancakes with rye flour. We were intrigued by the use of rye flour in a breakfast food, and it turns out that rye is a very good source of dietary fiber, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, protein and vitamin B1. In addition, Dr. Miller explains that “the slow-release breakfasts that I was served each morning as I toured Iceland produce a gradual release of glucose throughout the morning. As a result, they ward off fatigue and depression and help maintain a sharper focus.” Ok, you had us at “fatigue.”

We tweaked the recipe only slightly, adding blueberries to the pancakes (rather than serving with blueberry sauce) and throwing in some cinnamon for more flavor. The batter keeps in the refrigerator for a few days, so we make it in the evening and we get a couple mornings-worth of pancakes out of it. We used Bob's Red Mill Organic Dark Rye Flour (available at Whole Foods-type stores and www.bobsredmill.com)

If you are looking for more easy breakfast recipes, check these out:

• Banana Almond Milkshake
• Cranberry Vanilla Granola
• Banana Blueberry Muffins (can you tell that we like bananas and blueberries?)

Now, back to the pancakes…

1 cup ground rye flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (plus more if needed to thin the batter)
1 tablespoon butter, melted, plus more for coating frying pan
1 cup blueberries, washed and dried

 1. Sift the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Melt a small slice of butter in the pan and swirl to coat bottom of the pan. Scoop four (or however many fit in the pan) 1/4 cup portions of batter into pan.

3. Sprinkle a few blueberries on top of each pancake and cook until bubbles form around the sides and the bottom is golden brown. Flip the pancakes and continue to cook until the middle is cooked through and bottom is browned.

4. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with honey or maple syrup.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Total Time: 25 min

Banana Blueberry Muffins

 

If I am ever so fortunate to harvest one cup of garden blueberries at once (kids and birds seem to be getting the first crack at them), I will use them to make a batch these sweet-scented muffins. With the copious amount of fruit, whole-wheat flour and skim milk we feel comfortable calling them “healthy.” These stay moist for a few days and are perfect for a morning or afternoon snack. They also travel well and will be making an appearance in my kids' lunchboxes in a few short weeks.

If you don't have whole-wheat pastry flour you can substitute more all-purpose flour, or any other appropriate grain flour you have on hand. We used an antique cast iron muffin pan that yielded fifteen muffins, but you should come close to twelve in a standard muffin tin.

-Daphne

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large ripe or overripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup skim milk
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup fresh organic blueberries
2  tablespoons raw sugar (optional)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a standard 12-muffin tin (or fill with cupcake liners) and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk to blend. Make a well in center and set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, combine bananas, milk, egg and vanilla. Gently fold blueberries into banana mixture. Pour batter into center of dry ingredients and fold together until combined.  Do not over mix.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle each muffin with raw sugar, if using. Bake for 20 to 25 or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Baked Sweet Omelet

This recipe comes from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and we first posted this fluffy, souffle-like omelet in February 2009 when Cooking SF was just starting out. We've had so many new readers and subscribers join us lately, that we thought we'd revisit one of our all time favorites. This omelet is lightly sweetened and any combination of ripe summer berries, fruit jam, tart greek yogurt, or creme fraiche can be served on the side. Kids enjoy helping out with this recipe so it's a great choice for Father's Day breakfast on Sunday.

Be sure to cook the omelet on the stovetop for at least 2 minutes to ensure that it is evenly cooked on the bottom.

4 eggs
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.

3.Beat the egg yolks with the milk, flour, salt, and sugar. Beat the egg whites either by hand, with a wire whisk or with a mixer fitted with the wire whip attachment until stiff but not dry.

4. Put the butter into an 8 inch ovenproof skillet,  preferably nonstick, over medium heat. When the butter melts, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.  Pour into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to the oven.  Bake until puffy and browned on top, 15-20 minutes.

5. Serve hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioners' sugar and a selection of marmalade, jam and whipped cream, crème fraiche or plain yogurt.

Variation: Baked Fruit Omelet: Add raspberries, blueberries, halved apricots, and peaches or nectarines (frozen and defrosted are ok) before cooking the omelet. Substitute crème fraiche or sour cream for milk or cream, and add a pinch of ground cinnamon.

Serves: 2-3

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 2-3

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Banana Almond Milkshake

 

We started out in pursuit of the perfect smoothie recipe but ended up with a delicious milkshake made without the traditional (and sugary) ingredient of ice cream. Our shake has lots of protein, which makes it an ideal breakfast option. It's not too sweet but could pass for dessert in most households. We have jumped on the agave nectar bandwagon because of it's sweet, but not over powering taste, low glycemic index numbers, and increased availability (you can find organic agave nectar at Trader Joe's). For a frostier shake, use 2 cups of ice, and for a fruitier shake use your choice of frozen fruit instead of the ice.

2 large, ripe bananas, peeled and divided in two pieces
1 cup milk
1 to 2 cups ice cubes or frozen fruit
1/4 cup plain, Greek-style yogurt
2 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 Tbsp agave nectar or honey
Ground nutmeg

1. Blend first 7 ingredients in blender until smooth.

2. Divide smoothies among 2 glasses. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Serves 2 adults or 4 small children
 
Total Time: 5 minutes

 
 

Strata with Mushrooms, Zucchini and Bacon

 

Gale Gand's published this versatile recipe for strata (from her 2009 book, Brunch) in House Beautiful recently. We've tried many different savory strata/bread puddings over the years and we especially like this one because the eggs/milk to bread ratio produces a light and creamy custard that allows room for healthy add-ins like the vegetables mentioned. (In case you were wondering, the distinction between a strata and a bread pudding is as follows: in a strata the ingredients are layered in a baking dish and in a bread pudding all the ingredients are mixed together in a bowl and poured into the dish.)

David Eyre's Pancake

This classic puffy pancake was introduced by David Eyre via Craig Claiborne and the New York Times in 1966, and we can't believe we missed it until now. In the past, we have relied on more complicated German pancake recipes that were reserved for weekend breakfasts. If we get up just few minutes earlier we can actually pull off this recipe on a weekday morning, much to the delight of our kids. We like to use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet for this dish, but any oven-proof frying pan will do.  We've also made it with white whole wheat flour which works just fine, though the resulting pancake is not quite as puffy. If you have a few minutes, do check out Amanda Hesser's 2007 piece in the New York Times Magazine on this popular pancake and it's history, including the fact that the pancake was originally intended to be served for dessert. Ms. Hesser recommends limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur, as an accompaniment. Excellent idea!

Eggnog Bread Pudding with Panettone

For the last few years we've been using leftover panettone for a flavor-packed French toast, but this year we've taken the eggy, fruity Italian bread to a new level and tried it in a bread pudding. Panettone, for those not familiar, originates in Milan and is served during Christmas and New Year's. It has a brioche-like quality and is studded with raisins and candied fruit. Soaked in eggnog custard, it makes a pudding bursting with holiday flavors that not only makes a great Christmas breakfast (or dessert, for that matter) dish, but also makes use of some leftovers from the night before. Another added bonus is that you need to make it the night before you want to serve it and you start baking it in a cold oven, so all you have to do is pull it out of the fridge and turn on the oven. You certainly could make this bread pudding without the panettone, or conversely, without the eggnog, using just milk instead. We also tested a citrus and cardamom version of this creamy, comforting pudding, so stay tuned!

12 ounces day-old panettone bread, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 large eggs
2 cups eggnog
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Butter a 11x7x2-inch glass baking dish or deep-dish pie plate. Place bread in dish.

2. Whisk eggs and next 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend.  Pour over bread in baking dish.

3. Using spatula, lightly press down on bread to moisten completely.  Cover with foil and chill overnight.

4. Place foil-covered dish in a larger baking pan and pour enough hot water in the larger pan to reach halfway up the side. Place both a cold oven. Set oven at 350°F and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown, about 35 to 40 minutes longer. Remove pudding from oven and serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes

Egg Custard with Gruyere Cheese and Thyme

This is one of those recipes that we can't believe it took us this long to discover. We found it in Gourmet Magazine, December 2008, while searching for quick breakfast food that could be served to a crowd on a busy morning, say for example, Christmas Day.  There are so many good things to say about this recipe it's hard to know where to start. The final product is a satisfying melange of fluffy egg, melted Gruyere and herbal thyme. The recipe itself takes almost no time to put together, thanks to the use of a blender, one of our favorite kitchen appliances. Not to mention that you can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner (we've done them all). It is also very flexible and ripe for substitutions. We replaced the original chives with fresh thyme, and though we added cooked bacon pieces in one version we made; leftover ham or sausage would also be wonderful. We used Trader Joe's Light Organic Whipped Cream Cheese, which worked very nicely to stabilize the eggs and milk. If you are looking for something sweet to serve on an early holiday morning, stay tuned for our breakfast bread pudding.

2 cups coarsely grated Gruyère (6 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
10 large eggs
1 1/2 cups whole milk
4 ounces cream cheese, whipped or softened
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow baking dish (2 inches deep). Sprinkle Gruyère and thyme evenly in dish.

2. Blend eggs, milk, cream cheese, nutmeg, pepper and salt in a blender until smooth. Pour egg mixture over Gruyère and thyme in dish and bake until puffed, set, and golden, approximately 35 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

 

 

Pumpkin Tea Cake

 
 
One of San Francisco's local treasures is the Tartine Bakery and Café. It's located in the 18th street/Mission neighborhood, also home to other culinary hot spots Delphina Restaurant  and Bi-Rite Market and Creamery . While the fabulous Tartine Cookbook provides us with many recipes that are perfect for holiday gift giving, we picked these two because they are easy, quick, and packed with flavor: sweet and spicy Pumpkin Tea Cake and savory Spiced Cocktail Nuts.

This pumpkin tea cake (also known as a “quick bread”) is simply the best we've ever tasted, and we've tried a lot over the years. We think this has to do with the copious amounts of our favorite holiday spice trio, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The oil and pumpkin puree (organic canned works perfectly) keep the cake moist.

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon  baking soda
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons   ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons nutmeg, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon  ground cloves
1 cup plus 2 tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves into a mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another mixing bowl, beat together the pumpkin puree, oil, sugar, and salt on medium speed in a stand mixer or by hand with a whisk,  until well mixed.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until incorporated before adding the next egg.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

4. On low speed, (if using a mixer) add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 5 to 10 seconds to make a smooth batter.  Be careful not to over-mix the batter, as doing so will result in a tough crumb for the cake. The batter should have consistency of a thick puree.

5.  Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle evenly with the pepitas and then the sugar.  Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

6. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes, and then invert onto the rack, turn right side up, and let cool completely.  Serve the cake at room temperature.  It will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for 4 days or in the refrigerator for about 1 week.

Serves 6-8

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 Minutes

 

Hard Boiled Eggs

A hard boiled egg is hardly new or exotic, but we have to occasionally remind ourselves that it is one of the best and easiest breakfast items around.  It is important to get the cooking method right because nobody likes a gray-tinged yolk. We often cook up a half-dozen or more on Sunday night to use throughout the week.

1.  Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 11 minutes. Alternatively, you can use an egg timer like this one and watch the eggs, uncovered, while they are boiling.

2.    Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately. Remaining eggs, with shells on, may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 12 minutes

Local Source:
Glaum's Organic Brown Eggs, Aptos, CA, http://www.glaumeggranch.com