Category Archives: breakfast

Peach & Blueberry Bruschetta with Ricotta

Posted on June 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

fruit bruschetta

The moment I discovered this recipe, I knew it was going to change my potluck game forever.

bruschetta close-up

Oh, and also breakfast. Leftovers make the perfect breakfast.

Change out the fruit for whatever you prefer, but I like peaches and blueberries for this time of year.

My recipe is adapted from this one from Bon Appetit.

Peach & Blueberry Bruschetta with Ricotta:
Makes about 24 pieces

3 peaches, pitted and thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons sugar, divided
Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 baguette, sliced 1/2-inch thick, toasted
Olive oil for drizzling
Basil, optional

1) Combine peaches, blueberries, 1 tablespoon of sugar, a pinch of salt, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Let the fruit mixture sit for at least 15 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, whisk ricotta and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another medium bowl until smooth.
3) Spread toasted baguette slices with ricotta mixture, then top with fruit. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and top with basil, if desired.

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Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

Posted on February 26, 2012 | 3 comments

One day I was perusing Pinterest (addict that I am) when I came across a recipe for breakfast cookies. Read that again. Breakfast. Cookies. COOKIES YOU CAN EAT FOR BREAKFAST.

Naturally, I had to adapt them for my own. I added coconut for a little more sweetness, and nuts for crunch, but this recipe is easily altered to satisfy your tastes. I’m going to add peanut butter to mine next time. They make as good of a dessert as they do breakfast, too.

Healthy Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies:
Makes about 2 dozen
1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
2 ripe, mashed bananas
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp cinnamonto taste cinnamon
1/8 cup chopped pecans or almonds (optional)

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
2) Spoon out teaspoonfuls of batter onto a baking sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
3) Let cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Ham & Swiss Quiche with Caramelized Onions

Posted on May 2, 2011 | 8 comments

It’s been a big week, folks. On Wednesday, I finished classes. I took my second-to-last-ever exam on Friday, and I turned in my last paper today.

Oh, and I decided to go (back) to Munich for the summer. As many of you know, since I polled approximately 100 of you, I have been struggling with this decision for weeks. I made pro/con lists. I asked my downstairs neighbor. I freaked out and shut down and utterly destroyed my cuticles. And then, at last, clarity.

I’m 22 years old and I should go to Europe for the summer because I can.

And I should eat quiche in honor of my decision. Quiche reminds me of the lovely evenings I spent in London with my friends. I went with this recipe, which only required one adjustment: the addition of leftover Easter ham and caramelized onions. Deadly delicious.

More tomorrow. Right now I am feeling all over the place.

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Posted in breakfast, French

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Berry Pudding Cake

Posted on March 29, 2011 | 5 comments

This recipe always reminds me of my high school graduation. My mom made it for my party since I raved about it constantly. For the record, my college graduation is 39 days away.

Cringe.

It’s simple, sweet and ideal for a spring/summer dessert, served warm with ice cream or whipped cream. It’s also wonderful for breakfast, served cold. I use Whole Foods’ frozen mixed berries in mine, but only until I can find some fresh, local berries!

Besides making this cake this weekend, I also filmed a video for a contest I’ll tell you all more about Monday. In the meantime, I’d really appreciate it if you could vote for my friends‘ video. I’m making the cupcakes for their wedding–we had a tasting this weekend that was divine.

Simply click here and click the thumbs up. Aren’t they precious?

Berry Pudding Cake:
Serves 12
5 cups fresh or frozen berries
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I sometimes use almond extract)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

1) In a 9 x 13 cake pan, evenly spread fruit and pour 1/4 cup sugar over the berries.
2) Stir the eggs, oil, orange peel, vanilla and remaining 1 cup of sugar in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the flour and baking powder.
3) Pour batter over the berries and gently spread to cover berries.
4) Bake at 350 degrees until top springs back slightly when pressed in the center (about 45 minutes).

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Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Posted on March 1, 2011 | 4 comments

If the trip takes less than 15 hours in the car, my family drives.

It’s a thrifty decision that never fails to irk me, since I love plane rides and loathe sitting in the car for long durations of time. And yet, as I get older, I find myself willing to drive farther and farther distances in the pursuit of saving money. Being a prudent traveler is encoded in my DNA, apparently.

This spring break is no exception. My friends and I are driving down to Ft. Lauderdale to participate in what appears to be some sort of senior-spring-break rite of passage: going on a cruise.

Of course, my immediate thought upon learning that I would be driving the 12-or-so hours southbound was “What should we eat to pass the time?”

The answer is constantly laying on my family’s kitchen countertop: biscotti. My mom has been on what can only be described as a biscotti kick. Every time I come home, there’s a new variation, a new flavor addiction to form and then try to combat with other dippable foods.

This technique rarely works, and I end up finishing whatever biscotti my other family members did not consume between breakfast and dessert.

No doubt that these biscotti would’ve turned my teenage angst/resentment toward having to drive all the way to upstate New York into something resembling appeasement.

Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti:
Makes 36 pieces
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon orange rind (optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet, or line with a Silpat.
2) In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the almond extract.
3) Add the flour and baking powder and stir until just blended. Mix in almonds, chocolate chips and orange rind.
4) On the baking sheet, shape the dough into two 10-inch long by 3-inch wide loaves, a little more than 1/2-inch in thickness. Keep a few inches of space between the loaves. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until set. Cool for seven or so minutes. (The loaves don’t crumble as much when they’re cut still warm.) Cut the loaves into 1/2-inch slices with a serrated knife.
5) Lower oven heat to 300 degrees. Place biscotti slices back on baking sheet, one of the cut sides facing up, and bake for five minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, flip the biscotti, and bake for another five minutes. Let biscotti cool before placing in an airtight container.

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Simple French Toast

Posted on February 9, 2011 | 4 comments

Despite being a carbaholic, I rarely buy bread. Sure, I make banana bread and cinnamon swirl bread from time to time, but if I didn’t bake the bread myself, I’d just as soon not eat it. (I find store-bought bread questionable in most cases.)

And, when I do buy bread, I almost always commit sacrilege by letting the bread get stale. Once a chunk of French bread has served its purpose sopping up sauce or soup, the remaining baguette inevitably ends up on top of my fridge, discarded and forgotten.

That’s where French toast comes in. (And croutons, but that’s for another day.) Even when the bread is so dry that I could sand furniture with it, the bread will still soak up egg. (BONUS: When the bread is that dry, the resulting French toast isn’t soggy, but just-soft-enough.)

It’s a miracle of nature that I will never take for granted.

Simple French Toast:
a few slices of stale bread
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 tablespoon butter

1) Whisk eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Dip bread in the dish to cover with the egg mixture thoroughly. (If your bread is really stale, like mine was, soak the bread overnight.)
2) In a pan on medium-low heat, melt butter. Add egg-covered bread slices. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side.
3) Top with anything and everything, like the combination maple syrup, slivered almonds, and a smear of cream cheese shown above. Probably could’ve worked some fruit in there somewhere…

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Posted in bread, breakfast

Banana Bread and a Desperate Plea

Posted on January 26, 2011 | 4 comments

Apparently I’m not yet over the concept of breakfast week. Or, more accurately, the bananas that ripened all too quickly in my pantry wanted in on the early-morning action.

Speaking of action, this blog has been seeing a lot of it recently. If you’re new here, or even if you’re an old friend, I’d love for you to leave a comment and tell me about yourself–why you’re here, what you like to eat, whether you live in the Triangle and want to be Real Life friends… let me know!

Pretty please?

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s. I added chocolate chips because there was no reason not to.

Banana Bread:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chocolate chips, if desired

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9–inch loaf pan and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl for several minutes, until fluffy. Add eggs and beat to combine.
2) In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and mix until just combined. Add bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Stir in nuts (and chocolate chips, if you want) and pour into prepared pan.
3) Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of bread cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then place on a rack to cool.

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Bacon Cheddar Muffins

Posted on January 20, 2011 | 2 comments

I’ll let my roommate’s reaction speak on this recipe’s behalf.

Reaction 1:
(gasp) These might actually be better than ABC sandwiches.

Reaction 2, one minute later:
These are the best muffins I’ve ever eaten.

Don’t even pretend you’ll just be eating these for breakfast. I know better.

Recipe adapted from this one. (These folks called for a tablespoon of salt. A TABLESPOON. I’m not tryna’ give you all hypertension.)

Bacon Cheddar Muffins:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, cooked and broken into small pieces

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 standard-size muffin cups. (I greased mine with leftover bacon grease. TMI?)
2) Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda in medium size bowl.
3) Combine milk, butter and egg in a separate bowl. Combine wet and dry ingredients.
4) Gently stir in cheese and bacon. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling about 3/4 full.
5) Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers come out clean. Cool in pan for 2 minutes; remove to wire rack or plate.

Next time, I think I’ll press a chunk of cheddar cheese into the center of each muffin. And maybe add a few more slices of bacon.

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Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Posted on January 19, 2011 | 2 comments


For some inexplicable reason, this cinnamon raisin bread is still sitting on my counter, despite being baked on Saturday.

I promise that it’s really delicious; it’s just that I haven’t really been home much, and the granola is so darn convenient, and apparently I have better self-control than I originally thought.

[Pause here implied, as I go cut myself a slice. Okay… two slices.]

I highly recommend setting out a plate of butter next to the bread. Let it get to room temperature so when you cut a slice, and the toaster is simply too far away, no butter melting is required.

I think this days-old bread wants to be made into French toast by now. It’s on the verge of stale, and only beaten eggs and milk can save it. Stay tuned.

This recipe explains the cinnamon-raisin-swirl-bread-making process way better than I ever could. (And there’s more pictures!)

Tomorrow, however, there will be bacon cheddar muffins. I swear it. And just to better prepare you:

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Almond Coconut Granola

Posted on January 17, 2011 | 4 comments

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about breakfast. Perhaps it’s the promise of new beginnings that pervades this time of year–the hope for a fresh start on January 1st and, by extension, each morning. The impending possibilities make me want to wake up and eat something delicious.

Or perhaps my breakfast fixation evolved from my obsession with reading Ruth Reichl’s Twitter page. The former Gourmet editor posts an update nearly every day about what she’s eating for breakfast. I’m jealous of anyone who possesses the creativity and financial means to create a new breakfast every morning.

But you’re also looking at someone who, as a child, ate oatmeal every day for more than a year. (By choice. Or, more likely, to avoid having to make a choice.)

That little girl would be very proud of this recipe, I think. It still involves oats and brown sugar, but it’s also portable. And you can put it on practically everything without fearing judgment. There are oats! There are almonds! I’ve even done my part to Save the Bees of NC with local honey.

May all your breakfasts be so hopeful ‘n’ wholesome. Until you read my post about cheddar bacon muffins. Then you have my permission to be bad again.

Granola recipe adapted from Joy the Baker.

Toasted Almond Granola:
4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup slivered raw almonds
1 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened flakes)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil in a pinch)
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1) Place oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line one large with parchment paper or Silpat.
2) In a large bowl, combine oats, whole almonds, slivered almonds, coconut, cinnamon and salt.
3) In a medium saucepan on medium heat, melt butter, then whisk in coconut oil, honey and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
4) Pour the sauce over the oat mixture and toss together with a spoon or two to ensure that the oats are covered thoroughly.
5) Press mixture down gently onto baking sheet. Bake for about 9 minutes. Remove from the oven, stir granola and place back in oven. Bake for another 9 minutes, stir again and put back in the oven for about 9 minutes more.
6) Let cool on the pan before placing in an airtight container.

Also, if you’re looking for other delicious granola combinations, this basic recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini is wonderful.

I’ll be posting more breakfasts over the next few days, especially now that my classes don’t begin until 3:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays. A few recipes will involve bacon. You know how I feel about bacon.

Let me know if you’ve got a recipe I simply have to try, bacon-centric or otherwise.

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