Category Archives: Breakfast in Bed
Breakfast in Bed – The Drinking of the Green
Post by Alison Hein.
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up next week – a day when everyone is Irish. A day to eat, drink, dance and be merry. A day to honor Irish heritage.
In Ireland, folk have been wearing green shamrocks and ribbons on St. Patty’s Day since the late 1600s. “The wearing of the green” refers to an old ballad, its lyrics lamenting the repression of supporters of the Irish rebellion of 1798 (listen to a moving recording of the famous Irish tenor John McCormack singing The Wearing of the Green on YouTube).
To add to the festivities this year, let’s don green clothing, and also drink green drinks. I’m not a big fan of green beer, so I’ve come up with two different options for you – one steaming hot, one icy cold; either with or without a nip of spirits – but both vibrant, emerald green.
How to achieve this lovely shade? With Japanese sweet green tea powder (this is America, after all). Matcha, the fine-ground and sweetened powdered tea, brings a smooth density to the creamy Matcha Milkshake, and a cocoa-like, satisfying richness to the Irish Green Tea Latte. Still questioning my choice of ingredients to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? I must admit, I did a little back and forth myself until I received a sign from the matcha package itself – brand name Rishi. If you move the final letter “I” to the front of “Rishi”, what do you get? You guessed it! An Irish breakfast in bed!
Éirinn go Brách!
Matcha Milkshake
2 scoops vanilla ice cream (about ¾ cup)
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon (green tea) sweet matcha powder
Splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional)
Dollop of whipped cream
Spring of fresh mint, for garnish
Preparation
Add ice cream, milk, matcha powder and Bailey’s to a blender. Purée until thick and smooth. Pour into a festive glass, and top with whipped cream and mint. Enjoy immediately.
Makes 1 milkshake.
Irish Green Tea Latte
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon (green tea) sweet matcha powder
Splash of Irish whiskey (optional)
Dollop of whipped cream
Spring of fresh mint, for garnish
Preparation
Add milk and matcha powder to small, heavy saucepan. Heat until warmed to desired temperature. Alternatively, stir matcha powder into milk and steam with a cappuccino machine or handheld steam wand. Stir in whisky. Pour into a tall mug. Top with whipped cream and mint and serve immediately.
Makes 1 latte.
Breakfast in Bed – Lemon Cherry Scones with Lemon Honey Butter
Post by Alison Hein.
I’ve been baking a lot this winter. There are a few reasons for this. One is simply, well, because I like to bake. Next, I have been trapped in my home on numerous occasions due to ridiculous and nearly constant cold, ice and snow. Finally, a nice hot oven helps to keep the heat up in the house on these low temperature days. My husband has been enjoying homemade bread hot from the oven, sweet pastries and pies dusted with sugar, and hardy scones laden with pure Irish butter.
The trouble is, with no way to safely get to the grocery store, my pantry has been running low. Inspiration for these scones struck when I glanced at my lemon-filled fruit bowl, and remembered a pack of dried tart cherries tucked in the back of the cabinet.
Mrs. O’Callaghan’s Irish Scones are so light and delicate that I used her method here. Adding lemon rind to the batter and swapping cherries for raisins did the trick. One lemon is enough to make both the scones and the butter. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, just add about a tablespoon of cider vinegar to a cup of milk for a great faux substitute.
Warm yourself by the stove, brew a strong cup of black tea, and take your lemony scones off to a cozy spot by the window. Take a good long look at all that ice and snow. Then gratefully feast on a warm and cozy breakfast in bed.
Lemon Cherry Scones
3 cups flour
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1½ cups buttermilk, plus additional for brushing scone after baking
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon lemon oil, or lemon flavoring
½ cup dried tart cherries
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and grated lemon rind. Stir baking soda into buttermilk. Pour buttermilk mixture, lightly beaten egg and lemon oil into dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Batter should be thick but spreadable. Stir in dried tart cherries.
Grease and flour a 10-inch cast iron frying pan. Spread batter evenly in pan. Place in oven and bake until scone is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in top comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes. Alternatively, grease and flour two round 8-inch cake pans. Divide batter evenly between the two pans and reduce baking time to about 45 minutes.
Remove scone from pan and brush top with a little buttermilk, if you like. Wrap immediately in a tea towel so scones remain warm and soft. When ready to serve, cut scone in wedges. Serve warm with lemon honey butter.
Makes 12 to 14 scones.
Lemon Honey Butter
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Preparation
Add softened butter to small bowl. Stir in honey and lemon juice and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Breakfast in Bed – Thai Basil Pesto Scrambled Eggs
Post by: Alison Hein
If life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But what do you do if life gives you a whole bunch of Thai basil? Make pesto, of course!
Such was my experience recently when I was trimming my sweet little miracle garden. (See the Rolled Omelet with Fresh Herbs post to learn more.) My little patch of herbs is so prolific that I need to trim it every day to prevent delicate chives, cilantro, parsley and basil from singing their tips on the grow lights. During this process, I inadvertently knocked off my entire Thai Basil plant! Sad but inspired, I set to work on salvage and enterprise.
Traditional Italian pesto, which originated in the northern Liguria region, consists of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan and local sheep milk cheeses. Tangy, fragrant, and lightly richened with nuts, pesto livens up fresh-cooked pasta, slow-simmered beans, or scrambled eggs.
I’ve substituted walnuts for pine nuts in my version, and have omitted the cheeses for better freezing of any excess pesto. I learned a neat trick many years ago – if you have an old-fashioned ice cube tray, fill it with tablespoon-sized portions of pesto, then freeze for individual servings. One tablespoon is just right for a single serving of pasta, or in this case, scrambled eggs. Add any cheeses later, when you are ready to partake of a candlelit Italian dinner, or a tangy, fragrant breakfast in bed.
Pesto Ingredients
2 cups packed Thai basil (or other basil) leaves, plus additional sprig for garnish
2 cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup walnuts (or pine nuts)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus additional 2 teaspoons for cooking eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Clean and dry basil and set aside. Add garlic and walnuts to blender and chop. Add basil, then with blender running on low, pour in olive oil and purée until smooth and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes about ¾ cup pesto.
Thai Basil Pesto Scrambled Eggs
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Thai basil pesto
3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Heat olive oil in small, heavy pan over medium low heat. Break eggs into small bowl and whisk well. Stir in pesto and 2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Add egg mixture to heated pan and allow to cook slowly and gently. Stir and lift frequently with wooden spoon to avoid sticking. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper, garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving.
Breakfast in Bed – Spiced Apple Hand Pies
Post by Alison Hein.
Oh no! I cannot believe I forgot to do a Valentine’s Day post!
Well, as they say, better late than never, so here’s a sweet recipe you can either save until next year or surprise your beloved with an unexpected, heartwarming anytime breakfast in bed.
These little pies are deliciously spiced with an amalgam of exotic flavors, and tuck neatly into a small hand for nibbling on the go. If you like, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out a heart in each half-moon. Then gently lay the little heart back over the filling before baking.
Ingredients
Pie Crust
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon water
1/3 cup butter
Pie Filling
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon sugar, plus an additional 1 teaspoon for topping
½ teaspoon flour
¼ teaspoon cloves
A dash each of cardamom, ginger, mace and nutmeg
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Preparation
To make crust, sift together flour and salt. Remove half of the flour mixture and add to a separate small bowl. Add water to flour mixture and stir to make a paste. Cut butter into small cubes and cut into remaining flour mixture, using a pastry cutter or two forks. Mix all ingredients together until a smooth, uniform dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°. Remove dough from refrigerator and cut in half. Gently roll out one piece of dough on a lightly floured board, adding more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Roll dough to form an approximate 12×12-inch shape. Cut 3 to 4 6-inch circles from the dough, using a large cookie cutter, a tin coffee can, or cutting around a small plate. If possible, re-roll any leftover dough to form an additional 6-inch circle. Set circles aside until ready to use.
To make filling, peel and finely dice apples. Add to a large bowl and stir in cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of sugar, flour, cardamom ginger, mace and nutmeg. Place about 1½ teaspoons of filling on the lower half of each circle, leaving enough room to crimp dough ends together. Fold top half of dough circle over filling to create a moon shape. Crimp edges together with the tines of a fork. Repeat with remaining dough. Poke a few holes in the top of the pie for venting.
Place pies on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush with lightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until crust is golden brown.
Makes 6 to 8 hand pies.
Breakfast in Bed – Rolled Omelet with Fresh Herbs
Post by Alison Hein.
Our garden is very shady and rocky, with just enough light and soil to grow a few herbs. Fortunately, lush green parsley, silvery thyme, and sprightly rosemary are a weedy bunch at heart, demanding little more than a touch of sun and a few drops of water to flourish.
During the winter months, I have been forced to rely on supermarket purchases to dress up my dishes with greenery. Until this year, that is. My son and daughter-in-law gifted me with the most adorable (and highly effective) indoor grow garden. It requires even less care than my outdoor plants, and grows at a remarkable rate with 16 hours of light a day. Such a perfect gift for a cook and food blogger! A handful of this, a sprig of that – photos (and dishes) are markedly enhanced.
So, I decided to create a simple breakfast to showcase my lovely stash. A simple golden omelet makes the perfect palette for my fine greenery. And, rolled up crêpe-like, it also makes the perfect presentation. I used an equal mix of fresh parsley, basil, cilantro and chives in my whipped cream cheese base, but feel free to experiment with the herbs of your choosing for a breakfast in bed filled with garden greenery – smack dab in the middle of February! J
P.S. The herbed cheese also makes a wonderful filling for earthy buckwheat crêpes, or spread on cooked artichoke bottoms for a healthy nosh.
Ingredients
¼ cup whipped cream cheese
2 tablespoons chopped, mixed herbs (try equal portions of parsley, basil, cilantro and chives), plus additional for garnish
1 tablespoon butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation
Add cream cheese and herbs to small bowl and mix together gently. Set aside until ready to use.
Melt butter in small, heavy pan over medium heat. Break eggs into small bowl, add milk, and whisk until thick and smooth. Pour egg mixture into heated pan all at once and swirl to evenly cover the pan. Reduce heat to low. Continue to cook, occasionally pushing eggs back around the edges to allow uncooked portion to flow through. Alternatively, reduce heat to simmer, cover pan and continue to cook until set. Cook until eggs are firm and set in one flat round.
Slide egg round from pan onto work surface or plate. Spread herbed cheese on top of cooked egg. Season with salt and pepper. Roll up omelet and top with additional fresh herbs, if you like. Serve immediately.
Makes 1 serving.
