Tag Archives: family
Breakfast in Bed – Mini-Mushroom Frittata
Post by: Alison Hein.
Do you ever find yourself alone of a morning, craving something yummy, but don’t feel like fussing? The answer to this dilemma is a minimal-ingredient, one-pot, fast and furious, cheesy, vegetable-filled mini-frittata.
I love the meaty richness that mushrooms provide, and my fridge is almost always stocked with some kind of edible fungus or another. Adding green spinach (usually to be found in my freezer) for color and depth is a no-brainer. And of course, no frittata is complete without some gooey, sharp cheese.
If you’ve got other goodies stashed in your pantry, by all means, improvise. A tiny bit of salty bacon, ham or sausage goes a long way, and savory sautéed onions or garlic are always delightful. Tomatoes or peppers, potatoes or squash, tofu or seafood can all conspire to create your own custom-built mini-frittata.
I add a healthy dose of seasoning, and like to use a pre-blended mix which includes onion, garlic, paprika and the like. You should use whatever fits your mood and ingredients – basil, oregano and parsley for Italian flavors, or chipotle, marjoram and chili for Latin flair.
Start to finish, you’ll need about 15 minutes to concoct your very own personalized mini-frittata. Just enough time to fluff up those pillows, grab the daily paper, and dig in to your no-fuss, fast and furious breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon high-heat olive oil
1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
½ teaspoon seasoning mix
½ cup chopped spinach (thawed and drained if frozen)
2 eggs
¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Preparation
Pour olive oil into a 6-inch ovenproof heavy frying pan, and place on stove over medium heat. Add mushrooms to pan, sprinkle with seasoning mix, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Cover mushrooms evenly with chopped spinach and reduce heat to low.
Break eggs into bowl, and whisk until smooth and thickened. Stir in shredded mozzarella cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour egg-cheese mixture over mushroom-spinach mixture. Continue to cook, gently moving uncooked eggs back around the sides of the pan, until edges are set, about 3 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle top of frittata with parmesan cheese. Place frying pan under broiler, about 5 inches from direct heat. Broil frittata until eggs are firm and do not jiggle, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Makes 1 serving.
Breakfast in Bed – Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Post by Alison Hein.
Scotland’s recent historic vote for independence has got me thinking a lot about this lovely place, its people and its traditions.
The Scots are an ingenious people. Did you know that marmalade, raincoats, tarmac, pneumatic tires, adhesive stamps, penicillin, the bicycle, and the telephone were all invented by Scottish people? I learned this from one of my well-worn and well-loved linen dishcloths gifted to me by my dear friend Anne after a visit to her native homeland many years ago. Anne brought me a second linen at that time, too – this one emblazoned with traditional Scottish recipes: haggis and clootie; cock-a-leekie soup, scones and bridies; and of course, shortbread.
Also ingenious in their simplicity, Scottish recipes require little in the way of provisions, and offer much in the way of flavor. My dishcloth shortbread recipe calls for only three ingredients – flour, sugar, and butter. I’ve modified this approach over the years, using a light brown sugar for depth and a smooth, subtle splash of vanilla for mellowing. Remember, shortbread is all about the butter, so be sure to use a high quality variety when you try this recipe. You must cut the cookies immediately after removing them from the oven, while the dough is still soft. Then, allow them to cool in the pan for a bit so they won’t crumble.
Scotland’s history is also rich with music and verse, like this lovely little snippet from the song Bonnie Scotland, I Adore Thee:
Bonnie Scotland, land of grandeur,
Where the sparkling streams meander,
Here will I delight to wander,
Bonnie, Bonnie Scotland.
So, make a quick batch of shortbread, brew some thick, dark tea the way the Scots do, hum along, and surrender – to a bonnie, Scottish breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and mix well. Add flour gradually until a thick, crumbly dough has formed. Knead lightly until dough sticks together in a ball, then press evenly into a 9×9-inch pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until lightly browned, but not crisp. Immediately cut dough into 3×1-inch strips and prick tops with a fork or toothpick. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool on a rack until firm. Store in waxed paper-lined tin.
Makes 27 cookies.
Bedtime Stories: Bunnicula
Post by Mark T. Locker.
Bunnicula by James Howe.
Well, school is in session, and since we seem incapable of experiencing any down time between holidays, all the mini fridges and Trapper Keepers are being pulled and replaced with shrieking skeleton heads and bags and bags of candy. Friends, it is officially the start of Halloween season! Personally, I couldn’t be more pleased. I love all the masks, monsters, and makeup. Pumpkins, papier–mâché skeletons, and party favors. It’s also time to bring in a new collection of spooky stories to share!
My son is now old enough to move past the cutesy Halloween picture books and tackle some heavier material. A couple of those old picture books will forever have a place in my heart, but I’m super excited to share with him the classic vampire story, Bunnicula. Narrated by the family dog, Harold, this story introduces us to the most unusual family of pets I know of. While Harold is very much a family dog, interested in snacks and naps, his companion, a cat named Chester, is a little different. He’s well-read and a little paranoid. When the family comes home one rainy night with a bunny they discovered in the movie theater, Chester is immediately wary. And as he begins to put the pieces together, wariness turns to suspicion, to fear. For it becomes clear that this is no ordinary rabbit. For one thing, he only wakes up at night. For another, he can slip in and out of his locked cage in mysterious way. And when Chester discovers that vegetables are suddenly turning bone-white, his fears are confirmed. This bunny is a VAMPIRE!
A little bit spooky, and a whole lot of fun, this book is a great family read to offer goose bumps and laughs in equal measure. Ages 6+
Breakfast in Bed – Corn Bread with Honey Butter
Post by Alison Hein.
I have been remiss. I’ve shared with you my recipes for Toasted Maple Corn Muffins and for Corn Bread Hot Browns. Even Fried Cornmeal Mush! But somehow in all this corn madness, I’ve neglected to provide my favorite recipe for simple Corn Bread.
This sturdy but crumbly quick bread can be whipped up inside 30 minutes. It’s nearly as easy as a boxed mix, and much more delicious. I like to break up the sugar content with a little honey, with its old-fashioned sweetness, texture and depth. Then, I like to reprise that flavor with some homemade, spreadable Honey Butter. There’s nothing like a gooey glob of it melting into some oven-hot corn bread.
For best results, use a pure, stone-ground corn meal. I sometimes buy it from a local living history farm, where they grind organic corn into meal in a 300-year old working gristmill. The rich, coarse meal, ground fresh, makes the perfect base for a batch of bread.
My husband always enjoys a basket of fresh corn bread beside a bowl of spicy chili, and I often make some to go with dinner, when I’ve forgotten to buy bread or rolls. But best of all, I like to cut a thick yellow square of bread in half, toast it to a crumbly gold, slather it with honey-sweet butter, and enjoy a crazy, corny breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
Corn Bread
1½ cups corn meal
¾ cup white flour
⅓ cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
¼ cup corn oil
⅓ cup honey
Honey Butter
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. In large bowl, mix together corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In separate bowl, mix together milk and eggs. Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients. Add corn oil and honey, mixing in well.
Spoon into greased 8×8-inch pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden brown, or until toothpick in center comes out clean. You can also use 2 cast iron mini-corn molds, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
To make Honey Butter, add softened butter to small bowl. Stir in honey and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Breakfast in Bed – Huevos Mexicanos
Post by Alison Hein.
We were preparing for our last outdoor party of the season. I always like to have at least one hearty vegetarian dish. This time, I was making Baked Vegetable Enchiladas – pure corn tortillas filled with a medley of vegetables and cheese and baked in a spicy tomato sauce. As I was mixing up the filling, I thought, why not save some of this for a spicy, Latin-style egg bake?
So, out came my cute little mini-cast iron pots (easy to buy from Lodge or use other small baking dishes). To my mixture of cumin-spiced black beans, spinach, corn and green onion, I added a little Monterey Jack cheese and a few eggs. I poured the concoction into the pots and covered them with a crumbling of Mexican queso fresco (you can substitute any kind of semi-firm cheese). Then I popped them in the oven and made a cilantro-lime sour cream sauce as a topping.
A quick thirty minutes later, we were enjoying a vegetarian, Mexican-style breakfast in bed.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon black beans
1 tablespoon chopped spinach
1 tablespoon corn kernels
1 tablespoon sliced green onion
1 tablespoon Monterey Jack cheese
1 teaspoon cumin
4 eggs
2 tablespoons queso fresco, crumbled
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, plus 2 sprigs for garnish
1 teaspoon lime juice
Equipment
2 mini-cast iron pots (or substitute any ½-pint baking dishes, such as ramekins)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Add black beans, spinach, corn kernels, Monterey Jack cheese, and cumin to a large mixing bowl and stir together. Crack eggs into medium bowl and whisk until thick and smooth. Add to vegetable / cheese mixture and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover tops with crumbled queso fresco.
Lightly oil mini-cast iron pots (½-pint baking dishes). Pour egg mixture evenly into each pot. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes, until eggs are cooked through and puffed up.
While eggs bake, make sour cream cilantro sauce. Add sour cream, cilantro and lime juice to a small bowl and mix well.
To serve, remove eggs from oven. Place an equal amount of sour cream cilantro sauce on each and garnish with a sprig of cilantro. Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.
NOTE: If you would like a spicier, non-vegetarian version, add a little chopped chorizo to the mix before baking.
Makes 2 servings.
