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Breakfast Pizza

15 November, 2011 //
2

What initially comes to mind when you think of Breakfast Pizza?  Cold leftovers from last night’s take-out enjoyed by the lethargic or hung-over morning riser?

While there is no shame in being part of the I love cold pizza! club (fully disclosing to be a casual member), familiarize yourself with the “morning-after pie” that is anything but the like. Because with the help of store-bought ingredients, a homemade Breakfast Pizza is still simple, pretty quick and comes with rip-roaring results that its leftover delivery counterpart just can’t meet.

The addition of eggs cracked on top makes this pizza a completely appropriate dish to enjoy in the morning hours. And when cooked just right, the whites softly set and the yolks run when poked to make for a few heavenly bites. Think of toast dipped in a warm runny yolk…yum.  Now think of tomato sauce, cheese and fresh vegetable and meats added to that same bite. YUM.

I’m always surprised by the food that can be produced from a near empty refrigerator and pantry. Usually a few random ingredients on hand will combine with the pantry staples to produce something delightful. And, such was the case this past Sunday: leftover pre-made multi-grain dough, half opened jar of tomato sauce, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, the remaining 3 eggs in the carton and some veggies near past their prime.  With the benefit of hindsight, adding some crumbled breakfast sausage or maple-glazed bacon to this pie would have really taken it over the top. Another time.

The beauty of this pizza is that it can be anything, really anything, that you want it to be.  A friend of mine, so taken by the idea, immediately went to his local Italian store, purchased dough and made his own concoction: broccoli rabe, short rib, mashed potatoes, egg and cheese pizza. The idea left me totally speechless, and brainstorming flavor combinations for my next weekend’s treat.

BREAKFAST PIZZA 

Ingredients
Pizza dough (store-bought or homemade)
Tomato sauce (store-bought or homemade, such as this favorite Fresh Tomato Sauce)
Mozzarella cheese (fresh or shredded)
Parmesan cheese
Toppings – I used porcini mushroom, white onion and baby spinach
Eggs – quantity to your liking

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place pizza stone or baking pan in oven for at least 15 minutes until heated through.

2. Roll out dough on a floured work surface to the desired thickness. I like thin crust pizzas so usually roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle cornmeal or a cornmeal mix on the stone to help prevent sticking. Transfer the rolled out dough to the stone.

3. Assemble the pizza: Spoon tomato sauce, sprinkle cheeses and add toppings onto the dough. Create small wells within the toppings to hold each egg (this will help prevent the whites from running off of the pizza.) Crack one egg into each well.

4. Bake pizza in oven for about 12-15 minutes, until whites are set and crust crisp as preferred. Take the pizza out while the egg yolks are still runny for an amazing taste experience!

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Categories Breakfast, Grain products

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa

13 October, 2011 //
2

SWEET BREAKFAST QUINOA has been on my AM to-do list since February 2011 when published in the glossy pages of Food & Wine magazine. I was attracted to the earthy, rich flavor combination of ingredients, as well as the idea of having a stick-to-the-ribs breakfast (other than oatmeal) that would fuel me well through the early working hours.

With a pantry looking like Mother Hubbard’s, my eyes fell upon an unopened box of red quinoa this morning…purchased, of course, back in February 2011. As fate would have it, all other ingredients were at arm’s reach. And, after a mere half hour of intermittent preparation, the resulting breakfast hit the spot as I had hoped.

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa is incredibly simple to make. Boil water, cook and fluff the quinoa, toast some nuts, add dried fruits, then toss the whole thing together. The dollop of ricotta cheese on top was a nice touch…adding a creaminess to the dish that well-complimented the otherwise hearty textures.

While fully aware that quinoa acts as a whole protein, little did I know that it is closely related to the beet and spinach species – how fantastic! What we purchase at the grocer are the edible seeds of a grain-like plant. Heh. Quinoa is also gluten-free, high in fiber, magnesium, iron and amino acids. One might call it…a super-food?

From what I can tell (and having read further on the matter) red quinoa does not differ from white. So, either variety may be used within this recipe, though, the red does make for a more brilliant color. Quinoa, in general, can be used in a number of dishes where you may otherwise use pasta, rice or couscous. And, dishes like this will keep well for days. Give it a try!

Sweet Breakfast Quinoa
From Food & Wine, Published in February 2011

Ingredients
1 cup red quinoa, rinsed
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh ricotta

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, cover the quinoa with the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes. Lightly fluff the quinoa with a fork and cover it again.
2. In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the almonds and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add the apricots, maple syrup, orange zest and cinnamon and stir well until heated through.
3. Add the quinoa to the skillet and stir gently to incorporate the almonds and apricots. Top each portion of quinoa with a tablespoon of ricotta and serve.

Make Ahead: The recipe can be made through Step 1 and refrigerated for up to 5 days. Reheat as needed or serve cold.

Notes: One Serving 311 cal, 44 gm carb, 11 gm fat, 2 gm sat fat, 10 gm protein, 4 gm fiber.

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Categories Breakfast

Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

21 September, 2011 //
1

After a motivated red raspberry search among the out-of-season bushes at Highland Orchards, we ended up with a solid 5 cups to
work with – totally worth the effort. Forgoing a Raspberry Vinegar or Raspberry Chipotle Barbeque Sauce recipe because of limited time, bake-mode it was and my sister Michelle had the perfect recipe: Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins.

This recipe dates quite a ways back to our high schools years when Michelle was the executive chef between the two of us and I not even the sous. After years of wanting to resurrect these muffins following a successful first run, here opportunity was knocking.

If you are familiar with my culinary tendencies than you know that I love nutritious ingredient substations. Cooking Light churns these types of recipes out like it’s there job…because it is…and this one is a winner; not because it swaps “healthy” for “not” ingredients 1:1, but because it adds a better-for-you option while reducing the more offensive. Low-fat cream cheese instead of all butter. Egg whites instead of full eggs. Low-fat buttermilk instead of whole. These are just a few great examples that can generically be applied to many recipes – sweet and savory.

The muffin consistency falls perfectly in between what you may think a classic muffin (a bit dense) and a nice cake (on the lighter side). The batter itself was an absolute delight to make – one of the most beautiful I’ve worked with.  Folding the bright red berries into the silky, creamy mixture produced an appearance that reminded me of a creamsicle. The resulting flavor is smooth with a nice hint of vanilla and flavor pockets of tart fruit.

While I have not yet tested the success of this recipe with frozen red raspberries, I venture to guest that it would work well. Otherwise, with a summer past, keep this one in your back pocket to promptly whip out come the first sign of warm-again days.

Red Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins
Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients
2/3 cup (5 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk*
2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine cream cheese and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add vanilla, egg whites, and egg; beat well.
3. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and buttermilk to cream cheese mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently fold in raspberries and walnuts.
4. Place 24 foil cup liners in muffin cups. Spoon batter evenly into liners. Bake at 350° 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from pans; cool on a wire rack.

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*Buttermilk Substitute

 If you do not have buttermilk in your fridge, fear not. You can easily and quickly make a buttermilk substitute on your own using whatever regular milk is available. Buttermilk is more acidic than milk which gives it the slightly sour flavor and curdled appearance. By adding an acidic agent to milk – in form of vinegar or lemon juice – the reactions produce the acidity and texture needed within recipes that call for buttermilk.

1 cup buttermilk = 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice (combine and let stand for 10 minutes before using in recipe)

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Categories Breakfast, Grain products, Sweets
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