Category Archives: Breakfast

Charred Tomatoes with Fried Eggs on Garlic Toast

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friedeggscharredtomatoes
I first came across this recipe in June this year. It immediately reminded me of being in a country farmhouse somewhere out west. Crunchy rustic bread with a slight hint of garlic, sweet, bright red tomatoes, and country farm eggs with deep golden yolks. Well, the closest to country farmhouse I could get to was the Alps! Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to make this breakfast dish during our stay in Austria over the summer. It takes a little more effort than simply frying some eggs and toasting bread, but boy is it worth it! The charred tomatoes and garlic add so much flavor to the dish that you won’t ever want to have your eggs any other way!  Continue reading →

Honey Corn Muffins

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honey corn muffins

I LOVE cornbread with just about anything. I could eat it for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The best is when it’s fresh out of the oven – still warm enough so the butter melts as you’re spreading it on. I used to buy those little Jiffy boxes from the grocery store to make a quick batch of corn muffins. But after discovering this delicious and easy recipe from the Neely’s, I will no longer have to buy those boxes again! I had no idea how easy it was to make cornbread from scratch. What I love most about this recipe, however, is the addition of honey. It gives the corn muffins a slightly sweet taste, which I think goes very well with butter. These muffins should keep for two to three days if kept in an airtight container, but I doubt you’ll have many leftover! 😉 Continue reading →

Easy Strawberry Muffins

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strawberry muffins
I somehow believed that muffins were extremely difficult to make. Hence, I never even attempted to make them in the past. This all changed after I watched an episode of the Barefoot Contessa. Ina Garten is one of my favorite chefs on the Food Network and her recipes have never let me down. She made these muffins look so easy to prepare, I had to make them the next day! In less than 40 minutes, I had delicious, warm muffins to enjoy with my cup of coffee. They were so moist on the inside, but had a nice sugary crunch on the outside. This is due to mixing in the sugar at the very last moment.

I made two tweaks to Ina’s recipe: I added whole wheat flour and vanilla extract. If you don’t have whole wheat flour or prefer not to use it, simply use all-purpose flour instead. This recipe is great to use for a muffin “base” as well. Just follow the recipe to make the batter and use other kinds of fruit instead. You could make blueberry, apple, banana nut or even chocolate chip muffins. The possibilities are endless!  Continue reading →

Coconut Rum French Toast

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Michael and I recently went to St. Martin for a beach getaway. Although we rarely buy souvenirs on any of our trips, we simply couldn’t resist getting a bottle of the island’s coconut rum! I don’t usually drink rum (or any kind of liquor for that matter), but we were given a free shot at every restaurant we dined at. We had every flavor ranging from vanilla rum to banana rum. Our favorite, however, was the coconut rum! So, we naturally bought a big bottle to take back with us ;).

The bottle of rum was staring me in the face the morning after we returned to NYC. I kept thinking of different ways to incorporate the rum in my cooking. As I opened the refrigerator door and saw a bag of stale bread, it hit me – coconut rum french toast! I was so excited to make breakfast that morning, but even more excited to eat it :).  Continue reading →

Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

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You know that autumn is officially here when stores begin to advertise pumpkin lattes and pumpkin donuts. I was inspired to make these fluffy pumpkin pancakes last week at Trader Joe’s. While standing in the ridiculously long line, I saw their canned organic pumpkin puree. I usually buy this in November to make pumpkin pie, but decided to pick up a can earlier this year since the weather in NYC is already very autumnesque.

I came across this quick and easy pumpkin pancake recipe years ago in a Martha Stewart Living magazine. Although I made a few tweaks to the spices, I kept everything else the same. These pancakes are simply divine! They are so fluffy and rich in flavors. The pumpkin puree adds a fluffy creaminess to the pancakes without adding tons of calories. Be sure to try this recipe for your next autumn brunch! Continue reading →

Omelet with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

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Looking for a different way to make your eggs this weekend? Try out my quick and easy recipe to make roasted tomatillo sauce to kick up the flavors in your eggs! I had about a pound of fresh tomatillos sitting in my refrigerator last weekend and was trying to think of a creative way to use them. (This was the last of the veggies I received from Peggy’s CSA!) Then I started looking at other ingredients I had in my kitchen and realized I could make a tomatillo sauce.

This is such a versatile sauce because you could add it to eggs, meat, tacos, enchiladas, etc. I portioned my recipe to make a little more sauce so I could use it with another dish, chicken enchiladas! But you could halve the recipe if you just want to use it for one dish, or even make a larger batch to freeze. You’ll also notice that my sauce is slightly more red than green. That’s because I added A LOT of chipotle chili in adobo :). Since Michael and I love spicy food, I added about one tablespoon of these bad boys. If you prefer your food on the mild side, simply reduce the amount or omit completely. You could also use fresh jalapeno peppers instead.

I made an omelet to serve with my tomatillo sauce because I had leftover shredded cheese and spinach that I wanted to use up. You could throw in any other leftover veggies you have in the fridge, such as mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. Or, you could also make scrambled eggs instead. It’s up to you! :) Continue reading →

Heart Waffles

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The first time I ever saw a heart-shaped waffle iron was in Europe. I thought it was the most adorable thing ever! Sadly, they are rarely available in U.S. stores, where you typically only find square-shaped waffle irons. Hence, I could only make these adorable waffles for us every now and then when we were in Austria. Michael and I would wake up every morning excited because we could finally make our favorite waffles! Yes, we are that childish. We know it’s just the shape of the waffle that is different, but that’s not the point! 😉 Michael likes to sift a little powdered sugar on top of his waffles, but I like to drizzle maple syrup all over mine! Serve with a side of fresh berries and you are in heaven!

Nowadays, you can literally buy anything online. So I decided to search on Amazon for a heart-shaped waffle iron, and was successful! It’s even better than the one we have in Austria (but don’t tell my German that, lol). You can control how you want the outside and inside of the waffle cooked, as well as the darkness of the waffle. I tell ya, with this little gadget, making waffles is so much easier than pancakes!

I know you can easily go out there and buy a box of waffle mix, but making your own at home is so quick and easy, and tastes a lot better too! You probably already have all the necessary ingredients sitting in your pantry. Although there are many variations on waffle recipes, I’ve found my all-time favorite. Give it a try one morning; I hope it becomes your favorite too! (And you can, of course, use a traditional square-shaped waffle iron!) Continue reading →

Fluffy Ricotta Pancakes

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I truly believe that when you love to eat and cook, you surround yourself with friends that have the same passion. Our dear friends, Ashley and Randy, sent me this recipe shortly after I started my blog. They love to experiment with new recipes in the kitchen, but know when one is a keeper. And let me tell you, THIS one is a keeper! I have to admit, I was a little hesitant about the recipe upon first glance because it seemed like a lot of work. (By a lot of work, I mean taking out the electric mixer to beat the egg whites. I know, I’m lazy!) They assured me, however, the pancakes would be well worth the work. So, I saved the recipe for an easy-going Sunday morning.

WOW. The pancakes were AMAZING. I can usually only eat two pancakes for breakfast, but I helped myself to four this morning! Michael even asked if I could make another batch. (That didn’t happen.) They were so light and fluffy from the egg whites, but had such a creamy richness from the ricotta cheese. Randy recommended serving the pancakes with lemon curd and powdered sugar. It almost tasted like we were eating lemon ricotta cheesecake! Michael was in heaven. Needless to say, I will be making these pancakes again.

If you are a pancake lover, definitely give this recipe a try. These pancakes will not disappoint! Continue reading →

Easy Frittatas

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Do your Saturday morning eggs need a makeover? I’ve got the perfect solution! These easy mini frittatas are quick to make, but look so elegant and appetizing on your plate. I love the wonderful smell that comes from my oven whenever I make these. Michael has to constantly pull me away from the oven window because I can’t help but stare at how beautifully they puff up! :) The best part about making these frittatas is you can use any leftover veggies or deli meat in your fridge. I had some leftover mushrooms this morning so decided to throw them in too; however, you could use anything you have available. Zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, or even jalapenos would work well. Just remember to chop them up into little pieces so they cook quickly. I’ve also tried the recipe using cheddar cheese instead of Parmesan; the frittatas came out just as yummy! Continue reading →

Perfect Soft Scrambled Eggs

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People always ask how I get my scrambled eggs to be so soft and fluffy. “Do you add milk or cream to them?” I always answer with a big NO. You don’t need anything other than eggs, a good nonstick pan, and a lot of patience. The most important thing, however, is to cook the eggs over low heat while stirring gently and frequently. Follow my simple recipe and you’ll have perfect scrambled eggs for your next breakfast! Continue reading →