Breakfast Boats

While browsing on Pinterest for some tasty breakfast ideas, I came across several versions of eggs in sourdough rolls. The first one was from Heather Likes Food. I liked the concept but it seemed like a lot of bread since you used small dinner rolls and cut out the centers. Also, I was not up for waiting around an hour (or a day) for them to be ready! I also found some at Spoon, Fork, Bacon that looked mighty tasty and the ratio of bread to filling was more like what I was looking for. But I'm a clean out the fridge sort of cook. And I don't normally have any pancetta or gruyere cheese hanging out in there with no plan. Bacon - yes! Cheddar cheese - yes!

So, I decided to combine the concepts and make up something that would work for our family.

Breakfast Boats

Ingredients:
4 mini baguettes (about 6 inches long)
5 eggs
2 T. sour creme (or plain yougurt or cottage cheese - whatever is handy)
1/3 cup milk
1/2 - 3/4 cup grated cheese (whatever kind you have handy)
4 strips bacon - cooked and crumbled
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and Pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Cut a channel in the top of each baguette and remove top and inside bread so they look like canoes. Make sure not to cut too low on the sides or the filling will run out. Put the bread boats on a foil line cookie sheet.

Whisk the eggs in a medium bowl.  Add the milk and sour creme and whisk to combine. Add in the remaining ingredients (including some salt and pepper) and stir to mix.

Divide the egg mixture between the boats. It's certainly not an exact science! I just scoop a bit in each one until all the mixture is gone. Don't worry that they look sort of empty. The egg quickly absorbs into the bread. As it bakes, it will puff up and fill up the whole thing. Add some fresh ground sea salt and pepper to the top before baking.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until egg had set as much as you like.

Enjoy!

Note: these would be great with whatever veggies you might have handy thrown in as well. Tomatoes, mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, etc. would all be tasty additions.

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins

As usual, I had a pile of ugly brown bananas on the counter. Nobody was interested in eating them, but I am never one to throw a perfectly icky banana away. What to do?  Of course, I headed to pinterest to find a tasty recipe that only had ingredients I already had in the house. I found these Banana Crumb Muffins http://annies-eats.com/2008/02/06/banana-crumb-muffins/ that looked pretty easy and I had everything on hand. Yay!

As I started to follow the directions and put the papers in the muffin tin, my first thought was "How sad that looks with only 10 papers!" Who makes 10 muffins? A tin clearly is made for 12, so 12 it would be! You'd think that I would precisely measure and figure out what to add to make two additional muffins. Me? NO WAY! I can never even seem to follow a recipe exactly when I am making what it says! I'm always throwing in a bit of this or extra of that, or leaving out things entirely (sometimes on purpose, other times not!!). Anyway - I'm sure the original recipe makes great muffins. Below, I've listed the recipe as I made it (I'll note the extras in case you care!). I do have to say that these were some yummy, moist and tasty muffins with just the right amount of crunchy sweetness on top!

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins

Ingredients:
For the muffins:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (added an extra 3/4 cup to make the extra two muffins!)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten½ teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted (upped the butter amount-likely slightly over 1/2 cup, didn't measure)
2 tablespoons greek yogurt (added for extra moisture to match extra flour)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (these were not in original recipe but what is banana bread without nuts?)

For the topping:
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar (added to give a crunch to the topping)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (heaping scoop!)
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg, cinnamon, yogurt, nuts and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together sugars, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins. (sprinkle is a joke! I used a huge spoon and make sure the entire top was completely coated!) 

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool in tins for 10 min then remove to wire rack and let them cool as long as you can 'til they won't burn your fingers when you eat them!

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

I never thought it would happen... but Pinterest failed me! I searched and searched for a Broccoli Salad that didn't use mayo in the dressing. (nothing WRONG with a little mayo, I just don't like to use it by the cup full if I don't have to!)  I finally gave up searching and decided to just make up my own. Thankfully it turned out really tasty. Figured I had better write it down before I forget in case the urge to make it again ever hits!

Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

Salad

1 head broccoli, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
9 strips turkey bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
1 handfull craisins

Dressing

1 cup greek yogurt
1 T white wine vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1/2 T dry dill
salt and pepper

Directions
Mix all salad ingredients in large bowl. Mix dressing in small bowl. Pour dressing over salad and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour and enjoy!

Blender Salsa

We have an ongoing love of Mexican food in the Yolar home. Every vacation we go on we search out at least one Mexican restaurant. It doesn't matter what country we are in, we have found them everywhere. But, sometimes life finds us at home and we must provide the Mexican food for ourselves!  This is a new recipe that we are using for blender salsa that is quite tasty. When salsa is made, it is eaten by the scoop full - there are no dainty dippers here! so this recipe makes a big bowl full of salsa. (If you have Pyrex clear mixing bowls, this is enough to nearly fill the middle sized bowl).

Blender Salsa

2 big cans whole tomatoes, drained (I save the juice for enchilada sauce!)
1 jar (8 oz) diced or whole jalapenos (not pickled) (We like spicy so could use more!)
1/2 yellow onion, cut into quarters
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt (depending on how much you prefer)
2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
juice of 1 lime

Place all of the ingredients together into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips. You can refrigerate first to let the flavors all jell together, but our bowl never makes it off the counter before the chips start to be dipped!

Enjoy!

2012 - a new year of adventures, and of living a full life every day!

 

It is daunting and yet exciting at the same time. As we begin another year in Thailand, we miss being near family, especially right after the holidays. But we have loved meeting new (and old) friends as we returned to the country that we love. We loved 2011 and have some great memories. We are looking forward to the opportunities that will come this year.

 

Bring on 2012!!