breakfast Archive

Coconut and Date Granola + A Handmade Holiday DIY Gift Guide!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I really love Christmastime. It may sound cheesy, but I do believe this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Each and every year, I write out my thoughts on Christmas and include a handmade holiday gift guide. This year, I’m going to keep it short and sweet. I’ll include some of my text from last year’s post, as I think it sums up all that I want to say.

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I love Christmas: I love the baking, the decorations, the gifting, the crafting, the music, the family, the traditions, and the nostalgia of it all.

If only it were as simple as that. But there’s the ugly side of Christmas: The shopping malls, the parking lots, the Black Friday lines. The anxiety, stress, and despair. The wish lists, greed, credit card debt, and consumerism. The poor, the broken, the forgotten, the needy.

It’s all so unsettling.

But four years ago, I watched one short video (from the wonderful folks at The Advent Conspiracy) and it changed the way I do Christmas. The message was so simple and clear: Love All, Spend Less, Give More.

Those six little words pack quite the punch. They’ve given me a new outlook, they’ve given me hope. Christmas is different, in the best way.

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For the past four years, I’ve made most of my Christmas gifts. I find so much joy in the process and I have a ton of fun getting creative with gifts. I don’t pretend to be superwoman and I certainly don’t try to take on too much. I do purchase gifts from local businesses and artisans, and I’ll also pick up things at vintage and thrift stores.

This year, I put together A Handmade Holiday Pinterest Board, with 25 handmade gift ideas. There’s a little something for everyone – ornaments, terrariums, spice blends, jams, sauces, and more. Take a look!

Lastly, I am including a simple and delicious recipe for homemade granola with coconut, almonds, and dates. I plan on giving jars of this granola to various friends and family for Christmas.

You can’t go wrong with the gift of granola!

Coconut Granola with Dates and Almonds

Ingredients

1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup roasted coconut chips (from Trader Joe’s)
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 cup dried dates, pits removed and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
Generous pinch of sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°. Line two baking sheets with parchment or a Silpat.
In a small pot, heat the coconut oil, olive oil, and honey over low heat. Whisk together until coconut oil is melted and the mixture is combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and spices.
In a large bowl, toss together the oats, shredded coconut, and chopped dates. Toss with the honey and oil, to coat. (Note: I don’t add in the toasted almonds and coconut chips until after baking.)
Pour onto prepared baking sheets. Using a spatula, spread granola into an even layer.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until granola is golden brown. Check granola every 5 minutes and stir, if needed. Allow the granola to cool on the baking sheets. Once cool, mix in the coconut chips and toasted almonds. Store in airtight containers in the pantry. Granola will keep for 1-2 weeks.

Notes

Adapted from La Casa De Sweets

http://rosemarried.co/2013/12/17/handmade-holiday-coconut-date-granola-diy-handmade-holiday-gift-guide/

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Butter

We are officially in the throes of pumpkin season. For as much as I gripe about pumpkin spiced lattes and other seasonal pumpkin atrocities, I really do love pumpkin. It’s a fantastic and versatile winter squash. Pumpkin is phenomenal in a myriad of baked goods – cakes, cookies, pies, etc – but pumpkin also tastes great in soups and stews, salads, curries, and other savory applications. (Let it be known that I will never, ever, ever like pumpkin in a latte. It’s not happening, people.)

Of all the pumpkin preparations, however, the pumpkin pancake is my favorite. Pumpkin pancakes are the epitome of comfort food. They’re good eats, plain and simple.

I’ve been making a version of this recipe for years, but haven’t posted it on the blog until now. (I’ve been holding out on y’all!) These pancakes are fluffy and moist and they actually taste like pumpkin. They’re so damn good. I wish I could take credit for the cream cheese butter, but I borrowed the idea from Utopia Cafe in Portland, OR. I think the cream cheese butter is a brilliant and decadent addition to the pancakes. You must try it for yourself.

Lastly, this post is dedicated to my sister, Danielle. She’s the only person I know who loves pancakes more than I do, and has a strange obsession with the pumpkin pancakes at IHOP. I simply can’t eat pumpkin pancakes without thinking of her.

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cream Cheese Butter

Serving Size: 8 small pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 3/4 cups milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups all purpose flour
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cream cheese (room temperature)
2 tablespoons butter (room temperature)

Instructions

To make the cream cheese butter, mix together equal parts cream cheese and butter. This can be done using a spatula or an electric mixer. Blend until well combined. (Note: I do not sweeten or season the cream cheese butter, as I pour syrup over the cream cheese butter and pancakes.)
In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (milk, pumpkin, egg, and oil). In another bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir until combined, do not over mix.
Heat a lightly greased griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. (Note: you know the pan is ready when water droplets dance across the surface of the pan.) Pour batter into small circles on the pan and allow each pancake to cook for 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown on each side. Serve pancakes warm, with cream cheese butter and maple syrup.

Notes

Adapted from Inspired Taste.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/11/04/pumpkin-pancakes-cream-cheese-butter/

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Fresh Blueberry Syrup

I spent this past weekend in a little cabin on the Umpqua river, cooking up a storm for the Juliet Zulu retreat. My lovely and talented friend Adriana joined me in this cooking adventure, and she was the best cooking partner I could ask for. We worked our tails off, but everything turned out beautifully. It was a blur of cooking, cleaning, laughter, sunshine, and s’mores.

I made these pancakes on the first morning of the retreat, and they were everything I hoped they would be. They were light and lemony, with just the right amount of moisture and density from the ricotta. The blueberry syrup was fresh and warm and was the perfect compliment to the pancakes. (This might be my new favorite breakfast.)

I can’t say this weekend was easy, but it was good. I’m thankful that Juliet Zulu trusted me to feed them for an entire weekend, and I’m extremely thankful that I had such a great cooking companion.

I couldn’t have done it without you, Adriana!

Photo by Natalie Bosteder

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Syrup

Serving Size: Makes 10-12 small pancakes

Ingredients

For the pancakes:
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cups all purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup whole milk
3 eggs, divided
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 lemon
For the blueberry syrup:
1 pint of blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

To make the syrup:
Combine the blueberries, 3/4 cup of sugar, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest in a small pot. Heat over med-low and stir to combine. Allow the blueberry mixture to come to a slow boil and reduce the heat to low. Allow the mixture to simmer for at least 15 minutes (until it reaches a syrupy consistency). Set aside until use. (Taste and add more sugar if needed.)
To make the pancakes:
If using somewhat watery or runny ricotta, strain the ricotta with cheesecloth (or a mesh strainer) for 30 minutes prior to using. (The ricotta I used was thick & dry, so I skipped this step.)
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, sand salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, vanilla, and lemon zest.
In a third bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Gently combine the dry ingredients with the ricotta mixture. Using a spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter and stir until the mixture is just combined.
Heat a griddle over medium-high heat and brush the surface with butter. Using a ladle or measuring cup, pour the batter into small circles on the hot griddle. When bubbles begin to form, flip the pancakes. (About 2-3 minutes per side). Adjust griddle heat if needed.
Serve pancakes warm, with blueberry syrup.

http://rosemarried.co/2013/07/25/lemon-ricotta-pancakes-with-fresh-blueberry-syrup/

Black Pepper Biscuit Sandwiches with Spicy Tomato Jam

There are three things I want you to know about this recipe. (Maybe four.)

1. I made tomato jam for the express purpose of slathering it on a biscuit sandwich. A few months ago I had brunch with my friend Kelly at a little spot in Portland called Bakery Bar. I don’t recall all of the specifics of the biscuit sandwich we ate, but I do remember that it was ridiculously tasty. I do know that there was tomato jam on the biscuit sandwich and it was magical. I’ve been wanting to recreate it ever since. So that’s exactly what I did.

2. I went on a canning frenzy in the past couple of weeks. Summer is ending, and thus I’ve felt the urge to preserve and can. It’s my way of making the season last. (If you’re curious, I canned tomato sauce, tomato jam, bourbon peach butter, bourbon pickled peaches, and my “famous” 24 hour dill pickles.)

3. I adapted this black pepper biscuit recipe from Bobby Flay, which makes me feel like an ass. I’m not one to call names, but I loathe Bobby Flay. I don’t like his restaurants and I don’t like his “southwest” brand of cooking, and I certainly can’t stand that he tries to put jalapeno peppers in everything. I’m just not a fan of him. However, his recipe for black pepper biscuits happens to be great. I may not like the guy, but I’ll give credit where credit is due.

4. Biscuit sandwiches are practically impossible to photograph. I’m a big fan of runny yolks, and I am totally unwilling to cook my eggs “over hard” just for the sake of a pretty photo. So, I attempted to photograph this biscuit sandwich and it quickly dissolved into a yolky mess. A delicious, wonderful, yolky mess. So I snapped one photo (which turned out okay) and then gave up on trying to take photos and ate the sandwich instead.

In any case, the following is a recipe for black pepper biscuits, tomato jam, and brief instructions on how to assemble these tasty breakfast sandwiches. Enjoy!

BLACK PEPPER BISCUITS
(Slightly adapted from Bobby Flay)
Makes 8 biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, plus a little more for the tops of the biscuits

Method:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat.

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, pepper, and salt. Pulse a couple of times to ensure the ingredients are combined. Sprinkle the butter pieces over the flour mixture, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Slowly pour in the buttermilk and pulse until the dough just barely comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a circle, until it is 3/4 of an inch thick. Using a 3″ biscuit cutter (or juice glass!), cut out the biscuits and place them on a lined baking sheet. Combine the remaining scraps of biscuit dough into a 3/4 thickness and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Brush the tops of the raw biscuits with cream, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and fluffy. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

SPICY (HEIRLOOM) TOMATO JAM
(Adapted from Sassy Radish)
Makes 4+ pints

Ingredients:
5 pounds heirloom tomatoes*, roughly chopped
2 small yellow onions, diced
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 green apple, finely diced
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

*Note: I used a mix of heirloom tomatoes from my garden (including cherry tomatoes). Really, any tomato will do!

Method:
Place all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven and stir to combine. Over medium heart, bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow mixture to simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 hours, or until the jam is dark and thick. Stir occasionally.

Transfer jam to clean, sterilized jars. If canning, boil jars in a hot-water bath for 20 minutes. If storing in the refrigerator, the jam will keep for 2 weeks (or more).

TO ASSEMBLE THE BISCUIT SANDWICHES:

Ingredients:
2 black pepper biscuits
Sharp cheddar cheese
Tomato jam
4 slices of bacon
2 eggs

Cook the eggs and bacon to your liking. I prefer a sunny side up egg and crispy (almost burnt!) bacon. But, really, this is your biscuit sandwich and you get to make it the way you want.

Split the biscuits in half, and slather a good amount of tomato jam on one half of the biscuit. On the other half, place a hearty slice of sharp cheddar cheese. If you want your cheese extra melty, place under the broiler for a few minutes.

Place a fried egg atop each biscuit, and adorn with bacon slices. Add a bit more tomato jam if you desire. Serve immediately and enjoy immensely!

Kimchi Breakfast Bowls

Nich and I went out to brunch a couple of weeks ago and ordered a few things to share. I don’t recall anything else we ate that morning, but I do know we had a delicious breakfast bowl with a fried egg and kimchi. I’ve been craving it ever since.

The funny thing is that I’ve been making a similar rice bowl – Eggs in a Nest – for years. I just never thought to add kimchi into the mix.

I’m not sure why, but the kimchi makes all the difference. It’s tangy, it’s funky, and it’s good. (If you’re not a fan of kimchi, then you’re out of luck. But you should seriously reconsider. Kimchi is wonderful!)

In addition to the funky goodness of kimchi, this recipe is also great because it can be made a million different ways. I basically just sauteéd a few vegetables I had in the fridge (green beans, onions, red bell peppers, kale) and tossed them atop some brown rice. I then topped that with a healthy portion of kimchi and a fried egg. Lastly, I poured kimchi juice (the fermenty goodness left in the jar) and Sriracha over the whole thing.

I devoured the whole bowl in seconds and felt like a champ. I highly recommend you do the same.

KIMCHI BREAKFAST BOWLS
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
1.5 cups cooked brown rice
2 eggs
1 heaping cup of kale, roughly chopped
1 small red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1 small yellow onion, sliced thinly
Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste
Various other fresh vegetables: zucchini, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas, etc.
1/2 cup kimchi, at room temperature (homemade or store bought. I’m a sucker for Choi’s Kimchi, which I get at the PSU Farmer’s Market in Portland. It’s SO stinking good.)

Optional sauces: Sriracha and/or Gochujang

Method:

If you made your rice ahead of time and left it to cool (or stored it in the refrigerator), warm the rice in the microwave or on the stovetop. If your kimchi has any liquid in the jar, pour a little of the kimchi juices into the rice to season it. Stir, and set aside.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Once the oil is hot, add in the onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes before adding in the rest of the vegetables (except for the kale). Season with salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Once the vegetables are cooked (and starting to caramelize), add in the chopped kale. Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to low, and allow the greens to wilt. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the kale (and other veggies) are fully cooked.

Divide the rice between two soup bowls. Portion the kimchi and the sauteed vegetables between the two bowls of rice. Set aside. In the same pan you used to cook the veggies, fry two eggs.

Once the eggs are cooked to your liking (I like the yolk nice and runny!), place a fried egg atop each rice bowl. Douse with a hefty squirt of Sriracha (or Gochujang. or both!). Add salt and pepper if needed.

Raspberry & Rosemary Cornbread

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. It is simply too nice outside to spend my day inside, staring at my computer screen. I would much rather be outdoors, lounging in the sunshine (preferably with a margarita in my hand).

So that, my friends, is precisely what I plan to do.

I’m going to walk away from the computer and go enjoy the great outdoors.

However, before I do that, I’ll leave you with a few thoughts about this raspberry cornbread. First of all, I should mention that this cornbread is not intended to be a dessert. It just isn’t very sweet. You could always add a little extra sugar to the batter if you’d like it to function as a dessert, but I highly recommend this cornbread for breakfast (with just a touch of butter and honey). Similarly, it would be a great salad accompaniment for a light summer lunch.

And let us not forget that we are in the middle of raspberry season in the Northwest. This season is short and sweet, so get some raspberries while you can. (I have a ton of them growing in my backyard. Want to come over and pick some?) Since I have an abundance of raspberries growing in my yard, I’ve tried a lot of raspberry recipes over the past couple years. This cornbread is easily one of the best raspberry recipes I’ve tried. It’s so good that it might convince you to turn on your oven in the middle of July.

And that’s all I’ll say about that. It’s a beautiful day and I’m going outside to enjoy it!

RASPBERRY & ROSEMARY CORNBREAD
(Slightly adapted from Easy Peasy Organic)

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup milk
1 large egg
2 tablespoons melted butter (or canola oil)
1 cup fresh raspberries

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with butter or oil and set aside.

Mix together dry ingredients (including herbs) in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and melted butter (or oil). Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir just to combine (it’s ok if there are some clumps).

Using a pastry blender (or 2 forks), gently mash the raspberries into the batter. Give the mixture one more stir, and then pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.

Allow the cornbread to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing into it. The cornbread is particularly good with a bit of butter and honey.

On Life, Los Angeles, and Blackberry Cream Scones

Holy smokes!

Life is certainly never ever boring. I’ve been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for the past few weeks and I don’t even know how to start writing about it. I keep starting blog posts, but then I never finish them. I feel overwhelmed, but in a good way.

So I’ll just start with the basics.

*If you happen to be reading my blog, you might notice that the site looks completely different. The blog got a whole lot prettier recently (thanks to Randall at Dept3), and I’ve been overwhelmed by the positive response to the new look. Thank you all for your kind words!

*I went to Los Angeles for a long weekend and ate a lot of good food and saw a lot of good friends. Highlights included: meeting Christianna of Burwell General Store (and dining at the fantastic Cook’s County Restaurant, where she currently works), eating a classic beef dip sandwich at Philippe’s in downtown LA, spotting Julie Taylor (Friday Night Lights!) at Intelligentsia, taking in the Pacific Standard Time exhibit at The Getty Museum, and discovering The Thirsty Crow’s amazing happy hour ($5 Manhattans, Moscow Mules, Old Fashioneds, etc.). Overall, it was a fantastic trip.

*Secondly, my first two articles for the Plate & Pitchfork Almanac were published a week ago, so if you haven’t seen them yet I’d encourage you to check out the first issue. The P&P Almanac is a collaboration between a few talented Portland ladies, and the first issue contains great photos, stories, and reports from the Portland food community.

*In a moment of complete and utter insanity, I signed up to run the Shamrock Run. I am not a runner. In fact, I generally hate running. But, my sister talked me into signing up for the Shamrock and so I best figure out how to run a 15k (9 miles) by March. This could be interesting. ;)

*This past weekend, I was hired to do “craft services” (aka provide food) for a commercial shoot and it was a great experience. It’s a lot of work, but it’s also a lot of fun. Strange as it may sound, I really enjoy the challenge. It’s experiences like this enable me to learn more about my abilities as a cook. I love it. Bring on the challenges!

*In the middle of all the madness, I found the time to make these delicious blackberry scones. Yes, I know that blackberries are decidedly not in season in January. But there they were, staring at me from the shelves of my local Trader Joe’s. They were so plump and perfect looking, I simply couldn’t help myself! So, I caved and I bought blackberries in January. (I then made myself feel better by justifying my purchase by using the fresh blackberries in combination with the last of the blackberries in my freezer from last summer’s pickings.)

Honestly, I’m just happy I found time to cook anything at all! In the middle of a busy couple of weeks, these scones were a welcome change from chard and beets.

That being said, you could easily substitute other berries (raspberries, marionberries, blueberries, etc) in these scones. I plan on making them again with the last of the raspberries I have in my freezer!

Blackberry Cream Scones with Lemon Glaze
(Adapted from Eat Live Run)
Note: I tripled this recipe, as I was cooking for 20+ people. I originally wanted to make blackberry sage scones, but realized that I was all out of dried sage. So, I used a bit of dried thyme, which worked nicely.

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp cold butter, cut into small squares
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon whole milk or cream

for glaze:

1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 425.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in the butter with your fingers and work mixture together until it resembles coarse sand. Gently cut in the blackberries, making sure to not overmix. You want large chunks of blackberries in the mix.

Add the cream and mix with your hands (or gently with a spatula) until a wet and sticky dough forms. On a well-floured surface, form the dough into a small circle and slice the dough into 8 small wedges. Place wedges on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

To make the glaze, mix together the powdered sugar and cream. Add in lemon zest and vanilla, and mix to combine. Once the scones have cooled, drizzle the glaze over the scones.

Note: I forgot to take pictures of the scones after I iced them, so you’ll just have to imagine how lovely they were!