De Ma Cuisine

Breakfast Archive

Thursday

18

December 2014

0

COMMENTS

A Menu for Your Holiday Brunch

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Holiday, Menu Planning

It’s always been a tradition with my immediate family to eat brunch after we’ve opened our gifts on Christmas morning. When we were younger, the brunch took place at a much earlier hour. Now that we’re grown, it’s at a more traditional brunch time. Mainly because we’ve probably been up much too late on Christmas Eve catching up, wrapping gifts, and drinking hot chocolate.

No matter what time we brunch, for as long as I can remember, my mom has always made, what we call a Bread Wreath. It is what it sounds like. A wreath of sweet bread (think cinnamon bun-like dough), topped with frosting (icing in my family), pumpkin seeds, and cranberries. It’s delicious eaten plain or with some cream cheese that’s been mixed with a bit of jam. We also often enjoy scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, and some sort of fruit. Add some coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and orange juice, and that’s our breakfast. It’s the best. Partly because it just tastes good, mostly because of who it’s shared with.

When it’s just Tim and I for Christmas, or if we’re having our Christmas morning on a different day due to travel, we might change things up a bit. I like to leave the baking to the experts if at all possible (although I’ve successfully baked enough this past year that I think I need to stop saying that I don’t bake). So, our brunch might consist of something more along these lines.

The Main Dish

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I love to have something eggy as a main dish, so I tend to gravitate towards things like a Savory Baked French ToastSweet and Savory Cornmeal PancakesFresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast, or a Winter Frittata.

The Sides

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SimpleOrangeSalad

Any of those main dishes would go nicely with these sides. I like a Simple Orange Salad, because it’s an easy way to fancy up an orange. I love Paris Potatoes because they remind me of our time in Paris. I always want to remember those weeks, so incorporating Paris in as often as I can is a must.

The Drinks

Coffee, made in a French Press, is always my favorite breakfast drink. But, since I will have probably downed at least two cups during gift opening time, orange juice is a fun treat (especially if it’s freshly squeezed). If you wanted to make it extra extra fancy, you could add champagne or sparkling apple juice, to make mimosas. And of course there’s always tea and hot cocoa.

The Bread

If I’ve opted for something like a Frittata, and I’ve decided to bake something bready, I might like to serve Mom’s Cinnamon Buns. If it’s just the two of us, I might either share the extras with friends, or freeze them for another weekend brunch.

And now I’m hungry for all the foods.

Wishing you the best for this holiday season! And as always,

Happy Eating!

Monday

1

December 2014

0

COMMENTS

Sautéed Persimmons with Bacon

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Lunch, Meat, Pork, Quick and Easy, Sides

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Sometimes inspiration just hits. Something pops into my brain, like, “I wonder if spaghetti would taste good served in a roasted butternut squash” (we will find out at dinner tonight), or “persimmons and bacon… why haven’t I tried this before…”

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I should have done this a long time ago. I mean, bacon pairs well with sweet things. The salty goodness compliments a hint of sweetness so nicely.

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The recipe calls for 2-4 slices of bacon. Since I knew I’d be the only one eating this at lunch today, I just made two. Which was definitely just enough for one (barely, ’cause I hadn’t figured in pieces sneaked off the plate, testing to make sure this new brand of bacon was actually good, shoving whole pieces into my face…)

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If possibly, peel persimmons in one long curly strip. Just because it’s fun. If you want to entice the kids to help, maybe they’d want to try this.

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I like to cook these over a bit higher heat (just medium, rather than medium-low), so they get a bit more color.

Speaking of color, notice those tomatoes?! From my garden, finally!

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After the persimmons are cooked, they’re tossed with all of the bacon (that you didn’t already eat), and some lemon juice, for brightness.

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And just like that, you have a fabulous side.

You could eat it for breakfast alongside some Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Pancakes (hello double bacon!).

You could add some butter lettuce, almonds, and feta, and whisk up a lemon vinaigrette for a quick lunch.

Maybe you’d like to serve it alongside a roast chicken or pork, with a simple salad.

Want to change up your holiday dinner? Swap out your traditional sweet potato dish for these persimmons for an easy side.

Or, you might be like me, and just want to eat it on its own, picking out all the bacon for yourself.

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Happy Eating!

Sautéed Persimmons with Bacon

Sautéed Persimmons with Bacon

Ingredients

  • 2-4 slices bacon
  • 1 t olive oil
  • 3-4 fuyu persimmons, peeled, sliced, and halved
  • pinch salt
  • pinch pepper
  • 1-2 T lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Place bacon in a cold skillet. Turn on heat and cook until crispy. Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out the pan (leaving a bit of grease is fine).
  2. Add olive oil to the pan. Add persimmons, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp with nice color.
  3. Toss with bacon and lemon juice and serve immediately.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/sauteed-persimmons-with-bacon/

Monday

10

November 2014

0

COMMENTS

Apple Rosemary Flatbread

Written by , Posted in Appetizers, Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Cheese, Fruit, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Pizza, Quick and Easy, Sides, Snacks, Vegetarian

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I love when it’s apple season. I think I say that every season about something. I love the changing of the seasons and the promise of something new that comes with it.

I especially love fall.

There are things to love and things to be ready to be done with no matter what season we’re in. But, after a long summer, today’s cool breeze and cloudy sky is a literal breath of fresh air. Combine that with an apple or pear, eaten out of hand, while at my desk editing photos, and that makes for quite a nice fall day.

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The day I made this flatbread it was still hot and sunny. Today I want to eat all the soup.

This flatbread would go nicely with soup. Apples pair nicely with winter squash, so this might be delicious alongside a Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, a Browned Butter and Four Cheese Broccoli Soup, or a Leek and Potato Soup. I always want bread with my soup. Often it’s some sliced homemade baguettes with salted butter. But, sometimes I want bread with a little bit more. This flatbread meets that requirement.

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Apples are usually just eaten raw at our house. We love them as a snack. They’re full of fiber and are a great way to tide me over when I’m already starving and it’s not nearly time for the next meal.

In this case though, they’re thinly sliced and then chopped.

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They’re going to top this lavash (you could also use whole wheat or regular tortillas, or a par-baked pizza crust). But first, some olive oil.

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Then a good handful of cheddar. Cheddar is probably my favorite cheese to pair with apples. And to eat with some crackers after a good workout… or any time of the day or night.

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The cheese is topped with rosemary, salt, and pepper, then baked for a little bit, just to get things started.

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Raisins are added about two minutes before the end of the baking time. They get just a bit soft and warm.

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And that’s it. Easy, peasy, apple peel… I dunno.

Happy Eating!

Apple Rosemary Flatbread
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Side, Bread, Snack
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 7 mins
Total time: 12 mins
Serves: 2-4
Ingredients
  • 1 flatbread or large whole wheat tortilla (I used lavash, you could also use a par-baked pizza crust)
  • 1 t olive oil
  • to taste salt
  • 1 small apple, thinly sliced and chopped
  • to taste pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 t dried (or 1 t fresh) rosemary, chopped
  • 1/4 C cheddar cheese, grated
  • 1-2 T raisins
Instructions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350F.
  2. Top lavash with olive oil and brush over surface. Sprinkle with salt. Top with apple, rosemary, pepper, and cheese. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese has mostly melted.
  3. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with raisins. Return to the oven and bake for 2 minutes more.
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Thursday

28

August 2014

3

COMMENTS

Squash and Scrambled Egg Wraps

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Kid-Friendly, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Thoughts, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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My family lives entirely too far away from me. Or I live too far away from them. Today has been one of those days where I’m missing them especially a lot.

Sniff. I’ll be ok. It’s always too long in between in person visits, but I’m always thankful for the technology like Skype, so we can talk and see each others faces every week. Usually at some point someone sounds like a robot, there’s a delay and we all talk over each other, or it sounds like there’s a train rushing by at someone’s house. But, we’re hearing each other’s voices, seeing each other’s faces, from so far away.

If Anja (who is almost 2 years old) is on, we’re just dying at the cuteness, as she says our names and chats about the puzzle she just got.

Oh I love technology…

FamilySkype

These wraps seem like the kind of thing that we would enjoy together when we’re all gathered around the table for a meal. In person. All of us at the same table.

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We all enjoy food. In fact, all three of us kids are involved in the food industry in some way. My mom and dad have a banquet hall and have passed on their love for eating, cooking, and gardening to us. I have fond memories of plucking still warm raspberries and cherry tomatoes from the garden that we had in our backyard growing up. There are so many things about those years that I find myself trying to duplicate now as an adult with my own home.

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I don’t know if I was crazy about squash as a kid. Mom would hide it in “Zoo Bread” (made with zucchini), which we loved. But, I love squash now and can’t get enough of it this summer especially.

One of my favorite easy lunches is Squash’n Eggs. This is almost the same thing, just topped with cheese and salsa, and all wrapped up.

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If possible, I always have eggs on hand. They’re the perfect meal saver. From pasta topped with a fried egg, to Pasta Carbonara, to Roasted Broccoli and Fried Egg Sandwiches, it’s eggs to the rescue.

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I whisked the eggs with a little bit of milk, some salt, and pepper. Keeping it simple.

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Once the eggs start to set, they get scraped off the bottom of the pan a bit. Low heat is key with scrambled eggs. Cook them gently.

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Once they’re just set, they’re ready.

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Half of the mixture is scooped out on to each tortilla. Whole wheat for me, white for Tim. It’s what we both prefer.

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I like to add a little bit of monterey jack or cheddar cheese to them. Tastes so good.

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A plomp of salsa, then they get rolled up. My whole wheat tortillas aren’t as flexible as Tim’s white ones. But, even cracked, they taste good.

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We have tons of fresh tomatoes right now and they’ve got the most incredible flavor, so we’re eating them on everything! I hope you are too. And, I especially hope that you’re enjoying these wraps with your family. Even if it’s just via Skype.

Happy Eating!

Squash and Scrambled Egg Wraps
Recipe Type: Main, Dinner, Lunch, Breakfast, Brunch, Quick and Easy, Eggs, Vegetarian
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 2
One of the quickest, easiest lunches for those super busy days. Squash and scrambled eggs are topped with cheese and salsa, and all wrapped up.
Ingredients
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 medium summer squash, chopped
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 1/2 C corn
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 T milk or water
  • to taste salt
  • to taste pepper
  • 2 tortillas
  • 1/4 to 1/2 C monterey jack (or cheddar) cheese, grated
  • salsa
  • 1 tomato, chopped, for topping
Instructions
  1. Heat skillet, add oil, when oil is hot add squash, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add corn and cook for about 2 minutes more.
  2. Turn heat to low. Whisk together eggs, milk or water, salt, and pepper. Add to squash skillet. Gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or heat-safe spatula to scrape up the eggs as some bits begin to set. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until eggs are just set, scraping occasionally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  3. Scoop egg mixture into the tortillas. Top with cheese and salsa. Fold ends in and then sides.
  4. Serve topped with tomato.

 

Thursday

7

August 2014

6

COMMENTS

Peach Sauce

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Canning, Condiments, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Sauces, Vegetarian

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Last week I ordered twenty pounds of peaches as an add on from Abundant Harvest Organics. I thought I’d bitten off more than I could chew (haha, no pun intended) and worried that they may spoil before I got to them.

None did.

And now I have a yummy peach sauce to share with you!

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Feel free to substitute your favorite stone fruit if you’d like. Plums, nectarines, apriums, pluots, apricots… they’d all be amazing.

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Start by halving the peaches. Remove the pit, and slice or roughly chop. It’s going to be blended in a bit, so don’t worry about the shape.

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About eight to ten cups will do just fine. Out of my twenty pounds of peaches, I ended up with roughly 45 cups of sliced peaches in total. This sauce was just a small portion (I froze the rest – more about that another week).

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I added two tablespoons of butter to a large hot pot. If you don’t want to use butter, coconut oil would be just fine. The fat adds a rich quality to the sauce that I love. If you don’t want to add either, that’s cool too.

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Peaches are dumped into the hot browning butter.

Get ready for the smell. It’s amazing!

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After the peaches have cooked for about twenty minutes (and then rested for ten – not a must, I just needed more time to work on a different recipe, so they had to wait), they should look something like this.

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I had a few oranges still hanging around from spring boxes (wow they lasted a long time!!), so I whisked them up with the zest and juice from one lemon, a bit of coconut palm sugar, and a pinch of salt.

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And then, orangy-lemon juice meet smooshy peaches.

Orangeyou glad I didn’t say… I don’t know… banana?!

Sorry. Kinda.

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After the sauce cooked up for a while longer, I blended it up with my hand blender. A regular blender will work just fine too (just be sure to remove the middle part of the lid and cover the hole with a clean kitchen towel).

One more tablespoon of butter is stirred in after the sauce is blended.

Extra richy richness.

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This is gonna be good… I’m hoping that Tim will make some more Vanilla Bean Ice Cream so I can top it with some of this sauce. You could make this even more awesome by roasting some fruit to plomp on top. It would be great over French Toast or Cornmeal Pancakes, or used in place of jam.

Or, just eat it by the spoonful…

Happy Eating!

Peach Sauce
 
Recipe Type: Dessert, Sauces, Stone Fruit, Gluten-Free, Breakfast
Author: Rachel Oberg – De Ma Cuisine
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Sweet summer peaches are cooked up in butter and blended to make a delicious sauce.
Ingredients
  • 3 T unsalted butter (divided 2 T, 1 T)
  • 8-10 C ripe peaches, sliced or roughly chopped
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • pinch salt
  • juice from 1 lemon
  • zest from 1 lemon
  • juice from 2-3 oranges
  • 3 T coconut palm sugar (brown sugar, maple syrup, or honey will work too)
Instructions
  1. Heat a large pot and add 2 T of butter. When butter is hot, add peaches. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until peaches are very soft. Let stand 10 minutes (optional).
  2. Whisk together vanilla through sugar. Add to peaches. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
  3. Blend with a hand blender (it helps to tip the pot to the side a bit to prevent splattering) or a blender (in batches, with the middle part of the lid removed and a clean towel covering the hole). Stir in remaining 1 T of butter.
  4. To store, ladle into clean pint jars, leaving at least 1/2″ of room at the top. I prefer to store the sauce in the freezer, freezing uncovered, then adding the lids once the sauce is frozen.
 
Notes
Yields 3 pint jars.