Apple Stuffed French Toast

Here's a decedent breakfast just in time for apple season. French toast stuffed with Granny Smith apples and cream cheese. This recipe just warms the apples instead of cooking them, which lets the tartness of the apples shine through. While I often make French toast as a way to use up stale bread, this recipe works best with a soft bread to keep the stuffing in place.

Apple Stuffed French Toast
Serves 4

8 slices of white bakery bread
1 Granny Smith apple, diced
1/4 cup cream cheese
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Sugar
Salt
Walnuts, for garnish
Maple syrup

1. In a shallow baking dish, whisk together 3 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar, and a sprinkle of salt. Set aside.
2. In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup cream cheese, diced Granny Smith apple, a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and salt. Stir vigorously to combine.
3. Take 2 pieces of bread. Place 1/4 of apple-cream cheese mixture in center of slice of bread. Spread around, leaving about half an inch around the edge. Top with other slice of bread and press down. Place in baking dish with egg mixture.
4. Repeat 3 times with remaining slices of bread.
5. Turn bread around in egg mixture, carefully keeping slices together and apples in place. Coat both sides and edges of bread with egg mixture.
6. Melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat in extra large pan.
7. Add bread to pan, carefully keeping slices pressed together. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, and flip over. Cook 5 minutes more.
8. Serve garnished with cinnamon and walnuts. Add maple syrup, if desired.

Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Scrambled Eggs

Here's an easy way to dress up Sunday morning scrambled eggs. I've never found breakfast burritos very appealing, but I suppose this would also go well in a tortilla with some salsa.

Avocado and Roasted Red Pepper Scrambled Eggs
Serves 2

4 eggs
1 avocado
1 roasted red pepper half
1 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Whisk together eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat and add eggs, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, dice red pepper and cut avocado into large chunks.
         **My favorite method to dice an avocado is to cut it in half, pop out the pit, and score the avocado in a cross hatch pattern while still in its skin.
3. When eggs look nearly cooked, add roasted red pepper and cook one minute longer.
4. Turn off heat, stir in avocado, and serve.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche

I made this quiche for my husband's birthday using two of his favorite foods--bacon and spinach. I pre-made the quiche, refrigerated it, and then in the morning heated it up for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Since quiche is so heavy, I served this with a fruit salad of bananas, oranges, and strawberries.

Spinach and Bacon Quiche
Serves 8

3 strips of bacon
1 handful of fresh spinach
1/4 of a cup finely diced onion
4 ounces cheddar cheese
4 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup half and half
6 eggs
1 pre-made pie crust

1. Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy, about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the onion and cook the onion in the bacon fat.
2. Remove bacon and onion from pan and drain on a paper towel.
3. Place pre-made pie crust in pie pan. Crumble bacon and tear spinach into small pieces. Add bacon, spinach, and onion to pie.
4. Beat 6 eggs in a bowl. Add cheese and half and half.
5. Pour egg mixture over bacon and spinach.
6. Cook at 375 degrees about 40 minutes, or until quiche is set and slightly brown on top.

Cinnamon-Pear Waffles

Every once and a while, I want to make a seriously indulgent breakfast. These Cinnamon-Pear Waffles were rich, sweet, and tasty. A waffle iron is needed for this recipe.

 

Cinnamon-Pear Waffles
Serves 2
 
3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking power
2 teaspoons  and 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup milk
1 pear, sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup water
Powdered sugar

1. Combine flour, baking powder, 2 teaspoons sugar, and salt.
2. Add egg, butter, and milk. Stir until just combined.
3. Heat waffle iron.

4. Meanwhile combine pear, 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and water in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer about 10 minutes. If necessary, add 1 teaspoon corn starch to thicken.

5. Cooking waffle according to waffle iron directions. My waffle iron makes 1 giant waffle my husband and I split.
6. Top waffle with pear mixture and powdered sugar.

Sweet Potato Latkas

A few weeks ago, I posted a recipe for sweet potato hash browns and froze the remaining shredded sweet potatoes. I used those frozen sweet potatoes to create sweet potato latkas (potato pancakes).

Sweet Potato Latkas
Makes 4 pancakes

1 sweet potato, shredded in food processor
1/4 of an onion, shredded in food processor
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
2 tablespoons flour
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons olive oil
Sour cream or apple sauce, for serving

1. Squeeze sweet potatoes in cloth to remove excess moisture.
2. Combine sweet potatoes, onions, garlic powder, egg, flour, salt, and pepper.
3. Heat olive oil in pan over high heat.
4. Form sweet potato mixture into 4 patties. Put onto pan.

5. Cook 5-10 minutes, until browned and crispy. Flip.

6. Cook 5 minutes more.
7. Put sweet potato pancakes on paper towel to drain some of the oil.
8. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce, sausage, and eggs.

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns

During autumn and winter, I'm always trying to dream up new uses for sweet potatoes. They are a great source of nutrition and have a complex flavor. These sweet potato hash browns pair great with fried eggs and turkey sausage for a hearty and healthy weekend breakfast.

Sweet Potato Hashbrowns
Serves 4

2 sweet potatoes, cut into large pieces
1 onion, cut into large pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin
Pinch of chili pepper
Salt and pepper

1. Using a food processor with the cheese shredding option added, shred sweet potatoes and onion together.

Hash browns as easy to prepare with a food processor.

2. Mix vegetables with spices.

3. Heat olive oil on high heat. Once olive oil is hot, add potato mixture.

4. Cook on high until browned. Toss frequently to prevent burning.

As the potatoes cook, prepare the rest of your breakfast.

Tip: If you find you've shredded too many potatoes, you can freeze the uncooked potatoes and onions for a later meal.