"It's a beautiful morning"
From Staff Reports
Fresh fruit and yogurt, grains, nuts, and ham and eggs. Have we got breakfast for you!
Sweet pepper, ham and onion omelet
From "New Low-Fat Favorites" by Ruth Spear at www.twbookmark.com
Ingredients:
3 large egg whites
1 teaspoon water (approx.)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/4 sweet red pepper, seeded and diced
2 thin slices lean ham (about 1 ounce cut up)
1 small handful chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
Vegetable cooking spray
Combine the egg whites, water, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir briskly with a fork.
Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet over low heat, add the oil and brush it around. Add and slowly saute the onion, red pepper and ham. When the vegetables are soft and a little brown, add the cilantro or parsley and cook for 30 seconds more. Turn the mixture out into a small bowl and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
Heat the pan again over low heat. When hot, remove from the heat, spray with vegetable cooking spray and pour the egg whites into the pan. Tilt to coat the bottom evenly, then cook until the bottom is set, about 10 seconds. Tilt the pan and use a plastic spatula to lift the edge of the omelet and let the uncooked portion run underneath. Cook for a few seconds more until the omelet is almost set and a little golden on the bottom. Don't overcook; too high heat or too long cooking will toughen the egg whites.
Spoon the cooked mixture down the center of the omelet. Use a spatula
to loosen and fold in the sides to the center, then tip out onto a plate,
bottom side up. Serves one.
Almond maple granola
From "Food and Wine" www.cooking.com
Ingredients:
4 cups mixed organic whole grain flakes, such as oat, kamut, barley and
wheat
1 cup sliced natural almonds
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces
3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pure almond extract
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the whole grain flakes with the almonds on a large, rimmed baking sheet. Spread in an even layer and toast for about 10 minutes. stirring once, until light golden. Transfer the grain mixture to a large bowl. Leave the oven on. Coat the warm baking sheet with 1 teaspoon of the butter.
In a mini processor, combine the remaining 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of butter with the flour, sugar and salt and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Or, pinch the ingredients together with your fingers. Add the crumbs to the grain mixture and toss. In a small pitcher, combine the maple syrup with the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour over the grain mixture and stir until the grains are evenly moistened.
Spread the granola on the buttered baking sheet in an even layer and toast for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring once, until golden and dry. Let cool completely then stir in the raisins and cranberries.
The granola can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for 2 months.
Power-packed pineapple parfaits
From the Ketchum Kitchen- www.recipe.com
Ingredients:
1 container (16 ounces) plain yogurt
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 heaping cup granola, without raisins
Mix yogurt and pineapple, with its juice, in a medium size bowl. Spoon
the pineapple-yogurt mixture into one tumbler until it's almost halfway
full. Spread 3 tablespoons of granola over pineapple-yogurt mixture. Layer
pineapple-yogurt mixture on top of granola. Do the same thing with the other
3 tumblers. Cover and refrigerate overnight or eat immediately. Makes four
servings.
Maple-glazed breakfast apple tarts
From Gourmet Magazine: www.foodtv.com
Ingredients:
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 medium Empire, Gala, or Golden Delicious apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
17 1/4 ounce package (2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg, beaten lightly with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 pure maple syrup
In a small bowl stir together cream cheese, confectioners sugar and vanilla until smooth.
Peel, halve and core apples and cut into 1/4 inch slices. In a bowl toss apples with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
On a lightly floured surface roll 1 sheet puff pastry into a 15 by 11 inch rectangle. From a long side, cut four 1/3 inch wide strips. From a short side, cut two 1/3 inch wide strip. Set pastry strips aside. Halve lengthwise what remains of rectangle and put halves on a baking sheet.
Just inside pastry rectangles' edges, brush 1/3 inch wide borders of egg wash. Arrange pastry strips on borders so that they are flush with edges of rectangles, trimming strips to fit. Spread cream cheese mixture inside borders on rectangles and top with apples.
On a lightly floured surface, roll remaining puff pastry sheet into a 14 by 10 inch rectangle and halve lengthwise. Cut several 2 1/2 inch diagonal slits down the middle of each rectangle.
Brush pastry borders of apple topped tarts with some remaining egg wash
and top each with 1 pastry rectangle. Press edges gently but firmly together
to seal. Brush remaining egg wash over pastry tops and sprinkle with remaining
2 tablespoons sugar. Bake tarts in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until puffed
and golden.
Couscous for breakfast
By Michele Urvater from www.foodtv.com
Ingredients:
1 cup couscous
1 1/4 cup water
1/3 cup currants
1/3 cup dried apricots
2 tablespoons Port Wine
2 tablespoons butter
Sugar to taste
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Heavy cream, optional
Soak couscous in water for 20 minutes. At the same time, steep currants and apricots in Port Wine. When couscous is soaked, break up any clumps with your fingers.
Melt butter, add steeped fruit and saute a few seconds.
Add the couscous, sugar and saute for a minute or until all of the ingredients are hot. Sprinkle sliced almonds over the top and serve.
For a richer taste, spoon couscous in breakfast bowl and pour some heavy cream over the top.
