Brunch Stuff

I am not an avid baker.  In fact, I don’t bake at all.  I used to try but I just got frustrated so I finally decided that baking is something that I will forever allow others to do for me.  The exception to this rule is Banana Bread. Banana bread is so forgiving of a lack of exact measurement that even I can pull this one off. Even so, I don’t bake it often. My household goes through phases of favorite foods.  There are weeks when I can’t buy enough bananas so I ratchet up the volume I purchase to account for that demand then all of a sudden bananas are out of favor so we wind up with brown-spotted, slightly mushy fruit on the counter.  This is my calling to bake bread.

Ingredients

1 ¾ C flour
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/3 C softened butter or shortening
2/3 C sugar
¾ tsp lemon rind (sometimes I drop this)
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas (sometimes I use more if we have more and it’s just a little gooey and delicious)
½ to 1 C chopped walnuts or chocolate chips as you like (I used chopped apricots once – yum!)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in one bowl
Blend together the butter, sugar and lemon rind
Beat in the eggs
Beat in the banana
Fold in nuts or chocolate chips if using them
Grease a loaf pan with butter and pour in the batter
Bake for 1 hour (test with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean to be sure it’s done)

This recipe is a shameless steal from a dear friend who taught me to make this.  I did - and it's another that I can successfully bake - forewarning - I kept baking it and gained weight so ... be cautious

Ingredients

3 C flour
1 1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 C light oil

1 tsp salt

1/4 C poppy seeds

1 C milk

3 eggs

2 tsp lemon or almond extract

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350

Combine all ingredients and mix with a fork

Grease a standard loaf pan

Bake for 60-90 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

mini loaves (if you want to make them as gifts) take about 35 - 40 minutes

This is great for your gluten free option.  No crust!  It's also super easy and almost always a hit.  Change up the fillers as you like.  This is my standard.

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

1/4 to 1/2 C half n half

1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 lb bacon

1/4 sweet vidalia onion

Baby spinach (lots - more than you think - it shrinks)

garlic powder 

S&P

1 Beefsteak Tomato

Fresh Basil leaves

1/4 C parmesan cheese

Preparation

I use an enameled cast iron skillet becqause it can go from stove top to oven.

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bacon into 1" pieces (I just use kitchen scissors)

Cook bacon in the skillet

Chop onions and add to skillet to soften in the bacon grease.

Add spinach to wilt

Spread this mixture evenly across the skillet 

cover with a layer of shredded cheddar cheese

beat eggs and half and half to frothy consistency

Pour over the ingredients in the skillet

Cut the tomatoe into thin wedges and arrange in the skillet on top of the egg mixture, cut side facing up

place fresh basil leaves in between your tomato halves

sprinkle with paresam cheese

bake in your oven @ 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  

This is another great for your gluten free option., provided you choose gluten free has browns!

Ingredients

6-8 frozen hash brown patties

8 links breakfast sausage

1 T butter or EVOO

1/4 chopped vidalia onion

1 1/2 C steamed broccoli florets

10-12 Grape tomatoes

1 C shredded cheddar cheese

1 C half n half

1 dozen eggs

S & P to taste

1/4 C parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350

spray the bottom of a rectangular glass or ceramic baking dish 

place hashbrowns along the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 15 minutes

while the hashbrowns are browning, cook the breakfast sausage on the stove top, chopping into bite size pieces.

Add chopped onion with oil or butter to saute

Add broccoli to the pan with the sausage and onion

in a bowl mix eggs and half n half to frothy consistency

season with S&P and add in shredded cheddar cheese

When hashbrowns are toasted and brown, remove from the oven,

spread the sausage, onion, and broccolio mixture over the hash browns

pour the eggmixture evenly over the entire baking dish.  Shake it a bit to ensure the egg mixture reaches all sides, 

slice the tomato lengthwise and arrange in the skillet on top of the egg mixture, cut side facing up

sprinke the parmesan cheese on top

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.