Easy Hash Brown Waffles

10 Comments September 3, 2020 terrie gura

As with art, music and just about everything else in life, appreciation of food is subjective. When I learned recently that September is “Better Breakfast Month,” I wasn’t sure what to make of it. “Better” can mean any number of things—qualitative and quantitative. At our house, we are always aiming for our version of a better breakfast in that we actually sit down and eat the meal. Together. At the table. It’s a terrific concept, and we’re committed to keeping that going!

We have a few favorite breakfasts in regular rotation, the most common of them being what we lovingly refer to as “Jewish Boy Breakfast,” or JBB, as I like to call it on my menu planning spreadsheet (yes, I’m really that nerdy). This morning meal is the namesake of my darling husband, Les, who is Jewish and raised in New York, the best city in the world for Jewish food. A typical JBB at our house looks like this:

You can’t take the NYC out of the boy. Les *loves* his bagels!

It’s a whole wheat everything bagel, topped with spreadable scallion cream cheese, thin slices of red onion, capers (on mine, anyway) and lox. We are lucky to have a reliable source of fresh-daily bagels in our city, otherwise I would have to bake them myself (which I’ve done exactly twice, and wow, what a project). The cream cheese is a homemade schmear that’s super easy to make yourself (check out that link above), and we are forever on the lookout for a sale on lox, because this salty cold-smoked salmon can get pricey.

In case you’re wondering, there is in fact a side of bacon on the plate—which clearly is not part of a balanced Jewish breakfast. I never said he was devout.

JBB has a special role in our love story as well. During our courtship, I straddled the fence about getting serious with Les, following too much drama and heartbreak in my own past. About eight months in, we had a huge snowstorm (in North Carolina, that means more than two inches of snow at once), and though he had been willing to run a bunch of random errands in such conditions, he declined my invitation to dinner. Better to “play it safe,” he said, given the weather and all. In response, I decided to play it safe by being hurt, and I went to bed feeling sorry for myself. Next morning, I was awakened by a text from Les—“why aren’t you answering your door?” I hadn’t heard him knocking, but there he stood—in the middle of a blizzard, people!—sporting a hat with flaps that covered his ears, and holding a bag of fresh bagels plus all the proper accoutrements. The man had risked his very life to be with me. OK, not exactly—but he had shown me (again) that he was different and dependable, so I married him. ❤ And I do love a JBB.

Anyway, when the weekend comes, we like to go big on breakfast. And by big, I mean with preparation of things that are too fussy for a busy out-the-door weekday morning. One of our go-to “better breakfast” menu items? These ultra-crispy, fun and flavorful hash brown waffles. Let’s just savor this image for a moment. Lean in to your screen and try to smell them.

I love those little bits of pepper and onion glistening under the crispy, cheesy potato shreds.

They emerge from the waffle iron crackling crisp on the outside, hot and soft on the inside, and they’re perfectly customizable, based on our craving du jour. This is how we use up all assortments of leftover cheese, onion and pepper scraps, and they come together in short order because I take a rare shortcut in the form of this:

You won’t often see me tout a ready-made grocery product like this one, but these are such a time saver, I can’t help myself.

I hope you aren’t disappointed to learn that I don’t actually make every single thing from scratch. Though I’ve considered shredding fresh potatoes myself for these, I’ve learned that once in a while is often enough to make an exception. These pre-shredded potatoes are such a worthy exception, and they can be found in any well-stocked supermarket. I only wish someone would explain to me why they are always in the dairy section. (hmm)

Here’s how they happen, and obviously, you will need a waffle iron to try them at home. I recommend a standard square or round waffle maker rather than Belgian style, but if you try it in a Belgian maker, please do let me know how it comes out for you, OK?

This recipe is a guaranteed way for us to use up whatever bits of onion and pepper are hanging around the fridge. Today, it was poblano pepper and vidalia onion.
Here’s my secret to extra crunch–a drizzle of olive oil mixed throughout the hash brown blend.
Pile the mixture onto the preheated waffle iron, and press down the lid.
The golden crust is formed after 10 minutes, but I’m crazy about the crunch so I will let them go another minute.
The bottom of the finished waffles is extra crispy-crunchy, our favorite!

As the photo conveys, we lean toward the crispy side of things at our house, but you could certainly cut the time a bit shorter and remove them when they are just golden and lightly crisp. You’re the boss of your own kitchen. I’m enjoying the heck out of them in this crunchy state because we’ve recently decided to give up potato chips, our latest bad habit that was wrecking our waistlines. Enjoy them any way you’d normally serve breakfast potatoes, or make them the main dish as we do, topped with a runny egg!

I love the contrast of crispy edges with the soft potato inside. Now, THIS is a better breakfast!

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, they are also a terrific menu option the next time you’re in the mood for “breakfast for dinner.”

Go on, make them. 🙂

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil

1/2 bag Simply Potatoes shredded hash browns

1/2 cup (give or take) diced onion

1/2 bell pepper (or poblano or jalapeno, you decide)

1/4 cup diced and cooked leftover ham, sausage, bacon (optional)

Approximately 3/4 cup shredded melting cheese (cheddar, swiss, Monterey jack, gouda, etc.)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp. ground cumin (this is excellent with any fried potatoes)

Instructions

Preheat waffle iron to 400° F.
Place a small skillet over medium heat. Add a generous swirl of olive oil to the pan, and sauté the onions and peppers until they are softened and lightly browned. If you are adding breakfast meat that is not yet cooked, go ahead and toss that into the pan as well. Season to taste, stir in cumin and remove from heat.
Combine shredded hash browns, onion mixture and shredded cheese and stir well to evenly blend the ingredients.
Drizzle in about 1 tablespoon of additional olive oil and stir to combine. I’ve learned from all my experimentation with this recipe that the extra oil goes above and beyond to deliver my hash brown waffles with the crispiest possible exterior. Thank goodness olive oil is a “healthy” fat!
When waffle maker is preheated, pile the hash brown mixture evenly over the plate and press to close the iron lid. Leave it alone for about 10 minutes, and carefully raise the lid to check their doneness. I’ve learned that if the waffle iron doesn’t release right away, whatever I’m waffling needs more time. The food will release when it’s ready, and for my Cuisinart waffle maker, 13 is the lucky number.
Carefully remove the waffle sheet, in one piece, to a platter or cutting board and cut into serving pieces.
Serve as desired, but may I recommend again the runny egg? It’s so, so good. 🙂

A little Frank’s red hot sauce for kick. And I might have broken off a crispy piece for dipping into the egg yolk. Yes, I believe I did.

This recipe will make five waffles, each about 4 x 6 inches. We make four at once for breakfast, then we fight over the fifth during kitchen cleanup. I love our life!

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What Makes Breakfast Better?

11 Comments September 1, 2020 terrie gura

One of the websites I visit frequently for inspiration, or sometimes sheer amusement value, is the (U.S.) National Day Calendar, which announces quite matter-of-factly what we should be celebrating on a given day. This gave me a heads-up to plan for National S’mores Day, when I shared my adventures with this dessert pizza and this sweet sippin’ cocktail.

Though September has many standalone “days” worth celebrating, including:

6th – coffee ice cream day
9th – teddy bear day
16th – cinnamon raisin bread day
19th – talk like a pirate day
24th – cherries jubilee day
25th – one hit wonder day
28th – North Carolina day (because I love living here)

I am more appreciative of the monthlong celebrations that relate to food during September, and that’s where I will place my attention—I’m focusing on September as National Mushroom Month, Whole Grains Month and Better Breakfast Month. The latter of those three, better breakfast month, has left me wondering:

What makes breakfast “better?” I’m not sure who decides what that means.

Is a better breakfast one that is better for you? Or does breakfast become better when it’s fancier, or less common, or prettier, or tastier or more balanced—or what? We’ve been told all our lives that breakfast is “the most important meal of the day,” yet most of us skip through it without fanfare because it also happens to be the busiest time of day, especially if there are school-age children involved. The challenge of getting the kiddos off to school with the nutritional fuel their brains need is a tale as old as time, and COVID certainly isn’t helping this year. Even for adults, if any daily meal is prone to be routine and boring, it’s breakfast. Raise your hand if you eat the same thing for breakfast at least three times a week. Now raise your hand if you didn’t even bother to eat breakfast today. I’m guilty of that a lot. The most important meal of the day, yet so hard to manage.

At our house, weekends are better breakfast days, largely because my husband is not out the door at 7 am as he is Mondays through Fridays. By Saturday, we are ready for a slower-paced meal together, and although I wouldn’t label every weekend breakfast as special or better, we occasionally do some pretty fun things with this ever-important meal. I’ll share a few as the month rolls along—of the whimsical and the decadent, and hopefully even a few new ones on my bucket list. Until then, chew on these ideas for inspiration:

Easy and cute! Make pepper slices 1/2″ thick and grill a few minutes before adding the egg.

I’d also like to know what breakfast is about at your house. What makes it challenging, or what breakfast dishes do you look forward to on special occasions? Tell me in the comments section so I can have new inspiration, too. 🙂

Sourdough English Muffins

3 Comments April 28, 2020 terrie gura

Who doesn’t love an English muffin? It’s a terrific change-up from the usual toasted bread for breakfast, and at our house, we’re eating a lot of them lately. They’re quick and simple to make, with or without a stand mixer, and you don’t even need to turn on your oven. My recipe makes 12, and though that may seem like a lot for one household, I’ll note that these muffins aren’t just for breakfast. They also make exceptional burger buns, and my husband uses them to make sandwiches to take to work for lunch, too!

My inspiration recipe comes from King Arthur Flour, my favorite brand. And while I would certainly disclose any financial agreements with vendors, I will be clear to say that KAF is not paying me to brag about their products (not yet, anyway, but I’m open, baking team). I just like them, and I trust their website for products, baking ideas and help when I need it.

Their recipe for Sourdough English Muffins does require the use of ripe (fed) sourdough starter, and although it typically calls for addition of commercial yeast (for quicker rise), it’s possible to omit it, and I’ve adjusted for that in my notes below. If you don’t have a starter, their yeast-risen English muffins are great, too. It’s tough to find yeast during the COVID-19 pandemic, but if you happen to have some in your pantry, you’re golden. Here’s a tip—you can ration your yeast by halving the amount called for in the recipe; just give it more time to rise. This is true for virtually any yeast recipe, by the way.

Let’s Get Cooking!

Because the KAF recipe yields 24 English muffins (holy moly, that’s a lot!), I’ve taken the liberty of adjusting all the ingredients by half. Additionally, I always swap in some portion of whole grain flour in place of white, and I usually add some milled flax seed because I cannot leave well enough alone. You decide, based on your own experience and comfort level. If you notice grainy spots in my technique photos, this is the reason. They literally are grainy spots.

When these are completely cooled, you can put them in a sealed plastic bag. They’ll keep on the counter for up to a week, or you can put them in the freezer. No need to thaw them before toasting. I hope they turn out great for you!

Ingredients and Tools

(weight measurement included for seasoned bakers; if you’re baking these for the first time, please see notes section for tips on the best way to accurately measure your flour for baking)

1/2 cup (114g) ripe sourdough starter* (stirred down before measuring – see notes)
1 cup (227g) warm filtered water (ideally, about 110° F)
1/2 tsp instant yeast (optional, for quicker rise)
1 Tbsp. (12g) sugar
3 1/2 cups (422g) all-purpose flour* (see notes for measuring and substitutions)
1/4 cup (22g) nonfat dry milk* (see notes if you don’t have this)
1 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
2 Tbsp. (28g) butter, room temperature
Additional flour for dusting counter for kneading
Cornmeal for dusting muffins before baking

*Notes

If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use this method for accurately measuring flour in baking
For sourdough science nerds who may be wondering, my starter is 100% hydration; I feed it (once or twice a week) 90/10 high protein bread flour/freshly milled rye flour
You may substitute whole wheat flour up to 1/3 of the total amount of flour
If you don’t have nonfat dry milk, adjust the water to 3/4 cup and use 1/4 cup regular milk along with it

Stand mixer or large bowl and heavy wooden spoon
Plastic wrap and clean lightweight kitchen towels
Electric griddle or pan for stove-top “baking”
Heat-safe spatula for turning
Cooling rack for finished muffins

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, bring your starter to room temperature, or at least allow some of the refrigerator chill to wear off. Combine with warm water until it’s an even slurry, and stir in the sugar (and instant yeast, if using) a minute or so to dissolve sugar.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, dry milk and sea salt until well blended. Add to the wet mixture and stir with a heavy wooden spoon or blend in stand mixer until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Switch to kneading hook or turn the dough out onto a floured countertop. Knead until the dough feels a little less shaggy and more organized. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest about 20 minutes.

Stretch out the dough and spread the soft butter over it. The KAF recipe suggests adding the butter at the start, but I’ve learned to add fats after the flour is fully hydrated, so this is my method. Fold the dough up with butter inside and continue kneading, about 10 minutes by hand or 5 to 6 minutes by machine with dough hook. This part will get messy, but keep at it and eventually, the butter will work its way through the entire dough. You want smooth and even dough—soft and slightly tacky, but not sticky. Shape dough into a tight ball (if you imagine squeezing it around and toward the bottom, you’ll get a feel for this), place it in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or lid and let it rise at room temperature until it’s puffy and nearly doubled in size. If your room is warm and you used additional yeast, this will be about 60 minutes. If you didn’t use yeast, it may be a couple of hours—give it the time it needs. Gently deflate the dough by pushing the center with your closed fist (one day soon, I’ll explain why I hate the term “punching down your dough”). With lightly oiled hands, reshape it into a ball, cover the bowl and put it into the refrigerator overnight. This step is beneficial either way, but especially important if you did not add yeast. Sourdough bakers already know that cold fermentation is a magical thing, and this down time in the fridge will result in extra flavor and improved texture.

In the morning, turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured countertop and cut it into 12 roughly equal pieces. The simplest way I’ve found to do this is the cut the ball in half, then each half into halves, and each resulting half into thirds, like 12 little pieces of pizza. Shape each wedge into a tight ball, and flatten each ball with your fingertips onto a piece of parchment paper, sprinkled lightly with corn meal. They should measure about 3 1/4” across, or the size of—you guessed it—an English muffin! You will probably want to do two cookie sheets, each holding 6 muffins. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with additional corn meal.

This is an essential tool in my kitchen, great for cutting bread dough evenly. Cut in half first, then smaller sections.
Cut each half into 6 equal size wedges. Don’t fret if they aren’t exact.
To shape the edges, fold the pointed end underneath, then keep folding cut edges under until it’s a more rounded shape.
Pinch the dough together tightly on the bottom, then roll it in your hand to seal the pinched edges.
Lay the dough balls on cornmeal sprinkled parchment, and press them flat with your fingertips into 3 1/4 inch rounds.

If the dough is still cold, it will probably shrink back—that’s OK. Cover them with plastic and let them rest 15 minutes to relax the gluten, then flatten them again. Cover the muffins with loose plastic wrap, lay a clean lightweight kitchen towel over the plastic and allow the muffins some privacy in a warm (but not hot) spot in your kitchen. I usually slide the pans into the oven, where it’s quiet and not at all drafty.

About 2 hours later, your muffins should look soft and puffy. My last batch rose to about 1/2” thickness, but they will puff more when you introduce them to heat.

If you have an electric griddle, heat it to about 325° F. If not, you can do it stove-top in a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-low heat. Our gas range has a “griddle in the middle” that allows me to do 6 muffins at a time; in a skillet, you’ll probably want to limit to 3 at once. I kept the flame pretty low because it’s better to cook them a tiny bit longer than to burn them.

I squeezed my camera underneath the griddle so you can see how low I set the flame. If you’re cooking your muffins stove-top, give the pan or griddle plenty of time to reach consistent heat.

When the griddle or pan is radiating consistent heat (you should be able to feel it easily with your hand about 6” above), gently place the muffins onto the surface. They will puff a bit more as they cook, but they won’t spread outward the way cookies do. Still, try to keep a bit of room between them so you can wiggle in a spatula when it’s time to turn them over.

After about 7 minutes, your muffins are probably ready to turn. Check by gently lifting up one edge and peeking underneath. If it looks golden and toasty, it’s time! Gently turn them without flipping too hard—you don’t want to deflate them in the process.

Give the second side about 6 more minutes, then check for doneness and remove them to a cooling rack to calm down. The sides of the muffins will still feel a bit soft, and that can be a little unnerving until you’ve made them a few times. Here’s a simple tip for testing doneness: when you turn over the first muffin, tap the cooked side lightly with your fingernail or the tip of your spatula. If it sounds hollow, you’re good. If it still feels a little soft or spongy, they probably need another minute. To be certain, you can slide the finished muffins onto a cookie sheet and into a pre-warmed 350° F oven for a few minutes to finish any raw insides.

When the muffins have completely cooled (and please, not one second sooner), use the tines of a fork to split through to the middle, all the way around.

Fork-splitting the muffins creates a perfect texture inside, and ensures plenty of pockets for butter or jam. Be certain they are completely cool before splitting them.

This will allow you to easily break them open later, for the beautiful nooks and crannies that I’m probably not allowed to talk about because of trademark rules.

But just look—can you think of a better way to describe those butter-loving pockets?

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Spreadable Scallion Cream Cheese

9 Comments April 25, 2020 terrie gura

We eat a lot of bagels with lox at our house, and we like a little more pizzazz than just plain ol’ cream cheese. According to my husband, Les, “schmear” is the appropriate Yiddish word for bagel-worthy cream cheese, and it implies a smoother, spreadable consistency than what you get in the store-bought bricks. But the first time I did the shopping for us as a couple, I developed a serious case of sticker shock in the pre-made, spreadable cream cheese section. And for such a tiny container of it, not to mention that the “whipped” varieties are basically half cream cheese and half air!

It was pretty easy to replicate Les’s favorite, which is scallion cream cheese; to be fair, he says our homemade version is not only more economical, but also tastier. I love being able to customize the flavors, without a bunch of additives we can’t pronounce. My double-batch version here calls for plain Greek yogurt, but you could just as easily substitute sour cream. If you want a smaller amount, just reduce the ingredients by half. At the end, I’ve suggested additional flavor variations. I hope you find one you love!

Ingredients and Tools:

2 bricks (8 oz. each) regular or Neufchatel (reduced fat) cream cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (whole or 2%)
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 tsp. dried minced garlic
1 small bunch scallions (green onions), washed and trimmed, white and green parts sliced thin

Stand mixer or electric hand mixer, unless you have some serious guns to whip it by hand!

Instructions:

Put both packages of cream cheese into the mixing bowl, straight from the fridge. Whip the cream cheese by itself for about 1 minute, then add the yogurt (begin with 1/4 cup, add more as you like) and whip until blended. Stop a couple times to scrape down the sides and across the bottom of the bowl. When the whipped mixture has the appearance of cream cheese icing, add the dill and dried minced garlic and whip again just until blended.

Next, add all of the scallions; it may seem like a lot, but it’ll be just right once it’s mixed. Blend on a low speed until fully incorporated, then transfer to a covered bowl and refrigerate.

The dried garlic needs at least a few hours to soften and spread its flavor through the cream cheese. If you’re making this for something right away, I’d recommend scooping out what you need immediately before adding the garlic. Otherwise, you’ll have a few potent, crunchy bites. Les has taught me to adore this stuff, especially on a lightly toasted “everything” bagel. But we also use it in other ways—on crackers, as a spread on sandwiches and even slathered on the inside of a tortilla for breakfast burritos.

**Want to elevate your happy, Comfort du Jour style?**

Like so many things I make at home, cream cheese is a blank canvas just begging for interesting variations. Swap out the dill for any other dried herbs you like, but I’d suggest using them sparingly until you have a feel for the concentration of flavor—these herbs really open up after some time in the fridge. Mix in chopped pickled jalapeno, capers, sun-dried tomatoes, pepperoncini or olives, but blot them dry first on paper towels.

Prefer sweeter spreads? Skip and garlic and herbs; mix in 1 Tbsp. of powdered sugar along with 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and fold in raisins, chopped toasted nuts or dried cranberries. Les would argue that sweet cream cheese is not “authentic” (you can’t take the NYC outta the boy), but I say make whatever makes you happy!

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Apple Dutch Baby with Cider Sauce

4 Comments April 18, 2020 terrie gura

A Dutch baby (also known as a German pancake) is an elegant breakfast or brunch dish you can make from basic pantry ingredients. It’s terrific because you can swap in whatever fruit you have on hand—fresh peaches or berries make delicious toppings, with just a dusting of powdered sugar. But for this one, I’ve used a single, unpeeled apple for rustic appeal, and created a sweet apple cider sauce that takes it way over the top, almost into dessert territory.

The basic German pancake recipe was graciously offered to me by the innkeeper at a Virginia bed and breakfast I visited many years ago. It uses the simplest of ingredients, but something almost magical happens in the oven, as the batter rises up and curves inward over the filling—almost like it’s giving a hug.

There are three components to this dish, and I’ve listed the ingredients for each separately along with the steps. You may want to read all the way through before you begin. Enjoy!

Tools you’ll need:

10 1/2 inch cast-iron skillet (and potholder)
Whisk
2 medium mixing bowls
Small microwave safe bowl or measuring cup
Medium, heavy-bottomed sauce pan
Cutting board and knife
Flat wood utensil or wooden spoon

Ingredients – cider sauce:

2 cups apple cider
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. maple syrup (I love the dark amber, formerly known as “grade B”)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt (this simultaneously enhances and balances the sweetness of this decadent sauce)

In a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, combine all ingredients except vanilla and sea salt over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stir and cook about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced by nearly half, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and sea salt. Set aside to cool. This may be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; warm before serving.

Ingredients – apple filling:

1 large, firm apple (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Gala or Fuji would be good), cored and sliced thin
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom (or extra cinnamon)
Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 425° F. Heat cast-iron skillet over medium heat and melt butter. Add apple slices and sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and sea salt. Toss to coat, and stir frequently for about five minutes, until apples are evenly coated and beginning to soften. Remove from heat, empty apples into a bowl and wipe the skillet clean of any bits that might burn. Place skillet into preheated oven for about 10 minutes.

Ingredients – Dutch baby:

3 Tbsp. salted butter (for the batter)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup whole or 2% milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter (for the skillet)

Melt 3 Tbsp. salted butter in a microwave safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk together flour and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk eggs until uniform consistency. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture then add milk, eggs and melted butter. Whisk just until all flour is incorporated.

Carefully remove skillet from the oven and add 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, swirling around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Spoon the apples into the center of the pan. Give the egg mixture another quick whisk, then pour gently over the apples. Place the skillet back into the oven, reduce heat to 400° F and bake about 25 minutes, until edges are golden brown and center is set, but still a bit soft and “eggy.”

Straight from the oven; notice those little pockets of custard and butter?

Remove from skillet, drizzle the warm cider sauce over the pancake and serve in wedges.

The fragrant apple and spices will warm you up from the inside.

Can I make a Dutch baby without a cast-iron skillet?

Alternatively, you can use an oven-safe casserole dish and get great results. Butter and flour the inside of the dish before adding the batter. Because the casserole dish won’t be preheated like the skillet, it may take a bit longer. Bake at 400° F, and check for doneness after about 30 minutes.

Can I make individual Dutch baby pancakes?

Yes! If you have individual size cast-iron skillets, simply preheat them as instructed for the large skillet, and divide the melted butter and batter into them. Check for doneness after about 15 minutes. Or butter and flour individual glass casserole dishes and check them at 20 minutes. This recipe should work for about four of them.

Can I serve a Dutch baby for dessert?

I can’t think of a reason not to, especially if you make a decadent sauce! This apple dutch baby with cider sauce would be fantastic as it is for dessert; I’d probably even add an ounce of bourbon or brandy to the cider as it reduces (I’m spontaneous like that). It would also be great with cooked cherries rather than apples, and maybe a nice dark chocolate sauce. Or what about caramelized bananas with a caramel rum sauce…like Bananas Foster? Okay, now it’s just getting crazy in here.

No-Fuss Mushroom and Spinach Omelet

1 Comment April 14, 2020 terrie gura

I like this style of omelet because it’s quick and simple, and it doesn’t require removing the extras from the pan and then stuffing them back in. Your “fillings” will be cooked into the outside of the omelet, with melty gooey cheese layered inside. This recipe is super flexible, too! You can add or substitute leftover vegetables of any kind if you don’t have spinach and mushrooms on hand—peppers, kale, broccoli, asparagus or whatever is taking up space in the fridge. If they’re already cooked, just chop into smallish pieces and toss them in the pan long enough to warm them and proceed with the recipe from there. As with most my recipes, I rely on formula and technique more than the ingredients. So, let’s talk about that:

How do you make an omelet fluffy?

Whisking cold water (not milk!) into the eggs just before cooking them gives a nice airy lift to the omelet. The scientific upshot is that the tiny water droplets evaporate quickly in the heat of the pan, creating airy pockets inside the egg mixture. If you want even more fluff, separate the eggs before you begin (this works best when they’re cold) and whip the whites into a soft foam (this works best at room temperature). Fold this into the rest of your egg mixture just before pouring into the hot pan.

Which cheese melts best for an omelet?

Good melting cheeses include Monterey jack, cheddar, Colby, Muenster, Havarti, Gouda and gruyere. Hard or crumbly cheeses such as feta, chevre and parmesan will add tons of flavor; just don’t expect gooey goodness from them, as they pretty much hold their shape when warmed. Whenever possible, grate your cheese from a block. The packaged pre-shredded cheeses are coated to prevent sticking in the bag, and this also prevents them from melting well.

Do you need a special pan for an omelet?

Years ago, my mom had one of those hinged, fold-over pans “designed for omelets,” but this is absolutely not necessary. It didn’t produce a fabulous omelet and mostly just made a mess. My go-to pan for omelets is a good non-stick skillet with curved sides. The shape and coating makes it easier to slide your spatula underneath the set egg mixture for folding and serving. If your skillet is not coated, swirl in a little extra oil just before adding the eggs, to guard against sticking.

This recipe is a delicious way to work in an extra serving of vegetables and works especially well as “breakfast for dinner.” Three eggs make just the right size for my husband and me to share, but we are not big eaters at breakfast. Feel free to throw in a fourth egg with no other adjustment needed.

Ingredients

Extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper

1 thick slice of onion, finely chopped (we like sweet onions, but red or yellow ones are fine)

3 to 4 mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (cremini is my go-to, but white button or shiitake would also work)

Big handful of fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped and tough stems removed

3 large eggs, room temperature

About 1/2 tsp. prepared Dijon mustard (or hot sauce for a spicier twist)

Splash of cold water

1/3 cup freshly shredded cheese (or less if using more pungent cheese, such as Parmesan or feta)

Tools

Get Cooking!

Place a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and add a generous swirl of olive oil.

When you notice the oil beginning to shimmer and flowing easily around the pan, add your chopped onions. Give them a stir and cook until they are just soft but not quite browning, about 2 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and toss them around with your wooden utensil to be sure they get lightly sautéed on both sides. Add the chopped baby spinach leaves and stir until wilted and noticeably reduced, but still bright green. Salt and pepper to taste.

While the veggies are doing their thing, crack your eggs into a large measuring cup, add Dijon mustard (or hot sauce) and whisk briskly until lightly foamy. Add a splash of cold water – about 1 Tablespoon – and whisk again until light and foamy. You want lots of bubbles in this mixture, so whip it…whip it good!

Spread out the sautéed veggie mixture evenly in your pan. Slowly pour the eggs around the outer edge of the mixture, encircling your veggie ingredients, then pour gently to “fill in” and cover the entire mixture. Again, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook about 2 or 3 minutes, or until the egg mixture looks set about one half inch around the edges but still wet and somewhat loose in the center.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over the entire mixture, turn off the burner and place a cover over the pan, allowing trapped heat and steam to finish cooking the eggs and melting the cheese into them. This will take about 3 minutes. Using a wide silicone spatula, fold in half. Or for a slimmer omelet, fold one third toward the center, then fold the other side over the top of that, as if folding a letter. Carefully cut the omelet in half crosswise to share the other half with your other half, and enjoy!

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