Breakfast – Page 12 – The Pajama Chef

Pizza Frittata

November 6, 2013November 5, 2013 Sarah

So, what’s better than pizza? If your answer is pizza, you are definitely right. And if you’re confused, look no further than this AWESOME breakfast, lunch, dinner, or brinner recipe for PIZZA Frittata! Woohoo. Welcome to deliciousness, folks!

Whenever I’m in a bind with my menu plan for the week, I turn to one of my standbys: black beans and rice [cheap and tasty], breakfast for dinner [indulgent because this usually turns into pancakes for dinner], or a frittata [easy, cheap, and totally customizable]. What do these dishes have in common? They are all cheap [read: so I can spend more cash $$$$ on fun ingredients like mini chocolate chips], all things that I love [convenient, right?], and made from pantry staples that I always have around. Problem is… Ben gets really tired of all those dishes, really fast. Especially frittatas. Probably cause I stuff them full of my favorite veggies like kale and bell peppers. Ha ha, poor guy. But because I love him so, sometimes I experiment.

Experiments can be good or bad, and occasionally, they can be excellent, as was the case with this PIZZA Frittata. Sorry for shouting, I’m just excited. This frittata tasted just like a pizza, except instead of a chewy, carb-licious crust, you’ve got a soft egg base. It doesn’t taste like eggs, so don’t you worry–these aren’t pizza eggs. All you can taste are the flavors of pizza: garlic and onion, herbs, tomatoes, and cheeeeese. Lots of flavorful cheese! Our pizza toppings included fire roasted red peppers and pepperoni, but feel free to sub out for your favorites. I think italian sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms, or ham would be pretty tasty in the future too.

Though this frittata is a bit more work than the typical frittatas I make, it’s definitely worth it and makes a great anytime meal with some fruit or a salad. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

one year ago: Pumpkin Cornbread
two years ago: Honey Whole Wheat English Muffins
three years ago: Pumpkin French Toast Sandwich

Pizza Frittata [adapted from Rachael Ray Magazine, July/August 2012]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup fire roasted red peppers, chopped [from a jar]
6 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano [or several tablespoons fresh oregano]
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley [or several tablespoons fresh chopped parsley]
3 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese, halved
1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese, halved
8 ounces tomato sauce, halved
12 pieces pepperoni

Directions:

In a 10 inch skillet, heat canola oil over medium heat.

While oil is heating, whisk together eggs, milk, oregano, parsley, half of both cheeses, and half of the tomato sauce.

When oil is hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Then add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Season with pepper, then add red peppers to skillet.

Pour egg mixture over vegetables, then evenly top with pepperoni. Allow to cook for a couple minutes, until the bottom of the frittata starts to set, then use a thin spatula to lift the edge of the frittata. This allows the uncooked egg to transfer below to cook. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

When eggs are almost set, drizzle with remaining tomato sauce and top with remaining cheese. Place in the oven to cook for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool briefly before cutting, then serve warm.

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

SRC: Pumpkin Graham Muffins

November 3, 2013August 28, 2014 Sarah

Pumpkin Graham Muffins are a fun twist on everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving pie!

I love muffins! I think I’ve said that about every single time I post a muffin recipe, but I really really do. I love that muffins can be healthy, indulgent, interesting. I love that muffins are so quick to make and that they can be enjoyed for a snack or breakfast or dessert. Yum yum yum. So when I found out that my Secret Recipe Club assignment for the month, the wonderful Kate of Food Babbles, had been an avid participant in Muffin Mondays, I immediately knew that I NEEDED to make a muffin recipe.

Kate is a mom to three and is always whipping up a new, creative concoction in the kitchen. Her photography is excellent, much like her taste in food. These Pumpkin Graham Muffins are no exception. They are basically pumpkin pie, muffinified! Is that a word? It is now! [Kate used the term ‘muffinizied.’ I like that one too!] Using graham crackers in muffins is a genius trick that I will definitely be stealing for the future. These muffins have a great texture and nutty taste that pairs wonderfully with pumpkin and a smattering of fall spices.

The best part of the graham cracker goodness is in the crumb topping–just look at it! Yum yum yum. I couldn’t get enough of it, and neither could Ben. He gobbled his first one down in four bites, if that’s any indication of their deliciousness.

Pumpkin Graham Muffins are a crowd pleaser, so I hope you try them soon. As a lasting testament to their greatness, I think my pumpkin pie this Thanksgiving will feature a graham cracker crust instead of my traditional all-butter crust. I am so excited to try it out because in my book, graham cracker + pumpkin = love. Thanks, Kate!

one year ago: Lemon Herb Eggs in Ciabatta
two years ago: Candy Corn Pretzel Bites
three years ago: Pumpkin Ginger Bread

Pumpkin Graham Muffins [from Food Babbles]

click to print

Ingredients:

for the muffins

2 cups flour [I used white whole wheat]
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup graham crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
dash of cloves
1 cup buttermilk [I used 1 cup skim milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice]
1/2 cup canned pumpkin [not pumpkin pie filling]
1/3 cup canola oil
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the topping

1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup graham crackers, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, pumpkin,oil, egg, and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full.

Stir together topping ingredients in a small bowl then distribute evenly on top of muffin batter.

Bake for 18-22 minutes, then cool on a wire rack.

Time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Be sure to check out other recipes from other SRC members here today too! 🙂

Breakfast, French Toast, Recipes

SRC: Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup

October 6, 2013May 6, 2015 Sarah

This month for the Secret Recipe Club I had the honor of being assigned to Jane’s blog, The Heritage Cook. Jane does so much for the SRC every month, including serving as the hostess of our group [group A, that always posts on the first Monday of the month] so I definitely wanted to do a good job with her blog. 🙂 Jane lives in California and has been into cooking and baking forever–ever since her Easy Bake Oven. How fun! She has tons of great recipes on her site, including lots of chocolate recipes from her Chocolate Mondays posts. So if you need a chocolate recipe, like pudding, peanut butter-chocolate cookie dip, or cake, Jane is your girl! 🙂 But I didn’t make a chocolate recipe today. I made baked french toast. And it is delicious!

This was one of the last, if not the last meal we made in our old apartment. TEAR! Ha. But I digress… this baked french toast is soft, sweet, super simple to put together. You can mix everything together the night before you want to serve it, and then just bake it up in about 30 minutes in the morning. We topped ours with walnuts and strawberries, and then an absolutely epic strawberry maple syrup. Jane is a genius, I tell ya!

The original recipe used blueberries and pecans instead of my strawberries and walnuts, but I was using up what I had. And it was excellent. I wished I had an orange to grate in some zest–that would have made a great dish even better. The moral of the story is that you can use any fruit and any nut you’d like, and you can have a great, company worthy breakfast in a jiffy. Thanks, Jane! Enjoy! 🙂

one year ago… Maple Cornmeal Drop Biscuits
two years ago… Pumpkin, Sausage, & Spinach Lasagna
three years ago… Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Mini Muffins

Baked Strawberry French Toast with Strawberry Maple Syrup [adapted from The Heritage Cook]
click to print

Ingredients:

for french toast

1 loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
8 eggs
2 cups milk
3/4 cup brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

for syrup

1 1/2 cups real maple syrup
1 1/2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen

Directions:

Spread bread crumbs on the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread, then cover and refrigerate overnight. It will appear to be very liquidy–that’s okay.

In the morning, top with remaining brown sugar, walnuts, and strawberries. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

While french toast is baking, combine maple syrup and strawberries in a small saucepan and heat on low until warm. Gently press berries with a wooden spoon to break up.

Cut french toast into squares and serve with strawberry maple syrup.

Time: 1 hour + overnight.

Yield: 12 servings.

For more great recipes from this edition of the SRC, check out the links below!

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Autumnal Muffins

September 13, 2013September 13, 2013 Sarah

So, I used to post once a month on a blog called Today’s Housewife. Last fall, the group decided together to stop posting due the busyness of life and families and such. Though sad, I enjoyed being part of the group. As of early January, the blog was officially taken down. But I don’t want to lose my recipes, so periodically I will be reposting them on here. Enjoy!

from November 26, 2010 … I wanted to post these sooner rather than later so that you can enjoy these muffins early on in pumpkin season! 🙂 So just ignore the Christmas talk. Haha.

Even though Christmas is just around the corner, fall is still in full swing for another month or so. [Side note: where has 2010 gone?!?] And I am really glad about that, because while I love Christmas baking, I really enjoy fall flavors–pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves immensely. Recently I was in the mood for baking, and whipped up a batch of Autumnal Muffins, a creation of mine that combines the wonderful flavors of the season–savory pumpkin, tart cranberries, and sweet, crunchy apples with some amazing spices. These smell absolutely amazing while baking, and they make a healthy, tasty, seasonal treat, perfect for breakfast or a snack.

Autumnal Muffins
click to print

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup white sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup skim milk + more for mixing
2 eggs, beaten
about 2 cups pumpkin, canned [I used a 15 ounce can]
1 cup fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1 cup apple, finely chopped [I used a Granny Smith and didn’t peel it]
zest and juice of 1 orange

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and line muffin tins with paper cups or grease well with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Grate orange zest over mixture and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients: milk, eggs, and pumpkin. Squeeze orange’s juice into bowl and stir to combine. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients, then gently mix in apple and cranberries. If mixture needs additional liquid to combine, add extra milk in 1 tablespoon increments. [I used about 2 tablespoons additional milk.] Do not overmix. Spoon batter into lined muffin tins, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake until golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen.

Note:

These muffins are not very sweet, so feel free to alter the recipe by increasing the sugar or using sweetened dried cranberries in place of the fresh cranberries for a different taste.

Linked up with: Weekend Potluck, Foodie Friday.

Breakfast, Muffins, Recipes

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel

August 30, 2013August 30, 2013 Sarah

The end of summer is always bittersweet. I love fall–everything about it [except football haha] is so great… sipping on a pumpkin spice latte while on a long walk with my husband, going to an apple orchard, baking on a chilly day… ahh it is just so wonderful. I could go on and on. But summer holds a special place in my heart too, especially since living in Bloomington, IN.

The farmer’s market in Bloomington is just excellent. Ben and I have perfected our routine to enjoy it almost every week that we’re in town. We get up early, drive to the farmer’s market, go for a run, and then head over to the market for coffee and a sweet almond roll [me] and a BBQ sandwich [him]. After eating our treat, we wander through the market and buy all sorts of delicious produce for the week! Gorgeous tomatoes, boatloads of fresh basil, the best sweet corn I have ever had, crisp cucumbers, and juicy peaches have been our favorites as of late.

Usually those peaches don’t make it much past Monday, but recently I was a little overzealous with my peach purchase and baking with them was a must! And what a treat these Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel were! They were absolutely scrumptious. Roasting peaches just makes them extra sweet and tender, and folded into a vanilla-y muffin batter, I might even call them divine. The crisp cinnamon walnut streusel just was the icing on the cake [the topping on the muffin? :)]. If you make one more thing this peach season, make these soft, fluffy, fruity muffins! I insist!

one year ago… Brown Rice, Feta, and Tomato Salad
two years ago… Healthy Fried Rice
three years ago… Cornmeal Pizza Dough in the Breadmaker

Roasted Peach Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel [from HealthyDelicious]
click to print

Ingredients:

for muffins

3 large peaches, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces [~2 cups]
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/3 cups plain Greek yogurt [fat free or low fat]
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for streusel

1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place peaches in a small baking dish and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line muffin tin with paper liners and prepare muffin batter.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, stir together yogurt, butter, eggs, and vanilla. Fold wet ingredients into the dry.

When peaches are roasted, fold them in as well and divide between muffin cups, filling nearly to the top.

Then, turn oven to 400 degrees.

Make the streusel by stirring together sugar, brown sugar, walnuts, flour, and cinnamon. Use a fork to mix in melted butter, then evenly top each muffin.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. Can be kept at room temperature in a sealed container or bag for up to 3 days, then freeze leftovers.

Time: 70 minutes [15 active].

Yield: 12 muffins.

Linked up with Weekend Potluck and Foodie Friday.