Name This Breakfast Dish AND WIN!!

Name this dish!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Test out this recipe and then post your idea for a new name in the  comments below … we’ll pick our favourite 5 and get you to vote on your favourite name next week.

The winning name will forever have the dish name to their credit PLUS they can win a copy of the Breakfast with the Broads Cookbook!!

Anne’s No Name Cereal Dish

What you need:

• 4 cups Muesli
• 2 cups Apple Juice
• 1 cup mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruits + ¼ cup for garnish
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon + sprinkle for garnish
• Yogurt (flavor of choice) I used French Vanilla today.
• Fresh Berries for topping.

What you do:

1. Mix first five (5) ingredients together and cover.
2. Refrigerate overnight.
3. Stir mixture then spoon into parfait glasses.
4. Top with yogurt
5. Add fresh berries.
6. Sprinkle with mixed nuts, seeds and dried fruits
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and add mint leaf.

There are many varieties of Muesli or Granola you can buy or you can make your own.

You can use any type of juice, any flavor of yogurt or any type of berries. It is very versatile. Personally I like the apple juice and cinnamon combination and there is dried apple in the mix as well.

I buy unsalted, unsweetened bags of trail mix seeds, nuts and dried fruits. It can be added to a variety of dishes, used as a garnish or eaten for a snack and gives a variety of flavors, colors, and textures to any dish.

If this is your only breakfast dish it serves 4 people. If it is one course of several it can serve up to eight.

The mix will also keep well in the fridge for a couple of days. Change the toppings and the flavor of yogurt and you can have a different breakfast dish tomorrow!

Holiday Brunch Recipe: Almond Berry Banana Bread

“The nerve of those Whos. Inviting me down there – and on such short notice. Even if I wanted to go my schedule wouldn’t allow it. Four o’clock, wallow in self pity; 4:30, stare into the abyss; 5:00, solve world hunger, tell no one. 5:30, jazzercize. 6:30, dinner with me. I can’t cancel that again. 7:00, wrestle with my self-loathing; I’m booked. Of course, if I bump the loathing to 9 I could still be done in time to lay in bed, stare at the ceiling and slip slowly into madness. But what would I wear?”

– The Grinch, from How The Grinch Stole Christmas

Even the Grinch feels the pressure around Christmas time! Between shopping, decorating, parties and getting ready for those parties – it just seems that there isn’t a moment to spare. And, if you are trying to figure out what to feed your out of town guests, then it just gets worse.

We were thrilled to hear from some of our readers last week, thanking us for the holiday menu. Catherine wrote us an e-mail nearly the minute we sent out last week’s menu saying: “Wonderful, I have a daughter, son in law and two grandchildren arriving from California and son and daughter in law joining us for an early Christmas. Now I know what I can do for a brunch before they go over to Vancouver for Christmas.”

We probably won’t get all of the recipes posted on the blog, but you can always sign up for our weekly brunch recipe by e-mail to make sure you get them all!

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Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: Makes 1 large loaf

What you need:

* 1/4 cup butter, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 cup mashed rope bananas (3 medium bananas)
* 1/2 cup low fat french vanilla yogurt
* 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 3/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/2 cup slivered almonds

What you do:

1. Grease your large loaf pan or line it with wax paper.
2. Preheat oven to 350oF.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in the egg, vanilla, bananas and yogurt until it’s all well blended.
5. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With a spoon, stir it all together just until blended.
6. Stir in cranberries and almonds.
7. Scrape batter into the loaf pan.

8. Bake for 1 hour. Check the center with a toothpick. If it’s still wet, cook for another 10 minutes. Toothpick inserted into center should come out dry.

A quick peak in the oven to see if it's ready... not quite so back in it goes

9. Turn upside down onto a cooling rack. Let sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

It helps to have a clean up crew on hand… when you slice the bread it’s a bit crumbly. Thankfully my helpful dog Bram was there to clean the floors of any crumbs.

Great Holiday Gifts and Stocking Stuffers:

RECIPE: Applesauce Muffins

Did you know there are over 7500 varieties of apples grown around the world? And, to this day, the majority of apples are still hand picked! And do you know the apple is part of the rose family? I guess that explains their pink blossoms??

We have an amazing apple tree in our front yard… and while we were away Ethel, our innsitter, picked many apples and left us some wonderful applesauce.  This is one of the recipes I used the applesauce in:

Recipe for Applesauce Muffins

What you’ll need:

• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 ¼ cups wheat germ
• 1 ¼ cups quick oats
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup canola oil
• 1 slightly beaten egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 400oF.
2. Spray 24 mini muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Add to the dry mixture the applesauce, oil, egg and vanilla extract. Mix only until all of the dry mixture is moistened.
5. Spoon into the muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
6. OPTIONAL: If you like cinnamon and sugar combine 3 teaspoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle on top of each unbaked muffin for that extra cinnamon taste.  Personally I just added a walnut to the top.
7. Bake 15 – 17 minutes until golden brown (toothpick inserted into center should come out clean).
8. Remove from muffin cups, and let cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cool. Any that you don’t eat that day can be frozen and microwaved for a quick snack later in the week.

RECIPE: Bacon and Eggs in a Pie

Bacon and eggs are usually part of any classic breakfast. Most people just can’t say no to a good bacon and egg breakfast. In this twist, you can delight your guests with a yummy twist on the breakfast classic by adding a few extra ingredients and baking it in a pie crust. YUMMY. Makes 6-8 pieces of pie.

What you’ll need:

• 5 bacon strips, cooked and crispy
• 1 small white or yellow onion, diced
• 1/3 cup creamy goat cheese
• 1 frozen pie crust
• 4 eggs + 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 6 cherry tomatoes cut in half

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 325oF.
2. In a small pan over medium heat, fry onions with a tablespoon of butter. Cook onions until they are clear and soft.
3. Turn off heat. Add goat cheese to pan with onions and stir until well mixed.
4. Scrape mixture from pan into the bottom of the pie crust.
5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs with milk. Once mixed, add dijon and salt and mix together.
6. Pour egg mixture over the goat cheese and onions in the pie crust.
7. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until mixture is loose on the top but getting firm around the edges. (You might want to cook it on a cookie sheet as my pie spilled over the edges a bit when I added the tomatoes in the next step).
8. Break bacon into medium to small pieces and sprinkle over top of the egg mixture. Add tomatoes and distribute evenly around the pie.
9. Bake in the oven for another 15 minutes.
10. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.
11. Sprinkle with chives (optional) and serve with toast.

Chopping the Onions

Frying the Onions with the Goat Cheese

Part One of Baking in the Oven

Bacon and Eggs in a Pie - YUMMY

Bram waiting patiently...hoping for just a little sliver.

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Plan a fantastic four course brunch using the FREE Breakfast with the Broads Brunch Planner. It comes complete with theme ideas, menu plans, shopping lists and recipes.

Get your Brunch Planner and Weekly Recipes by e-mail at the Breakfast with the Broads website.

RECIPE: Ginger Cookies

It’s almost comical that I am trying to make these recipes and photograph the steps. First of all, I’m a good cook but I lack attention to detail in the kitchen. I don’t measure most things, and I tend to make a massive mess. Second of all, my camera is not user friendly and I take bad photos. But, the good news is, these cookies were a big hit. I packaged a dozen up and gave them to my friend Leah for her birthday and she wrote to say they were “DEEEE-LISH”, and Dave, my husband, has been happily devouring the others. So – don’t let my bad photos deter you. These are great cookies to make. Let me know how they go for you!

(Makes 4 dozen cookies…or 2.5 dozen large cookies as was the case when I made them)

What you’ll need:

• 1 1/4 Cup Butter
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 Cup Molasses
• 4 Cups unbleached flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon cloves

The ingredients...

Ok now WITH the sugar...

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350oF.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until creamy.
3. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, and molasses. Mix together well.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together, mixing well.
5. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for one hour.
6. Dough should now be fairly stiff.
7. Shape into small 1 inch sized balls, and dip in sugar.

hmm...larger than an inch...

8. Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 8 – 9 minutes.
10. Enjoy!

All shapes, all sizes, all tasty!

Get more amazing recipes, and a fantastic brunch planner (complete with tips, menus, shopping lists and recipes for hosting a fantastic brunch), at Breakfast with the Broads Cookbook website.

RECIPE: Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookies

Back to work or back to school means breakfast on the run in many households. How do you make sure you’ve got a healthy and hearty breakfast that you can grab on your way through the door? Here’s an idea for a Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie. Full of fiber, protein, and healthy goodnees, but tasty enough you may even serve it as a cookie treat in the afternoon – try this Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie!

Peanut Butter Breakfast Cookie

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What you’ll need:

* 1/4 Cup butter, softened
* 2/3 Cup Natural or Unsweetened Peanut Butter
* 1 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
* 4 Egg Whites
* 2 Egg Yolks
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 large ripe bananas mashed
* 1/2 Cup Ground Flaxseed
* 1 1/2 Cups Buckwheat Flour
* 4 1/2 Cups rolled oats
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 Cups Raisins

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350oF.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat together the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Beat until smooth.
3. Beat in eggs gently,  then add vanilla and banana. Mix well.
4. Add flaxseed, buckwheat, oats, baking soda and salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Add more oats if the mixture is really sticky.
5. Add in raisins and stir a few times to distribute them throughout the batter.
6. Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop out 1/4 cup chunks of cookie batter. Roll into a ball.
7. Place dough balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press down lightly with a fork.
8. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked through the center.
9. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack for a few minutes to cool before eating.

TIP: Freeze a large batch for quick snacks when you least expect to need them!

Julie’s Comment: Ok so I used chocolate chips instead of raisins… my husband is always so disappointed when I use raisins and not chocolate chips! Oh, and I forgot to press them down with a fork so we ended up with Peanut Butter Breakfast Balls. Well, we can all be only SO perfect you know!! I will make another batch another day and I assure you that they will be masterpieces!! Or, if you make them and have a great picture to share please send it to me!! You will of course get credit for the picture complete with your website if you have one! THANKS!

Sign up for Anne’s weekly recipes like this one, and you will get an amazing Brunch Planner Free. Filled with brunch planning tips, menus, shopping lists and of course, recipes – you will be all set to host the best brunch ever!

To get your Brunch Planner Free, sign up here.

Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

Each week, in Anne’s newsletter, a new recipe is featured. If you are missing out on the weekly newsletters you can sign up here: www.breakfastwiththebroads.com

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What you’ll need:

Combine for the crust:

* 1 ½ Cups Pecans – chopped fine in blender (do not make pecan butter!)
* 3 Tablespoons Sugar
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
* ½ Cup Margarine

For the Filling:

* 16 oz. Cream Cheese
* 2/3 Cup Sugar
* 1 Cup canned Pumpkin
* ½ Cup Sour Cream
* ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
* ¼ teaspoon Ginger
* ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
* 4 Eggs – to be added one at a time

What you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350oF

2. Press crust ingredients into the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.

Crushed Pecans for a Gluten Free Crust

Pecan Based Crust - Nutty and Delicious

3. Bake crust at 350oF for 10 minutes.

4. Remove and set aside to cool.

5. Turn oven down to 300oF.

6. In a large bowl, mix cream cheese and sugar on High-Medium speed until well blended.

7. Add the pumpkin, sour cream, nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon. Mix well.

8. Finally, add one egg at a time. Mix well in between the addition of each new egg.

9. Pour mixture onto cooled pecan base and bake for 60 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and let cool for an hour. Then refrigerate for two hours before removing from the pan.

11. Top with Whipped Cream and Whole Pecans.

TIP: Make sugared pecans! To do this, add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to a 1/2 cup of pecans in a sauce pan. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until the sugar melts and coats the pecans. Stir constantly to ensure the sugar does not burn. Remove from the pan and place on tin foil to cool before using to top the whipped cream on the cheesecake. DELICIOUS!

Amazing Apple Muesli

This week’s e-mail recipe is a great addition to an everyday breakfast menu, or a lovely way to start off a Sunday Brunch. Just be sure to get things ready in advance – this one needs at least an hour of refrigeration before you serve it.

(If you aren’t on Anne’s weekly email recipe list you can sign up at her cookbook website: www.breakfastwiththebroads.com)

What you’ll need (makes about 4 servings):

* 1 cup apple juice
* 2 cups rolled oats
* 1 apple, grated
* 1/2 cup french vanilla yogurt
* 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
* 1 banana sliced
* 8 strawberries sliced
* 1/4 cup dried cranberries
* 1/4 cup slivered almonds
* 2 Tablespoons honey

What you do:

1. In a bowl, pour apple juice over the rolled oats. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 1 hour).
2. Stir in grated apple, french vanilla yogurt and lemon juice and spoon into individual bowls.
3. Top with banana, strawberries, cranberries, almonds and drizzle with honey.

Bulk Buckwheat Pancakes

This week’s e-mail recipe will make a great gift for any health conscious cook you know. Get a nice jar and a giant blank label to write instructions on and make this recipe! The best part is you will surely have left overs to use for yourself.

(If you aren’t on Anne’s weekly email recipe list you can sign up at her cookbook website: www.breakfastwiththebroads.com)

Buckwheat Pancakes in Bulk

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What you’ll need:

• 1 Cup buckwheat flour
• 4 Cups unbleached flour
• 1 Cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 Cup ground flaxseeds
• 1 Cup cornmeal
• 1/3 Cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons salt

What you do:

1. Add the flours, flaxseeds, cornmeal, baking powder and salt into a very large bowl.
2. Using a large spoon, stir the ingredients together thoroughly.
3. Spoon the mix into a large jar.
4. Add a label on the front of the jar that says:

Stir 1 1/2 cups of pancake mix, 2 eggs and 1 1/4 cup of milk in a bowl until smooth.

Add 1 cup of blueberries, bananas or chocolate chips if desired.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Pour 1/2 cup of mixture in a pan in small circles.

Cook the pancakes for 2 or 3 minutes on each side (Watch for the bubbles, then flip).

Enjoy with warmed maple syrup.

Weekly Email Recipe – Devine Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you aren’t on the weekly e-mail list of Anne’s Amazing recipes then you missed this week’s absolutely astounding recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Seriously, they are the best ever. Try them, and if yours is better, post the recipe in the comments and we will test it to see. It’s not an official contest, but if there is a better recipe out there we will find a way to reward you. 🙂 Oh, and if you want to get the new recipe each week you can sign up for the weekly e-mail at: www.breakfastwiththebroads.com

What you’ll need:

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks
  

  Chocolate Chip Cookies

What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degree F.
2. Mix the sugars and melted butter thoroughly. Then add the egg, yolk, vanilla and mix until it’s creamy.
3. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and stir very well.
4. Add in the chocolate chunks and stir.
5. Try and resist eating the dough (it’s tasty!) as you drop 1/4 cup balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart.
6. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes.
7. Let them cool for a few minutes and then remove them from the pan.
8. If you can stand it, put them on a cooling rack, or dig in and enjoy.