Category: Breakfast

Filipino comfort food for breakfast: Lugaw

Lugaw is a savory rice porridge, flavored with ginger and chicken, and served as breakfast in the Philippines. Recipe below.

Lugaw

WE FIRST TASTED THIS CREAMY, COMFORTING RICE PORRIDGE at Uncle Mike’s Place, a diner in Chicago known for its “Famous Filipino Breakfast.” Before you even order from the menu, welcoming bowls of lugaw (LOO-gaw) are placed in front of each guest. At its heart, it is creamy, savory and gingery, rice slowly cooked in broth until it becomes thick and rich, with bites of tender chicken. It’s topped with garlic chips, scallions and a half slice of lemon. No big flavors jumping out at you, just subtle, soothing deliciousness. Continue reading “Filipino comfort food for breakfast: Lugaw” →

Hello, healthyish! Zucchini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Fresh zucchini brings impressive health benefits to this decadently satisfying bread. Recipe below.

Zucchini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

I’M NOT GOING TO GO INTO HOW WE HAPPENED TO COME INTO POSSESSION OF A GIGANTIC ZUCCHINI. A big, fat, smug zucchini the size of a healthy, lively newborn. (A healthy, lively newborn happened to be on hand for comparison.) I just want to say that, when you and your friends are planning your personal gardens next spring, you should collectively agree that only one of you—just one—should be the designated zucchini grower. That will still mean dozens of zucchinis in your culinary future, but at least you won’t end up with more zucchinis than all of you, along with everyone else in your neighborhood, could possibly consume. One delicious way to consume at least some of the zucchini overload is this Zucchini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips. Continue reading “Hello, healthyish! Zucchini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips” →

Yummy, healthy Oat Fruit Bars

Healthy oats and a mix of fresh fruits make a delicious breakfast treat or snack. Recipe below.

Oat Fruit Bars with Peaches and Strawberries

OAT FRUIT BARS ARE SWEET, SURPRISINGLY HEALTHY breakfast treats or snacks. Made with an oat crust and your favorite mix of fresh fruits, this easy recipe takes advantage of the beautiful fruits that are so readily available at this time of year. Continue reading “Yummy, healthy Oat Fruit Bars” →

Eight recipes for celebrating National Pecan Month

Pecan Tassies

APRIL IS NATIONAL PECAN MONTH, the National Pecan Shellers Association tells us, adding that the name “pecan” is a Native American word of Algonquin origin that was used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack.” It is said that Native Americans first cultivated the pecan tree. The US Forest Service says that “pecans (Carya illinoinensis) are a commercially important species of nut native to the American Southeast. Pecans are now grown extensively in the southeastern United States and are a prominent part of the regional cuisine.” Pecans are high in antioxidants and can help reduce the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. They contain more than 19 vitamins and minerals—in particular, according to Prevention, pecans are rich in copper, an important mineral for the nervous and immune systems, and thiamine, a B vitamin key for energy production. Pecans are also rich in zinc, another key nutrient for immune function. And they’re a natural, high-quality source of protein—a current dietary holy grail. Here are eight recipes to help you celebrate this delicious, healthy nut. Continue reading “Eight recipes for celebrating National Pecan Month” →

Matzoh for breakfast, dessert

Matzoh Brei

PASSOVER IS HERE AND THAT MEANS MATZOH is readily available in stores. During Passover, those who celebrate cannot eat leavened bread. Matzoh (matzo, matzah, matza) is an unleavened flatbread that is part of Jewish cuisine, made with flour, water, salt and maybe a little olive oil. The matzoh you find in stores is crispy, like oversized crackers. Here are two of our favorite ways to use it. Continue reading “Matzoh for breakfast, dessert” →

Small in size, big on taste—Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Modestly sized Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with a maple cinnamon cream cheese icing pack big flavor. Recipe below.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

WHEN IT COMES TO BAKING, MY VERY FAVORITE BLOG IS SALLY’S BAKING, a great site for bakers at every skill level. Want to make mille-feuille, or baked Alaska, or a checkerboard cake? Sally’s got you. Want to make cornbread, or dinner rolls, or pizza dough? She’s got you. She’s also got you if you are completely inexperienced and baking-curious. She and her team explain everything with a friendly clarity and precision and her site, in operation since 2011, is chock full of excellent recipes. I never fail to learn a lot, and all her recipes taste just great. Case in point? These Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Continue reading “Small in size, big on taste—Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls” →

Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy that will fool your favorite carnivore

Mushrooms and spices used in sausage making give this vegetarian version of a Southern diner breakfast staple a convincingly meaty flavor.

Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy

BISCUITS AND GRAVY ARE PERHAPS THE ICONIC SOUTHERN BREAKFAST FOOD. More specifically, biscuits and some kind of meaty gravy made with either pork sausage or rendered fat from fried ham or even lard, if no meat is available. Sounds dodgy, tastes delicious. Continue reading “Biscuits and Vegetarian Red Eye Gravy that will fool your favorite carnivore” →