Homemade Breakfast Granola

Ingredients:
4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup natural bran
¼ cup toasted wheat germ
¼ cup chopped almonds
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
½ tsp salt
1 cup hot water
½ cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sultanas

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Mix the oats, bran, wheat germ, flour, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and salt together until thoroughly combined.

In a separate little bowl, combine the water, honey and vanilla. Combine with the dry ingredients and mix well.

Grease two baking sheets and spread the mixture on the baking sheets, then squeeze together to make small clumps. Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the granola mix is nice and golden. You will have to stir occasionally. Add raisins, stir again and bake for an extra 5 minutes.

Let the granola mix cool and then fill it into airtight containers.

This is a delicious and healthy granola that can be enjoyed with fresh fruit and yoghurt for a healthy start of the day!

Streusel Topped Baked French Toast

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into 20 slices
4 eggs
1 cup eggnog
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup frozen cranberries
1/4 cup cold butter, cut up
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/3 cup pecan pieces

Instructions:

Coat a large baking dish with a non stick cooking spray.  Layer the bread in a single layer in the baking dish.  Place the eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat slightly.  Pour in the eggnog and milk and whisk to combine.  Sprinkle in the nutmeg and continue whisking to combine ingredients.  Pour mixture over the bread.  Allow to stand for 30 minutes.  Turn bread over and sprinkle the top with the frozen cranberries.  Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.  Bring the oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Place the cut up butter into a mixing bowl.  Add the brown sugar.  Use a pastry blender to cut the butter into the brown sugar.  Mixture should be crumbly.  Cover the top of the bread mixture with the streusel mix.  Bake 12 minutes.  Sprinkle the top with the pecan pieces and continue cooking 12 minutes or until a light golden brown.

Serves 8

Cinnamon Pumpkin Waffles

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

Instructions:

Sift together the flour and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the baking powder, baking soda and salt and stir to combine all the ingredients together. In a separate bowl add the milk to the beaten eggs and mix slightly. Pour in the buttermilk and melted butter. Mix to incorporate. Fold in the pumpkin and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated together and mixture is smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the smooth mixture. Blend together making sure all the dry ingredients are moistened well. Heat the waffle iron. Pour a scant amount of the batter onto the waffle iron and cook according to the waffle iron directions. Set the oven temperature to 200 degrees. When the waffle is done place it on the preheated oven rack to keep hot. Continue cooking the waffles until all the batter has been used. I like to serve these with warm Apple Cinnamon Syrup. Here’s the recipe for it.

Apple Cinnamon Syrup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup apple cider, unsweetened
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
5 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks

Instructions:

Place the apple cider into a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir until starting to melt. Add the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Stir often cook the mixture for 15 minutes or until it begins to thicken and is reduced to just shy of 1 cup of liquid.

Of course this syrup is great over regular pancakes or waffles as well.

I made it about once a week (usually on Sunday mornings) for quite some time, but felt bad about feeding my family something that isn’t exactly healthy. Then I started to replace some of the flour with whole wheat instead, which turned out pretty good. Then I came across a recipe that combined white flour, whole wheat flour and flax seeds. I tweaked the recipe a bit until I came up with this which is the new Sunday morning favorite. You just can’t beat the nutty flavor of these. They go great with a little syrup and some fresh fruit.

Whole Wheat Waffles

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Chopped pecans or walnuts

Place both flours into a large mixing bowl.  Fold together.  Add the flax seed and baking powder and blend.  Stir in the cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add the sugar and mix well.  Be sure all the ingredients are incorporated together.  In a separate bowl place the 4 eggs and slightly beat with a whisk.  Add the vanilla and milk and stir.  Pour in the melted butter.  Add the applesauce and mix well.  Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture.  Blend well so everything is moistened.  Heat waffle iron.  Pour the batter on the waffle iron and top with the nuts.  Cook until brown.

Basic Scones

2 cups of bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp double acting baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stick of butter (cold) and cut up
1 cup of pecans
1 cup of golden raisins
1 1/2 cups milk

Place the dry ingredients into the bowl of a food processor and add the butter. Pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Form a ball and knead for about a minute, just until it comes together.

Add the nuts and raisins and knead until well dispersed. Roll out to about 1/2 in thick and cut into triangles. Place in a preheated 400-degree over and bake for about 17 mins or until lightly browned.

I love to make one or two different batches of scones and put them in a pretty basket as a house warming present. You can even add a jar of preserves or some homemade honey butter which both go along well with the scones.

Peach Bread

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 cups pureed peaches
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Cream together the sugar and shortening, followed by the eggs, mixing thoroughly after each one. Add the peach puree and the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Add the vanilla and chopped nuts, blending carefully until blended. Pour these into two greased and floured bread pans. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour in 325F oven. Allow the bread to cool for several minutes before removing from the pans, and then cool completely before slicing.

Fried Corn Fritters

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, heavily beaten
2 cups corn kernels, cooked and crushed
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 tablespoon melted butter
1 1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil or lard

Directions:

Fill a deep skillet with oil or lard and heat until water dropped in sizzles. Mix together all other ingredients, except flour. Add enough flour to make fritters stay together. More or less than 1 1/2 cups may be needed. Drop fritters one at a time by the spoonful into hot oil. Turn to brown all sides. Drain and serve.

The recipe below calls for egg substitute – it’s a great healthy way to whip up an omelet, but you could of course also make this omelet with fresh eggs. For a healthier version in that case, use mostly the egg whites and just a few yokes.

Spanish Omelet

Ingredients

Two baked potatoes (diced)
2 cups of fat-free egg substitute
1 large tomato (seeded and diced)
2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
One large onion (minced)
2 teaspoons of margarine

Instructions

1) In a large non-stick frying pan – cook the potatoes, onions, tomatoes, parsley, and garlic with the oil – set over medium heat. This is continued until most of the liquid has evaporated from the tomatoes.

2) Transfer the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir in the eggs.

3) Wipe out the frying pan, placing it over medium-high heat and letting it stand for about two minutes.

4) Add 1 teaspoon of margarine and spread out by swirling the pan.

5) Add half of the egg mixture, lifting and rotating the pan so that the eggs are evenly distributed.

6) As the eggs set around the edges, lift them to allow uncooked portions to flow underneath.

7) Lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook the omelet until the top is set.

Invert the omelet onto a serving plate, cutting into wedges.

9) To make a second omelet, repeat the steps using the remaining teaspoon of margarine and egg mixture.

Tip : This also makes a fabulous lunch with a little side salad. I’ve even been known to serve this for dinner.

Egg and Cheese Toast

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed Cheddar cheese soup
1/3 cup milk
6 hard-cooked eggs
6 slices bread, toasted
1/3 cup bacon bits or chips

Place soup in pan. Add milk. Cook, stirring continuously until heated through. Remove eggshells. Thinly slice each egg. Place 2-3 slices on a piece of toast. Cover eggs and toast with soup and sprinkle bacon bits over top.

Tofu With A Mexican Twist

3 cups egg whites
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup diced onions
2 tablespoons chopped roasted green chili
6 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/2 pound soft tofu
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 fresh tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Beat egg whites until broken up and they start to foam in a small bowl. Add finely crumbled tofu to egg whites and mix. Next, add in the soy sauce, pepper and turmeric and set mixture aside. Over medium heat, combine and cook tomato, onion, cumin, garlic, and green chili in a large frying pan. Cook until onions are see-through and all liquid has evaporated. Add tofu mixture to the skillet and stir well. Scramble complete mixture until egg whites have been cooked completely. Once scrambled sprinkle with chives and serve.