Pancakes in the PM

Personally, I can eat breakfast for all meals of the day. There's something inherently optimistic about it. Breakfast inspires feelings of beginning and airiness. So when I had myself a stack of pancakes for dinner yesterday, any end-of-the-day heaviness I may have had was magically erased by my flapjacks.

Of course I had my pancakes with the works - berries, butter, maple syrup. You know, for sustenance. It was dinnertime...

Blueberry Pancakes

(yield: 2 servings, about 8 pancakes)

1/2 cup milk
6 oz blueberry yogurt
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
butter, for greasing

1 cup blueberries

 

Whisk milk, yogurt, melted butter, and egg together in a medium bowl.

 

In a separate large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, whisking well so that there are no lumps.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and mix just to combine.

Heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat, and grease with a little bit of butter. Ladle the pancake batter i
nto the  pan to form medium pancakes, and sprinkle each with a few blueberries. Once bubbles begin to form along the edges, flip the pancakes,  about 2-3 minutes. Continue to cook on other side for another 2 minutes, until pancakes are set and golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, or whatever your heart desires.

Turns out, I'm not the only one fond of pancakes at any hour. Zelli enthusiastically participated in clearing off my plate.

 

Me So Corny!

I know I posted a muffin recipe last week, but I just couldn't help but share this one. It's so easy, so good, and so addictive!

Inevitably, muffin madness continues...

Addictive Corn Muffins

(yield: 10 muffins)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

1 egg

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 1 or 2 muffin pans with 10 muffin liners.

Whisk together milk, butter, and egg in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to dry, and mix just until combined. Distribute batter among muffin pan, and bake 22-24 minutes until tops are lightly golden brown.

Breakfast of Champions

 

      Another awesome accidental breakfast! Well, I wouldn't call it an accident per se; more of a compilation of some stuff I already had in my fridge. Really satisfying, healthy, and pretty damn delicious - this was the ultimate breakfast sandwich. In fact, I would probably have it again for all other meals of the day, including a midnight snack.

I hate to skimp on the recipe, but it was so simple that I think I would offend some people if I were to provide a recipe.

So here's the deal - toasted whole wheat pita topped with a shmear of cream cheese (you can use a tiny bit of creme fraiche or sour cream instead), topped with a few thin slices of cucumber, followed by smoked salmon, a poached egg, and finally a roughly chopped salsa of tomatoes, red onions, and cilantro. The contrast of flavors and textures in this baby makes it good enough to salivate over for the rest of your day.

The Anti-recipe

This is not a recipe. It was breakfast for me this morning, and it was so incredibly beautiful that I feel compelled to share it with you.

You know when you eat something, and it's so perfect that it makes you feel like things couldn't be any better (at least for a split second)? This was that moment for me, and it happened after I married three simple ingredients in a bowl.

Two minutes in the microwave was what it took to simultaneously make some quick cooking, old-fashioned oatmeal and a blueberry compote. For the "compote," I combined a small handful of blueberres, a tiny splash of water and a pinch of sugar in a microwave-safe bowl. Their time in the microwave, punctured the blueberries, releasing a gorgeous, deep purple sauce. I topped my hot oatmeal with  a cool dollop of fresh ricotta, and ladled on the punctured blueberries.

Who knew that breakfast could be so sexy.