Oatmeal Pancakes with Blueberry Lemon Maple Compote

Sunday morning, it’s the best day for breakfast of the week.  Sleeping in and baking hearty pancakes with berry drizzled goodness on top was at the top of our short list of accomplishments today.  I love making healthy pancakes, that don’t taste healthy.  They fill you up, have great texture and flavor and won’t leave you starving an hour later when you are busy accomplishing other tasks for the day.  Our favorite combination over here lately has been lemon and blueberries. I made muffins just yesterday including these two favorites as well.  It’s a fantastic combo that brings a bit of bright fresh summer in these bleak cold winter days.  These pancakes were adapted from The Flour Sack blog, I altered many things to make it perfect for our tastes. Enjoy!

Make 12 pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup Quick Cooking Oats

1/2 cup Orange Juice

3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 1/4 cups fat-free milk

1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions:

In a medium bowl combine oats and orange juice, let sit for 3 minutes.  Meanwhile in another medium bowl sift together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.  In your liquid measuring cup, slightly beat the eggs, add to small bowl with oats, stir to combine.  Add melted butter, milk and molasses to the bowl egg/ oat mixture.  Add the wet to the dry mixture, stir together gently until combined, the batter should be slightly thick with air bubbles popping at the surface.

Preheat oven to 250 and place a pie plate in the oven, this will keep your pancakes warm as you continue to cook them all.

Heat a 10″ pan over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed on the pan.  Add a small amount of butter or cooking spray to the pan.  Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, mound batter in to the pan, 3 should fit nicely at this size.  Let cook for 3-4 minutes until bubbles are forming at the top then flip and cook for 2-3 additional minutes.  Then transfer to the pie plate in the oven and continue to cook the remaining batter.

Blueberry Lemon Maple Compote

Ingredients

1 cup frozen blueberries, divided

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup water

1 lemon, juiced and zest

Directions

In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup blueberries, syrup, water, lemon juice and zest.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, to thicken.

Remove from heat and strain the mixture through a small mesh strainer over a liquid measuring cup.  Press and mash berries into the strainer to extract all the juices.  Add the remaining 1/2 cup berries to the syrup to combine.  Serve over pancakes.

 

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Asparagus Salad

After a long hot workout, a power packed salad is the way to recharge, refuel and fill up.  Searching through the fridge for some extras to toss with mixed greens, we found asparagus spears and homemade pita crisps ( a few left from a separate Bobby Flay recipe we tried out last week), hard-boiled eggs ( great to keep on hand if you buy extra eggs), and cherry tomatoes.  This is how to make it magical:

Serves 1

2 cups mixed greens, loose packed

7 cherry tomatoes

6 asparagus spears, trimmed

1- 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided

Fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp nutmeg, grated fresh if you have it

salt and pepper

1/2 pita, cut in to bite size pieces

1 hard-boiled egg

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  On a rimmed baking pan, toss asparagus spears in a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  On a separate baking sheet, toss pita pieces with a drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place both sheets in the oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove the asparagus from the oven, give the pita chips a toss but continue to cook for an additional 3-5 minutes until slightly browned.  Let pitas cool ( and turn your oven off- this heat! whew)  Meanwhile, squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle nutmeg over your cooked asparagus, toss together, then transfer to a cutting board and chip in to 1″ or bite sized pieces.  Then in your favorite salad bowl, I recommend one with some sides, add your mixed greens, then add the tomatoes, chopped hard-boiled egg, asparagus pieces, and pita pieces, drizzle with more olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Laura’s Chocolate Banana Soufflés- Reader Recipe

For our very first Reader’s Recipe post we have Laura’s found recipe for a rich, warm, fudgy, and healthy Chocolate Banana Soufflé.  The addition of banana in a chocolate dessert is always a welcome addition, it really added to that perfect light and creamy texture.  The souffle will fall after 10 minutes so it’s important to plan ahead and serve right away.  We enjoyed it with a dollop of organic whipped topping and a glass of chocolate wine- (pictured).  The wine was light and very sweet, with a hint of cocoa flavoring.  If you love chocolate and Muscato, this is your new dessert wine.  This recipe is a great starting point for many other variations, you could add grated lemon zest and almond extract… or substitute pureed squash for the bananas with grated cinnamon or nutmeg.  Really the options are endless and this is a perfect healthy treat that no one would think is this good for you- so, seriously enjoy!!!  And thank you Laura for this great new addition to our cookblog and for being our very first Reader REcipe!

Chocolate Banana Soufflés
Recipe adapted from Baking Bites

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 6 oz

• 2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 3 tbsp sugar
• butter flavored cooking spray

Preheat over to 400F. Coat 4, 6 oz ramekins with butter flavored cooking spray. Place on a baking sheet.

In a medium bowl, mash bananas and vanilla together. Sift cornstarch and cocoa powder over bananas and stir well.

In another medium bowl, beat egg whites with sugar until they form soft peaks. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into banana mixture. When incorporated, fold in the rest of the egg whites. Spoon mixture into ramekins.

Wipe the top 1/4 inch “collar” of the ramekin to remove any excess batter so that the souffle will rise straight and place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Calories: 131.2 • Fat: 3.6 g • Carb: 23.5 g • Fiber: 3.2 g • Protein: 4.8 g

Corn Cakes

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With the holidays upon us, so quickly as usual, easy and fast meals are the ticket!  Here you can use easy ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry and fridge to whip up these cakes.  This whole meal is surprising decadent, and filling.  Serve with a small mixed greens salad with fresh cilantro and lime vinaigrette to really round it all out.

Serves 4

adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:

1 cup instant brown rice

6 scallions, trimmed and sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 large eggs

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

1 cup tomato salsa, mild, medium or hot

Method:

1.Cook rice with the amount of water called for in the package directions, adding scallions, garlic and thyme to the water. Remove from heat and stir in corn, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Let stand for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.

2.Whisk eggs in a large bowl until frothy. Add the rice mixture and mash with a potato masher until the mixture holds together (it will be fairly soft), about 1 minute. Shape the mixture into 8 patties.

3.Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully transfer 4 patties to the pan with a spatula and cook until browned and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; cover to keep warm. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and repeat with the remaining 4 patties.

4.Meanwhile, combine beans and salsa in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 5 minutes. To serve, divide the beans among 4 plates and top with 2 patties each.

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Shakshuka

What is it?  Shakshuka, an Israeli dish with eggs poached in a flavorful tomato sauce.  This recipe has a small ingredient list or cheap grocery staples- packs a huge punch of flavor, and it is SO simple to make. Win Win Win!  The one tip is to use the BEST quality canned tomatoes, we used a store brand and there was a slight so so taste the tomatoes, which are the star in this recipe.

Shakshuka [Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce]

Adapted from Saveur
Serves 4
1/4 cup olive oil
5 Anaheim chiles or 3 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed then sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon paprika
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
Kosher salt, to taste
4 eggs
1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
Warm pitas, for serving

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chiles and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, and cook, stirring frequently, until garlic is soft, about 2 more minutes.

Put tomatoes and their liquid into a medium bowl and crush with your hands. Add crushed tomatoes and their liquid to skillet along with 1/2 cup water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Season sauce with salt.

Crack eggs over sauce so that eggs are evenly distributed across sauce’s surface. Cover skillet and cook until yolks are just set, about 5 minutes. Using a spoon, baste the whites of the eggs with tomato mixture, being careful not to disturb the yolk. Sprinkle shakshuka with feta and parsley and serve with pitas, for dipping.

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LOVE eggs and toast

Happy 7 years to US at Urban Kitchen.  We started the day with some themed breakfast, and how sweet does that look?  With a simple heart shaped cookie cutter you can make anything “lovable”.  Simple eggs, toast and Farmer’s Market tomatoes with salty cheese= perfect way to start the special day.

Serving for TWO

Brush olive oil on both side of two pieces of bread ( we used a dark rye), using a heart shaped cookie cutter, remove and reserve the center.  Heat a non stick pan over medium heat and place the bread and heart centers in the pan, crack and egg in to the cut outs and cook for 2 minutes before flipping, cook an additional minute until desired egg doneness, we like over easy.  Then serve the toasts with sliced tomato and a salty hard cheese such as Pecorino, Parmesan etc.  Enjoy and feel the love!

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Early Morning Biscotti with Cherries, Almonds and Chocolate

Over the holidays for the annual cookie party, Jamie made the most incredible biscotti for her cookie recipe.  It had orange zest, pistachios and was dipped in white chocolate- and so incredibly tasty!  So imagine our surprise to find a similar, and healthier, version of biscotti in our favorite go to cookbook So Easy, Ellie Kreiger.  It’s not hard to make, just a little time consuming.  The process is to make the dough, easy, then form in a log and bake it for 25 minutes, cool for 15 minutes, carefully slice ( it does crumble so use a sharp knife and be gentle and slow!), place slices back on cookie sheet, bake 10 minutes, flip over and bake 10 more minutes.  So, this was done on a lazy, well we had some time, Sunday and we’re enjoying it and sharing it all week long!  The combination of almonds, chocolate and cherries is certainly a favorite; you can also switch out these 3 ingredients with anything similar you may prefer or have on hand… pistachios, cranberry, white chocolate…. pecans, golden raisins, caramel baking chips…. and so on.  Give it a try, you won’t be sorry… till they are all eatin up!

Ingredients

(adapted from So Easy, Ellie Kreiger)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup olive oil
Zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup dried tart cherries, finely chopped
1/2 cup almonds, finely chopped
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, finely chopped
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking powder and salt. In a large bowl beat together the sugar, eggs, oil, orange zest and vanilla extract until well combined. In batches add the dry ingredients until the mixture forms a dough. Beat in the cherries, almonds and chocolate.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead several times. Shape into a log about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. With a serrated knife, cut 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Arrange cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake the biscotti until golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Yield:

12 biscotti, 1 biscotti is a serving

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Blueberry and Almond French Toast Bake

This breakfast was delicious, and So Easy from her cookbook Ellie Krieger says it perfectly, “The hardest thing about this dish is waiting for it to come out of the oven because as it is baking it fills your kitchen with the most enticing, heartwarming, vanilla-cinnamon aroma. Its looks and taste hold up their end of the bargain too. Inside it is egg-y, perfectly sweetened, and studded with bursting warm blueberries. Outside it is crisp and crowned with sugared toasted almonds.”  Put this together the day before and cover in the fridge over night.  Waking up and putting it in the oven is really a treat- no need to make batter and more dishes in the morning, just enjoy your coffee and wait for the timer to go off! We halved the recipe to serve just 4 and below is our version, enjoy:

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 ounces French baguette, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 cups fat free milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/8 cup sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoons dark brown sugar

Spray a 8 by 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange the bread in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread. Scatter the blueberries evenly on top and sprinkle with the almonds and brown sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover the baking pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.

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Sunday Morning Breakfast Sandwich

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day and to be honest, it is our favorite meal of the day! This was certainly a hearty, easy and healthy way to start our day. Using left over chopped basil, green onion and red pepper from homemade pizza night we made an egg scramble, topped with leftover mozzarella and bacon on fresh Ciabatta bread from Trader Joe’s. Serves 2 very hungry people….Here’s how we made this

Beat together:

2 eggs

2 egg whites

1 tablespoon fat free milk

1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Bring a 10″ omelet pan ( sprayed with Pam), over medium high heat. Pour in the eggs, cook pulling the edges in towards the middle of the pan to distribute the un-cooked eggs across the pan ( like you were making an omelet) when it is half way set, toss in chopped veggies… we did about:

2 tablespoons – 1/4 cup each of:

Green Onion

Basil

Red Pepper

Tuck veggies into eggs and flip the omelet over. Take off the flame and top with 1/4 cup fresh mozzarella cheese ( sliced thin), cover with a plate to allow cheese to melt ( about 2 minutes).

Cut Ciabbata bread into 2 and then slice horizontally for your sandwiches. Drizzle each open face with olive oil and place face down into a heated pan on the stove top. Press them down to get a nice golden brown toast.

TO build:

Place half of the cooked eggs on toasted Ciabatta bread bottom, layer on some cooked bacon and then top with the Ciabatta bread top; repeat for other sandwich and enjoy!

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Broccoli, Tomato and Feta Fritatta

Happy Halloween, and good morning! This breakfast turned out so colorful and tasty, we wanted to share it with you. Easy, fresh, healthy, filling and tastes delicious, follow this recipe and welcome to a really good morning:

Serves 2

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

4 eggs

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon fat free milk

1/2 cup chopped broccoli

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

2 ounce crumbled Feta cheese

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Directions

Beat eggs, salt and milk together. In an oven safe skillet, melt the butter over medium heat on the stove top. Add in the broccoli to soften and coat. Pour the eggs in the pan and cook until the eggs just start to firm up, pushing the eggs back and forth with a spatula. Spread evenly over the pan, and take off the flame. Top with tomatoes and Feta, then put it in the oven for 10 minutes until the eggs are completely set, but not browned. Divide on two plates and serve warm, with toast and coffee.

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