Category Archives: breakfast

Banana Crunch Muffins

Posted on March 11, 2012 by nina in the kitchen

These muffins turn out perfectly every time. Make sure not to over bake them! Remove them from the oven just as they begin to lightly darken! Another recipe from The Barefoot Contessa by Ina Garten. Makes about 34 standard size muffins. For the crunch, I use my Toasted Barley & Berry Granola recipe found on this site.

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound unsalted butter, melted

2 extra-large eggs

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 bananas)

1 cup diced ripe banana (1 banana)

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup granola (Barley & Berry Granola recipe found on this site)

1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut (large flake style found at health food stores)

Optional: dried banana chips, granola or coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl of an electric mixer whisk or sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, & salt.
Add the melted butter and combine with paddle attachment. Do not over mix. This toughens the dough.
In a medium bowl combine eggs, milk, vanilla & mashed bananas. Add to the dough and do not overmix.
Fold in the diced bananas, walnuts, granola & coconut.
Spoon batter into paper liners, filling 3/4 full.
Top with dried banana chips, granola or coconut if desired.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until tops just begin to darken and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Cool!

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Fresh Cheese with Honey & Figs/Mel I Mato Amb Figues

Posted on February 15, 2012 by nina in the kitchen

This is a traditional Catalyan dessert made with a cheese only a day or two old. This cheese that is barely a cheese is traditionally made with goat’s, sheep’s or now cow’s milk. The best examples are from Montserrat, outside of Barcelona. When purchased there, the cheese is wrapped in large green leaves to keep it’s shape and freshness. The best substitute available is whole milk ricotta and when sprinkled with a little sugar is also a delicious popular breakfast in Catalonia.

For each serving place on a small plate:

One 1/2 inch slice or a spoonful about 1/2 cup in size of whole milk ricotta cheese

One fresh fig, stem removed, cut in quarters, flesh side up; dried figs are a good substitute

Drizzle evenly with honey

Serve at once!

Nutrition Note: This cheese is a rich source of calcium and protein and a very healthy dessert lower in fat & sugar than most!

Toasted Barley and Berry Granola

Posted on February 28, 2011 by nina in the kitchen

Granola & Milk, a take along breakfast

Granola, Vanilla Yogurt & Fresh Fruit Parfait shown here with Granola ready for snacking

The crunch in the Banana Crunch Muffin & the Parfait comes from this granola

The granola recipe is below. To make the parfaits layer Dannon Vanilla Yogurt (do not use the Lite variety! It tastes bad & has a brown like color), Toasted Barley & Berry Granola, more yogurt and then top with a mixture of fresh berries. Serve right away or it becomes soggy.

1 ½ cups unsalted pumpkinseed kernels
1 ½ cups unsalted sunflower seed kernels

1 ½ cups pure maple syrup (thank you to Peachie Martin for her Michigan UP maple syrup!)
½ cup dark brown sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp cinnamon (my favorite is Penzey’s Ceylon Cinnamon; I also added their Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon)
2 Tbsp vanilla
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cardamon (this is essential for a delicious flavor & fragrance!!!)

8 cups rolled barley flakes
1 cup toasted wheat germ or wheat bran
1 ½ cups dried blueberries (do not use the cranberries infused/flavored with other juices!!)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Place pumpkin and sunflower kernels on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool.
3. In a mediuim bowl combine syrup through cardamon with a whisk.
4. Pour barley, toasted kernels and wheat germ into a large mixing bowl. Stir in syrup mixture.
5. Spread barley mixture on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until slightly light brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Works well to use a large pancake turner to flip sections of the mixture to toast it all.
6. Cool baked granola. Stir in dried fruit. Store in airtight containers. Makes 16 cups.

Adapted from Cooking Light Magazine, March 2010

NSF 2/2011

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Tomato Mozzarella Salad

Posted on February 1, 2011 by nina in the kitchen

Voted most delicious & most easy to prepare salad worldwide!

2 cups mini or Ciliegine or cherry size fresh mozzarella balls
3 cups grape tomatoes
2 Tablespoons julienne strips of fresh basil or fresh rosemary finely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar, optional to taste

This is so easy to put together for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks! In a serving platter or bowl place mozzarella and tomatoes. Sprinkle with salt, olive oil and vinegar. Toss. Layer basil strips on top and voila! This is a favorite at breakfast brunches! It is also the national salad of Italy, representing the three colors of their flag!

Nina Sanders Frurip 6/2010