More and more, I hear people talking about how much they love breakfast. They love it so much that they want to eat it not just for breakfast, but for lunch and dinner! And hey, I love it, too. There’s something great about lazily sipping a hot cup of coffee on a slow Sunday morning while nibbling on tender biscuits, crisp bacon, or fluffy scrambled eggs.

And it’s that which I’m going to talk about today. EGGS. The unsung heroes of the kitchen, eggs are responsible for making our custards and ice creams rich and creamy, for helping our breads to rise, and for making our pastries poofy.

To my mind, there are few things as satisfying for breakfast as scrambled eggs. Satisfying, of course, as long as they’re made well. And it’s amazing how often they aren’t. By virtue of our slapdash, get-it-done fast way of life, a dish as simple and wonderful as scrambled eggs often gets ruined in the name of haste. If you’re willing to take a little time and exercise a modicum of patience, you’ll be rewarded with eggs that are fluffy, creamy and delicious.

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients and Preparation

You’ll need a nonstick pan, heated over medium-low heat. You’ll need eggs. 5 of them. Fresh, size large (in case you’ve ever wondered, when a recipe calls for an egg, it references a large egg, unless otherwise specified). You’ll need 5 tablespoons of half-and-half; one tablespoon per egg. You’ll also need a tablespoon of butter. Another nice touch is some freshly-grated nutmeg.

Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl. Add one tablespoon of half-and-half per egg, and a bit of freshly-grated nutmeg (you’ll be surprised how much can be added to eggs, simply by adding this little culinary treasure). Beat vigorously with a fork or wire whisk. Set aside.

In your pan, now nicely-heated over medium-low heat, add the butter. It’ll melt somewhat slowly, then begin to foam. Once the foam from the melted butter has dissipated, pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, stir the eggs until you notice curds starting to form.

This is the point at which your patience will have to be exercised. This step will take a while, but I assure you that it’s well worth it.

Once you see curds starting to form, turn the heat on your burner up to high. Use your spatula to continually fold the eggs toward the center of the pan. Things will happen very quickly, so keep your eye on the ball … err, pan. Once there is no more liquid circling the edge of the pan, remove it from the burner.

It’s very important to note that the eggs will continue to cook somewhat once they’re removed from the stovetop. If they look done in when you’re cooking, they’ll be overdone when you go to eat them.

Transfer the eggs to a shallow bowl and serve. What you and your breakfasteers will have are, quite simply, the best scrambled eggs you’ve ever eaten.

Plain, simple, delicious.

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Photo Credit: stevendpolo

Two of the easiest ways that I’ve found to ensure that I stay on track eating healthy is (one) to share my meals with good friends sitting around a table and enjoying wonderful company and (two) by starting the day with a healthy first meal. So, allow me to introduce you to my most favorite meal of the entire week: Sunday Brunch.

Sunday brunches are a great opportunity for you to impress friends over egg-cellent healthy and easy dishes. Take for example, the veggie omelet topped with marinara (yes, I throw in marinara sauce where ever I can).

Veggie Omlet with Marinara

Ingredients

* 1 package frozen mixed veggies (I typically go for the carrots/corn/green beans/peas  or three peppers and onions mixture)
* 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/8 teaspoon salt, or as needed
* 1/8 teaspoon pepper, or as needed
* 24 oz (one and a half of the large containers) of egg substitute
* Cooking spray or olive oil spray
* 1 cup of Randazza Marinara Sauce
* 3/4 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Now, this is going to sound a little tricky because it involves a broiler (which used to terrify me), but it’s super easy and your friends will LOVE it.

Preheat broiler.

Place all your veggies and seasoning into a small pot and cook over medium heat until vegetables are hot and water from them evaporates. Probably around 5 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat.

Coat a large nonstick and oven-safe skillet with cooking spray or olive oil. Pour in 1/2 of the egg substitute and cook over medium heat until eggs are partially set (probably 2-3 minutes). Spoon in 1/2 of the veggies and heat until cooked through (probably about 2 minutes).

Using a spatula (which is work the splurge purchase for a nice one) gently fold your omelet in half.   Spread a heaping 1/3 cup of sauce over folded omelet and sprinkle with 1 1/2 tablespoons of shredded cheese. Place 4 inches from broiler heat and broil until cheese melts and turns golden (about a minute). Cover to keep warm and set aside. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Cut each omelet in half and serve next to a nice spinach salad tossed in a light vinaigrette and homemade Bloody Mary. Your friends will totally think you’re auditioning for the next television chef! Enjoy!

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Photo Credit: Kasia

Last night, my family and I did one of our most favorite things in the world: we had breakfast … for DINNER. This isn’t an altogether unheard of practice, but it happens infrequently enough at my house that my kids think that something extra-special is happening and it’s always lots of fun.

Before we sat down to eat, we made sure that all of the finer details had been tended to: everyone wore their pajamas, we had our “morning music” playing in the background, grownups had big cups of rich coffee; the kids tall glasses of ice-cold milk.

On deck for this very special meal were thick slices of crisp bacon, fresh fruit and, the pièce de résistance: homemade pumpkin pancakes.

Have you ever made pancakes from scratch? Most folks turn to a mix whenever they’re making this tried-and-true breakfast treat, and it’s really quite a shame, as homemade pancakes are not only 100 times better, they’re also exceedingly easy to prepare. I assure you that a few minutes of extra effort will come back to you tenfold in better taste, not to mention in thanks from your family and friends.

Now, I mentioned that this breakf … err, DINNER, was extra-special. Accordingly, I couldn’t just prepare any ordinary pancakes. This called for something extraordinary.

Light, fluffy and indescribably delicious, these subtly spicy and sweet little discs of happiness will warm you inside and out. Let’s begin, shall we?

Perfectly Puffed Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup CAKE flour (it has less gluten and will result in a fluffier pancake)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt (make sure you use regular salt here; Kosher is too coarse)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 whole, large eggs
1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
1 ounce melted butter (optional)
4 egg whites, beaten to soft peaks
Butter, vegetable oil, or nonstick cooking spray

Preparation

Heat a griddle over a medium flame (about 375 degrees if you’re using an electric griddle).

Sift together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, then add the pumpkin puree and half-and-half (or whole milk if you’ve taken that option); mix well. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks (this is easiest with a standing mixer, but a hand mixer, or even a wire whisk, assuming you’ve got the energy, will work great). Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture, taking care not to over-mix (a few lumps are just fine). Add the melted butter if you’re using it. Fold in the egg whites (this’ll make the pancakes extra light and fluffy).

Add a small amount of butter, oil or cooking spray to your griddle. Scoop batter onto hot griddle; flip pancakes when they’re just starting to dry around the edges. Cook til golden brown.

Serve with warm syrup (maple if you’re a fan, some other if you’re not) or a simple sprinkling of cinnamon & sugar.

Whip up a batch this weekend. For breakfast OR for dinner. You’ll be glad you did.

Enjoy!

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Photo by: Rice and D