Prime Cuts

Now that you’ve indulged throughout the holiday season, it’s time to start off new habits early with healthy eating throughout the New Year (or at least, make a valiant effort).

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

Editor’s Note: Both Melissa and Justin Rasmussen wrote about their pumpkin pancake recipes this week.  While both recipes are similar, there are some differences.  I encourage you to try both recipes and then report back to us which one you liked better.  Think of it as the dueling pumpkin pancakes.

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

I have never really been a fan of pancakes, or really french toast. I know that sounds horrible but I think it has something to do with all the burnt, crispy discs I was served while camping every weekend growing up. That’s not to say that I don’t eat pancakes or french toast but it is definitely few and far between. I would rather have toast than pancakes most of the time. Yeah, I know it’s weird coming from a Danish family who is all about pancakes, even so much that they even make them into small round spheres called aebleskivers, for the pancake monsters on the go.

But when fall comes, there are good things coming to my table. As the leaves gently drift to the ground in their brittle, crunchy state there is one breakfast meal that I look forward to, pumpkin pancakes. My loving wife is a baker of sorts, she is always looking for recipes and how to change them and build on top of them to make them better and more tasty. The first time she made pumpkin pancakes, I knew she was the one for me. Okay, so maybe that’s a bit exaggerated, or a lot, but really, they are that good. These pancakes can bring people to the table, so make sure you make plenty.

So, while I was planning this post I had hoped to take some nice sexy food porn pictures of these glorious, pumpkiny, cakes of the pan but as quickly as they came off the pan they were being snatched away onto someones plate. I couldn’t get anyone to stop, to resist just one bite before I could snap even one photo. Then one bite turned into two and as I went to adjust the plate for the perfect picture animal instincts set in and there was no way I could touch their plate, so watch your fingers when you decide to make these because they unleash some pumpkin craziness.

My family and friends have an obsession with pumpkin, the moment October 31 peels off the calendar everyone is salivating for my wife to make pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, pumpkin anything. Beyond the picture it was a great feat to get the recipe away from wife, it was her concern that people would need to treat this recipe with the respect and the responsibility it deserves around pumpkin crazies. I assured her that my friends here are responsible and will act with caution around the pumpkin crazed animals they call their families and friends. So without further ado, here you go, enjoy. You’ve been warned.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Preparation

1. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk, vanilla, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice cinnamon, and salt, stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Slightly healthier version, substitute 1 cup of flour for whole wheat flour. This is my personal favorite, the pancakes come out a little more dense but the payoff is much higher, I think everything bonds better.

Enjoy!

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