Baked French toast with PB&B

What could be better than French toast? French toast with peanut butter and banana!

1 loaf going-stale-French-bread
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
ripe bananas
peanut butter (I like natural)
maple syrup

Slice half the bread into rounds. Tear the other half into bite-sized pieces. Place in glass or other heavy baking dish. Bread should almost fill it, but not overflow.

Beat eggs, then add milk, cinnamon and and sugar. Pour over the bread and stir to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Stir every few hours, then let sit overnight.

In the morning, bake at 350° for 35 to 45 minutes or until browned on top and feels spongy (not gooey or crispy) to touch in the center. Serve immediately (as if you could wait!) with sliced bananas and peanut butter. Honey, jam or maple syrup optional.

Glazed monkey bread

I made double batch of doughnuts last week and saved half of the dough - punched it down, then double-wrapped in plastic wrap, then froze it. I pulled out the dough on Friday morning and let it thaw in the fridge all day. Made up the bread that night, baked on Saturday for breakfast.

1 batch doughnut dough
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter, melted

glaze
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp milk

Cut the dough into small pieces about the size of walnuts. Combine the butter, sugar and cinnamon. Roll each piece of dough in the mixture - don't worry if it's not even. Pile them all in a greased loaf pan.

Bake ina preheated oven at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned. While it bakes, combine the powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over the bread, then serve hot.

Chipolata sausage gravy

Finally, after five years in France, I have figured out a good way for making sausage gravy... as in sausage gravy on biscuits, sausage gravy on eggs, sausage gravy on anything that will stand still.

2 chipolata sausages
pat of butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
salt
pepper (lots of it!)

Cook sausage in a heavy skillet. Remove sausage and set aside. Once cooled enough to handle, cut into small pieces.

You want about 2 Tbsp of sausage grease/butter in the pan, so either spoon off a little grease or add a little butter to get the right amount. Over medium heat, stir flour into the grease. Stir constantly until browned. Stirring constantly, pour in 1 cup of regular milk. Once thickened, add 1 more cup. Keep stirring until desired thickness is reached. Season with salt and pepper.

Applesauce breakfast bread

If you're wanting a hearty, filling bread that's just a bit sweet to start your morning - this is it.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1 cup oatmeal
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain yogurt or 1/3 cup buttermilk

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, yogurt/buttermilk and applesauce and mix well.

In a second bowl, mix the flour, wheat bran, oatmeal, cinnamon, cloves, baking powder,baking soda and salt.

Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just mixed (flour 'disappears').

Pour batter into non-stick loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.

Winter buckwheat pancakes

I set out looking for a recipe for breakfast, but kept finding vegan, gluten-free or crêpe recipes. But what I wanted was a warm, filling winter pancake using buckwheat flour. And, as an added twist, I wanted to eat them with sliced bananas and a thin spread of all-natural peanut butter. So I had to play around to come up with this recipe.

Dry
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Wet
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp melted butter
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup milk

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until just mixed and flour 'disappears'. Don't worry if it's a little lumpy.

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 with maple syrup, peanut butter and sliced bananas.

Carrot pancakes

These are a favorite around here! Think pancakes with a hint of carrot cake or pumpkin pie... Yeah. they're good.

1 1/2 cups flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup purée carrots

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg, carrots and melted butter. Stir until just mixed and flour 'disappears'. Don't worry if it's a little lumpy.

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 with maple syrup.

Scrambled eggs with sausage, leeks and 'shrooms

To be honest, I'm not much of a scrambled eggs girl. I need 'stuff' in them. This week, 'stuff' meant leeks, mushrooms and sausage! The leeks are a mild alternative to onions with a sweet flavor.

4 eggs, beaten
1 chipolata sausage, cooked and sliced
1 handful button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 leek, trimmed, rinsed and sliced
salt and pepper
small pat of butter

In a frying pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and leeks, cooking gently until softened. Add sausage, then eggs. Stir gently until just firm. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Mom's yeast biscuits

My mom made these to be smothered in sausage gravy or butter with jam. Unbelievably good.

1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water (105° to 115°)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon melted butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes.

Combine the dry ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add yeast mixture and buttermilk; stir just until moist. Cover and chill 1 hour.

Turn dough out onto a heavily floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 3-inch juice glass. Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush melted margarine over biscuit tops. Bake in preheated oven at 450° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Lakh - millet & soured milk

My husband used to make lahk every night in Senegal. I like to think of it as the Senegalese answer to Swiss muesli (oats, dried fruit and yogurt). Swap out the oats for millet and the yogurt for soured milk.

1 liter lait caillé (soured milk)
fresh coconut, chopped
handful golden raisins
1 apple, peach or mango chopped
2 bananas, chopped
1 packet vanilla flavored sugar
a few drops of fleur d'oranger flavoring (called orange blossom water in English)
2-3 cups cooked millet, warm or cooled
sugar to taste

Mix. Eat. Simple enough, right?


Lait caillé, available in French and Middle Eastern grocery stores


Yum, yum!


Authentic Senegalese millet!


Cooked millet, ready to be stirred in


Fresh coconut

Buttermilk waffles

Reminder to me: The first waffle will always be a mess. Don't give up!

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 Tbsp sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 cups buttermilk
Pam spray

Preheat waffle iron.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron. Serve while warm.

Personal topping preference: powdered sugar and fresh fruit!

Peaches and cream oatmeal

The perfect way to use the last of summer's peaches in fall's best breakfast

1 cup cooked oatmeal
1 Tbsp cream
1 peach, chopped
Maple syrup

While the oatmeal is still very hot, spoon in the cream and maple syup to taste, stir in peaches. Serve warm.

French toast à la Nicki

Nicki's is the best French toast bread ever. Soft, chewy and just light enough.

1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 thick slices Nicki's buttermilk seed bread
butter

Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Over medium-low heat, melt a small pat of of butter in a large nonstick frying pan.

Dip a slice of bread into egg mixture. Allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, then place in frying pan. Cook 2 slices of bread at a time in the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in warm oven.

Repeat with all 8 slices.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream or fruit.

Melon, mint, cucumber and tomato salad

chopped cucumber
chopped canteloupe
chopped tomato
chopped mint

Toss together. Chill before serving. Mmm...

Zucchini casserole with parmesan

We were very, very pleased with this dish. We ate it for both breakfast and lunch until it ran out!

4-6 medium zucchini, grated
4 eggs
1/3 cup light cream (15%)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2-3 Tbsp parmesan

Spread the zucchini in a large baking dish. In a bowl, beat the eggs then add cream, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix well and pour over zucchini. Stir gently to coat.

Bake in preheated oven at 350° for about 25-30 or until the egg mixture sets. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve warm. (Reheats well.)

Bagel with goat cheese and fig

This was the perfect breakfast the other morning.

Homemade or fresh plain bagel
1 round fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
1/2 tsp apricot jam (or other)
1 ripe fig, thinly sliced

French toast with apricot compote

Yum!

Compote:
8-10 apricots, pitted and cut into slices
1/6 cup sugar
3 Tbsp oranje juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer 10 minutes.

Toast:
6 slices stale bread
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 pat butter

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in milk and vanilla.

Over medium-low heat, heat a little of the butter in a skillet.

Place a slice of bread in the egg mixture for a few seconds, then carefully turn to coat the other side. Transfer the egg-soaked bread to the skillet., cooking it slowly until bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Repeat with remaining slices.

Serve French toast hot with apricot compote poured over it.

Spiced carrot zucchini bread

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1/2 cup purée carrots
1/2 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 eggs

Combine flour and the next 5 ingredients (through cloves) in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add shredded zucchini to flour mixture; toss well. Combine canola oil, buttermilk, carrot purée and eggs in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.

Pour batter into a loaf pan coated. Bake in preheated oven at 350° for 50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack then remove from pan.

French toast with zucchini bread

Cut one loaf of zucchini bread into 1/2 inch slices.

In a pie plate, mix:
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of cinnamon

Melt 1 tsp butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Dip zucchini bread slices in mixture to coat both sides. Place coated pieces in pan, frying until brown on both sides.

Serve with...all kinds of stuff! Powdered sugar, maple syrup, sliced fruit, sauce caramel, whipped cream, crème fraîche...

III's French toast

My husband's recipe - goooood stuff.

1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
8 thick slices day-old or stale loaf, brioche or challah bread
butter

Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Over medium-low heat, melt a small pat of of butter in a large nonstick frying pan.

Dip a slice of bread into egg mixture. Allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, then place in frying pan. Cook 2 slices of bread at a time in the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in warm oven. Repeat with all 8 slices.

Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream or fruit.

Bacon, mushroom and cheese breakfast bread

This recipe is more on the fluffy biscuit side rather than a dense breakfast casserole.

1 recipe Southern Girl's Biscuits
5 eggs, beaten
6 strips bacon, crumbled
3-4 white mushrooms, washed and quartered
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of rosemary
a bit of cubed or grated cheese, maybe Gouda or Emmental, Cheddar or Swiss

Spread biscuit dough evenly in baking dish. Top with bacon, mushrooms, rosemary, salt, then cheese. Pour eggs over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm and golden. As it bakes, the egg mixture will sink and the fluffy biscuit dough will rise the the top!