Quick Breakfast Potatoes

On the weekends, there is nothing better than a nice diner breakfast. Until you get to the diner, and it is packed with all the other people who had that same thought. Now your quick meal turned into a 45 minute wait and your breakfast is trying to take over lunch territory. With this quick recipe, you can whip up diner quality breakfast potatoes in no time, right from your own kitchen. (I know your still in your PJs, don't worry, I won't tell)

To have enough to serve 5, you are going to need...

3 lbs red or baking potatoes
1 medium red pepper
1 medium yellow onion
4-5 cloves of garlic
4 tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, black pepper & cayenne pepper, to taste
Dash of paprika

Preheat your oven to 425F degrees. Start off by scrubbing your potatoes clean. I like to keep the skins on, so I make sure to get off any last traces of dirt from the farm. Dice the potatoes into 1/4" cubes. Next up, dice the pepper and onion to be evenly sized with the potatoes. We want everything to cook at the same time, so its important to keep everything relatively the same size. Finely mince the garlic and toss it in with the rest of your ingredients in a large bowl.

Add your oil and melted butter to the bowl and toss to evenly coat everything. Sprinkle on the salt, peppers and paprika. I like to go light on the salt here, you can always add more later on when they come out of the oven if you need to.

Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 35-40 minutes. After the first 20 minutes, give it a good toss. Once your potatoes are completely cooked through and soft, crank up the heat baby to get those potatoes nice and crispy for the last 10-15 minutes. 500F degrees should do the trick.

Give them a taste and you decide if you should add another sprinkle of salt or dash of peppers. Serve with a side of eggs, or serve on the side of eggs. Personally, I really like my potatoes to take front and center. Enjoy!

All-in-One Breakfast Muffins

These muffins are really taking my breakfast routine by storm. First of all, they are so easy to prepare ahead and freeze. When its time for breakfast, pop it in the microwave for a bit and you've got a fresh from the oven tasting muffin.

On top of all that, these muffins take the stars from all your favorite breakfast classics and roll them into one quick bite. You've got your eggs, some oatmeal, bananas and throw in some chocolate chips for good measure. I mean, who wouldn't want to start the day with some chocolate.

To make a dozen muffins, you are going to need

3 medium bananas, extra ripe
1 cup milk (I've used both regular and almond milk and they both taste great)
2 large eggs
1 tbsp baking powder
3 1/2 cups oats (see note below)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Heat up your oven to 375F degrees and prepare a muffin tin by lining each cup with a muffin liner.

Now we can 'prepare' the oats. To do so, I use old fashioned oats and pulse them in a food processor until about half are shredded. Make sure to leave some of the oats whole as they add a nice texture to the muffin.

Ready for the really easy part? Put all of your ingredients in one bowl (EXCEPT the chocolate chips) and mix together using a hand mixer or your stand mixer. Yup, toss them all in there for one big party.

Toss in your chocolate chips and mix in with a spoon.

Scoop the mixture into your muffin liners so they are just filled, right to the top. These muffins do not have a big rise, so don't be afraid to fill them right to the top. Sprinkle some extra chocolate chips on top for good measure. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before you freeze, or enjoy them right away.

Swiss Chard & Onion Frittata

Frittatas are a great way to slip vegetables into a delicious breakfast. Unlike an omelet, a frittata has all the fix-ins mixed in with the eggs, instead of folded in like an omelet. Also, frittatas are great to eat at room temperature, which makes them perfect for brunch with the girls.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion

1 large bunch Swiss chard

8 large eggs

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Salt & ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Slice the onions.

Roughly chop the Swiss chard. Rinse it off and dry it.

To a large skillet, melt your butter and add your sliced onions. Cook on medium-low heat so the onions caramelize and really get a nice flavor without burning.

Add the Swiss chard on top of the onions and stir until they wilt down to about half the original size.

In a mixing bowl, combine your eggs, cheese and some salt and pepper. Whisk it all together.

Pour the egg mixture right over your vegetables. Cook for 5-6 minuntes on medium heat until the edges have set but the top is still a bit runny.

Place the pan right into the oven (make sure your using an oven safe pan!) and cook for an additional 5 minutes to set the top. You will see it really puffs up nice when you pull it from the oven.

Slice the fritatta and serve with some toasty bread. A great way to start the morning with some healthy greens. Enjoy!

Caramelized Onion and Red Kale Frittata

The sweet caramelized onions along with the buttery flavor of the red kale make this frittata great for any time of the day. You can serve it for breakfast along with toast or for lunch/dinner with a fresh salad. To lighten it up, you can switch out 4 eggs for egg whites. The popularity of kale is on the rise due to its health benefits. Filled with antioxidant-rich vitamins A, C and K and plenty of minerals, this is one vegetable you want to keep in your diet.

Recipe yields 6 servings

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion
1 bunch red kale (about 6-7 cups)
8 large eggs
1/2 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Start off by thinly slicing your onions.

Add the onions and butter to a warm cast iron skillet set to medium heat. Once the butter has melted, stir the onions to coat. Cook slowly and allow to brown until nicely caramelized.

In the meantime, wash the kale and dry it off. Cut off the stems and chop into 1/2" pieces. Slice the leaves into thin ribbons. Once the onions are nicely browned, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the kale to the pan and cook 2-3 minutes until wilted.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, shredded cheese, some salt and a little pepper.

Once the kale has wilted, pour the egg mixture into the pan and top it off with the reserved onions.

Cook for 5-6 minutes until the edges begin to set but the top is still watery. Remove the stove and place in the oven for an additional 5-6 minutes to allow the top to set.

Remove from the oven and cut into slices. Serve alongside toast at breakfast or a fresh greens salad for lunch. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pecan Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is so delicious. The cake is moist and the crumble is packed with flavor from the pecans. I made this to bring with me to a birthday party for dessert. Once I took one bite, I knew I would soon be craving it alongside my morning cup of tea. This cake can also easily be altered to include chopped apples, strawberries or any other berries.

Recipe yields one cake (about 16 squares)

Ingredients
1 cup + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries

Crumble:
2 tbsp unsalted butter (cold)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Prepare an 8"x8" baking pan by lining with foil and coating in non-stick cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and oil until evenly combined.

Add in the sugar and mix until smooth and incorporated.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, the milk and the vanilla extract. Mix until all ingredients are well combined.

Slowly add in the flour mixture and continue to mix until just incorporated. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to mix in all the ingredients.

Pour your batter into the prepared baking pan.

In a separate bowl, mix together the blueberries and the remaining tablespoon of flour until all blueberries have a nice coating. This process helps the berries from sinking to the bottom of the batter and allows the berries to remain 'floating' in the cake. Drop the berries on top of the batter and gently push down with the back of a spoon.

Now we can put together our crumble for the top of the cake. In a new bowl, combine the cold butter and sugar. Using a pastry blender or a knife, cut the two together until crumbles begin to form. Add in the pecans and continue to mix together until combined.

Sprinkle the topping over the cake and gently pat down.

Place the cake in the oven and bake for 48-50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.

Let the cake cool in the pan. Once cool, sprinkle the top with a little bit of powdered sugar. Cut into squares and serve for breakfast or dessert. Enjoy!

Mother's Day Breakfast (Sausage & Veggie Hash + Homemade Cinnamon Buns)

I hope everyone had a very Happy Mother's Day! This year, I treated my mom to a deliciously simple, homemade breakfast. We started off with Sausage & Veggie Hash with eggs and finished things off with Homemade Cinnamon Buns. First up, the hash.

Recipe yields 4 large servings

Ingredients
5 medium red potatoes
4 sweet Italian sausage
1 small red pepper
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 medium yellow onion
1 large clove garlic
1-2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp paprika

8 large eggs (2 per person)

 

Start off by preparing all your vegetables. Finely dice the carrot, celery, pepper and onion. Mince the garlic and cut the potatoes into a small dice.

Coat the bottom of a cast iron skillet with canola oil and heat on high. Add your vegetables and stir to cover in oil. Remove the casing from the sausage and crumble it in the pan with the vegetables.

Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

Prepare your eggs however you like them, I did sunny side up. Plate the hash and top with your eggs.

Next up is the recipe for a batch of delicious cinnamon buns. This recipe was lightly adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction. Check out her website for many other delicious treats.

Recipe yields 15 cinnamon buns

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 package dry yeast

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup milk

2 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 large egg

Pan Preparation:

1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp brown sugar

Filling:

2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp milk

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Combine ingredients using the paddle attachment.

In a separate bowl, add the water, milk and butter and heat until butter is melted and mixture is hot.

Change to the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer and add in the liquid ingredients. Mix on low speed and increase speed as ingredients become incorporated. Add in the egg and continue to mix. Now you have the option of removing your dough and kneading on a well floured surface, or you can leave it in your mixer and increase the speed to medium for 3 minutes. The mixer will knead your dough for you - now isn't that easy.

Remove your dough to a greased bowl and allow to rest for 10 minutes or so. Really all we are doing here is letting the yeast work its magic. In the meantime, you can prepare your baking dish. I chose to use a round dish, but you can use a baking sheet as well if you want to double the recipe and have more room. I greased the bottom and sides of my dish with the butter and then sprinkled it with the brown sugar. This gives the bottoms a little extra sweetness!

During your wait, you can also mix together the sugar and cinnamon for your filling.

Now it is time to roll out the dough. Make sure your work surface is well floured and use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle. Mine was about 9 inches wide and 14 inches long and it gave me 15 perfect sized buns.

Next, you want to take your softened butter and spread it all over the surface of your dough in an even layer. Make sure to get every last inch covered.

Now you can sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon mixture over the butter in an even layer.

Starting at one of the long edges, tightly begin to roll your dough into a long tube. Roll it nice and tight.

Once it is all rolled together, it is time to slice the tube into little buns. The best trick for this is to use a piece of unscented dental floss. It will make a perfect edge without squishing down the roll. Make the buns about 1 inch wide each. Arrange in your dish and lightly cover with tin foil.

Now we have to wait for our buns to rise, about 1 hour and 15 minutes should do it. I know, I know its grueling and painful when all you want to do is eat them. To keep my mind busy, I prepared my dough early in the morning and cooked the rest of my breakfast while I was waiting. The buns went into the oven once we were finished eating our eggs. With about 20 minutes to go, preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Once ready, pop the buns in the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes. While in the oven, whip together your sugar glaze by combining all ingredients with a hand mixer or a whisk.

Once the buns are ready, drizzle with a generous amount of glaze and serve warm. I hope you enjoy these delicious treats!