After what seems like months of unbearable heat, we enjoyed a cool and rainy day yesterday. Finally a chance to use the oven. I love to bake, and have realized that no matter how creative I am experimenting with all sorts of recipes and techniques for the grill, including a cheesecake, I miss baking something in my oven. So as I was listening to the gentle rumble of thunder, I decided to put a second pot of coffee on and savor my cool stormy morning sifting flour. Here’s what I came up with.

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Blueberry Almond Quick Bread

Easy to make blueberry bread drenched with a lemon glaze and finished with an almond icing.

Course Breads, Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Ingredients

Blueberry bread

• 1½ cups flour + 1 Tablespoon divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoon lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 1½ cup fresh blueberries
• ¼ cup slivered almonds

Lemon Syrup

• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup sugar

Almond Icing

• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons water

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan, dust with flour, tap out excess.

Blueberry bread

• In a medium bowl, whisk together, flour, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, mix together yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, extracts, and oil.
• Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Stir until mixture is smooth.
• In a small bowl toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour to coat. Gently fold blueberries and almonds into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Allow bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out on a wire rack over a piece of parchment paper to glaze with lemon syrup.

Lemon Syrup

• Heat lemon juice and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. Continue heating for about three minutes or until syrup just begins to boil.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Glaze

• Place a piece of parchment or wax paper under the cooling rack. Using a tooth pick or thin chopstick, poke holes in the top of the warm loaf of bread. Slowly pour the warm syrup over the bread allowing it to soak in to the loaf.
• Cool Completely before icing

Icing

• Mix powdered sugar with almond extract.
• Add water about a half a teaspoon at a time to make a thin icing.
• Drizzle over the top of the bread.
• Allow icing to set up before serving.

A sumptuous bacon and egg cup perched high on top puff pastry and fresh tomato, served with steamed asparagus and hollandaise sauce, “Eggs Vivian” is the brunch dish dreams are made of.It is possible that you have never heard of a dish called eggs Vivian. You might have heard of fabergé eggs created by designer Vivian Alexander that are also works of art, but that is not where I got the name for my masterpiece. The inspiration for this delight was my mothers’, mothers’, sister, my great Aunt Vivian.

Born in 1897, Vivian spent her working years as a teacher, and by the time I was five years of age, was already an old woman. Upon her retirement, Vivian who had never married, moved to be close to her sister and our family. As a treat, from time to time she would invite us children, usually one at a time, to spend the weekend with her. We would have a wonderful time playing educational games like Authors, the 50 states, reading books, helping solve crossword puzzles, and making mobius strips. Things that would send a child of today run away screaming. As an extra treat, sometimes for breakfast, she would make me her special bacon and egg cups. I had never seen them anywhere else and remember thinking how fancy they were.

Several years ago, my partner Kelly and I hosted Christmas in our home, and invited the entire family to come and stay. It was rather exciting, since our family had not all been together for a holiday for more than twenty years. I decked the halls and planned the menus. One morning for breakfast we served bacon and egg cups, and me being me, and somewhat silly, called the dish “eggs Vivian”. As we sat enjoying the marvelous meal, my youngest sister Rosemary asked why the name. I related my story of how our great Auntie would make them for me on my stay overs. With a saddened look on her face, she announced that Vivian had never made them for her. With an equally disappointed look on her face, my other sister Jennifer followed suit and mentioned she had never had them either. My mother, who was know to be Vivian’s favorite niece put down her fork, and in a disgusted tone blurted out that she never made them for her either. Thus the birth of eggs Vivian. Oh the joys of sharing at the holidays.

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Eggs Vivian

A sumptuous bacon and egg cup perched high on top puff pastry and fresh tomato, served with steamed asparagus and Hollandaise sauce, “Eggs Vivian” is the brunch dish dreams are made of.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 6 eggs
• 6 strips bacon precooked halfway
• 1 sheet puff pastry dough
• 1 tomato sliced
• ½ pound asparagus steamed
• 2 cups hollandaise sauce

Instructions

• Heat oven to 400° F.
• Roll out puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut shapes out of the dough and bake on a parchment covered baking sheet for 12 minutes, according to the directions.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon for 4-5 minutes or until about half way cooked.
• Lightly spray a muffin pan with non stick spray. Curl a strip of bacon into each cup, followed by an egg.
• Bake egg cups at 400° F for about 12 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to stand for a few minutes before removing them from the pan. (The eggs will appear slightly under cooked but will set up quickly as they rest).

Serve

• Place a slice of tomato on the puff pastry and top with an egg cup. Serve with asparagus with Hollandaise sauce.

Notes

This is one dish I promise, that is certain to become a favorite in your house.

The post Egg & Bacon Cups ~ Eggs Vivian first appeared on James & Everett.]]> https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/08/26/egg-bacon-cups-eggs-vivian/feed/ 0 1281 https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/07/11/nutella-filled-french-toast/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nutella-filled-french-toast https://jamesandeverett.com/2012/07/11/nutella-filled-french-toast/#respond Wed, 11 Jul 2012 14:30:32 +0000 https://jamesandeverett.com/?p=1152 Here is one the Nutella lover in you family is sure to enjoy, french toast filled with chocolate and hazelnut goodness. This sinfully delicious treat is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth for breakfast or brunch. Classic french toast filled with chocolate and …

Here is one the Nutella lover in you family is sure to enjoy, french toast filled with chocolate and hazelnut goodness. This sinfully delicious treat is the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth for breakfast or brunch.

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Nutella Filled French Toast

Classic french toast filled with chocolate and hazelnut goodness.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 8 slices french bread
• 4 Tablespoons Nutella
• 2 eggs
• maple syrup

Instructions

• Slice french bread into 3/4" slices.
• Spread with Nutella to make "sandwiches.
• Roll sandwiches in beaten egg.
• Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Lightly spray with non-stick oil.
• When hot add stuffed french toast to pan.
• Cook until golden on both sides turning only once.
• Serve hot with maple syrup.

 

The post Nutella Filled French Toast first appeared on James & Everett.]]>

One of my favorite berries would have to be the blueberry, and this coffee cake is chock full of them. Spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and anise, this cake influence by an Italian dessert is just perfect with a fresh cup of coffee.

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Blueberry Coffee Cake

One of my favorite berries would have to be the blueberry, and this coffee cake is chock full of them. Spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and anise, this cake influence by an Italian dessert is just perfect with a fresh cup of coffee.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 16

Ingredients

Coffee Cake

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup butter softened
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups blueberries
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground anise
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crumble Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or almonds
• 3 Tablespoons cold butter cubed

Instructions

Coffee Cake

• Heat your oven to 375 F, and prepare an 8″ x 8″ baking dish by greasing the bottom and sides. Cream together the butter and egg.
• Sift together all dry ingredients.
• Alternately add milk and dry ingredients until well mixed (The batter will be thick)
• Gently fold in the blueberries.

Crumble Topping

• Mix topping ingredients together with a fork or pastry cutter

Bake

• Spread blueberry cake batter into the prepared baking dish, and then spread the crumble the topping evenly.
• Bake for 40 – 45 minutes or until top is browned.

Now brew a fresh pot of coffee, and turn on some nice relaxing music. It is your turn to savor the rewards of your work.

Nothing sticks to your ribs better than a plate of biscuits and gravy. This southern dish has become a mainstay for many diners across the country. Prepared in a wide variety of ways this menu item is extremely popular for breakfast or dinner. In its most simple form B&G is simply a white sauce made with the drippings of sausage or bacon, milk, and usually spiced with some black pepper. Other versions include sausage or bacon bits, onions, or peppers. When ordering this dish in a restaurant, remember to check the menu to see how it is listed, whether it is biscuits and gravy, or biscuits and sausage gravy, cause there is a big difference.

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Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

A delicious white sauce made with the drippings of sausage or bacon, milk, and spiced with some roasted red pepper.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American, Home Cooking

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage
• ½ cup onion diced
• ½ cup roasted red pepper diced
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 - 3 cups milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh parsley or green onions chopped

Instructions

• Prepare the biscuits according to the instructions on the label.
• Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the meat is about halfway cooked add the onion and roasted red pepper. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onions are caramelized.
• Sprinkle the flour across the top of the skillet. Mix until all of the four is absorbed. Cook the mixture for 4 – 5 minutes. This will remove the “floury taste” from the gravy.
• Add enough milk to the pan to cover the sausage mixture about 2 cups.
• Bring the gravy to a slow boil to thicken. If the gravy is too thick, add more milk a little at a time allowing the mixture to return to a boil before adding more (gravy is easier to thin than thicken, so take it easy on the milk).
• Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes. Gravy become thicker the longer it cooks, add more milk if need for desired thickness.

Serve

• Break biscuits in half and spoon a generous amount of gravy over top. Add some fresh chopped parsley or green onion for some delicious color.

Blue plate’s featured diner: Tom’s Diner

Tom’s diner located at 601 East Colfax in Denver, Colorado is a throwback to the golden age of diners. Open 24 hours a day, this location is the absolute best spot for watching the Denver insomniacs and the late night bar flies.

Some of my favorite diner foods are those with a spicy kick. Bring me breakfast burritos, huevos rancheros, or chilaquiles anytime and I am a happy camper. Enchiladas with poached eggs is another dish that I really enjoy. Served with a screwdriver or a Michelada this brunch special is the perfect way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

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Eggs Poached in Enchilada Sauce

Delicate poached eggs swimming in a hot spicy sauce.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine Mexican, Southwestern

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Enchilada Sauce

• 2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 4 Tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon oregano
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Eggs

• 4 eggs
• 2 cups enchilada sauce
• flour or corn tortillas or toast
• green onion thinly sliced

Instructions

Enchilada Sauce

• Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir together over the heat for one minute.
• Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano).
• Gradually add in the stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until thick.
• Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to two weeks.

Eggs

• Place about 2 inches of enchilada sauce in a large skillet and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to medium
• Carefully drop in desired number of eggs, leaving room between them.
• Allow eggs to simmer until whites are almost set, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Serve
• Serve eggs and sauce over a warmed tortilla or toast. Top with green onion.

Notes

Recipe can be adjusted for any number. Be sure to use a large enough skillet, do not crowd the eggs.

 

Cook eggs longer if a firm yolk is preferred.

Featured Diner:

Taco house in Denver is a inexpensive Mexican diner. Their cheese and onion enchiladas and taco burgers are some of my personal favorites. This location at 1335 Wadsworth blvd in Lakewood hosts some of the fastest and friendliest service I have ever experienced, making this place a true diner experience.