Category Archives: Breakfast

Easiest , restaurant quality, breakfast recipes -chef inspired.

Mango Lassi – Indian Yogurt Drink

Posted on by
Reply

One of my eldest’s son’s favorite restaurants is near the forum in Inglewood. Last time, we ate there my daughter discovered their Sweet Traditional Mango Lassisweet, mango lassi. It is such a simple recipe, that now we make it at home the way the restaurant does. Plus, it is a great breakfast alternative because of the fruit and yogurt – that and you can put it in a cup and take it in the car for a breakfast or snack on the go.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

  • 2 Cups Plain Yogurt
  • 2 Cans Sweetened Mango (like Dole) or Sweetened Mango Pulp (available in Indian Markets).
  • Additional Honey or Sugar to sweeten (optional).
  • Milk to thin (if desired).

 

Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Serve over ice. 

Yogurt Parfait – my daughter’s favorite healthy snack or breakfast

Posted on by
3

A Seinfeld episode is what made me realize that we often give names to foods that make them sound better than they are (even if they are delicious). The example? (I’m paraphrasing). George says, “Crudités….they are just you know, like cut vegetables, right?!….”

 

 

Peaches are in season, but you can use berries.

Peaches are in season, but you can use berries.

Yogurt Parfait by any other name is layered yogurt and fruit. Oh well, maybe add some granola and honey. Doesn’t sound quite as enticing, does it? But I have to tell ya, when I pack the ingredients separately in a way that my daughter (and her friends if it’s after school) can layer together to make their own snack, and if I’m lucky, I happen to have some clean see-through glass options so there’s actually some sort of “presentation” going on….and I say, Hey, LOOK! It’s a Yogurt Parfait….it’s a winner!

 

 

  • Plain yogurt
  • Cut fruit (frozen or fresh Peaches or any type of berry, like fresh Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, MythicalBerries…..etc….)
  • Granola , or (simple oven toasted sugared oatmeal)
  • Honey 

 

 

Such an easy recipe, your kids can make it on their own after school.

Such an easy recipe, your kids can make it on their own after school.

Did you ever make sand castles as a kid? Or layer sand in a bottle or bucket? No different really. Just layer ingredients above in this order. So easy! Either make ahead of time for guests in crystal glasses with fancier ingredients (like crème fraîche) or, let your kids make their own in what appear to be crystal like wine glasses from either the Dollar Tree or 99 cents store (one dollar a piece, such a deal) or in a clear recyclable plastic cup that wants to grow up to be a bike some day and ridden on the strand.  

 

 

Hollandaise Sauce : Recipe

Posted on by
Reply

Hollandaise is a great sophisticated sauce that can be surprisingly easy to make. If you have a blender or even just a whisk it is incredibly easy! Even Julia Child made this recipe with a blender. Rich, tangy and luscious hollandaise can be poured over simple steamed vegetables like asparagus or broccoli or a simple poached fish like salmon. This basic recipe can be expanded easily by substituting white wine vinegar for the lemon juice and adding tarragon (which then turns the sauce into a “bearnaise” sauce recipe).

 

Simple Blender Hollandaise Ingredients

Egg Yolks, Melted Butter, Lemon Juice and spices. So easy!

  • 3-4 Egg Yolks (best if eggs are at room temperature)
  • Dash Hot Sauce
  • 1 stick (which is 4 ounces or 1/2 Cup) Melted Butter
  • 1-2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice 
  • Salt and Pepper (most chefs use White Pepper)

 

Break egg yolks in a bowl first, just in case some of the whites or some shell accidentally fall in. Melt the butter in a microwave proof dish (like a glass Pyrex) in 10 second increments until melted. 

 

Put all except the butter in the blender. 

 

The Eye of the Hollandaise Storm in the blender.

The Eye of the Hollandaise Storm in the blender.

Slowly add the melted butter through the hole at the top of the blender until fully blended and thickened. Done!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hollandaise over Eggs for brunch.

Hollandaise over Eggs for brunch.

Pour over poached eggs on ham and toasted english muffins or Udi’s GF bagels (as we made for our son last week) for a great Eggs Benedict breakfast. Or, even just fried eggs on toast with this sauce, upgrades any simple breakfast easily.

 

 

Greek Bougatsa

Posted on by
Reply

 

A traditional breakfast in Greece made with custard, "Sweet Pockets".

“Sweet Pockets”, a traditional breakfast in Greece.. Also makes a great dessert!

A simple, traditional Greek breakfast recipe that also can couple as a rich dessert.

 

Ingredients:

  • Phyllo Dough; thawed but still in package

  • Mizithra Cheese (A Greek Cheese that is a fresh and sweet goat cheese available at cheese shops and Greek Markets. Do not purchase the sour or aged versions for this recipe. If you can’t find it, you can substitute Marscapone or Ricotta).

  • Confectioners Sugar and/or Honey

  • ½ stick of butter melted for 20 seconds in a microwavable dish in the microwave.

Heat your oven to 350 degrees F.

 

Have the butter and a pastry brush at the ready.

 

Carefully unroll the phyllo dough from its’ package. You’ll need about 12 sheets.

 

Place the phyllos inside a casserole dish. The phyllo may hang over the edge. That’s ok.

Place about 1-2 Cups of the Misithra Cheese in the center and spread it around a bit so that it fills up an 8 inch by 6 inch rectangle. 

 

Brush butter around the cheese on the phyllo sheets.

 

Fold the corners of only 2 to 3 sheets of the phyllo sheets over the cheese to cover the cheese completely like you are folding an envelope.

 

Brush the surfaces of the remaining exposed sheet (that was not yet folded) and then repeat folding another 2 to 3 sheets of phyllos over the cheese again.

 

Continue until all of the phyllo is covering the cheese and you have a rectangle.

 

Brush the entire rectangle with butter.

 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until the phyllos is golden brown and the cheese is warm to hot.

 

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and/or honey. Slice like brownies to serve.

 easy, recipe, simple, greek, fun, kid friendly,