Breakfast Muesli For The Holidays

With the busy holiday season closing in, make this ahead of time and then proceed to make a scrumptious breakfast for one and all.

  • 2 cups large rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or pistachios, toasted
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup coconut, sweetened

In a large bowl, toast the oats, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes until golden. Transfer to a large bowl.

Toast the pumpkin seeds for about 5 minutes until they puff up, then add the nuts and toast for a further 3-4 minutes, being careful not to burn.

Add these to the oats and stir. Add the coconut and cranberries, mixing well.

 

To serve: Put a 1/2 cup of yogurt (fruit flavoured or plain, your choice) in the bottom of a pretty glass. Add a scoop of muesli to cover. To this you could add some orange segments if you wish. (or blueberries, raspberries or strawberries (quartered and sweetened)

Cover with another generous serving of yogurt and top with more muesli. Drizzle some honey over the top and serve.

The muesli will make about 4 cups.

Pineapple, Yogurt and Nut Summer Breakfast Brunch Addition

Having operated a Bed and Breakfast for so many years and hosting special Brunches, this one is a real beaut. Easy to make and easier to gobble  up.

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 large pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 chunks (roughly 4 cups of fruit)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2/3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
  • zest from 1 lime
  • 4 cups good quality plain Greek Yogurt
  • 1/4 chopped, toasted pistachios

Melt the butter in a large skillet on high heat. Add the pineapple chunks, sugar and rolled oats. Cook, stirring and continually scraping the bottom of the pan for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring until the sugar has caramelized and the pineapple softens (about 5 minutes more). Stir in the lime juice and zest.

Spread this mixture out on a parchment lined baking sheet, breaking up any large chunks. Cool slightly.

Spread the yogurt evenly in a large dish (9 x 13). Top with the pineapple mixture and sprinkle the pistachio nuts over the top.

When this is added to a bounty of warm, just out of the oven muffins, coffee, bacon, fruit salad, scrambled eggs (perhaps) or eggs benedict….you have a winner.

Christmas Morning Parfait

Make it easy this morning as you will be having a super busy day….this will help you de-stress as well.

This will serve 4 so adjust the amounts to suit the number of people at your table this morning.

 

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/4 tsp. lime zest

In a small pot, combine these ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat as soon as the sugar has completely dissolved. Cool now to room temperature.

 

Pistachio Pesto

  • 1 cup pistachios, shelled, chopped
  • 10  mint leaves
  • 1 tsp. vanilla
  • lime infused syrup (1 cup syrup with lime zest from 1 lime)
  • 1 x 500g container of vanilla yogurt
  • 1 pint of fresh raspberries

Combine the pistachios, mint leaves and vanilla in a food processor and lime infused syrup for about 25-28 seconds, until it has the consistency of a pesto.

Put 2 tbsp of the pesto in the bottom of a pretty glass, and layer 3-4 heaping tbsp. of the yogurt, a layer of the raspberies and repeat the layers, finishing with 2 more heaping tbsp. of the pesto.

In case you haven’t focused yet, these are the colours of the season. Enjoy!

Peach Cocktail Sauce

At a cooking class last night at Walnut Beach Resort, Chef Justin prepared a sauce you would never in a million years think would work BUT IT DOES.

We were having grilled shrimp (recipe tomorrow guys) and this sauce. Everyone was taking the end of the shell and scooping up every last drop in the shot glass.

 

  • 2 x 100 gram container of peach yogurt
  • 2 ripe peaches pitted
  • 3 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tbsp. hot horseradish (yup!)
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tbsp. oil

Take the pitted peaches and lightly oil them (skins still on at this point)

Place them on a hot grill and grill until they become seared and the skin begins to peel. Peel the skins off and set them aside to cool.

Mix the balance of the ingredients in a small bowl. Once the peaches have cooled, dice them as small as you can and add to the yogurt mixture. Mix well and then divide into two bowls.

Take one bowl with half  the sauce and puree it briefly until smooth. Now mix the two together and mix well.

These will be served with the Himalayan Salt grilled prawns.

Damn these are good and you did it again!

Lime Flavoured Trout Burgers

  • 1 lime
  • 1  1/4 lb. trout fillet, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp. fresh cut up oregano
  • 1/2 slice white sandwich bread
  • 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped seedless cucumber
  • 8 focaccia slices, thickly cut, toasted

Finely shred the peel from the lime and juice the lime to get 1 tsp. Set aside.

In a food processor combine the trout, egg, oregano, bread,  half the lime peel, pinch each of salt and pepper. Pulse 5-7 times until the mixture holds together. Scrape down the sides as necessary. Cover, and chill for half an hour.

In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, cucumber, remaining lime peel, small pinch of salt and pepper, and chill.

Shape the trout mixture into 4 patties. Preheat the barbecue, but cook these indirectly, grilling for about 5 minutes, turn over and cook a further 3-5 minutes.

Serve these on the toasted focaccia bread, add lettuce and top with the yogurt mixture. Hey, isn’t summer a wonderful thing? You betcha!

 

New Take On Ambrosia

This is a new take on ambrosia fruit salad and is very refreshing. On a hot summer morning, on the deck, at the beach…..it would be terrific.

 

  • 2 cups plain greek yogurt
  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 2  1/2 tbsp. honey
  • 1 tsp. lime zest
  • 2 cups coarsely chopped FRESH pineapple
  • sliced fresh fruit like papaya, blackberries, raspberries, and peaches for serving
  • shaved coconut or unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
  • 1/2  cup mini marshmallows
  • freshly grated nutmeg when serving

Whisk together the yogurt, cream. honey and zest in a bowl until it thickens and holds soft peaks.

Divide the pineapple evenly among 8 dishes (bowls). Top with the yogurt mixture and then, evenly, divide the fruit and top with the toasted coconut. A very light sprinkling of nutmeg will finish it off.

*Note: If you find this is not sweet enough, drizzle some honey over the top.

Breakfast Parfait With Homemade Granola

A friend of ours makes her own granola by the bucketful each week and with that in mind, here is my version of granola and then using it in a parfait for breakfast…either for you and yours or visiting company. You have to be careful though, if you make these meals too tasty, they may never leave.

 

  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup pecans, chopped coarsely
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (no outer shell)
  • 1/4 cup salted cashews
  • 1/4 cup pistachios
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup dried blueberries
  • 1/4 cup dried mango or papaya
  • 1 container either vanilla yogurt or flavour of your choice
  • A few fresh berries for garnish

Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Combine all the ingredients up to the dried fruit and mix well. Spread out on a large parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake 25 minutes, stirring every 5-7 minutes to ensure even browning and crunchiness. Remove from the oven and add the dried fruit. Cool to room temperature and store in airtight container.

Now for the fun…in decorative glasses (wine glasses are great), add a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt and a layer of granola, then repeat layers three or four times, finishing with yogurt. Top with a fanned strawberry or a couple of blackberries.

Wow….easy, healthy and super tasty. All that is needed now is a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Our parfaits were a favourite when we had our Bed and Breakfst.

Baked Cheese Blintz

When we operated our Bed and Breakfast we had soooooooo many recipes to use. After all, we spent a year trying, adjusting, tasting and tweeking some more the recipes we wanted to prepare and serve. (sometimes just saying that makes me laugh and sound like a mad scientist).

 

Filling

  • 1 pkg. Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tbsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla

 

Blintz

  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1  1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 1/2 cup mango juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a small bowl beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the ricotta cheese, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla and thoroughly combined. Set aside.

To make the blitz,  cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks and beat well.

You need two small bowls…one to mix together the flour and baking powder and the other to mix together the yogurt and mango juice. Add these two bowls alternately into the egg mixture and blend thoroughly.

Pour half the batter into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Cover the batter with the filling (carefully) making sure to spread to the edges.

Bake for about 50 minutes, until golden brown.

Remove and serve with fresh fruit. This will make 8 people very happy.

Coconut And Green Tea Ice Cream

This one is for all the green tea lovers…..it quite green in colour (gee, no kidding!) What was I thinking?

 

  • 1 cup plain yogurt, stirred
  • 1/2 cup 35-40% whipping cream
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 5 whole eggs
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. matcha (green tea powder)

In a saucepan bring the yogurt and cream just to the boiling point. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a bowl, beat 3/4 of the coconut milk, eggs, sugar and tea powder for 1 minute.

Pour this liquid in a thin, but steady, stream into the eggs, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.

Transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Pour inmediately into a clean bowl and whisk in the remainder of the coconut milk.

Pour into a 8 inch square pan and place in the freezer. Stir the mixture every 20 minutes with a whisk, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides to prevent crystals forming. Set the timer to be sure.

When the ice cream is firm but not too hard, transfer to a plastic container with a tight lid, seal well and store in the freezer overnight.

 

Wht a cool way to relax in the summer heat.

Queso Fresco (Mexican Cheese)

This is so easy, it is ridiculous. Not only that, it is good too.

  • 4 cups whole milk (not skim, 1 or 2%)
  • 2 tbsp. Greek yogurt
  • juice of 2 limes
  • cheesecloth

Bring milk and yogurt to 180 F over medium heat. Remove from heat and mix in the lime juice. Cover with a damp clolth and let sit 15 minutes.

Strain through the cheesecloth for 25-35 minutes, depending on soft you want the cheese to be. Refrigerate.

 

I told you it was simple.

Parfait With Blackberries, Candied Ginger And Granola

This is a great breakfast fare when you have company for the weekend..be it for a wedding, long weekend get-together, Anniversary celebration….it is sinple, fantastic in taste and showy in presentation. Go for it!

  • 5 1/2 cups granola
  • 1 cup dried cherries, chopped coarsely
  • 2 tbsp. candied ginger, finely chopped
  • 3 – 17.6 oz. containers of a good Greek yogurt
  • honey
  • large plastic, resealable plastic bag

Mix together the granola, dried cherries and ginger together in a bowl and set aside..

In the bottom of your trifle bowl, pour the yogurt into the plastic bag, snip off the corner and pipe a 1 inch thick layer on the bottom of the bowl.

Scatter 1  1/2 cups of the berries on the yogurt layer and drizzle with honey.

Sprinkle 3 cups of the granola over the berries. Repeat this one time…layer of yogurt, berries and honey and granola mixture. Mound 1 cup of berries in the center and drizzle with warm honey.

When we ran the Bed and Breakfast, I would make individual parfait dishes for our guests. They are pretty, have the wow factor and taste so scrumptious.

Chilled juice and pots of freshly brewed coffee. You can also serve with warm-from-the-oven muffins that you also made.

 

Frozen Apricot Yogurt

All you really need for this frozen delight is an ice cream maker. If you use California apricots you attain a more intense flavour and colour that seems to be missing when using any other type.

 

  • 1  1/2 cups sugar
  • 1  3/4 cups cold water
  • 2 cups soft dried apricots
  • 3  1/2 cups whole milk plain yogurt
  • 2  1/2 tsp. unflavoured gelatin

Bring sugar and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Keep stirring until the sugar dissolves and then add in the apricots. Turn down the heat and simmer, covered until they become soft and plump. This should take about 25 minutes or so.

Strain the apricots over a bowl and return the syrup to the pot. Cook this for about 4-5 minutes until it becomes a dark caramel colour. This will be bubbling, so remove from the heat to check the colour properly.

Very carefully, add 1/2 cup of water, returning the pot to medium heat and keep stirring until the caramel dissolves.

Put the apricots into a blender and puree until smooth and then cool to room temperataure.

Whisk the apricots and yogurt together until well combined and cover with plastic. Chill in the fridge for about 5 hours.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining 1/4 cup of water in a small saucepan and let sit for about 1 – 1  1/2 minutes to soften. Heat this up, stirring until dissolves then immediately whisk into the apricot mixture.

Freeze this in an ice cream maker and  transfer to an airtight container and freeze.