Creative Breakfasts for Mommie and Baby

It's true: I haven't posted on this blog in *years* and really don't know where I found the time.  
But I do love writing about my adventures in nourishing, delicious cooking!  

I got a question from a dear friend, and enjoyed responding so much, I thought I'd share it here.

Her question was:
Hi, my tiffie!  I would love to get hot, relatively quick breakfast meals for the mornings I go to work ~ steel cut oatmeal is losing its favor with me.  Something where baby Seone [15 months] can easily share with me ~ b/c she is such a big girl now!!  Any ideas?  

Here's what I wrote:

Hi, Arlene! 

I am high as a kite having just learned that Tiff had their baby this morning!!  baby Jude.  <3 br="" nbsp="" style="font-family: Verdana;">
My suggestion for breakfast food is custards!  they are so easy and so versatile.  i make a custard out of eggs, and leftovers.  the variations are endless.  
Just think frittata with a little extra liquid.  
when i make them, i count how many eggs most people usually eat, and add an extra one or two depending on how many servings you want [if cooking for a group ~ add two, if cooking for just a couple ~ add one].  
then add... soup... already cooked veggies... cooked fruits... nuts... i mean, the options really are endless!  the Official ratio for a custard is 1 egg per cup of liquid. but it is really just so flexible.  and if you want it to bake faster, just put it in smaller baking dishes.  so a "typical" custard for me would be.. 8 eggs ~ you can even add extra yolks for nourishment, and 1 pint of leftover soup.  puree with handheld blender ~ or NOT! ~ add 1/2 cup of melted fat of your choice, seasoning, and then bake at 365 until the center is not liquidy, and the top is browned.  you can add cheese on top for extra deliciousness [broil this in the last minutes if you want].  it is really so flexible.  the other day i made a custard with eggs, leftover co-op soup (which had black beans, corn, and bits of bacon, and cream), leftover restaurant grits, and then grated cheese all over the top.  it was soooo good.  everyone (family and friends) marveled.  ;-) 
another favorite is eggs with ... yogurt or cream, sliced-thin apples, and then leftover/precooked oat groats.  cinnamon and a little honey if you like.  chopped nuts are nice in this too, like walnuts or pecans.  it really just goes on and on.  

winter squash puree makes an excellent easy one.  

do you get the idea?  please ask more questions if needed! :-)  


Also, hearty breakfast muffins ~ just add a little extra solid to the custard = you have a muffin! 

my basic ratio is: 
3 eggs
1 yolk
1 cup of small coconut flakes
1/2 cup liquidy something, such as yogurt or banana or applesauce
spices and a 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1/4 cup melted fat, such as butter/ghee or coconut oil, poured in slowly as you mix


i add a sprinkle of [grassfed] gelatin [here's my source] for extra nourishment, flax seeds, nuts.. 

here is a recipe from some i made and posted on my blog, with a reference to the original recipe, for some examples. 
http://food-a-file.blogspot.com/2011/11/baked-sweet-grain-free-acorn-squash.html

and here's another recipe.  i've been playing with bananas lately, and recently have been adding carob chips and/or carob powder to the mix, and it is just so delicious (don't know if your carob chip source is as good as the one at our co-op, but i hope so!  you could also use chocolate, but don't know if that would sit well with Seoney!) 
http://food-a-file.blogspot.com/2011/07/baked-homey-grain-free-banana-bread.html
I make these for breakfast and don't mind if Anjali [4yo] eats them exclusively all day long; they are just so wholesome, nourishing, and satisfying.  they also hold me over for hours; they are so hearty.  no mid-morning sugar-crashes in sight! 

I hope this helps.  Please let me know if you have questions.  once you get the hang of these, they take just a few minutes to put together ~ which can be done the night before, and baking time.  so, a little longer than oatmeal, but they offer so many options.  <3 nbsp="">

Baked: Sweet Grain-Free Acorn Squash Muffins

It is essential for me that when someone tries something I make, they simply say, "This is good." I don't want them to say, "This is good...considering it's [grain-free] [healthy] [made with liver] [etc.]." So I'm excited to be experimenting with grain-free treats that are simply yummy ~ not conditionally yummy. ;-) It's also important to me not to use specialty ingredients. Real, old-fashioned ingredients that are no longer generally carried at a regular grocery, such as soup bones and liver from grass-fed animals ~ yes; fancy "gluten-free flour" ~ no.

I've been using this grain-free muffin recipe for years now. And I've honed custards (a mix of egg with liquid, such as cream or milk, soup, pureed veggie or fruit, etc.: looks like a post I need to create!) ~ both sweet and savory ~ to a perfection. So now I'm working with this concept: of eggs with different thickenings, essentially, to come up with all kinds of (mildly) sweet, grain-free baked deliciousness. My way of cooking, mind you, is largely "a little of this, a little of that;" I only use rough measurements. And I encourage you to try this method in your own kitchen as much as you dare. It takes practice and a bit of adventure. But if you start with quality ingredients, even if it's not contest-worthy, it'll most likely still taste good. ;-)

So here's a rough recipe I created this morning that turned out yummy. Especially successful because the toddler asked for seconds and thirds! I hope I have the time to share more of these recipes soon.

Sweet Grain-Free Acorn Squash Muffins

makes 9 small muffins

Preheat oven to 375.

3 eggs ~ from a local farm you know and trust

about 1/3 cup leftover baked acorn squash (butternut or pumpkin would work well, too)

1/4 cup flax seeds, ground in a seed/coffee grinder

1/4 tsp organic butter, melted

3-4 medjool dates, pitted and chopped fine (or chopped in a food processor)

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Extra butter to grease the muffin cups.

Blend all ingredients. I use a hand-held mixer. Pour into well-greased muffin cups. Bake until firm and brown ~ no longer than 30 minutes; probably closer to 20.

These muffins are so moist and satisfying! My 3 year old daughter ate three at one sitting! That's a record-breaker. The flax helps them to stay together and have body, while not being too "flaxy" (read: "crunchy-granola 'healthy'"). And the dates add just enough sweet without creating a sugar high and subsequent crash! These muffins stand on their own, but you know I won't flinch if you melt some butter or cream cheese on top. And I bet a drizzle of raw local honey would be divine!

Involve your children in the process! Kids love to help if we'll let them. And helping ensures they'll like the end product more because they can take pride in it. It might take a few more minutes, and some food might end up on the counter or on the floor. However, an interest in cooking that starts early is a life-skill that is worth the investment. Anjali helped me make these by pouring in the dry ingredients after I measured them. She also quality-checked the dates. ;-)

Using Up the CSA Veggies: Sunday Morning Frittata

Frittatas are excellently versatile and hearty for any meal, and are easy to make. Their leftovers also make great cold or re-warmed snacks. I called this a "Sunday Morning Frittata" because it takes a bit of time to prep the veggies, and frittatas have a festive, "Sunday Brunch" kind of presentation. But of course you could prep the veggies and eggs the night before and quickly and easily make a frittata any morning of the week.

I've been making frittatas regularly with our CSA subscription to Riverdog Farm, as they can incorporate so many veggies with delicious results. Just chop up whatever veggies you want to use ~ onions or garlic always make a nice base, plus maybe a starchy vegetable, such as sweet potato, potato, or beet, and then a huge pile of greens ~ so good for you, and cook down to next-to-nothing, so they don't take up a lot of space. Plus eggs, maybe add a seasoning herb, and some cheese on top at the last minute for added flavor and satiety. Voila! A satisfying, rainbow-nutritious meal in a skillet!

Beet, Spring Onion, and Spinach Frittata

pastured lard and/or grassfed butter or ghee for the pan (be good to yourself; be generous with the fats!)

(I also added a spoonful of nitrate-free, pastured bacon grease for flavor)

3 medium-sized beets, sliced

3 egg-sized spring onions, without greens, sliced

a hefty bunch of spinach, chopped, and rinsed well

10 eggs

a generous sploosh of grassfed cream, or grassfed whole milk, or plain whole-milk yogurt

a teaspoon dried dill, or more of freshly snipped dill

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

yogurt cheese or goat cheese

In a medium-large cast iron skillet, I melted lard and butter on medium-low heat. I sauteed the beets and onions together until they were soft and the onions were sweeeet. I added the spinach and mixed and cooked till they were all wilted. While these were cooking, I mixed the eggs with about 1/4 cup of raw cream (yum!) and salt, pepper, and dill. When the veggies were ready, I positioned them evenly in the skillet, and poured the egg overtop. I turned the heat down to medium, and did nothing else till the egg was set but still runny on top. I turned the broiler on (and shut the bedroom door to prevent the smoke detector from coming on!), and then placed generous dollops of homemade yogurt cheese* all around. Popped it under the broiler for a few minutes until the top was set and browned. This does not take long!

I think frittata is perfect with a side salad and sauerkraut. I served what's left of the Salad Kraut.

*With the consistency of goat cheese, all it takes to make yogurt cheese is just pouring yogurt into a linen/cotton napkin, tying it up with a rubber band, and letting the whey drain into a bowl. I use the whey for fermenting projects ~ like apple butter! Drain for a few minutes, or even overnight, depending on your desired thickness.

Using Up the Easter Eggs: Make Your Own Gomasio

This is our favorite way to eat hard-cooked eggs out of hand, as we do regularly on plane trips, and now ~ with the Easter eggs we dyed.

First of all I have to say, to cook pastured eggs so that you get the most out of those gorgeous orange yolks: don't boil the heck out of them.

The way that I was taught was to place the eggs in the pot, covered in water. Bring the water up just barely to a boil. Let it barely-boil for one minute. Then turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let sit for ten minutes. Then cool the eggs with ice and water (or eat). This makes a yolk that is still creamy and a tad soft at the very center. Yum!

On to the Gomasio ~

for one hard-cooked egg

1 tsp+ dulse flakes

1 tsp+ sesame seeds

high quality sea salt

red pepper flakes (optional)

I mix up about half dulse flakes and half sesame seeds. Then a few pinches of sea salt. And, if using red pepper flakes ~ a pinch. When we fly I put some in a ziplock, and tuck it in with the container of hard-cooked eggs. Some sliced raw cheese* and apples = never settle for airline food again!

At home I put gomasio in one bowl, and a generous drizzle of high quality olive oil (the Bariani farm is only a few miles from our house!) in another, and Anjali has fun dipping from olive oil to gomasio (and back again over and over and over).

Dulse is a tasty introduction to seaweeds. I use dulse flakes in place of some sea salt on my own plate (I love it on eggs!!). Anjali relishes whole strips of dulse as a snack. Dulse's deep purple color is an immediate indicator that it is packed with nutrients ~particularly iron. I love this article by Susun Weed about the benefits and uses of seaweeds.

Enjoy!

*sliced for ease of eating, and also: so they won't stop you when you're going through security!

Using Up the CSA Veggies: Hidden-Veggie Egg Scramble

Haha. I'm laughing at myself. I was preparing to share with you all the clever ways I find to use up a generous CSA box. I had taken notes throughout the past week, and had my notebook sitting beside my keyboard, poised.

Then we were sitting down for a Sunday Brunch when I looked over at my voracious-eating husband's plate; the pile of sauteed veggie medley was clumped in the corner, close to cold. I asked him (sincerely) if it was to his liking. He admitted: "I'm really tired of all these vegetables. I know there's only so much you can do with them. When I get to the bottom of my jar of soup [I pack him quart jars of soup to reheat at work], I often have a little pile of veggies just like this. I look at it like this: [he made a forlorn face]." Although I was disappointed at this, I count on him to be honest with me, because: who wants to go their whole life thinking their cooking is well-loved, when actually their loved-one is just fibbing and swallowing it down? I know everyone has their own taste, but I'm the cook for my family, and I want to make food that everyone likes for the most part. Now, Troy is a meat-lover. He definitely falls on the "hunter" end of the hunter-gatherer spectrum. Though I fully embrace my omnivorous nature and love me a charcuterie plate appetizer, I tend towards the "gatherer" category. We balance each other out.

At that moment, I realized I've reached the point that I imagine every cook faces when trying to feed their family well: hiding vegetables. Here's how I did it this morning:

Hidden-Veggie Egg Scramble

three-four meal-sized portions, depending on the appetites of the eaters

butter or other delicious fat for the pan ~ don't be shy

3 smallish carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 medium onion, chopped

4 large stalks of chard, chopped

sea salt to taste

7 pastured eggs

1/3 cup grassfed whole milk or whole yogurt

sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

fresh red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

more butter or other delicious fat

1/2 cup grated cheddar or monterey jack

~In a cast iron skillet, I sauteed the veggies till soft ~ starting with the carrots and onions, and adding the chopped chard in the last five or so minutes.

~While that cooked, I lightly mixed the eggs with the dairy and seasoning.

~Then I poured the sauteed vegetables into the egg mixture and used that always-handy immersion blender to puree till frothy. You could, of course, simply use a regular blender.

~I melted the butter on low in the same skillet. Then I poured the egg-veggie mixture in there and scrambled.

~When they were still a tad on the runny side, I sprinkled the melted cheese on top.

~Then I turned off the burner, and put a lid on it.

When the cheese was melted, the eggs were ready.

I served it with Salad Kraut.

With all that melted cheese on top, how was my sweetie to know about all of the veggies that were hidden beneath? ;-) His verdict, after all was eaten: "Delicious; but I could still taste the veggies." Well, yeah, but... I think he might have to get over that. And the verdict of the girl: she ate quite a lot of her little bowlful. My verdict: "Yummy! With the sweetness of carrot."

Just a little suggestion from my family test-kitchen here in April. Let me know how it goes.

Toddler Favorite: Smoothies

I find it challenging ~ both practically and for my ego ~ to cook for a toddler. Something she devours and asks for seconds and thirds of one day is something she might not have any interest in the next time I prepare it. I try not to take it personally or let it frustrate me; it is what it is. But when she does like something more than once, you know I'm writing it down!

Smoothies are one of those items. Like a milkshake with some extra nourishment tucked in, who doesn't like a smoothie? The fun thing about eating the way we do is, you don't have to fake a smile and pretend it's as tasty as it is good for you ~ it is tasty! For kid and adult alike. And so satisfying.

If you're not used to eating full-fat foods, you could definitely take this smoothie by sips and not gulps; it is dense. Pay no heed to the low-fat propaganda! Feed your growing child (and yourself!) real food and reap the rewards of real health. If dairy is a challenge for you, or you don't have access to raw milk, full-fat coconut milk with a little filtered water works deliciously, too.

Last night Anjali, age 2.5, said as she licked her lips from a second serving of this smoothie, "Smoovie's my favorite!" I took note.

Anjali's Favorite Smoothie

enough for several toddler servings which can be kept in the fridge for a day if necessary

3/4 cup raw whole milk from a farm you trust

1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt

1 pastured egg yolk

1/3 a ripe banana*

a dash of vanilla

a pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon coconut oil

~I don't use measurements, but just eyeball quantities as I place all the ingredients except the fats into a wide-mouth pint jar.

~Then I gently melt the butter and coconut oil on low.

~While that's melting I use my immersion blender to mix the ingredients in the jar. (I use my handheld blender almost daily. I found it for $9 at a thrift store, but knowing I use it this much I would be willing to pay much more for the next one ~ hopefully second-hand, as well! ~ when mine finally wears out.)

~With the blender going, I slowly pour the melted fats in and whip till frothy.

Right now I don't add anything frozen. But I bet as the weather warms some frozen fruit will be a welcome addition. You can let your imagination go for additions and variations on this. Cinnamon, carob powder, other fruit, nut butters made from soaked nuts ~ all are fair game.

Anjali and I share this smoothie. It is too heavy for me in the morning, but in the afternoon it is a nice filling snack for that difficult transition time (for me) from afternoon to evening.

Anjali likes it any time of day or night.

*Organic ripe bananas are a non-local treat I have embraced for my daughter now that we shop at a co-op instead of exclusively at farmers' markets. Best to eat them with some good fat; they are really sugary.

Scrambled Eggs, or: Know Your Farmers

Large-scale "Organic" companies are taking advantage of our good intentions and misinformation. The Cornucopia Institute has released Scrambled Eggs, a thorough report on their investigation of "Organic" egg company practices. Though it's worth reading, Food Renegade gives a summary. If Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma didn't hit this lesson home to me when I read it years ago, this report is a painful reminder: it is absolutely essential to know the people who raise the food you eat. The large-scale industrial food system doesn't work. The environment, animals, workers, neighbors of industrial operations, and finally, the person at the end of the fork, all suffer. And while large-scale "Organic" is better than conventional agriculture, it still doesn't get you what you think you're paying for. Buying food from a CSA or at a Farmers' Market costs more. But it's an up-front cost ~ the actual value of food worth growing, raising, and eating.

If you don't raise hens yourself (which I recommend! what fun!), buy eggs from a farmer you know and trust. It's an investment in health. Since moving to Sacramento, we're getting eggs from St. John's Family Farm. If you are unfamiliar with farmers in your area, Local Harvest is a great site to find them.

As fresh as they get! Eggs from our backyard girls ~

with access to dirt, bugs,

and as much sunlight as the Bay Area has to offer,

fed whole organic grains (no soy), kitchen scraps,

clover and kale (in the dry season).

Strawberry Clafoutis

When we got back from vacation, the strawberries were weighing down their stems. Huge, red, fragrant strawberries calling out to me from across the garden. There were enough ripe for me to pick six of them right then, and still leave many to ripen to perfection on the stems. Heart-pumping, for this amateur gardener! Though they were luscious enough to eat immediately, I actually had enough to make a recipe!

With the Nourished Kitchen's Blueberry Clafoutis fresh in my web-browsing memory, I headed to the kitchen.

Don't let the French name intimidate you. This is a very simple custard that is so easy to make. It seems like a treat or even a dessert, but with the cream and eggs, it's nourishing enough to be a filling breakfast (though very difficult to share... ;-). Drizzle with a little extra cream, or, to take it the next level ~ brunch with friends or dessert, pile fresh-whipped cream on top.

Strawberry Clafoutis ~ for 2 or 3

(using strawberries and eggs from our own backyard. that feels really cool. :-)

With ingredients like these, how can you go wrong?!

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease a baking dish or pie pan with lots of butter.

Arrange artfully in the dish:

about 2 cups ripe strawberries, halved, then sliced

Whisk together:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

whole milk to thin the batter, as needed ~ it should be like crepe batter: thin.

3 pastured eggs

1/3 cup sprouted spelt flour

1 tbsp arrowroot powder

2-3 tbsp sucanat

1/4 tsp seasalt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Pour to cover strawberries.

Bake till golden and crisp around the edge, firm in the center ~ how long depends on the size of the dish; ours took about 30 minutes.

Devour.

(I rarely include photos of finished foods. A) because I am busy eating, and B) because I don't like how the photos usually come out. This one is passable; I like the arrangement of the strawberry slices most.)

Organic dairy is recommended;

from a local, small dairy's better;

raw is best! :-)

What We Ate (while you were on a date)

Dear Austin,
I had a craving and made late-night Jali-won't-sleep muffins! And she helped! We had a blast. I threw them together as quickly as possible to ensure I actually got to eat one before Little Person made it obvious that bedtime had come! We finally trotted up to bed (with a second muffin in fist) at 9:45. Whew!

Ingredients: 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (thought it was sprouted, but it's not - oops!), about 1/4 cup leftover, already-cooked steel-cut oats, 3 eggs, 1/4 cup yogurt, 1.5 tsp baking pdr, cinnamon, nutmeg, 1/2 tsp salt, vanilla, sesame seeds (with extra that Jali added when I turned around! Heehee ), and 2 slices chopped up frozen apple, a forkful of honey, oh and a stick of butter! They are tasty. I wanna experiment with using just the leftover oats with eggs.

Jali does quality control before I slide them in the oven.

sweet potato custard breakfast muffins with greens, and chevre

Still attempting to shake up the breakfast menu. This morning we had a winner, for sure.
Ingredients:
1 large sweet potato
1/2 red onion, chopped small
A large cereal bowlful of greens, chopped fine
Fat for sauteeing (such as butter or bacon grease)
8 eggs
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup milk
Chevre - a goodly amount
Sea salt - a 1/2 tsp each for greens and custard mixture
Freshly ground pepper

Butter to grease the muffin cups

I sauteed the onion and the pile of greens - dandelion and kale
mainly - while I baked a large sweet potato. I cracked 8 eggs into a
mixing bowl with 1/4 cup cream and 1/4 cup milk, then added the peeled
sweet potato, sea salt and ground pepper, and took the immersion
blender to it to mix it till frothy (a blender would work fine).
Filled buttered muffin cups with a layer of the sauteed greens, then
topped off with the custard mixture up to maybe 1/4 inch from the top.
Then! I plopped generous spoonfuls of chevre into the center of each.
Baked at 350 until golden and firm. They came out all puffed up and
beautiful, but quickly fell as any other puffed egg thing does. Still
delicious!! I have an earthenware muffin cup dish with extra-large
cups. I'd say it would've been 8 regular-sized muffins.
But then there was a lot of the custard left over. So I poured it into
buttered (cast iron) mini-muffin cups that baked up to look and taste
just like popovers! With a really nice sweetness and color from the
sweet potato. A pat of butter that inevitably slid down the piping hot
muffin onto my fingers just meant that they were literally finger-
lickin' good.
And both were a hit with the adults as well as the wee one of the
house, so they score extra stars.
In the future I might either use fewer eggs to make fewer muffins,
or saute' more greens to fill all the muffins. But as it was, I
enjoyed having some more meal-like muffins and some treat-like ones.
Experiment amongst yourselves and get back with me.

French Toast du Jour

I woke up feeling the need to pamper myself this morning. Before I even got out of bed (true to foodie form), I was envisioning and tasting French Toast. Here's what I came up with, a Pampering Breakfast for One (well ~ two, technically. ;-) ).

• 1 1/2 slices of bread ~ I used mixed grain sourdough from Morell, b/c that's what was in the pantry; I think something with dried fruit might be nice. .
• one egg (make sure it's organic, if not raised on pasture by someone you trust)
  
• a spoonful (or so) of cream (I used divine Claravale raw cream) or crème fraîche ~ if you are avoiding dairy, or don't have access to organic, I think whole fat coconut milk would make a fine substitute.
  
• a spoonful of organic maple syrup
  
• a dash of sea salt
  
• a dash of cinnamon
  
• almonds chopped finely (see my explanation about soaking nuts here)
• organic cream, or crème fraîche, and maple syrup for drizzling
• extra cinnamon for sprinkling

Whisk the egg with the 5 ingredients that follow in a shallow mixing bowl. Cut the bread into diagonal quarters, and soak in the egg mixture, turning to soak both sides, while you're warming your skillet. Use a thick skillet (you know I love cast iron) to hold the heat, add butter (don't be afraid ~ add a few tablespoons! and ~ if dairy-free, use coconut oil) and heat until a little drop of egg mixture sizzles as it hits. But don't let the butter brown. When the bread is adequately saturated, fry those babies in the butter. Spoon the little pieces of almond that stay in the mixing bowl onto the top of the pieces of bread as they sizzle in the butter. Turn when the pieces are nicely browned. If the skillet is the right temperature, it will only take a few minutes on each side.

Serve drizzled with cream or crème fraîche (you read right. don't be afraid [as long as it's organic]; just pretend you're French.), and maple syrup. Garnish with a sprinkling of cinnamon.

One egg soaks about 1 1/2 standard slices of dense bread. If making this for more than one person, use this as a gauge. My measurements are always approximate and of-the-moment; you can do the same, giving or taking as you taste fit.