breakfast | Simple By Cindy

Broccoli, Carrot and Gruyere Frittata

Aug. 28
2017

Everyone loves a good frittata. Whether you make it with vegetables, cheeses or meats, a frittata (the Italian word for omelet) is delicious!

To prepare this egg-based meal, you need either a round cast iron skillet or a Dutch pan that can be transferred from the stove to the oven. Whichever ingredients you choose to incorporate into your frittata, you mustn’t forget the cream. If you omit it, your frittata will be rubbery and flat rather than fluffy and creamy.

Frittatas can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. They can be eaten just about any time of the day, as a main dish, side dish, or if cut up into small bites, as an hors-d’oeuvre. Even matzoh brie can be classified as a frittata (without the cream). The flexibility of this wonderful dish is endless.

This is one of my favorite frittata recipes. It will serve 6-8 people who will love this fluffy egg and veggie filled goodness!

Ingredients for Broccoli, Carrot and Gruyere Frittata

2 small heads of broccoli; stems removed and cut into small florets
1 carrot, 1/2 inch diced
1 red onion, 1/2 inch diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup of good olive oil
12 eggs (I used extra-large)
1 cup half-and-half
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 425.

Toss the broccoli, carrots and onion with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place broccoli, carrots and onions in a baking sheet.

Roast for 15 minutes.

Turn oven down to 350.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half -and-half, and Parmesan together.

In an ovenproof sauté pan, melt the butter.

Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.

Toss in the roasted vegetables and stir for 1 minute.

Pour in the egg mixture and let cook for 2-3 minutes without stirring.

Take of the heat and sprinkle Gruyere cheese on top of egg mixture.

Place pan in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until you see that it is puffed in the middle.

Serve while it is hot.

It’s that simple!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

Jul. 3
2017

This is the second anniversary of my blog! Has it really been two years? Time goes by so fast!

I am really craving anything with oatmeal these days. Last week, I posted a recipe for pecan-raisin oatmeal cookies. Today, I’m loving blueberry oatmeal bars. This is a great recipe for your 4th of July celebration.

Actually, I was searching for a recipe with blueberries. I had bought way too many for company, and I did not want them to go to waste. Since I seem to be so consistent with my taste these days, I ended up with a recipe that included oatmeal as well. I completely forgot that I had made the cookies last week!

Well, it all turned out for the best (as it always does) and these blueberry oatmeal bars were out of this world. They were simple to make. Using the parchment paper was so helpful that it will now be in my cooking tips repertoire. The bars lifted right out of the pan and were easy to cut. It is a perfect suggestion for a non-baker like me.

These bars blended the sweetness of the oatmeal with a little tang from the blueberries. The oatmeal added a wonderful texture and the icing topped it off impeccably. I was scooping up the parts left in the pan, trying to get every little splendid bit just to have “a little more”. I have a feeling you will enjoy them just as much as I did!

This recipe is courtesy of wellplated.com. It will make about 16 bars. Be sure not to take your eyes off them for a second or your family will gobble them all up!

Ingredients for the Blueberry Oatmeal Bars

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 cups fresh blueberries (about 10 ounces)
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon)
1 tbsp. granulated sugar

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. milk

Place a rack in the center of the oven.

Preheat oven to 375.

Line an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that the paper overhangs the side like 2 handles.

In a medium bowl, combine the oats, white whole wheat flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Pour in the melted butter and stir until it forms clumps and the dry ingredients are evenly moistened.

Set aside 1/2 cup of the crumble mixture, then press the rest into an even layer in the bottom of the prepared pan.

Scatter half of the blueberries over the crust.

blueberry bars blueberries on top of oats

Sprinkle the cornstarch evenly over the top, then sprinkle with the lemon juice and 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar.

Scatter on the remaining berries, then the remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar.

Sprinkle the reserved crumbs evenly over the top. You will have some fruit showing through.

Bake the bars for 30-40 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the crumb topping smells toasty and looks golden.

Place pan on wire rack to cool completely ( you can speed this process along in the refrigerator).

For the glaze:

While the bars cool, prepare the glaze in a medium bowl; briskly whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk until smooth.

Fell free to add more milk if a thinner consistency is desired.

Using the parchment paper handles, lift the bars from the pan.

Drizzle with the glaze, slice and serve.

It’s that simple! (And YUMMY)!

Happy 4th of July!

Cheese Puffs and Cooking Mistakes!

Jun. 2
2017

We all have funny cooking mistake stories. I know I do, and plenty of them! In fact, you have to make mistakes in order to become a good cook. Whether they are embarrassing gaffes that happen while you have company, or while you are alone cooking dinner, the fact is that they do happen.

It doesn’t matter if you are a cooking novice or an expert chef, it is inevitable that missteps will occur. You find a recipe, buy all the ingredients, and start out with good intentions. It doesn’t always end up perfectly. Relax, you are in good company.

Just this past Mother’s Day, I was making Shelley’s noodle pudding. I must have made this recipe at least fifty times. I have even posted it on my blog. I measured out all the ingredients and began preparing it. As I was making the filling, I realized that I had neglected to put in the proper amount of cream cheese.

What was I to do? Well, I put on a pair of gloves, unwrapped another package of cream cheese and tore it apart into little pieces. I put each piece into the noodle mixture and mixed it in by hand, squishing each piece as I combined it. Guess what? Yup. It came out just as perfectly as it would have had I done it correctly the first time.

So, whether you over-salt the soup, overcook the meat, forget an ingredient, or pour out the chicken soup as you are straining it, I promise it will, make you a better cook. You will learn from your mistakes (I have made all of the above).

These cheese puffs below are the most delectable, delicious little bites. There are addicting! Really, you can’t eat just one. Just a note: when placing the batter into the pastry bag (if you are an inexperienced baker, like me), put in only up to a third of the bag at a time. You need to have room to twist the bag in order to get the batter out ( I learned this the messy and hard way!). If you do not have a pastry bag, you can use a ziplock bag and cut off one of the points at either end of the bag. This would be a great appetizer for any party and you can probably make them in advance and freeze them. Whatever you do, these are a “must try”. Ina never disappoints. \

This recipe is courtesy of Ina Garten and will make about 30-40 puffs that will leave your guests begging for more!

Ingredients for Cheese Puffs

1 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp. kosher butter
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup Grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg beaten with 1 tsp. water, for egg wash

Preheat oven to 425.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. (I waited for it to simmer).

Add the flour all at once and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan (when this happens).

Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick.

Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. (note: Spoon small amounts of the mixture into the pastry bag at a time. You need the space to be able to twist the bag in order for the mixture to come out)

Pipe in mounds 1 1/4 inches wide and 3/4-inch high onto the baking sheets. (You can also also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers).

With a wet finger, lightly press down the tips at the top of each puff.

Brush the top of each puff lightly with egg wash and sprinkle with a pinch of Gruyere.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown outside but still soft inside.

It’s that simple!

Sweet Potato Bread

May. 4
2017

Although winter has officially ended, I wanted to enjoy one last recipe with sweet potatoes. I had a few in my pantry and wanted to do something a little different with them.

I was lucky to find this wonderful sweet potato bread recipe at allrecipes.com. This bread is fantastic! The savory combination of the cinnamon, nutmeg and sweet potatoes is delightful. The bread comes out so moist and tender. And oh how fabulous my kitchen smelled! I will definitely make this bread again. I don’t think I will wait until winter; it was just that good.

Just a few thoughts—you can use only 1 cup of sugar, or substitute brown sugar. If using canned sweet potato, (but please don’t!) you can use the juice in the can instead of the water. You could also substitute 1 stick of butter in place of the oil. Another great idea would be to use the batter to make muffins. What a excellent morning treat for breakfast or lunch! It also freezes really well.

This is a terrific way to use up your leftover sweet potatoes. This sweet potato bread is seriously delicious–a “must try”. You are going to love this one!

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Bread

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 cup of water
1 cup cooked and mashed sweet potato
1/2 cup pecans

If you are using fresh sweet potatoes, place them in a large pot filled with water on the stove. Using high heat, let the sweet potatoes come to a boil, turn heat down to medium, and let boil for about 45 minutes.

When a fork goes through the potato smoothly, they are done. Run the sweet potatoes under cold water until they are cooled, and the skin will easily peel off.

Sweet potato bread sweet potato peeled in pot

Place the potatoes in a food processor, and process until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine sugar and oil; beat well. Add eggs and beat.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Stir flour mixture into egg mixture alternately with water.

Stir in sweet potatoes and chopped nuts.

Pour batter into greased 9×5 inch loaf pan (or 2 small loaf pans).

Bake for about one hour.

It’s that simple!

Lawsuit Buttermilk Muffins

Mar. 29
2017

These muffins are amazing! They take a decent amount of time, but they are oh, so worth it!

Marcy Goldman is a baking master, and all of her recipes are reliable and delicious. I would recommend any of her books, as they are all wonderful. In her new book, The New Best of Better Baking, she provides the reader with helpful hints and tips, equipment essentials, as well as her favorite ingredients and why she uses them.

These muffins are really special because of their ingredients. The author provides the reader with several fruit combinations that she thinks would be extraordinary: strawberries, cranberry-orange, or blueberry-lemon. I chose the cranberry-orange.

To make the cranberry- orange filling, you have to place the cranberries and orange slices, (white pith and peel removed) into the food processor and just pulse it 5-6 times. You want chunks of the combination, not a paste. Getting the peel and pith off the orange slices takes some time, so if you choose another combination, the progression of the recipe would go faster.

Whatever fruit blend you choose, they will be outstanding in every way. Marcy writes about an “even better version” of these muffins (although I can’t imagine how) that I hope to try in the future.

I do not consider myself a “baker”, yet these muffins will fool anybody into thinking you are! These are a “must try” . Oh my, they are so yummy!

Ingredients for Muffins

For the Streusel Topping

1 tbsp. cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the Muffins

1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. grated citrus zest ( I used orange zest)
1 egg
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 cups to 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cups coarsely chopped fruit

Preheat oven to 400.

Line 12 muffin cup pan with paper liners or spray generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Grease the top of the muffin pan.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

For the streusel:

Mix all the ingredients together with a fork or your fingertips in a small bowl to make a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

For the batter:

Whisk the oil, brown sugar, citrus zest ( I used orange zest), and egg together in a large bowl. The mixture should be pasty. Stir in the vanilla and buttermilk.

In large bowl, stir together the 2 1/2 cups of the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.

Add to the wet ingredients and blend.

Fold in the fruit. The use of frozen fruit may help firm up the batter. If it doesn’t, and the batter seems to loose, add 1/4 cup more flour to make the batter a little stiffer.

Using a large ice-cream scooper, fill the muffin cups to the top.

Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over each muffin. Place the muffin pan on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 350 and bake for another 12-15 minutes, or until the muffins spring back when pressed lightly.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before unfolding onto wire racks.

It’s that simple!