What's Cookin' - Breakfast

Published April 2, 2008 in The Spectrum & Daily News

By Kathryn van Roosendaal

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day, but it seems to get short shrift in most families. We are all so busy in the morning getting off to work or school that we are lucky to get a bowl of cereal or some yogurt has we run out the door. It’s no wonder we have trouble getting all the nutrients we need to be healthy.

It’s not easy, but you might try just once getting out of bed 10 minutes earlier and having a real breakfast. Whip up an omelet, make some pancakes or at least put some fresh fruit on that cereal and add some toast.

To make it easier in the morning, get everything you can ready the night before. You can whip up the eggs and chop up the ham and cheese for the omelet and have it ready in the fridge. The pancake batter can be made the night before as well, leaving just the cooking for the next morning. And a bunch of strawberries can be cleaned and sliced days ahead for cereal or pancakes.

One thing I like to do is make a big batch of pancakes or waffles and then freeze them for later. Let the extras cool and then lay them on a cooking rack in the freezer until they are frozen through. They can then be kept in freezer bags until you want them. When you want a waffle, just pull it out of the freezer and heat it in a toaster or toaster oven until it is hot and crispy. For pancakes, heat them in the toaster or in the microwave. It’s that easy.

Fruit Pancakes

You can use just about any kind of fruit, including dried, for these pancakes. If you are using frozen fruit, defrost first and drain off any extra moisture.

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 to 6 tablespoons sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

6 tablespoons melted butter

2 to 2 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 to 2 cups fruit – blueberries, dried cranberries, raisins, sliced apples, chopped strawberries, sliced peaches, whatever.

Sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder. Mix in the melted butter and milk, using less milk if the fruit is moist and more if it is dried. Lightly beat the eggs and fold them into the batter. It is OK if the batter is slightly lumpy. Fold in the fruit. Spoon the batter onto a hot griddle and cook until done. Serve with syrup and/or more fresh fruit and whipped cream. Serves 8 to 10.

Bacon Cornmeal Waffles

I believe this recipe first came from “The Joy of Cooking.” It has become a big favorite in my family.

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk

1 cup flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup yellow cornmeal

5 tablespoons butter, melted

6 to 12 thin slices of bacon

Sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Add the corn meal. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs slightly and stir in the milk. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir in with a few quick strokes. Add the melted butter and stir in quickly. Drop enough batter onto a heated waffle iron to cover the grid about 2/3 full. Layer some bacon on top of the batter. Close the waffle iron and cook 4 minutes or until steam stops coming out of the sides and the top easily lifts. Serve with maple syrup. Serves 4 to 6.