breakfast

Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

Here we have the perfect breakfast for dog owners (and everybody else who loves a great breakfast and can wait awhile before breakfast is ready,) 🙂
Once the prep has been done (you can do this the previous evening), just put the wrap into the oven (hot or cold), turn to 375F and walk your dog.
Make sure you are back before the hour is over and you will be rewarded with a perfect breakfast). Generally, the egg inside will take about 35 minutes for a “sunny side up” texture, while additional time spent in the heat will obviously take the egg to the next level of doneness. This doneness will depend on various factors, such as the thickness of the wrap, the thickness of the ham and tomato, the amount of cheese and /or other fillings, and so forth.
When I made this dish the first time a few years back, I took it out of the oven WAY too early, not realizing how much time the egg actually takes to cook inside all these layers. However, if you like this dish, take some notes about the time and temperature you use in order to get it right on future occasions.
Also, and this is even more important, chose a wrap which suits this preparation. If you select the wrong one, the shell will become dry and tough after it’s considerable time in the oven. But if you find the right one (see the pic below for an example), the wrap becomes wonderfully flaky, almost like a puff pastry, as is clearly visible in the pics of the cut wrap 🙂 . The reason why I use two wraps per pocket is that the (RIGHT) wraps add a great flakiness one would not get with a single layer (there is a lot of moisture inside).
I also like to emphasize the importance of the grated parmesan cheese between the moist layers to help keep a proper texture, (you don’t want a soggy mess !) and the importance of brushing the wrap generously with whole butter before baking, both for taste and texture.
As for the sauce, I love to serve this with sweet Thai chili sauce or a honey/herb yogurt. Again – serve it with whatever makes YOU happy ! 🙂
Of course, as with most of the food I publish on my blog, I recommend using this dish as an inspiration for your very own variations of a baked wrap. I have prepared them with seafood, ground meat, chicken, veggies, with or without cheese, with or without eggs, etc. ( one of my favorites is tomato, onion, sauteed spinach, and brie). Also, although I have this usually for breakfast, it makes a great snack or meal any time during the day or evening.

Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

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Preparation :
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: Mise en Place

: This brand flakes up great

: sprinkle grated parmesan in center of wrap

: top with cooked ham, sprinkle with grated parmesan

: add one thick slice of firm, ripe tomato, sprinkle with grated parmesan and sliced scallion

: add grated sharp cheddar

: top with 1 raw egg, fold into a pouch, seams on the top; add another wrap, fold into a pouch, seams on the bottom; bake at 365f until the egg is cooked to your preferred doneness, 30 – 55 minutes (this one baked for 45 minutes, notice the egg is still moist)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

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A Regular Day In The Life Of A Food Blogger

Here is how my usual day-off’s look like. (I still work part-time)
I don’t go out, I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and my conversations with Bella are usually pretty one-sided.
Movies and reading a few hours a day.
The rest of the time is usually spent prepping, cooking and eating.
(Bella only helps with the eating).
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Breakfast – Dutch pancake with caramelized fruits
Lunch – Porkchop “Parisienne” with tomato/garlic orzo
Dinner – Sautéed bone-in rib eye with potato and Brussels sprouts
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All in all, a day as any other., nothing exciting, but great food 🙂
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( Post’s to follow soon)
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Breakfast – Dutch pancake with caramelized fruits

Lunch – Porkchop “Parisienne” with tomato/garlic orzo

Dinner – sautéed bone-in rib eye with potato and Brussels sprouts

Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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For me, these three condiments are not to be missed to accompany any Mexican-style meal I prepare at home. In my opinion, they also fit very well with a wide range of dishes of non-Mexican cuisine from around the world. They pair nicely with steaks, schnitzel, sandwiches, salads, meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, etc.
In fact, I usually have at least a small bowl of one or two or sometimes all three of them in my fridge. I prep them once a week, then serve them with a variety of different dishes, be it for breakfast (without the onions), lunch or dinner.
Sometimes, just these three goodies, together with a bunch of tortillas or on a slice of toast or grilled sour dough bread, make a perfect, tasty and quick meal 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I did not include measurements for these recipes since I believe you should add ingredients according to the ratios you personally prefer 🙂
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Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

Salsa Mexicana

Guacamole

Escabeche De Cebolla

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Preparation :
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: jalapeño, onions, garlic, lime juice, tomatoes (most seeds removed), cilantro, kosher salt

: Salsa Mexicana

: Salsa Mexicana

: avocado, kosher salt, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic (optional)

: guacamole

: guacamole

: Guacamole

: onion, lime juice, cayenne pepper, cilantro, kosher salt

: Escabeche De Cebolla

: Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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Today’s breakfast served actually as an early lunch (10.45 am), so I added a small salad to the eggs and Rösti, which turned the whole thing into a complete, delicious meal which sustained me well into the evening.
The tart apples in the salad as well as the ranch dressing were a great fit with the crisp Rösti. The gooey cheese inside the potatoes took the dish to new heights and the addition of eggs turned the whole thing into a wonderful lunch with nothing else to wish for 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Käse Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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Preparation :
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: Cook 1 lbs peeled potatoes halfway (the inside will be hot but still raw), drain

: shred potatoes

: shred and add 1 small onion

: season with fresh-ground black pepper, fresh grated nutmeg and kosher salt to taste, mix carefully, avoiding to msh the potatoes

: add 2 tblsp vegetable oil to a medium-hot pan, spread 1/2 of the potatoes evenly, saute until bottom is golden and crisp

: add 1 cup grated swiss cheese, spread-out evenly

: top with the second-half of the potatoes, spread evenly, cook until second side of rosti is golden and crisp

: slide potatoes onto a plate, invert back into the pan, add 4 tblsp clarified butter, saute until golden and crisp

: to serve, cut rösti in half, top with two friied eggs, serve salad on the side; serves 2

: while the rösti is cooking, peel, core and slice one large apple

: add to a bowl containing lemon water (2 cup ice water, 2 tblsp lemon juice); when ready to mix the salad, drain the water, pat dry the apple slices

: add the same amount (in volume) of diced iceberg lettuce, dress with ranch dressing

: Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

: Cheese Rösti (Swiss Hash Browns With Cheese)

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Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Fresh Raspberries, Yogurt And Honey

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Today I rolled breakfast and lunch into one yummy, satisfying brunch by preparing these special treats. Waffles were served on special occasions at our home when I was a kid. It was one of the dishes my dear Mom excelled on preparing.
Eating and enjoying them today made me wonder why I did not prepare waffles more often in the past (I will in the future)
While I am a sucker for pancakes, today reminded me why I always preferred waffles. The crisp texture on the outside and the light softness of the interior put’s them just a step above pancakes…..
While way back then the waffles were usually accompanied by fresh apple sauce (freshly made and canned by my Mom in Fall to last for the whole year), I now prefer raspberries in yogurt and honey which makes the dish much more lively, both visually and taste-wise.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Waffle Batter :
Ingredients :
1. 1/3 cup flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1. 3/4 cup buttermilk, two egg yolks (whisk the two egg whites to stiff peaks)
Method :
Mix dry ingredients well, add buttermilk, egg yolks and melted butter, fold-in whisked egg whites
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P.S.
I love the slight bitterness of the cocoa to contrast with the sweetness of the rest of the dish; if you don’t, substitute the cocoa with castor sugar 🙂
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Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Fresh Raspberries, Yogurt And Honey

sprinkle with more cocoa powder, fresh raspberries and top with whipped cream

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Preparation :
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: mix fresh raspberries, Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla extract and a dash of lime juice

: mix all ingredients and lightly break-up the berries

: prepare waffle batter

: brush a hot waffle iron with melted butter, add waffle batter

: place first waffle on a warm plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder

: top with the strawberry yogurt and a generous dollop of whipped cream

: top with another waffle

: sprinkle with more cocoa powder, fresh raspberries and top with whipped cream

: Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Fresh Raspberries, Yogurt And Honey

: Belgian Buttermilk Waffles With Fresh Raspberries, Yogurt And Honey

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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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The foundation of this steak salad is a refreshing rice stick salad, which I usually make at least twice a month. I normally make about four to six portions and eat it as part of a meal, as breakfast or as a late night snack. The noodles keep their texture for a few days without getting mushy, so this is ideal to prep in advance and then serve it when a quick bite is needed, especially on a workday as breakfast or as a snack late at night when I get home and just want to rest and more cooking is as far from my mind as possible. If I have it as part of a meal, I usually combine it with seafood, such as teriyaki- glazed salmon or sautéed shrimp. For breakfast, I usually add a couple of hard-boiled eggs and for a midnight snack some canned seafood. When Maria was still with me, she liked to serve it at bbq -parties, when it was a welcome alternative to the usual suspects of coleslaw and potato salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Preparation :
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: season new york strip with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute or grill to your desired temperature, set steak aside and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: cook, shock in icewater and drain rice sticks

: make a dressing of peanut oil, sesame oil, kosher salt, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, fish sauce and rice vinegar

: fresh basil

: sliced basil, red peppers, iceberg lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots (if you plan to keep this for more than a few hours, replace the iceberg with cabbage)

: slice the steak

: mix half of the steak, the noodles and the vegetables with the dressing

: tell your dog to be patient 🙂

: almost……….

: spread some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, drizzle with a bit of the dressing

: top lettuce with the noodle salad

: top with the other half of the steak, sprinkle with toasted garlic

: Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Breakfast Of Champions # 50 – Salmon Rillette And Fried Eggs

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This morning I finished-off the last of the salmon rillette I prepared last week. (The next rillette will be pork, can’t wait for it to munch on) 🙂
This dish is VERY rich, so you might want to restrict yourself to enjoying it about once a month, otherwise you might soon need to buy bigger clothes and increase the frequency of your cardiologist visits 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 50 - Salmon Rilette And Fried Eggs

Breakfast Of Champions # 50 – Salmon Rillette And Fried Eggs

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Preparation :
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: grill sourdough bread on both sides

: plate the bread

: top bread with salmon rillette

: fry eggs in clarified butter , season with kosher salt and chili flakes

: top rillette with fried eggs, add a small salad

: Breakfast Of Champions # 50 – Salmon Rillette And Fried Eggs

: Breakfast Of Champions # 50 – Salmon Rillette And Fried Eggs

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 49 – Dutch Buttermilk-Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

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If ! I would NOT be an overweight, diabetic old man, I would have me one of these at least three times a week for breakfast 🙂
Of course I would change the fruit often – I would rotate such fruit as apples, rhubarb, strawberries, carambola, bananas, lychees, pears, pitaya, grapes and many more, but the concept would always be the same. This wonderful dish can be prepared in less than 10 minutes, is extremely easy to whip-up and, if you use the less-exotic fruits, is also very cosy on your wallet 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you don’t have buttermilk at hand, regular milk or half&half will do the trick.
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

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Preparation :
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: mix self-rising flour, honey, whole eggs and a dash of organic vanilla extract until smooth

: cook in fat of your choice ( I prefer clarified butter) until just set, flip

: cook on second side until golden but still fluffy and not dry

: meanwhile, saute 1 tblsp sugar or castor sugar in 1 tblsp of clarified butter

: when caramelized, remove from heat

: add fresh raspberries, stir JUST ONCE carefully in order to avoid mashing the fragile raspberries

: put pancake on a serving dish

: top with the raspberries, dust with castor sugar, sprinkle with mint leaves

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 48 – Dutch Buttermilk Pancake With Fresh Raspberries

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Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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Udon, the Japanese noodle-love of my life !

Apparently, Alison Spiegel (and many others) caught the same love bug) :

( Excerpt from : The Huffington Post | By Alison Spiegel )
“Ramen may be everyone’s favorite Japanese noodle soup these days, but just because it’s the trendiest doesn’t mean it’s the best. We’re huge fans of ramen — don’t get us a wrong. We could eat ramen for breakfast, lunch, dinner and late night snacks any day of the week, instant or otherwise. But it’s time to get to know other Japanese noodles, like soba and udon. Because they’re made with buckwheat, which is gluten free, soba noodles have gotten their due lately. Udon noodles, however, have been falling by the wayside, and we’re here to tell you why you should give them plenty of attention this winter.

Thick, chewy and ridiculously satisfying, udon noodles are in a league of their own. These long, Japanese wheat noodles are great hot or cold, and with a neutral flavor, they’re an unmatchable foundation for everything from miso soups to curry. In Japan,kake udon is one of the simplest and most common ways to eat these soft yet sturdy noodles. Udon noodles are served in hot dashi, a Japanese broth made with kombu and bonito flakes, and are topped with scallions. They might also come with tempura or fish cakes. Other popular ways to eat udon noodles include yakiudon, in which the noodles are stir-fried, and zaru udon, in which the noodles are served cold with a soy-sauce based dipping sauce. However you eat udon noodles, they will leave you feeling full but not stuffed, comforted but not sluggish, and completely nourished.”

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All about Udon
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Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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Preparation :
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: slice tenderloin tips into batons, season with oregano, chili flakes, whole chilies,and soy sauce

: stir fry in very hot peanut oil until nicely browned but still rare, remove to absorbent paper, discard most of the oil

: in the remaining oil, stir fry sliced onions and garlic paste until fragrant

: add finely sliced bell peppers, stir fry another minute

: add 4 tblsp water, 3 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tblsp oyster sauce, 2 tblsp hoi sin sauce, 1 tblsp ketchup

: simmer for one minute, remove from heat, add a few drops of chili oil and a few drops of sesame oil, check / adjust seasoning

: add cooked udon and stir fried beef tips

: mix well

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

: Udon Noodles With Tenderloin Tips And Bell Peppers

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Today’s breakfast would most certainly not qualify for my new ” Hans’ Lighter Comfort Food “ type of food, at least not the portion size. But we are still in 2014, so I am hell-bound to enjoy the last few days of eating large portions of everything tasty 🙂
Nothing wrong with this dish itself, I’ll just have to cut the portion by 75%, replace the rye bread with something lighter and use less fat. Doesn’t sound so bad 🙂
But, we are still in the year of plenty, so here we go :
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 46 – Huevos revueltos y guacamole con queso blanco ( Scrambled eggs, Guacamole, fresh cheese)

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
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: guacamole ingredients

: remove avocado flesh, dice tomatoes, chop chilies, chop cilantro, add garlic paste, kosher salt, freshly squeezed lime juice and olive oil, mix well