Tag Archives: breakfast

Toast with Avocado and Egg Whites

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Breakfast is probably my favorite meal of the day.
Eggs, sausage, pancakes, orange juice – I just love everything about it!

Unfortunately though, sometimes we don’t have the time we need to make an elaborate breakfast, especially during the work as we rush off to get to work on time. When I lived in New York I worked down the street from a little café called The Blue Dog Café. They had the most delicious egg white and avocado sandwich that I would get from time to time.

So, the other day I recreated it. It was as delicious as I remembered!

Toast with Avocado and Egg Whites

This really is a delicious, simple and healthy breakfast option for anyone on the go!

Until next time…happy eating!

Toast with Avocado and Egg Whites

whole grain bread
butter
avocado
2-3 egg whites
salt and pepper

  1. Separate the egg whites and cook, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
  2. Thinly slice an avocado.
  3. Toast a slice of bread.
  4. Lightly spread butter on the toast and top with the egg whites and a few avocado slices.

Steel-Cut Oatmeal Cakes with Berries and a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

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BerriesToday’s recipe proved to be a little bit of an adventure! As I’ve said before, I tend to be hesitant when it comes to making up recipes on my own. Perhaps it is because I am not a trained chef – am I knowledgable to put random ingredients together and call it a blog worthy meal? Or perhaps it is simply because I do not try it enough. Afterall, practice makes perfect, right?

So, it is with that mind frame that I went into creating the recipe for Steel-Cut Oatmeal Cakes with Berries and a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction. I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, but soon found out that I would have to improvise as I cooked! If I am ever going to win Top Chef, I HAVE to start taking chances and coming up with things on my own. This doesn’t mean I will quit reading my food blogs, no way! But it is time that I start taking inspiration for my own recipes. 

Steel Cut Oatmeal Cakes with Berries and a Balsamic Vinegar ReductionI initially tried frying to oatmeal as is, but quickly found out that there needed more substance to help the cakes hold their shape while frying. Hello molasses, sliced almonds, overnight refrigeration, and finally egg!

The steel-cut oatmeal should be prepared the night before!

Truth be told, I was stressed out while making this recipe. I like things organized, laid out, planned. I like having a plan. With this meal, there was no plan! So, there I was sitting in my kitchen, frying things, constantly worried that things would not turn out. Here’s a small piece of advice for anyone trying to come up with their own recipe (aka future Tommy):

Calm down. Don’t be afraid to try things out. If they don’t taste good, don’t do it again! You will never learn what combinations of ingredients taste good together unless you try! So jump right in and TRY!

Until next time…happy eating!

Steel Cut Oatmeal Cakes with Berries and a Balsamic Vinegar Reduction

1     cup steel-cut oats
2-3  tablespoons molasses
1/4  cup sliced almonds
1     egg
1     cup strawberries, chopped
1     cup raspberries, whole
3     tablespoons orange juice
1     cup aged balsamic vinegar

  1. Cook steel-cut oats, according to packaging. Mix cooked oats with molasses and sliced almonds. Refrigerate overnight. 
  2. Toss strawberries and raspberries with 3 tablespoons orange juice, set aside.
  3. Heat aged balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until thick, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Watch carefully to make sure vinegar doesn’t burn. Set aside to cool.
  4. Remove oatmeal from the refrigerator and mix with egg.
  5. Scoop oatmeal onto skillet, forming small cakes.
  6. Cook on each side until browned.
  7. Scoop mixed berries onto the oatmeal cakes and drizzle on balsamic vinegar reduction.

Pat’s French Toast

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I am quickly learning that I am very picky when it comes to photography, specifically when it comes to lighting. While in New York, I had the opportunity to assist food photographer Mark Ferri, on a number of occasions. Perhaps the most important thing that I learned from Mark is to utilize as much natural lighting as you can – avoid artificial lighting at all costs!

  1. It makes things look so much better. Crisper. Truer to their natural color.
  2. It makes editing a billion times easier for yours truly.
  3. There isn’t that awkward yellow hue to everything.

I prefer taking pictures of food in the morning or early afternoon. Make sure you pick a room with lots of windows so that the natural light can flood in and give you the perfect lighting. If you really get into photography, you can eventually invest in reflectors which can help direct light to specific places that you want to highlight.

Moral of the story…Don’t take pictures in artificial lighting. If you have to, well, best of luck! Not that I am making excuses, but the reason for there only being four pictures on today’s post? Artificial lighting.

This is yet another recipe from my 4th of July holiday in Wisconsin. I told my mom to be prepared. I wanted to try out a lot of new recipes or at least cook a lot. So far you have seen two recipes:

  1. Skip and Go Naked
  2. Hoagies

Today you get #3 – Pat’s French Toast!

Breakfast is definitely my favorite meal of the day. Most days though, I don’t even eat a “real” breakfast, but when I have a big one – of eggs, bacon, waffles, pancakes, etc, etc – it is incomparable! French toast is one of the breakfast staples. I think my all time favorite is from Jane, a restaurant in NYC – their Vanilla Bean French Toast is to die for … I am still trying to figure out that recipe. We got this recipe from a good family friend – thank you!

This recipe is great if you are having a group of people for breakfast – family gatherings, Christmas mornings, etc. It is a casserole, so it can definitely feed a larger number of people. You do need to prep the night before, so don’t think you can make this one the morning of! Give yourself about a half-an-hour the night before and then you can throw it in the refrigerator until you cook it the following morning.

Okay – seriously, do you SEE the difference in pictures?! The first two were taken under artificial lighting and these last two are with natural lighting. The difference is huge. While the first two pictures don’t look terrible, they definitely pale in comparison to their successors. Natural lit photographs look more appetizing, more appealing, more inviting. Don’t you agree?

Hope you enjoy this recipe! We served it with some scrambled eggs, sausage, orange juice (Trop50, clearly) and obviously, coffee!

I want French Toast right. I am hungry.

Pat’s French Toast

12 eggs, whipped
15 bread slices, cubed
1 cup milk
2 sticks of butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and place in glass baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes. Serve alone or with maple syrup.

Swedish Almond Cake

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We were lucky enough to snag a great guest photographer for today’s post – Britta Marie.  It was so fun to have her in the kitchen taking pictures!  Be sure to check out her website – she does amazing work!

When I first decided on the name for my blog, I knew immediately that I wanted to make Swedish Almond Cake at some point.  My mom and grandmas have been making this recipe for as long as I can remember, so it was without a doubt going to make it on the blog.

           

The recipe is really quite simple – nothing out of the ordinary or exotic in this one.  The one downfall, Swedish Almond Cake is made with a particular pan (as seen in the second image below).  If you don’t already have one, you can find them at most Scandinavian shops, or even easier, online!

Looking back on when I’ve eaten this, I realized that I have had it at breakfast with a cup of coffee, for dessert after dinner, or even for an afternoon snack!  I think that is what is so great about it – you can serve it just about anytime!

My niece came over to our house after I had finished baking this and she devoured about two or three slices of it!  However, she quickly lost interest and wanted to watch Barney on Uncle Tommy’s computer.

Swedish Almond Cake

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2/3 cup milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick melted margarine

Blend the first sugar, egg, almond extract, and milk together well before adding the flour, baking powder, and margarine.  Spray the pan with Pam or cooking oil.  Bake at 350° F for 45-60 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown. Njut!