welcome to elaney!

*pun and recipe compliments of Chef and Reader edykes

After you have your indugent dinner on Thursday and your crazy Black Friday outing the next morning, plan a healthy breakfast!

Hakuna Ham and Asparagus Frittata

• 2/3  cup  chopped 33%-less-sodium ham (about 3 ounces)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded low-fat Jarlsberg cheese
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 3  large egg whites
• 2  large eggs
• Cooking spray
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped onion
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped bell pepper
• 1/2  cup  (1-inch) slices asparagus
• 1/4  teaspoon  Italian seasoning

Preheat broiler.

Combine ham, cheese, black pepper, salt, egg whites, and eggs, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat a 9-inch nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and asparagus; sauté 3 minutes. Add egg mixture; reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, 3 minutes or until almost set. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning. Wrap handle of pan with foil; broil 3 minutes or until egg is set. Cut into 4 wedges.

“There’s gotta be something more.  There’s gotta be more than this.  I need a little less hard time; I need a little more bliss…” – Sugarland

This morning, after running with Reader Grace, we found ourselves strolling through the aisles of Publix during the 7:00 hour.  Maybe it’s because this takes us back to the days of running in the store before high school to get supplies and food for SGA meetings and the like, but we’ve always loved Publix during the 7:00 am hour.  People are in workout clothes; people are dressed for work.  Everyone is just getting ready to face the day.

So, with the aforementioned pensive mood, it was in the cereal aisle, as we reached for the 1,000th box of Strawberry Fields by Kashi of 2009, we realized…there has to be something more.  We cannot eat one more bite of Strawberry Fields with frozen blueberries.  We just can’t.  As good as Strawberry Fields and the Streamline in ’09 has been (and we’d recommend it to anyone else), we’re ready for something new.  So fair readers, two part question today…what new, healthy cereals do you recommend (and we have to have a fruit pairing.  So do include).  And what do you propose for the 2010 slogan (something with a little edge, please)?? 

Reader mooremojo shared with us a delicious breakfast recipe.  Part sweet, part savory – it’s simple and it hits the spot.  

Mooremojo Apple Baby

1 large apple
4 large eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter

Heat oven to 450 and allow stick of butter to melt in a 10-12” frying pan in oven while it’s preheating.  Core apple and cut into this slices.  In a blender, mix eggs, flour, then milk.  Once butter is melted, pour batter into the frying pan and top with apple slices.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Apple baby will puff, but then fall once removed from the heat.  Top with cinnamon, powdered sugar, and/or a squeeze of lemon.

Apple Cider Pancakes…sound heavenly (or at least, North Pole-ly).

Ingredients:

• 2 cups complete pancake mix
• 1 1/4 cups apple cider
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
• butter flavored cooking spray

Directions:

1.  Place pancake mix into a medium bowl, and stir in apple cider.  Apple cider may be adjusted to achieve desired thickness.  Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and vanilla.  Mix in walnuts if using.

2.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray.  Use about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake.  Cook 3 to 4 pancakes at a time.  Turn over when bubbles appear in the center, and cook until golden.  Serve with “pats of butter” and syrup.

Arrowhead Mills makes a great multigrain pancake and waffle mix.  It’s made with whole grains and all natural ingredients.  Throw in some blueberries and get a $10 waffle iron from Bed, Bath, & Beyond – you have a healthy, delicious, gourmet breakfast!