The most important meal of the day

I bet you thought I was going to say Happy Hour – hahaha – but no, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It fills you with all kinds of energy and vitamins to keep you going throughout the day. My husband and I usually eat cereal with fresh fruit (borrring), but on special occasions we like to have something more festive, filling, fun and fattening. Of course, those are the recipes that I’m going to give you! These are the dishes that the kids and grandkids always request when we all get together:

The secret to this recipe is Julia Child’s famous blender hollandaise. This is so easy and I have made it so often that I can give you the recipe in my sleep.

3 egg yolks

1/2 lemon, squeezed

dash or two of cayenne

1/2 tsp dried mustard

Add yolks to the blender, add lemon juice, mustard and cayenne powders. Turn on blender and mix until the egg yolks lighten in color. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup of butter (don’t substitute, please!) in the microwave, and add it, while the blender is going, to the egg mixture. Blend on high for a minute and it is done. It’s quick, it’s easy, it’s amazing and delicious! Set aside.

Toast English muffins and on one half of the muffin half place as many green chiles as you want, in whatever heat level you want. Layer the Canadian bacon on top, and poach some eggs in simmering water with a teaspoon of vinegar. When eggs are done to taste, place them very carefully on each muffin half. Ladle on the luscious hollandaise and prepare yourself for nirvana!

I found this recipe years ago in Flavors Magazine, put out by Whole Foods Market. To my knowledge, that was the only edition they ever published. Don’t know why. At any rate, everyone loves this recipe. It takes a little time and effort but the results are delicious!

Pancake:

4 eggs

2 cups milk

1 tsp honey

1 cup flour

1 tsp salt

2 TBL butter

Apple Compote:

2 Macintosh apples

2-3 Granny Smith apples

2 cups apple cider

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Mix together eggs, milk and honey. Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Beat wet and dry ingredients together. Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Pour egg mixture into the skillet and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, core and slice apples into quarter-inch slices. Mix together apple cider, orange juice, raisins, cranberries, maple syrup and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add apples and reduce to a simmer. Cook uncovered 20 to 25 minutes, until apples are cooked and liquid is reduced. Serve with pancake. Note: I got lazy last summer and decided to use applesauce instead. Don’t bother! It was flat and boring. I usually try to make the compote ahead of time so I’m not running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off when I’ve got a kitchen full of people.

This is the recipe the boys always requested for birthdays, Christmas and Easter. Any special occasion will do.

Crepes:

1 cup sifted flour

2 TBL sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten slightly

1 1/4 cups milk

3 TBL canola oil

Combine first four ingredients; sift into mixing bowl. Combine eggs, milk and canola; stir into dry ingredients. Mix just till dry ingredients are moistened. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into a pan and cook until bubbles form. Only cook one side. Prepare ahead of time and store between sheets of waxed paper.

Filling: 1 cup small curd creamed cottage cheese or ricotta, 13 oz package cream cheese, room temp.