Healthy Recipes - Breakfasts

Asparagus and Potato Frittata

3/4 lb. thin asparagus
3 to 4 Tbs. olive oil
2 large green onions, chopped
6 to 8 small red potatoes, unpeeled, cut into slices 1/8 inch thick
1 tsp. salt, plus pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives, plus chive blossoms for garnish (optional)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
11 eggs
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
About 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed

Preparation:

Cut or snap off the tough ends from the asparagus and place the spears on a steamer rack over boiling water. Cover and steam until tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the steamer and cut into 1-inch lengths. Set aside.

In a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat, warm 3 Tbs. olive oil. Add the onions and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the potatoes, 1 tsp. salt, tarragon and pepper and sauté until the potatoes glisten, about 3 minutes, adding the remaining 1 Tbs. oil if needed to prevent sticking. Cover and cook until the potatoes are nearly tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Uncover, raise the heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until the potatoes are browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chives and asparagus and remove from the heat.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a nonstick fry pan or ovenproof sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk the eggs until blended. Stir in the pinch of salt and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and season with pepper. Pour the eggs into the hot pan. Stir gently in the center and, using a fork or spatula, carefully lift the edges and gently push the eggs to one side of the pan, tilting the pan slightly to allow the uncooked egg to flow underneath. Cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Spread the vegetables evenly over the eggs. Sprinkle the Swiss cheese on top. Place in the oven and bake until the eggs are set and the cheese melts, about 15 minutes. The cooking time will depend on the size of the pan and whether the vegetables are still hot.

Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes, then cut into wedges and serve, garnished with watercress sprigs and chive blossoms, if desired..

Servings: 8 - 10

Green Garlic and Spinach Souffle

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 to 1 cup finely chopped green garlic (about 5 heads)
1/2 cup heavy cream or half-and-half
1 thyme sprig
3/4 pound spinach, stemmed and rinsed
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
3/4 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese (chèvre)
4 egg yolks
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
5 egg whites

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 6-cup soufflé dish or gratin dish and dust with a few tablespoons of the Parmigiano-Reggiano. In a small saucepan, combine the garlic, cream and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Set aside.

Place the spinach in a fry pan over medium-high heat, with water clinging to the leaves. Stir until wilted, 1 minute. Transfer the spinach to a colander and press out the moisture with the back of a large spoon. Chop finely.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk and continue whisking until thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the 1 tsp. salt. Stir in the goat cheese and the remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir in the egg yolks, spinach and garlic mixture. Season with white pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Pour the soufflé base on top and fold together until just blended. Scrape the mixture into the prepared dish, filling it no more than seven-eighths full. Bake until the soufflé is golden brown and set, 30 minutes for a soufflé dish, 25 minutes for a gratin dish. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4

Dutch Apple Pancakes

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 medium Delicious apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbs. sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Butter a 10-inch oven-proof braiser or fry pan.

In another fry pan over medium heat, melt 2 Tbs. of the butter. Add the apple, cinnamon and sugar and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the apple begins to soften and brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Set aside.

In a bowl, using a whisk, beat the eggs. Add the milk and whisk until blended. Sift the flour and salt into the egg mixture and whisk until just blended. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the remaining 2 Tbs. butter. Add the butter to the flour-egg mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the apple slices evenly on top. Bake until the pancake is browned and puffed up, 25 to 30 minutes. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately.

Servings: 2 - 4 servings

Diner Style Hash Browns

2 1/2 lb. boiling potatoes, unpeeled, quartered
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives or flat-leaf parsley

Preparation:

Place the potatoes in a saucepan with lightly salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until barely tender when pierced with a fork, no more than 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shred the potatoes on the large holes of a box grater/shredder held over a mixing bowl. Toss lightly with a little salt and pepper.

On a nonstick griddle over medium heat, melt the butter with the vegetable oil. When the butter melts and begins to foam, spread it and the oil evenly over the surface of the griddle and place the shredded potatoes on top. Using the back of a spatula, gently press down on the potatoes to form a compact, even mass 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Do not be concerned if the edges are uneven. Fry until the underside is browned and crusty, about 5 minutes. Using the spatula, turn the cake over, in sections, if necessary. Continue frying until browned and crusty on the other side, 4 to 5 minutes more.

Transfer the potatoes to a warmed serving platter or individual plates and garnish with the chives. Serve immediately.

Servings: 6 - 8

Corned Beef Hash

1 1/4 lb. Yukon Gold or other waxy yellow potatoes, unpeeled, cubed
2 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 large mild yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded, deribbed and cut into squares
1 1/2 lb. unsliced cooked lean corned beef, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (parsley sprigs for garnish)
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 Tbs. vegetable oil

Preparation:

In a saucepan, combine the potatoes with lightly salted cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until just tender enough to pierce with a fork, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a nonstick fry pan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté until the onion is tender-crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes and place in a bowl. Add the onion and bell pepper; set the fry pan aside and do not wash it. Add the corned beef, milk, chopped parsley and chives to the bowl. Toss to mix well, taking care not to mash the potato pieces. Season with salt and pepper and toss again.

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in the reserved fry pan over medium heat. Add the hash mixture, pressing it down with the back of a spatula to form an even, compact cake. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until crusty and lightly browned on the bottom, about 15 minutes. If the hash cake does not move freely, use the spatula to loosen the edges. Invert a large heatproof plate over the pan. Using oven mitts, firmly hold the pan and plate together and invert them. Lift off the pan.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in the same pan and slide the hash cake, browned side up, back into it, tucking any stray pieces back into place. Cook until the other side is crusty, about 10 minutes more. Unmold onto the same plate and cut into wedges. Garnish with parsley sprigs and serve hot.

Servings: 4

Chorizo and Spinach Scramble

2 Tbs. vegetable oil
3/4 lb. chorizo, thinly sliced
4 green onions, including tender green portions, sliced
2 bunches fresh spinach, stems removed and leaves chopped, or 1 package washed spinach leaves, chopped
6 eggs
2 Tbs. warm water
1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese

Preparation:

In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring often, until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain off the fat. Add the green onions and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the chopped spinach in batches, stirring after each addition to wilt the leaves. Once all the spinach has been added and cooked down, pour off any liquid in the bottom of the pan.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the warm water and cheese. Pour over the spinach-chorizo mixture and cook, stirring, until the eggs are softly scrambled. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4