Hearty Breakfast Scramble:

  • 10 slices bacon
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 4 medium sized previously boiled potatoes, diced
  • Salt and freshly ground cracked pepper
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • ½ teaspoon milk
  • ½ cup medium chedder cheese, shredded
  • 1 small avocado, peeled and chopped

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon in heavy oven safe skillet over medium low heat until crisp. Transfer to plate lined with a paper towel. Drain and pour off all but 3 tablespoons grease from pan. Re-heat oil and add onion, garlic, and potatoes to skillet. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Fry, turning occasionally until potatoes are golden brown and crusty, approximately 10 – 12 minutes. Beat eggs in bowl with ½ teaspoon milk and pour over potato mixture. Cook and stir until eggs are just set. Crumble bacon over all. Add avocado all over. Sprinkle melted cheese over the top. Place in oven to cook until cheese is melted, maybe 2 minutes.

  • Yield: 4 servings
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Ease of Preparation: Easy
  • Type: Breakfast Dish

Crème Brulee French Toast Sticks:

  • 5 vanilla beans
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 ¾ cups heavy cream
  • 9 egg yolks
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 loaf French or Italian bread cut into 1 – 1 ½ inch wide sticks
  • Powdered sugar for dusting
  • Maple syrup to taste

Add milk and cream to a medium saucepan. Using the tip of a small, sharp knife, split the vanilla bean and scrape the insides of the vanilla beans into the milk mixture. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Remove from the heat, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30-40 minutes to allow the vanilla to infuse into the milk. Pour through a fine sieve and strain into bowl and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix together well with a wooden spoon. Little by little add the milk mixture, stirring well with the wooden spoon to blend. Pour mixture through a fine sieve and strain into a clean bowl. Cut bread into 1 – 1 ½ inch wide strips. Pre-heat griddle to medium heat and melt two tablespoons butter in pan. Dip bread sticks into crème brulee mixture. Cook a few at a time for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Add additional butter as needed to keep pan greased. Sprinkle French toast sticks with powdered sugar and serve with butter and syrup.

  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 – 20 minutes
  • Inactive Prep Time: 40 minutes
  • Ease of Preparation: Intermediate
  • Type: Breakfast Dish

Double Double Bacon Cheese Quiche:

Crust:

  • 1 1/3 cups flour
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons cold water

Filling:

  • 10 strips bacon
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups light cream
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ cup shredded Gruyere cheese (about 2 ounces)
  • ½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese (about 2 ounces)

To prepare the crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour and the salt. Using 2 knives, cut in the butter until coarse crumbs form. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly flour counter and rolling pin and roll into about a 10 inch circle. Fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Trim edge if necessary, leaving ¼” overhang and press edges into decorative shape. Prick dough with a fork. Line with foil and fill with dried beans. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and dried beans. Bake until lightly golden, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

To prepare the filling: In a medium skillet cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, approximately 8 – 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. In a small bowl whish together the eggs, cream, thyme and pepper. Pour into the crust. Crumble bacon. Sprinkle egg mixture with bacon, Gruyere and cheddar cheeses. Bake until golden and custard is set, about 30 minutes. Serve for breakfast or as a main dish accompanied with a side salad.

  • Yield: 7 – 8 servings
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Ease of Preparation: Intermediate
  • Type: Breakfast Dish or Main Dish

Mom's Spicy Bloody Mary:

  • 1 1/2 ounces high quality vodka
  • 4 ounces tomato juice
  • Dash of celery salt
  • Dash of freshly ground cracked pepper
  • 8 good shakes of worcheshire sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon horseradish
  • 2 dashes of good hot sauce
  • 1 large wedge of lime
  • Pimento stuffed green olive for garnish
  • Spicy pickled asparagus for garnish
  • Pickled green bean for garnish
  • Celery Stalk for garnish
  • Coarse salt for garnish

Take a glass and run the lime wedge around the rim to dampen. Dip top rim into coarse salt to completely go around the rim. Add first 7 ingredients together in the glass, squeeze the lime wedge into the glass and mix all together carefully so as to not lose all of the salt along the rim of the glass. Add the green olive, pickled asparagus spear and pickled green bean on a toothpick or two, add the celery stick in the glass for garnish and enjoy.

  • Yield: 1 serving
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Ease of Preparation: Easy
  • Type: Drink or Breakfast