Morning Glories

FM Staff

Morning Glories

Wake up a breakfast menu with one of these sweet and savory selections.

Deb Kahn
Dietary Director
Eveleth Health Service Park Nursing Home
Eveleth, MN

"Here in Minnesota, breakfast is big! Our customers want substantial, hearty breakfast fare like eggs, meat and toast. We tried the Continental option and it didn’t go over well.

"I had never heard of a pasty before I developed the breakfast one (see below) but it’s typically a dough filled with beef or pork and carrots, rutabagas and onions. It looks like a pot pie minus the pan. I created a breakfast pasty version with sausage, hash browns, onion and cheese. It was a big hit here and we serve it about once a month. It’s tasty, simple and can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated."

Victoria Grovier
Chef
ProBusiness (Bon Appetit)
Pleasanton, CA

"We get about 500 customers a day here, 200-225 for breakfast. While customers will opt for more healthy fare at lunch, they like a hearty breakfast.

"Our red white and blueberry pancakes (strawberries, whipped cream and blueberries) are very popular, as are a variety of frittatas, made-to-order omelettes and French toast. They love the croissant French toast with fresh peaches on top. At least twice a week we’ll cater a country-style breakfast for 40-50 people. Obviously they’re not looking for low fat!"

Huevos and Chorizo Breakfast Pizza
Yield: 12 servings

1 lb. 8 oz. chorizo sausage
20 oz. prepared pizza dough
2 Tbsps. red peppers, roasted, minced
2 Tbsps. cilantro, fresh, minced
2 Tbsps. Cornmeal
2 cups salsa or picante sauce
13 oz. Colby-Jack cheese, shredded and divided
12 large eggs, beaten
2 Tbsps. red peppers, roasted, minced

1. Cook and crumble chorizo. Drain; keep warm.

2. Prepare pizza crusts: Let dough come to room temperature. Knead and roll out onto floured surface. Knead roasted peppers and cilantro into pizza dough. Divide and roll into two 14-in. crusts. Spray-coat or oil two 14-in. pizza pans. Sprinkle each pan with 1 Tbsp. cornmeal.

3. Press each crust into pan and onto edges, making a 1Ú2-in. rim.

4. Sprinkle sausage evenly over crusts.

5. Portion 1 cup sauce over each crust.

6. Sprinkle 5 oz. cheese over sauce.

7. Divide and ladle eggs over cheese.

8. Sprinkle 1.5 oz. cheese over eggs on each crust.

9. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp. red peppers over each pizza. Bake 20-30 minutes in 400°F oven until eggs are cooked until firm throughout.

10. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cilantro over each crust when removed from the oven. Let stand 3-5 minutes. Cut each pizza into 6 slices. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Robert Honeychurch, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

Breakfast Pasty
Yield: 35 servings
2 lbs. 6 oz. sausage, ground, browned
11/2 cups onion, finely chopped
11/2 lbs. cheddar cheese, shredded
1 3-lb. bag frozen shredded Idaho potato hash browns
21 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. mustard, dry
2 qts. milk

Crust
6 cups flour, all-purpose
1 Tbsp. Salt
11/2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups lard
11/2 cups ice water

1. Blend crust ingredients together and knead until smooth. Divide dough in half. Roll out first half large enough to fit a 10-in. x 151Ú2-in. pan. Place rolled dough in greased pan, pressing up the sides of the pan.

2. Place a layer of shredded frozen hash browns on top of crust.

3. Mix the ground sausage and onion and spread on top of hash browns.

4. Spread a layer of cheese over meat/onion mixture.

5. Beat eggs, milk and dry mustard together and pour over top of layers.

6. Roll remaining crust and place on top. Seal and tuck edges into pan. Make 6-8 slits in top crust.

7. Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Brush top with butter, rotate pan and continue baking another 30 minutes until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean or internal temperature reaches 165°F.

8. Cut pastry into 2-in. x 2-in. squares. Serve hot.

Recipe from Deb Kahn, dietary director, Eveleth Health Services Park Nursing Home, Eveleth, MN.

Ginger Peach Pancakes

Yield: approx. 24 pancakes
4 cups all-purpose flour
6 Tbsps. Sugar
2 Tbsps. baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, finely chopped
4 cups buttermilk
6 eggs, large, separated
1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
4-6 peaches
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
for cooking butter
for service berry or maple service

1. In mixing bowl, whisk together flour, 4 Tbsps. sugar, baking powder, salt and finely chopped crystallized ginger. Add the buttermilk, egg yolks and vanilla. Whisk until smooth. Batter will be very thick.

2. Using a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. Add the remaining 2 Tbsps. of sugar and beat to soft peaks. Gently stir in a third of the egg whites into the batter. Add another third of the egg whites and fold into the batter and then the remaining egg whites. Batter should be light and smooth.

3. Pit, peal and slice the peaches. Toss in the lemon juice and set aside until ready to use.

4. Melt butter onto a medium-low griddle. Working in batches, pour about half a cup of batter onto the griddle for each cake. Place peach slices into the batter, and continue to cook the pancakes to a golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with berry or maple syrup.

Recipe from Victoria Grovier, chef, ProBusiness (Bon Appetit), Pleasanton, CA.

Summer Fruits with Honey Citrus Syrup
Yield: 12 servings
1 lemon, zest of
1 cup water
five 1/3-in thick slices fresh ginger root
11/4 cup orange honey
1/4 cup orange juice
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice or to taste
11/2 lbs. Peaches
11/2 lbs. Nectarines
3/4 lb. Apricots
1 lb. Plums
1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries
1 cup sour cream or strained plain yogurt

1. In saucepan combine lemon zest, water, gingerroot, honey, orange juice, cinnamon and cloves. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

2. Allow syrup to cool to room temperature. Strain the syrup, discarding the aromatics.

3. Refrigerate the syrup until ready to serve with fruits and sour cream or strained yogurt, up to two days.

Recipe from Victoria Grovier, chef, ProBusiness (Bon Appetit), Pleasanton, CA.