Sourdough Apple Butter Pancakes

As our apple butter was simmering away in the slow cooker, I couldn’t help but think about how good it would be mixed into some pancake batter.  I mentioned it to Zak and he said he would whip up a sourdough starter, so we could combine two facets of pancake excellency – sourdough pancakes, which are the greatest form of pancake ever, and fruit.  In this case, the fruit takes the form of deeply caramelized, super sweet, cinnamon-y apple butter that adds a complexity of flavor to the pancakes.  These were light, fluffy, and filled with a slightly sour tang that worked well with the sweetness of the apple butter.  I served mine with a smear of apple butter, but Zak enjoyed his with some syrup.

Sourdough Apple Butter Pancakes

Sourdough Starter:

From The Bread Machine Cookbook II by Donna Rathmell German

1 cup water

1 cup bread flour

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. yeast

Stir ingredients together in the order given.  Cover with plastic and let sit in a warm location at least overnight and up to 2-3 days.

Sourdough Apple Butter Pancakes:

2 cups sourdough starter, room temperature (see above)

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup apple butter (see apple butter recipe)

1 egg

4 tbs. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbs. warm water

1 tbs. butter

In a large mixing bowl, mix together sourdough starter, flour, apple butter, egg, olive oil, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

Dilute baking soda in warm water.  Just before cooking pancakes, gently add to the sourdough mixture.  If it begins bubbling a bit, let it go for a minute or so.

Heat a cast iron pan or griddle over medium-high heat.  Melt butter.  For each pancake, pour about 1/4 to 1/2 cup (or desired amount) sourdough mixture onto the pan and cook 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.

Savory Baked Oatmeal and Egg

I admit it.  I have a baked egg problem.  I’ll crack an egg into just about anything and try to bake it, if you give me the chance.  As is obvious, if you look at my baked egg history, my favorite combination is a baked egg with tomatoes, as is represented below in this hearty and filling savory baked oatmeal and egg, replete with some tomatoes and basil.  I’m also a huge fan of any sort of savory oatmeal.  So, one day after coming home from class in the late morning, ravenous but not quite in the mood for lunch, I decided to concoct this breakfast.  I could not have been any happier with the end result.  The oatmeal absorbed the juices from the tomatoes as well as the flavors of the basil and egg while maintaining the rich umami of soy and fish sauce.  And creamy baked eggs worked beautifully with the soft oatmeal.  I am really looking forward to experimenting with variations on this in the future, hopefully including a sweet application.

Savory Baked Oatmeal and Egg

1 cup water

1/2 cup rolled oats

2 tsp. Brummel & Brown

2 tsp. soy sauce, divided

1 tsp. fish sauce

2 tbs. plain Greek yogurt

Half dozen grape tomatoes

1 egg

Freshly cracked black pepper

A few leaves basil, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a small saucepan, add water and oats.  Set heat to medium.  Bring to a boil and let simmer vigorously about 5 minutes, until creamy and mostly cooked through.  Add 1 tsp. soy sauce, fish sauce, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Pour carefully into an oven safe bowl.  Use a spoon to create an even layer.  Spoon plain Greek yogurt over the oatmeal and spread into a single layer.  Place tomatoes, cut side up, in a ring around the outside of the bowl.

Use a spoon to create a depression in the center of the tomatoes.  Carefully crack the egg into the depression.

Transfer to oven and bake 15-18 minutes until desired consistency.

Top with basil.

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Pesto Frittata

One of the best things about a really delicious and fresh pesto is its versatility.  It can used in it’s classic form on pasta, of course.  However, it’s also an excellent addition as a sandwich spread, as a topping to chicken or fish, or, as demonstrated in this application, mixed into eggs.  Here I roasted some gorgeous cherry tomatoes and a fresh bell pepper and created a lovely pesto-flavored baked frittata.  I added some baking soda to puff this up and give the other ingredients some room to breathe, so to speak.  This turned out absolutely delicious and reheated very well as leftovers the next day.

Roasted Tomato and Pepper Pesto Frittata

1 tbs. olive oil

1/2 cup multi-colored cherry tomatoes

1 green bell pepper

1/4 cup basil and parsley pesto

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

4 tbs. all natural, whole-wheat flour, divided

1/4 tsp. baking soda

Cooking spray

5 jumbo, cage-free brown eggs

2 tbs. milk

1 cup farmer’s cheese, shredded

Heat oven to 400º.

Place tomatoes and pepper on a tinfoil lined baking sheet and coat with olive oil.  Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Roast about 15 minutes.  Remove tomatoes and set aside in a medium mixing bowl.  Rotate pepper and roast another 10-15 minutes.  Remove pepper from oven and place in a zip lock bag.  Once cool enough to handle, remove charred outer skin, stem, and seeds.  Chop.

Toss tomatoes and peppers with 2 tbs. flour and baking soda.  Let cool to room temperature.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs.  Add to vegetable mixture and stir well combine.  Add pesto and 3/4 cups of cheese and stir to combine.

Spray your casserole dish liberally with non-stick cooking spray.  Coat the sides and bottom of the baking dish well with the extra 2 tbs. of flour (use more if necessary).  This will form a light “crust” for your frittata, so try to make it as uniform as possible and be sure it extends to at least where your vegetable-egg mixture will fall in the casserole dish.

Pour the vegetable-egg combination into your casserole dish and use a spoon to make sure it’s even.  Bake in oven, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes until eggs are set.  Add remaining cheese to top and let melt, roughly another 5-8  minutes.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Polenta with a Baked Egg

While this would make an excellent hearty breakfast, I cooked it as a delicious dinner for one last evening and ate every single bite of it.  I could not get enough of how beautifully these flavors worked together.  This had very similar flavors to the tomato and goat cheese baked eggs I made for breakfast a bit back, but was much more substantial thanks to the polenta.

Goat Cheese and Roasted Tomato Polenta with a Baked Egg

1/2 cup grape tomatoes

1 tbs. olive oil

3 cups homemade chicken stock

1 cup polenta

1/2 cup 1% milk

2 tbs. goat cheese

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1 egg

Preheat oven to 375º.

On a small baking sheet, toss together tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Transfer to oven and roast 25-30 minutes until tender.  Set aside.  Raise heat of oven to 400º.

Bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to medium and whisk in polenta.  Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Cook, whisking frequently, 10-15 minutes or until most of the chicken stock is absorbed.  Whisk in milk and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cook another 10-15 minutes, whisking frequently, until milk is absorbed and polenta is tender.

Pour polenta into a bowl.

Top polenta with crumbled goat cheese and roasted tomatoes.  Carefully crack an egg into the bowl.  Transfer to the oven and bake 15-17 minutes until whites are set but yolk is still slightly runny.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Baked Eggs

Baked eggs are one of my favorite breakfasts.  In the past, I’ve posted recipes for eggs en cocotte with pancetta and romaine, baked eggs with spicy butter beans and potatoes, and tomato and spinach baked eggs, but I make them quite frequently.  This take on baked eggs was particularly successful – the bite of the goat cheese and slightly sweet, slightly acidic flavors of the cherry tomatoes worked beautifully with the creamy eggs.   Baked eggs are great for both their versatility and their hands-off ease.  Simply put all the ingredients in a bowl, throw them in the oven, and set a kitchen timer.  Then, you get to enjoy a breakfast that is so delicious that it feels decadent but is quite healthy and balanced.

Tomato and Goat Cheese Baked Eggs

2 eggs

Half dozen cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbs. goat cheese, crumbled

2 tbs. 1% milk

Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Dried parsley, to taste

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400°.

Spray an oven-safe bowl with non-stick cooking spray.  Add crumbled goat cheese to the bottom of the bowl.  Place tomatoes on top of the goat cheese.  Carefully crack the eggs into the bowl.  Pour milk over the eggs.  Season with crushed red pepper flakes, dried parsley, kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Place bowl in the oven and bake 15-18 minutes until desired consistency.   I baked these about 16-17 minutes and the yolks were just set.  Serve with a few slices of toast for dipping (I used whole wheat and it was divine).