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Entertaining dishes for breakfastsBreakfast or brunch is a fine time to entertain guests. They won't expect much other than the usual fare. Nothing wrong with that but why not slip them a little surprise and have a little fun with the simplest meal of the day. Here are some little twists on old favorites that will make your guests open their eyes wide, and their mouths, too. Scrambled Egg Tacone (Big Taco) Serve this with hot refried or cooked whole pinto beans--can be canned. If you use fresh chiles, remove all or some of the seeds for less heat, and wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. Canned jalapenos can be substituted. Serve with salsa. 9 large eggs
Whisk eggs, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt until blended. Set a 10- to 12-inch nonstick frying pan over high heat. Add oil, meat, chiles, onion and tomato; stir often until onion is limp, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add egg mixture, then sprinkle evenly with cheese. When a thin layer of egg is set on pan bottom, push cooked egg toward one side of pan, letting uncooked egg flow underneath. Continue cooking and pushing egg mixture until eggs are softly set but still moist, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir to turn eggs over. Remove from heat. Wrap tortillas in plastic wrap and heat in a microwave on full power just until hot and steamy, 15 to 30 seconds. Lay tortillas, one at a time, on a board and spoon about a fourth of the egg mixture across each, just below center. Wrap tortillas tightly around filling. If desired, cut each burrito in half diagonally; stack on plates. Offer salsa, salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings. Oven-Coddled Eggs with Mashed Potatoes & Herbs A nice choice for a special breakfast because the potatoes can be mashed in advance, then chilled overnight in the ramekins or mugs. You actually can use leftover mashed potatoes. Serve with plenty of toast. 1/2 cup whole milk
Butter 6 ramekins or ovenproof cups or mugs. Bring milk and bay leaf to simmer; remove from heat. Cover, let steep 15 minutes, and discard leaf. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling salted water until very tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Mash potatoes with warm milk, shallots, butter, and herbs; mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Divide potato mixture among ramekins (can be prepared a day ahead). Preheat oven to 350 F. Crack 1 egg over potatoes in each ramekin. Spoon 1 tablespoon cream over each egg. Sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon grated cheese. Place ramekins in metal baking pan. Pour enough hot water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of ramekins. Bake until egg whites are gently set but yolks are still soft, about 17 minutes. Remove from baking pan. Sprinkle each with chives and serve. Makes 6 servings. Potato & Sausage Breakfast Popover Casserole Different than most breakfast casseroles in that it is made with a popover dough. An eggy batter creates both a crust and filling for a quiche-like breakfast treat. Batter: 2 large eggs
Filling: 2 scallions, chopped fine
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle of oven and heat to 425 F. Prepare 9-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with aluminum foil, clamp the sides of the pan in place and tuck foil underneath the pan bottom. Coat the sides and foil with cooking spray. Batter: Whisk eggs, milk and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well combined. Stir in flour until just incorporated--the mixture will still be a bit lumpy. Whisk in butter until batter is smooth. Stir in scallions and set batter aside while preparing filling. Filling: Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon water in microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, cut vent holes in plastic, and microwave on high power until potatoes just begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. (Or boil with a cover in a small amount of salted water.) Meanwhile, cook sausage, breaking up clumps, until meat has lost most of its pink color. Using slotted spoon, spread sausage evenly over bottom of prepared springform pan. Heat oil in skillet with sausage fat until shimmering. Add potatoes and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until potatoes are golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels. While potatoes are cooking, place springform pan with sausage in oven for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and, working quickly, sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over sausage and pour batter evenly over filling. Scatter potatoes on top and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake until puffed and golden, 15 to 30 minutes. Remove pan from oven, run knife around edges of pan and let cool 5 minutes. Release outer ring and, using spatula, transfer casserole to serving plate. Makes 6 servings. Blueberry Buttermilk Flapjacks Blueberries are best but June berries, blackberries, even strawberries can be used. 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, 1 tablespoon butter and 2 teaspoons oil; whisk into flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Set batter aside. Heat 1/2 teaspoon butter and 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium heat. Pour in 1/3 cup batter. Cook until small bubbles form, about 3 minutes. Flip; cook until golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter, adding butter as needed. Serve with butter, maple syrup or blueberry syrup. Garnish with berries. Makes 10. *Note. No buttermilk on hand, then add 2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar to the milk and let stand a few minutes before using. Eye-opening breakfasts are worth getting up for. 5/19/08 Date: 5/13/08
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