Blueberry Cobbler French Toast

 Say  'good morning' with this  easy, warm  casserole of bubbly blueberries crowning thick,  puffy golden french toast,  and have a little more than you might otherwise, since  it might be , depending on which ingredients you choose,   pretty  healthy  too.   It's best  when soaked overnight but in a pinch you can get by with  a 2-hour head start in the morning.

Use  an 8-oz loaf of French or whole grain french-type bread, sliced diagonally into 10-14  3/4" thick slices  placed on a rimmed baking sheet.  In a medium bowl, whisk  together 4 eggs (use Egg Beaters if you choose), 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 c milk, 1 tsp vanilla.  Slowly spoon/pour  over the bread slices, turn to coat them completely.  Cover with plastic wrap and  refrigerate overnight or let sit at room temp for a couple hours.

Preheat oven to 450.  Butter (or spray) a 9x13  baking pan and dump in 2 1/2c   fresh or still-frozen blueberries into it.  Sprinkle with 1/2 c. sugar or splenda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cornstarch.  Stir to coat the berries. Fit the bread slices in the dish,  wet side up.  Wedge/squish tightly,  (even so,  you may not always get them all in).   Brush the tops with 2 tsp melted butter, and bake in the center of the oven for 20-25 minutes..the time may vary depending on the thickness and density of the bread..When the berries are bubbling around the edge, remove  from the oven, let it sit for 5 minutes  before serving.   Just lift the slices onto plates and spoon the berries over.  Sprinkle with 10x sugar if you like.

If  it's a birthday breakfast, top with a little vanilla ice cream for a decadently  melting  start to the day, and leftovers served chilled  can be presented as a delicious blueberry bread pudding.

South Beach Smoked Salmon-Asparagus Frittata

The first breakfast my  (then future) husband made for me  is  one of our favorite South Beach recipes. The bonus is that it's low carb.  For those who care about stats, a serving has 241 calories, 19 grams protein, 18 gr carbs, 11 gr fat. For everyone else, the " taste count' is way high!

Spray an ovenproof skillet (like cast iron) with Pam and place on medium high heat til hot. Add 1 TB olive oil and saute 1/2 small onion til soft. Add 8 stalks fresh or frozen cooked asparagus, chopped, and 1/4 c. oil-packed sundried tomatoes, 2 oz smoked salmon. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the broiler. Combine 1/3 c. liquid egg substitute with 2 TB dry milk and 1/4 c water, and 1/4 tsp marjoram, a pinch of pepper. Pour over the salmon mixture. Cover and cook at medium-low for about 7 minutes, until the bottom is set and the top is somewhat set but still wet.

Broil 4-6" from the heat until puffed, browned, and set, about 2-3 minutes.

Cut in wedges and serve with sour cream & chives if desired. Makes 2 big - really big- breakfast or supper servings.

Orange Glazed Tropical Fruit Scones

These luscious scones are fruity, sweet, and wonderful! The recipe originated with Fran Neavell of Salem Oregon and won her a spot as a finalist in the 1996 Pillsbury Cookoff - it's easy to see how that happened.

This makes 8  quite large scones- I usually cut each circle into 8 wedges instead of 4, and get 16 out of the recipe.

SCONES
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/3 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 c tropical medley dried fruits or dried fruit bits
1/2 c white vanilla baking chips

GLAZE
1 c powdered sugar
2 to 3 tbs orange juice

SPREAD
1/3 c apricot-pineapple preserves or apricot preserves

Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange peel; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and eggs; blend well. Stir in dried fruit and white vanilla chips until well mixed.

On lightly floured surface, knead dough 6 or 7 times until smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle. With floured knife, cut each circle into 4 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 400°F. for 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle mixture over top and sides of each scone. I've been known to stir some of the preserves into the icing too...Cool 5 minutes.

If desired, split each scone and spread with 2 teaspoons preserves or serve preserves with scones. They they are wonderfully good without anything extra.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chilies Rellenos Casserole

Chilies and cheese, a perfect  flavor combination. This  would also be a good brunch dish.

Preheat oven to 350.   Lightly grease or spray a 9x13  shallow baking dish.  From a 16-oz. can of mild green chilies, remove stems and lay half  the chilies  flat on the bottom of the dish.   In a skillet, cook 1/2 lb ground pork and 1/2 lb. ground beef with 1 chopped onion and 1 clove minced garlic, until browned.  Drain well and spoon over the chilies, then layer on  3 c. shredded cheddar cheese. Top with the remaining chilies.  Whisk together 4 eggs, 1/4 c. flour, 1  1/2 c. milk, 1 tsp salt.  Pour over the chilies, top with 1 c. shredded Monterey jack cheese, and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove cover and bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned.  Serves 6-8

Prizewinning Recipe: Ham and Turkey Green Salad

Credit goes to a Mady Wolkenstein for this superb dish, which won $2500 in a magazine recipe contest a decade or so ago.....I've never served it without  getting rave reviews and multiple requests for the recipe.

1/4 cup vegetable oil


2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided

4 cups strips of  salad greens - romaine, spinach suggested... no iceberg, please!

1/3 cup mayonnaise

4 teaspoons spicy brown mustard

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

2-1/2 cups cubed cooked turkey

2 cups julienned fully cooked ham

1 cup halved seedless green grapes

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

Combine oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; toss with greens. Arrange on a platter or individual plates In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard, thyme and remaining vinegar, salt and pepper. Add turkey, ham, grapes and onions; toss to coat. Spoon over greens. Garnish with almonds. I've added golden raisins on occasion, too  Yield: 4-6 servings.

Oh My! Hash Brown & Ham Pie

This cheesy, crusty pie recipe is courtesy of The Pampered Chef...served at the first PP party I ever went to, at my friend Diana's. YUM! PP recommends making it in their 'deep dish baker' but I make it in a deep dish pottery pie pan or better yet, in an iron skillet. Enjoy it for supper as well as breakfast. http://www.pamperedchef.com/

Preheat oven to 350 and combine 4 slightly beaten eggs, 1 c. diced ham, 1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese, 1/2 c. milk, 2 TB chopped onion, and 1 cup chopped veggies...I like broccoli, but you could use asparagus, mixed veg, green pepper, or whatever leftovers you have on hand. Set aside for now.

Use one large pouch refrigerated shredded hash brown potatoes mixed with 2 more cups cheddar to form a crust in the dish. Then pour the egg mixture into the potato crust and bake 45-50 minutes, until golden brown and the center is set. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 servings.

Original Joe's Spinach -Sausage Frittata

Original Joe's has been serving Italian specialties in San Francisco since 1937 and among the lunch specials are such favorites as ox tails and osso bucco with Italian rice...not the aver age blue plate special. I had a friend who'd lived there and gave us this recipe good for breakfast, brunch, lunch or supper. Frittatas are always cooked til almost done - not scrambled... then finished under the broiler, and this isn't, but hey- they call it a frittata so I will go along with that. He said the fritatta ingredients varied, but always had eggs, spinach, and potatoes.

Brown 1 lb Italian sausage with 1 medium onion, and 2 diced potatoes until crispy. Add 1 box frozen cooked and well drained spinach, then add 3 beaten eggs. Cook and stir til done. Serve with salad and/or buttery crunchy toast.

Joe's was closed in late fall 2007 , due to a fire but scheduled to reopen after extensive repairs ... www.sfeater.com/archives/2007/10/12/fire_water_d..

Breakfast Pizza

Tastes good even at room temperature, so it's good to take to work on the days you have 'breakfast carry-ins". Popular with kids and adults alike.

Preheat oven to 375 and lightly spray a 12" pizza pan. Unroll one tube of crescent rolls and press onto the pan, making a crust, piecing where needed. Combine topping ingredients: 6 beaten eggs, 1 tsp hot sauce, 1 1/2 c shredded Cheddar cheese, 1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained, 1/2 lb crumbled crisp bacon, and a few chopped green onions. Pour evenly over the crust and bake 15-20 minutes, til eggs are firm and crust is golden.

Customize as you like with what's on hand or your favorite pizza toppings- substitute or combine olives, sausage, ham, pepperoni, green pepper- as you like. Just keep the proportions of toppings to eggs about the same amount. Wrap in foil to transport and keep warm.