breakfast – The Kitchen Illiterate

Grandma Joan’s Banana Bread

Bananas don’t usually last long enough in this house to make it to banana bread. But a few weeks ago, we were having dinner with my friend Eunice and I happened to glance into her freezer and see piles and piles of frozen, perfectly browned bananas. She sighed that she never had time to do anything with them, so I offered to take a few off her hands. I love banana bread because it’s another one of those baked goods that I can pretend is healthy. Because, hey, fruit!
Continue reading Grandma Joan’s Banana Bread

Saturday Morning, Coconut Muffins

I know that I’m emerging from whatever dark lull I’ve been sunk in when I wake up on a Saturday morning with an urge to bake. Before I even finish my coffee I’m pulling bins of flour and sugar out of cupboards and scattering mixing bowls and measuring spoons over the counters. Sean ambles out of bed and marvels at the mess I’ve been able to make before 9 am. I’m mixing and stirring and whisking and happily anticipating a warm, sweet breakfast. There’s something wonderful about early morning baking: The feeling of productivity first thing in the morning, sipping coffee in between breaking eggs, and watching the room become lighter as the sun rises higher in the sky.
Continue reading Saturday Morning, Coconut Muffins

Greek Frittata

Frittatas are like the easier version of quiche. Just as much eggy goodness, no need to roll out pie dough. They make for a simple, quick dinner, and are perfect paired with a light green salad. You might be more familiar with the frittata’s role at the brunch table: I assure you, it plays well at any meal. What makes this such a stellar workhorse? You can do anything with a frittata. You can throw in whatever bits and pieces you have floating around in your refrigerator and chances are it will be delicious. Versatility is the name of the game.
Continue reading Greek Frittata

Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

The holiday season hectic-ness has set in around here. On top of the standard holiday stress of present-buying and event-attending, we’re pressing ever onward toward a critical deadline at work. Then I decided to spend two days at an intensive leadership workshop, and Sean and I thought it would be fun to throw a holiday chili party. And as usual when I get busy, this blog has been a little neglected. I did, though, find time to make these awesome vegan cinnamon rolls, and they were so good I knew I had to find time to share them with you.
Continue reading Vegan Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls

Juice Cleansing

This week I’m embarking on something I thought I would never do: A juice cleanse. Yes, a juice cleanse. I’ve gotten a small amount of scorn over this, and a decent amount of skepticism. And I’m willing to grant that I’m not sure how much actual detoxing is going to go on, or if that’s even why I’m doing it. I’m doing it because the last month was really difficult for me, physically and emotionally. I haven’t been able to cook, I haven’t been able to be physically active, and, well, broken bones are kind of painful. I wanted something that would give me an emotional jumpstart, and make me feel mentally refreshed, if not physically refreshed.
Continue reading Juice Cleansing

Cranberry Buttermilk Scones

Some mornings, you just want scones. These cranberry buttermilk scones are light, buttery, and tender, and perfect for fall. Find out how to make them at Wine and Dine Walla Walla. They are so easy, I even made them before coffee last Saturday with no disasters!

Swiss Chard and Red Pepper Gratin

What? Another gratin? Has the kitchen really gotten this boring? Well, actually no. This gratin couldn’t be more different from last week’s Sweet Potato and Spinach Gratin. In fact, I’m not even really sure that this is a gratin. It seems a lot more like a frittata, but if the New York Times wants to call it a gratin, who am I to argue?

I bookmarked this one a year and a half ago, and every time I came across it subsequently, it just didn’t catch my attention the way it had at first. But this week, for some reason, it stood out. I think it was the red peppers. I buy red peppers so infrequently in the winter that I can’t even remember the last time I had them. But the red peppers at the produce market last weekend were so brilliantly red I couldn’t resist them. And I was intrigued by what looked like a frittata with rice, which I’ve been eating a lot more of lately, so I decided I had to try it. I only wish I’d tried it sooner.
Continue reading Swiss Chard and Red Pepper Gratin

Bacon and Aged Gouda Scones

Update! Doh, I forgot that I added mustard powder to the recipe, as well. Subtle, but a nice touch.

I woke up last Saturday morning several hours later than my usual rising time with a serious hunger. Unfortunately, we had no bread in the house, and I don’t consider breakfast at all satisfying without bread. So I turned to Mr. X and asked, “Should I bake English muffins or scones for breakfast?” And he did the only thing he could do: He laughed at me. My Saturday morning proposal pretty much encapsulates me at my most ridiculous: Rather than settling for a sub-par breakfast, I will gladly satiate my hunger pangs temporarily with a small handful of chips while I embark on an elaborate cooking project.

As you can see, I decided on the scones. And these aren’t just any scones. These are light, flaky scones made with thick cut bacon and aged Gouda cheese. And they were totally worth the wait.
Continue reading Bacon and Aged Gouda Scones

Laura’s Mike’s Mess

My first year of college I wasn’t quite ready to leave the comforting embrace of my small hippie college town. Unfortunately, I found it a little bit tricky to find a job in that town. I graduated during the last serious plunge in the employment rate, in 2001, and it was not a good time to be a newly graduated Lit major, I can tell you that. I ended up working in various coffee shops and restaurants before I finally landed that first desk job, and while I was certainly extremely poor and had to defer payment of my student loans for too, too long, I wouldn’t exchange the experience for anything. I met great people, I had a lot of fun, learned to carry multiple cups of coffee at once, and I discovered what remains to this day my favorite breakfast: The Mike’s Mess from Zachary’s, in Santa Cruz, California. This year, I decided I need to try to make it myself.
Continue reading Laura’s Mike’s Mess

Apple Pancakes make an excellent fall breakfast

A few weeks ago, Smitten Kitchen posted a lovely looking recipe for apple pancakes. Now, I am not usually a pancake person. I don’t crave sweet things in the morning, and if I got out for brunch, I always want eggs. But these pancakes appealed to me, and I had a friend coming into town for the weekend and wanted to do some lovely breakfast thing, so I decided to give this pancake thing a try. And despite my poor pancake cooking skills, they did no disappoint.
Continue reading Apple Pancakes make an excellent fall breakfast