Breakfast And Brunch Recipes

Easy Dairy-free Gluten-free Cheese Puffs

11/15/2012 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

The last time I came up with a recipe that seemed too good to be true, it actually was. Good and true, that is. A luscious dark chocolate pudding made with coconut milk and maple syrup, ten minutes to prep and good to go days later. It sounded like a fantasy, but it turned out to be one of the big hits of the year. So last week, when I stumbled upon a recipe for a gluten-free cheese bread called Pão de Queijo, I thought I was dreaming again. The adorable little puffs reminded me of the heavenly rolls we used to buy every week at the farmers market over the summer. Made of tapioca flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch, cassava flour, or manioc flour), they were crusty on the outside, chewy and cheesy on the inside, and totally addictive. I pictured … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch Recipes, Dairy-free, Gluten-Free Recipes, In the Kitchen, Side Dish Recipes, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes

Pumpkin Banana Breakfast Muffins

10/16/2012 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

When I think of Fall, the thing that really gets me drooling is pumpkin. The minute Starbucks starts pushing their Pumpkin Spice Latte, I know I’m whipped. It’s the flavor I most associate with the season, and it’s one you’ll be seeing around here often. I’ve already got a stack of pumpkin recipes to try, so last week I stocked up on cans of organic purée (Trader Joe’s makes a good one and I like this brand), sweet spices, a variety of whole-grain flours for baking, and pumpkin spice syrup (for my morning coffee, ‘course). On top of my pile was a recipe from the always reliable Cook’s Illustrated — a new and improved Pumpkin Bread. I envisioned a wholesome, energizing breakfast … [Read more...]

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Vegan Almond Pancakes

07/17/2012 By Dana Slatkin 4 Comments

During the school year, a typical morning in my house looks like someone pressed the fast forward button. Five people scuttle around the kitchen in haphazard directions, stopping only for a few seconds to guzzle breakfast, then dispersing into the day. But during summer, the morning unfolds leisurely, with a more substantial meal to send everyone off on their way. This week, I was in the mood for a tall stack of fluffy, golden pancakes, but I had forgotten to restock eggs, flour, and buttermilk (hey, the kids aren’t the only ones on vacation). In my summer state of mind, I tend to shrug off just about everything with a “whatever,” so I carried on anyway. I used almond flour in place of regular flour, omitted the eggs … [Read more...]

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Spelt Peach Almond Muffins

05/29/2012 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

In the leafy neighborhood of Los Angeles where I spent my childhood, tucked neatly behind white picket fences and 2-car garages, life seemed pretty idyllic. I’ll never forget the day I came home from school to a dilapidated Helms Bakery truck parked in the driveway. My father, a divorce attorney, had become increasingly disillusioned with his career, which ironically was flourishing as many marriages turned miserable. So he decided to rescue a rusty heap from a junk yard and embark on a new project. He wanted to restore the delivery truck to its former mid-century glory, when its daily “toot, toot!” meant warm bread was waiting at your door. Every weekend, my father would disappear under the wheels of the truck, emerging … [Read more...]

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Greek Frittata with Spinach, Leeks, Potato and Feta

03/21/2012 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

The Los Angeles Marathon took over our town last Sunday. Fortunately, it was a brisk, sunny morning. The kids and I watched some of the more than 20,000 runners pass by mile 17, looking surprisingly sweatless and energized. As they soldiered on, we slipped into our favorite deli for breakfast. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of outsider envy. After all, our most athletic feat of the morning had been sprinting across the race route while dodging the runners. And even though I could practically taste the hash browns from a block away, I wanted to truly earn them. I thought about what I’d order if I had just run 26.2 miles in under two and a half hours, as the winning female from Ethiopia did. Something delicious and decadent. … [Read more...]

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My Power Breakfast

10/05/2011 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

How do you start your day? If the word that comes to mind is gently, I’m jealous. Because when I think of my morning routine, I get the sweats. It starts when I am awakened at 6 a.m. with a pounce from my bed-headed, footsie-pajama’d four-year-old. And it’s nonstop from there. Throw on clothes. Race to the kitchen, guzzle coffee, toss lunchboxes in backpacks. Rush, rush, rush. Off we go. We all know breakfast is essential to getting a jump on the day. But, too often, it’s lost in the shuffle, sacrificed to a few more precious minutes of sleep. So here is my solution: put it between two slices of bread. Delicious, energizing, and five-minutes to prepare, this breakfast sandwich is more satisfying than a protein … [Read more...]

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Yogurt Granola Parfait

08/18/2011 By Dana Slatkin 1 Comment

I am not good at goodbyes, especially when it comes to summer. While packing my suitcase with sparkly rocks and macramé bracelets and the random detritus of our family vacation, I was dreading the farewell. What had seemed like an overwhelming abyss of time to fill had become a collection of sweet moments I wanted to hold onto forever. Our closest friends stopped over to say goodbye. And with each hug, a moment shared together unraveled — a beautiful hike, a bike ride, a picnic at dusk. We promised we would see each other same time next year, maybe even sooner. But I was already flooding with tears. On the plane ride home, as I replayed some of the summer’s highlights in my head, I remembered this recipe, one I made … [Read more...]

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Breakfast Tofu Scramble with Bobby Flay’s Salsa Verde

03/15/2011 By Dana Slatkin Leave a Comment

When I was a kid, I thought tofu was hilarious. My brother and I would crack up whenever it showed up on our table, jiggling, soap-colored, and ridiculously unappealing. Our mother, a graduate of U.C. Berkeley in the ’60s and freshly steeped in counter-culture rectitude, had been experimenting with ethical ways to feed the family. But we were not having any of it. Just saying the word made us goofy. Fortunately, tofu has grown up or, rather, we have. No longer the exclusive province of Asian or hippie fare, the mild-mannered coagulation of soybeans, water and salt has become the darling of modern menus across the country. Chefs appreciate its versatility as a flavor conduit, a meatless protein powerhouse, and an ingredient of many … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Breakfast and Brunch Recipes