Category Archives: Breakfast

Recipes of Breakfasts

Apple Muffins

November 14, 2016 7:50 am , 2 Comments ,

If you go apple-picking like our family does every Fall, you probably end up with a huge bag of apples that costs more than it would buying from the store. But our kids love it so we do it. (Ok, maybe I like it too šŸ™‚ .) If youā€™re sick of eating those apples day after day, this recipe is perfect for you.

Iā€™ve been using this recipe to make apple muffins when we have lots of leftover apples from apple picking. Surprisingly, this year I hardly had any apples left! We ate some and gave some away. But it seemed as if our pile of apples dwindled faster than I could make my muffins! (I usually make at least 2 batches.) I think the kids are growing and consuming more šŸ˜› .

Of course you can bake these apple muffins anytime you want and not just wait for a surplus. As usual, I used less sugar than the original recipe called for because I find most baked goods recipes too sweet. With the brown sugar sprinkled on top, itā€™s the perfect sweetness combined with a bit of tartness from the apples. This Memorable Dish is so great for breakfast or a snack.

Apple Muffins

Apple Muffins

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

18 Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup unsalted Butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed, divided
  • 1 large Egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) Buttermilk or Yogurt
  • 2 large Apples, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped (approx. 4 cups)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 450Ā°F.
  2. Line muffin pan with baking cups.
  3. Mix together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, and set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, cream the butter and coconut oil.
  5. Add the granulated sugar and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar.
  6. Beat until fluffy. Add the egg and mix well; stop once to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  7. Mix in the buttermilk/yoghurt gently. (If you over-mix, the buttermilk/yoghurt will cause the mixture to curdle.)
  8. Stir in the dry ingredients and fold in the apple chunks.
  9. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar on top.
  10. Bake for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 400Ā°F, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  11. Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Modified from original recipe at Smitten Kitchen.

https://www.memorabledishes.com/apple-muffins/

Here you can learn more about apple health benefits from Health Ambition and Well Being Secrets.

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack , Tagged: ,

Century Egg and Pork Congee
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January 11, 2016 8:51 am , Leave a Comment ,
Century Egg and Pork Congee

Congee is a comfort food that many Asians grew up eating. Itā€™s a rice porridge that is typically served for breakfast or lunch if you accompany it with other heartier foods such as noodles. Youā€™ll get full pretty fast if youā€™re eating congee but youā€™ll get hungry pretty soon too because itā€™s liquidy. Itā€™s also a great meal to eat when youā€™re feeling sick because itā€™s warm and nourishing. Congee is like North Americanā€™s chicken soup.

Iā€™m sure a lot of Chinese children grew up eating this Memorable Dish whether they grew up in Asia, North America or any other part of the world. If they are able to buy century eggs, their moms or grandmothers wouldā€™ve made them this congee when they were children.

My mother uses a couple of Chinese ingredients that may not be common to some. So if you canā€™t find them or donā€™t want to use them, itā€™s OK. One ingredient is conpoy (dried scallop) because it gives the congee a better taste. You wonā€™t find good quality conpoy at your Chinese grocery store. We usually buy it from a Chinese dried seafood shop (ęµ·å‘³åŗ—). She also mixes dried bean curd sheet (腐ē«¹) with the rice before boiling it.

At first, my boys didnā€™t seem to like congee very much. Every time we had it at my momā€™s house, they would only eat a few spoonfuls. They ate more of the side dishes of noodles and Chinese cruller. For them, congee equates Chinese cruller; congee is blasphemous without it. As time goes by, they started getting second bowls of congee! I wonder if itā€™s because of the crunchy Chinese cruller they love dipping the congee into or their taste suddenly evolved into a higher level of adult sophistication.

Iā€™m sure this Memorable Dish brings back childhood memories for a lot of Chinese families. I remember my grandmother making it for us when we were kids and now my mother makes it for us and my kids. When my kids grow up I will teach them how to make this dish for their family with the hopes that they will continue the tradition of congee cooking for their loved ones.Century Egg and Pork Congee

Century Egg and Pork Congee
(ēš®č›‹ē˜¦č‚‰ē²„)

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Serving Size: 6-8

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Lean Pork, cut into 2 big pieces
  • 2 tsp Salt
  • 1 Century Egg (cut in half)
  • 1 cup Rice
  • 2 slices of Ginger
  • 16 cups Water
  • 3 pieces of Conpoy (Dried Scallop) (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Dried Bean Curd Sheet, crushed up (optional)
  • 1 sliced Green Onion for garnish
  • White Pepper & Salt or Soy Sauce to taste

Preparation

  1. The night before, coat pork pieces with salt and marinate in the fridge.
  2. If using conpoy, soak them in water to reconstitute it.
  3. On the day of making the congee, rinse rice until the water is almost clear.
  4. In a large bowl, mix 1/2 century egg, rice and dried bean curd sheet (if using) together. Set aside.
  5. After conpoy has been softened, break pieces up with a fork or by hand.
  6. In a large pot, put 12 cups of water, pork pieces, ginger slices, and conpoy (if using). Bring everything to a boil.
  7. Once itā€™s boiled, skim off scum and boil for another 15 minutes.
  8. Put rice mixture into the boiling liquid and once itā€™s boiled, turn down to medium to medium high heat.
  9. The liquid should be in a rolling boil state.
  10. Keep the pot lid slightly open so the congee wonā€™t boil over,
  11. Cook congee for 15 minutes and add the additional 4 cups of water.
  12. Cook congee for approximately 45 minutes more.
  13. Check and stir the pot periodically to make sure the rice doesnā€™t stick to the bottom as it thickens.
  14. Once you boil it to the consistency of your liking, the rice should be broken down by now. Turn off heat.
  15. Take the big pork pieces out of the pot and shred it with a fork or by hand.
  16. Cut the other half of the century egg into small pieces.
  17. Put the shredded pork and century egg back into the pot of congee and mix.
  18. Serve in bowls and garnish with green onions, white pepper and salt or soy sauce to taste.

Notes

If you like thicker congee, cook it longer. If you like it thinner, add a bit more water. Make sure you bring it back to a boil if using cold water.

https://www.memorabledishes.com/century-egg-and-pork-congee/

Posted in: Breakfast, Main Course, Pork, Rice, Soup , Tagged: , ,

Oatmeal Date Squares

November 16, 2015 7:35 am , Leave a Comment ,
Oatmeal Date Squares

When I just had one child, I had all the time in the worldā€”I organized play dates, matched outfits, and made homemade meals all the time. Instead of buying store-bought cookies and treats, I would bake homemade ones. I used to make oatmeal date squares and other treats for my oldest son all the time. I even experimented with making granola ā€œballsā€. That recipe was very time-consuming and involved rolling hot granola mixture into balls with my hands super speedily so that I didnā€™t burn myself šŸ˜› Now that I have three children, I cannot leisurely bake as much anymore. But I still like to bake them semi-healthy treats as much as possible.

I havenā€™t made this Memorable Dish for awhile. While sifting through my printed recipes, I came across this one. The original recipe I found said to cook the dates with sugar but I found it unnecessary because the dates are sweet enough already. I cut down the amount of sugar from the original recipe to our familyā€™s taste because I usually find baked goods recipes super sweet for me.

This oatmeal date squares recipe is fairly easy to make and a great nut-free snack to bring to school. Now with three children, I donā€™t know how long these oatmeal date squares will last! Thatā€™s why I cut them smaller to make them seem to last longer šŸ˜‰Oatmeal Date Squares

Oatmeal Date Squares

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

16 Squares

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups pitted Dates, chopped
  • 3/4 cup Water
  • 1 1/2 cups Oats
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup packed Brown Sugar
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/3 cup Butter, melted
  • 1 Egg

Preparation

  1. Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350Ā°F.
  2. In a small pot, combine dates and water. Bring the liquid to a boil.
  3. Once the water comes to a boil, turn down heat and uncover pot.
  4. Cook date mixture for approximately 5 minutes or until itā€™s thickened.
  5. Stir and mash up dates while theyā€™re cooking. Turn off heat once the liquid has evaporated.
  6. In large bowl, mix oats, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, brown sugar, and salt until combined.
  7. Stir in melted butter and egg until everything is blended.
  8. In a buttered 8-inch square pan, pat half of the oat mixture on the bottom.
  9. Spread the date mixture onto the oat mixture carefully.
  10. Then gently pat the remaining oat mixture over the date mixture.
  11. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly brown.
  12. Cool on a rack and cut into squares.

Notes

If I remember and have time, I bake the squares for 15 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 15 minutes. This helps to cook it evenly.

https://www.memorabledishes.com/oatmeal-date-squares/

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack , Tagged: , ,

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

September 28, 2015 8:18 am , Leave a Comment ,

At one time or another we have overripe bananas that we donā€™t know what to do with. Hence, a lot of us have our go-to banana bread recipes that we use to make leftover bananas into something delicious. This one is my all-time favourite banana bread recipe. I originally found this recipe online but have adapted it to our familyā€™s taste. Since I make this for the kiddies as a snack, I try to use healthier ingredients such as coconut oil and whole wheat flour. However, if you donā€™t like the taste of coconut oil or whole wheat flour, you can use butter and all-purpose flour instead.

I find that even if I use coconut oil and whole wheat flour, itā€™s a very tasty bread. You can also use half of the healthier ingredients and another half with not so healthy ingredients. Iā€™ve tried all combinations of healthy and not so healthy ingredients and the results are pretty similar.

The boys enjoy making this Memorable Dish with me because they get to sneak chocolate chips in their mouths here and there as I’m making it. Of course they enjoy licking the coveted spatula, whisk, spoon and bowl with the leftover batter. As soon as I start making banana bread, my second son brings his little chair to prop himself up to help me.

Sometimes I make this into a loaf or sometimes into muffins. So I include the recipe for both. You just have to adjust the baking time a bit. If you have a good banana bread recipe, please share. Iā€™m always trying to find new ways to make old favourites.
Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

1 loaf or 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 2 large or 3 medium sized peeled Bananas (very ripe)
  • 1/3 cup melted Butter or Coconut Oil
  • 1/3 cup of Sugar
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup toasted chopped Walnuts (optional)
  • 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose or whole wheat Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp of Cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp Salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350Ā°F.
  2. Butter the 4x8 inch loaf pan or line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. In large bowl, whisk flours, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
  4. In another bowl, mash bananas with a wooden spoon or whisk.
  5. Add melted butter/coconut oil, sugar, egg and vanilla extract to the mashed bananas to combine.
  6. Then mix in chocolate chips and walnuts (if using).
  7. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix the batter but don't overmix (use a fork if you need to). Pour batter into loaf pan or muffin cups.
  8. Bake until loaf or muffins are puffed and wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20-30 minutes for muffins and 45 minutes to 1 hour for loaf.
  9. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before taking it out. Continue cooling it on the rack until itā€™s cool enough to eat.

Notes

You can freeze overripe bananas to be used later. Make sure itā€™s fully defrosted when making the banana bread.

https://www.memorabledishes.com/chocolate-chip-banana-bread/

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack , Tagged: , , ,

Almond Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

June 15, 2015 7:52 am , Leave a Comment ,
Almond Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

This Memorable Dish has become my go-to muffin recipe. Itā€™s healthy, not too sweet, and light and fluffy. I donā€™t remember where it originated from. Surprisingly, I didnā€™t find this recipe online. I think I initially found this recipe from a newspaperā€”how retro! Iā€™ve modified the original recipe to suit my familyā€™s liking as usual because we donā€™t like things too sweet.

This Memorable Dish has been a notorious success with my family. Iā€™d make it when my cousins from the States visited. But I preferred to make them ahead of time so that my cousins would have something to eat for breakfast the next morning. One of my cousins enjoyed them so much she asked for the recipe so that she could make it at home. When we had our Canadian and US families gathered for brunch, she made them here in Canada for us! She really likes these muffins šŸ™‚

This Memorable Muffin is made from almond flour (ground almonds) so the kids cannot bring them to school due to a nut-free policy. However, we make them for home and the kids have them for breakfast or as a snack. Now, my third little one will get to taste this yummy muffin for the first time!

Almond Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

Almond Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

12 Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Almond Flour (ground almonds)
  • 4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 cup Ground Flaxseed
  • 1 1/2 cup fresh Blueberries
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 1 cup 2% Milk
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 1/3 cup Almond oil
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Preparation

  1. Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 400Ā°F.
  2. Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. In large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, salt, and flaxseed to combine. Add berries and stir to coat.
  4. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract to combine.
  5. Pour egg mixture into berry mixture and gently mix with a fork to moisten dry ingredients. Don't overmix (a few lumps in batter are normal). Pour batter into muffin cups.
  6. Bake until muffins are puffed and wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on rack before serving.

Notes

Note #1: If you donā€™t have almond oil on hand, you can also use a neutral tasting oil such as canola oil.

Note #2: I have also used frozen blueberries and the results are the same except the whole muffin turns blue šŸ™‚

https://www.memorabledishes.com/almond-blueberry-flaxseed-muffins/

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack , Tagged: , ,
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