Waffle Iron Hashbrowns

We make hashbrown potatoes all the time on an old cast iron griddle. Yesterday I stumbled upon an interesting recipe on Pinterest that is very similar to the one I've created.

Here in Costa Rica, you don't just pop on over to the local grocery store and pick up some frozen shredded potatoes. Here, you shred your own potatoes, or you go without hashbrowns. This is my version of Waffle Iron Hashbrowns.

Ingredients:
• 2 cups freshly shredded potatoes
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• 1 one egg
• 1½ teaspoons flour
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions:
Preheat the waffle iron to it's highest setting. Rinse the shredded potatoes thoroughly to remove as much starch as possible (this prevents them from becoming gummy). Blot the potatoes dry on a clean dish towel and set them aside.  In a medium size bowl, mix the egg with all the remaining ingredients. Add the shredded potatoes to the egg mixture and toss until the potatoes are well coated.

Spray the waffle iron with some non-stick spray and layer the potatoes evenly on the waffle iron.  Bake for a minimum of 10 minutes. If your timer on the waffle iron beeps before the baking time is up, ignore it, and pay attention to the steam escaping.  When the steam stops, the hashbrowns are done.


Carefully remove your finished waffle iron hashbrowns and enjoy!

Servings: 2

Side Dish

0

7-UP Sour Cream Biscuits

These biscuits are melt in your mouth goodness!

Ingredient:
2 cups bisquick (click to see recipe for Homemade Bisquick Mix)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup 7-up
1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:
Melt butter and pour it into a baking pan/cast iron skillet. Cut sour cream into the Bisquick with a fork, and then add the 7-up. Mix together and dump the dough onto a surface that has been generously floured with additional Bisquick mix. (Parchment paper will make clean up easy.) Pat out dough by hand or roll it out about 1 inch thick. The dough will be very soft. Divide the dough into about 8 or 9 pieces by hand, and gently shape them into round biscuits. As the biscuits are shaped, add them to the baking pan with the melted butter.

Bake at 450°F for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown and enjoy.

Yield: 8-9 biscuits

Note: I have used any clear soda I happen to have on hand: 7-Up, Ginger Ale, Sprite, Fresca, etc.

Breakfast

0

Pico de Gallo Frittata

A Frittata is defined as an Italian style open-faced omelet with other ingredients, such as cheese or vegetables, mixed into the eggs rather than used as a filling. This frittata recipe puts a Tex-Mex spin on the traditional Italian Omelet.

I came across a similar recipe on Pintrest that sounded intriguing, but as always, many of the ingredients are not to be found in Costa Rica. The original recipe called for pre-packaged Pico de Gallo and frozen diced hash brown potatoes. Both of which are items unheard of in Costa Rica. Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and peppers is part of my substitution, because I can get this here, even if it's not the Ro-Tel brand.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cups finely diced potatoes (about 2 medium size)
½ cup fresh Pico de Gallo (see easy recipe here)
½ can Ro-Tel diced tomato & peppers (regular flavor - 10 ounce can)
8 eggs
½ cup finely shredded Monterrey Jack cheese or other mild white cheese
½ cup finely shredded Cheddar cheese
½ cup diced ham or pre-cooked bacon (optional)

Directions:
Soak the potatoes in cold water for a few minutes while preparing the Pico de Gallo. Rinse the potatoes well and pat dry on paper towels.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a 10-inch oven-safe nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until they are starting to get soft.

Beat the eggs, Pico de Gallo, Ro-Tel diced tomatoes and peppers, and cheese in a medium bowl with a fork or whisk. Pour the egg mixture over the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes or until the eggs are beginning to set.

Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the eggs) or until the eggs are set. Cut the frittata into 6 wedges and serve.

Eggs

0

Chorreadas (Costa Rican Corn Pancakes)

(español, ver mas abajo)

Costa Rican Chorreadas are quick and easy to make, especially if you have lots of fresh corn on hand. There are different ways to prepare corn pancakes: sweet, plain, savory or cheesy. These are great for any meal; breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a side dish. It is typical to serve them with fresh sour cream, but they are delicious with lots of different toppings; refried beans, guacamole, and pico de gallo, just to name a few.

Sweet :
4 cups fresh corn
¼ cup milk or water
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup of favorite sweetener
Oil

Savory:
4 cups fresh corn
¼ cup milk or water
1 tsp. salt
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp. oregano
Oil

Cheesy:
4 cups fresh corn
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tsp. salt
¼ cup grated cheese
Oil

Plain:
4 cups fresh corn
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tsp. salt
Oil

Mix everything (except the oil) in a blender till smooth. Pour into a bowl and warm oil in a heavy or cast-iron pan on medium-high heat. Scoop out about 2 large spoonfuls into the pan and spread into a circle like pancakes. Reduce the heat to medium and let it brown lightly (about 2 minutes), flip it over and cook the other side until golden brown. Place the Chorreadas on a warm plate covered with a towel and keep making more till the batter is gone.

The great thing about the Chorreada is it can be made totally dairy-free, vegan and wheat-free.

Chorreadas (panqueques de maíz de Costa Rica)
Costa Rica Chorreadas son rápidos y fáciles de hacer, especialmente si usted tiene elote de maíz fresco. Hay diferentes maneras de preparar tortitas de maíz, dulce, sencillo, sabroso o con queso. Estos son ideales para cualquier comida, desayuno, almuerzo, cena o como guarnición. Es típico que los sirven con natilla fresca, pero son deliciosos, con unos otros ingredientes diferentes, frijoles refritos, guacamole y pico de gallo, sólo para nombrar unos pocos.

Dulce:
4 tazas de maíz fresco
¼ taza de leche o agua
1 cdta. sal
¼ de taza de edulcorante favorito
aceite

Savory:
4 tazas de maíz fresco
¼ taza de leche o agua
1 cdta. sal
2-4 dientes de ajo machacados
2 cucharadas. orégano
aceite

Queso:
4 tazas de maíz fresco
¼ taza de leche o agua
1 cdta. sal
¼ taza de queso rallado
aceite

Sencillo:
4 tazas de maíz fresco
¼ taza de leche o agua
1 cdta. sal
aceite

Mezclar todo (excepto el aceite) en una licuadora hasta que es liso. Vierta la mezcla en un tazón. Caliente el aceite caliente en una sartén o hierro fundido a fuego medio-alto. Saque unos 2 cucharadas grandes en la sartén y se extendió en un círculo como panqueques. Reducir el fuego a medio y dejar que se dore ligeramente (unos 2 minutos), darle la vuelta y cocine del otro lado hasta que estén doradas. Coloque el Chorreadas en un plato caliente cubierta con una toalla y seguir haciendo más hasta que la masa se ha ido.

La gran cosa sobre la Chorreada es que puede ser totalmente libre de lácteos, trigo y vegana.

Side Dish

1

Bekah's Zucchini Bread

Our granddaughter Rebekah, raised her own money to go to summer camp this year by selling baked goods. Here is her delicious recipe for Zucchini bread

Ingredients:
2 cups Zucchini, peeled and grated
3 eggs beaten until foamy
2 cups sugar (or 1 cup Splenda & 1 cup sugar)
1 cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
-----
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Direction:
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the dry ingredients together in another bowl, then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Pour into 2 greased and floured bread pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325°.

Snacks

0

Whole Wheat Oat Pumpkin Muffins *WP*

Ingredients:
1 egg
2/3 cup Splenda Granular or equivalent sweetener of your choice
1 can (1 3/4 cups) pumpkin, not pumpkin pie mix
1 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup nonfat milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 12-serving muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper baking cups and spray insides with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl combine pumpkin, eggs, splenda, vanilla, milk and stir well. Sift in flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. Fill prepared muffin cups equally, sprinkle tops with extra cinnamon. Bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Added note: if you can't find oat flour then try putting quick cook oats (not instant) in your blender and pulverizing, shaking, pulverizing, shaking the container until it all grinds down to a flour. Should work just fine! Also...be sure to spray your muffin pan or cups with nonstick spray or yes, they will stick.

Number of Servings: 12

Nutritional Info

• Fat: 0.9g
• Carbohydrates: 13.6g
• Calories: 70.4
• Protein: 3.1g

WP

2

Huevos Rancheros with Black Bean Puree *WP*

Ingredients:
For the salsa:
2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/4 cup cilantro leaves chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the Black Bean Puree:
15 1/2 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
a pinch salt
4 6" corn tortillas
1 tablespoon Smart Balance Lite Buttery Spread
8 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup shredded low-fat Mexican cheese blend
4 teaspoons nonfat sour cream, for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the Salsa:
In a small bowl mix together, tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, garlic, juice, olive oil, hot sauce, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

For the Black Bean Puree:
In a food processor, blend all ingredients together
until smooth.

To Assemble:
You will need 4 4"x2" Ramekins. Stack tortillas on a cutting board. Using the bottom of the ramekin as a guide, cut 8 circles out of the tortillas. Spread the bean puree evenly on 1 side of each tortilla round. Place a round in each ramekin, bean side up. Crack 2 eggs into each of the 4 ramekins, followed by 1/4 cup of salsa, and 1/2 tablespoon each of Mexican cheese blend. Cover with another tortilla round, bean side down. Do not jam the dishes with too much. The eggs will expand during cooking and overflow.

Brush tops of each tortilla with butter and bake on a sheet tray for 25 minutes. Top with remaining cheese during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Cheese should be melted and golden on top. To serve, top with sour cream and salsa.

Number of Servings: 4

Nutritional Information: Per Serving: 417 Calories; 20g Fat (43.3% calories from fat); 25g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 438mg Cholesterol; 651mg Sodium. Exchanges: 2 Grain(Starch); 2 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 9 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates. 1

WP

0

Sourdough Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoons of butter
2 cups of whole wheat flour or half white, half wheat
2 cups of sourdough starter
1 tablespoon of honey
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
Melted butter for brushing tops

Direction:
Preheat oven to 400ºF. Melt butter. Combine remaining ingredients with the butter and stir together in mixing bowl. With floured hands, pinch off walnut-size balls of dough and place in 9-10 inch skillet. Let rise in warm place for 15 minutes. Bake 25-30 minutes. Brush with melted butter. Watch to make sure they don't burn. Variation: Add chopped apples, mashed cooked sweet potatoes, raisins or minced onion to the dough. Makes 1 1/2-2 dozen.

Sourdough

0

Sourdough English Muffins

Another recipe found online and modified. I found the original recipe on the Sourdough Home web site and then I modified it somewhat to use whole wheat. If you don't have whole wheat, you can just use all bread flour, and they will still be delicious. John says they are the best he has ever tasted, even better than store bought Bays or Thomas!

Sponge Ingredients:
3/4 cup sourdough starter
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups milk, skim
2 cups bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour

Dough:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup bread flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons cornmeal

The Night Before:
Prepare the sponge. Mix sour starter, honey and milk in mixing bowl until smooth. Mix the dry flours together. Add the 4 cups of flour, 2 cups at a time, and mix in until all the flour thoroughly wet. Cover with clean towel and leave at room temperature in a draft free place overnight. I let the sponge develop in the oven with the light turned on. Just be sure the oven is at room temperature when you put it in the oven. I put a dish towel in the door to prop it open because the light bulb alone can raise the temperature to close to 90° degrees and this will kill the natural bacteria sourdough needs to grow.

The Next Morning:
Make the dough. Stir down the sponge (it will have risen considerably). If it has risen too high and fallen, no problem, just stir down the rest of the way. Sprinkle a scant teaspoon of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of sea salt over the surface of the dough and work it in. Mix the 3/4 cup of white & 3/4 cup of wheat flours together. Flour your board with half of this flour mixture or more (up to 2 cups), until dough is medium stiff - enough to roll out. Once you have enough flour in (I go by feel-never too dry and always moist) and the dough longer sticks to your hands, give it a 5 minute kneading.

Get 2 baking sheets or jelly roll pans and line with waxed paper-sprinkle corn meal over both.

Flour board again and lightly roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick. Take a 3 inch round cutter (a bit larger diameter, different shapes, OK) and cut as many rounds as you can-rolling the left over dough out and cutting more until all the dough is used. Try to keep them very uniform in thickness and diameter. As you cut each round, place on cornmeal wax paper-don't allow raw muffins to touch--they will stick. When all rounds are cut, sprinkle corn meal over tops
of muffins.

Allow to rise in warm place, covered, for about an hour or until risen again (I have left them to rise for as much as 3 hours. The time really depends on your environment). Again, I let them rise in a cool oven, with the light turned on and a dish towel wedged in the door to prop it open and prevent anyone from closing it. Remember, just the light bulb can raise the temperature to close to 90° degrees, much too warm for the final rise.

Now the FUN part!
Preheat a griddle (I used a non stick electric griddle, or skillet, with the temperature set to just under 300° with a TINY bit of butter, until butter sizzles. Use a low flame or heat setting so the inside of the muffin bakes and outside does not burn. Pan bake one side for about 4-5 minutes and turn. Squish down a bit with spatula and pan bake other side for about 4-5 minutes. Turn only once so be sure the one side is cooked before turning. While you can skip the butter if you have a non-stick skillet, they won't taste as good without it! If you want bigger holes and crevices in the muffins, let them rise a bit longer (2 or 3 hours).

Yield: 24 Muffins
1 Muffin Per Serving: 131 Calories; 1g Fat (4.3% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 27g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; trace Cholesterol; 221mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Non-Fat Milk; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Sourdough

0

Honey Bars

These in no way sound or look like anything special, but oh man are they yummy! I made these for a breakfast treat today. Everyone loved them. Nick even brought some of the guys from work home to have some (thanks for the warning Nick).

~Mary

Ingredients:

Honey Bars

3/4 c. oil

2 c. flour

1/4 c. honey

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1 tsp. cinnamon

Icing

1 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

A few drops of milk

Directions:

Mix the oil, honey, sugar and eggs together. Set aside, and mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon separately. Add dry ingredients to the first mixture. Mix well (it will be thick). Spread into a greased pan (I use a half-cookie sheet), and bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Mix icing ingredients together; the consistency shouldn't be too thick, but not too runny either. I add the milk 1/4 tsp. at a time while stirring until I get it right. Ice while warm. Cut into squares after it has cooled. Then, place in pedestal cake stand, thereby, elevating it's 'fanciness.' Tastes great with a good cup of coffee...

Breakfast

0

Sourdough Cinnamon Pecan Rolls

Ingredients:

Dough
2 cups sourdough starter
1 small 5 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 large egg slightly beaten at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups of all purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan pieces

Directions:

Making Dough
Scald evaporated milk, remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted. Mix the milk and butter mixture with the sourdough starter and gradually add the egg, sugar, salt and half of the all purpose flour (2 cups). Mix well with electric mixer using the paddle attachment for a few minutes, then let it stand for 30 minutes so that all the flour is absorbed. Exchange the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Knead for at least 5 minutes. The dough will be moist, this is normal.

Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl and oil the top. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and put it somewhere that it’s not drafty, between 65° and 85° F. and let it rise. Check it every 30 minutes and until it is about 1½ to 2 times its original size. Test the rise by pushing your finger into the dough about one-half to three-quarters of an inch. If the dough springs back and fills the hole within a minute or so, then it isn't finished with its first rise. If most of the indentation remains, you're ready to proceed to the next step.

Shaping and Baking
Push your closed fist gently into the middle of the dough all the way to the bottom of the container, then gently push the outside parts of the dough into hole you created in the middle. This is called ‘punching down’ the dough and serves to rearrange the gluten strands to encourage a proper second rise. Now dump the dough out of the bowl and on to the counter. Gently knead and stretch the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangular shape approximately 10"x 16". Brush the dough with the melted butter, and sprinkle with 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar. Top with pecans. Now gently roll the dough lengthwise into a cylindrical shape. Slice the dough with a dough cutter into rounds about 1¼ inch thick. Arrange the rounds so they are almost touching in a well-oiled baking pan.

Cover the rolls with a tea towel or plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Place the baking pan in a warm (65°-80° F) non-drafty place again for the second rise. This rising could take from 1½ to 3 hours depending on the room temperature and the dough. Expect sourdoughs to rise much more slowly than breads made with commercial yeasts.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. When the unbaked rolls are about two times their original size, it’s time to bake. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top of the rolls and place them in the oven, on the center rack, to back for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Rolls can be frosted with a powdered sugar glaze if desired.

Yield: 12 rolls

Sourdough

0

Sourdough Blueberry Muffins

This recipe will make 6 small muffins (2-inch diameter)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sourdough starter
(See this post for info on starter: Sourdough Bread)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose white)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda sweetner
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Generously grease muffin pan with vegetable oil or PAM spray, butter. You can use also use cupcake/muffin paper cup inserts if you prefer.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the sourdough starter with all the wet ingredients in a larger bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients and the blueberries. Mix the batter quickly and spoon it into 6 muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let them rest for a couple of minutes before removing them from the muffin pan or they will stick.

Sourdough

0

Sourdough Waffles & Pancakes

~
Now that I have my never ending supply of sourdough starter, I decided to see what else I could make, besides bread. After scouting around for different recipes I developed the following recipe for waffles and pancakes. This morning I made a dozen of the lightest 4 inch waffles I have every tasted.

Sponge Ingredients:
2 cups of refrigerated sourdough starter
2 cups of flour
2 cups of water

Sponge Directions:
The night before, feed the 2 cups of starter with the flour and water in a large bowl. Mix well and leave it covered at room temperature (65 F. - 80 F. degrees) overnight. You should have a very active sponge in the morning. Measure out 3 cups for the waffle/pancake batter. (Place the remainder in your sourdough starter jar, give it a feeding with about 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour, let it rest 30 minutes to an hour, and return it to the refrigerator.)

Batter Ingredients:
3 cups of active sponge
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Batter Directions:
Add the eggs, oil, honey and salt to the sponge and mix well. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. You can cook the bacon or sausage, set the table, and heat the waffle iron or pancake griddle while the batter rests. The waffle iron or griddle should be set to 400 F. degrees, or moderately hot. Just before you are ready to cook, add the baking soda and mix well. If you add the baking soda too soon the batter may go flat and the waffles/pancakes won't rise well when cooked.
.

Sourdough

0

Brewing Coffee ~ Chorreador de Café

When I first lived in Costa Rica almost 40 years ago every home and restaurant used a "Chorreador de Café" to make the best tasting cup of coffee I have ever had. Today, most folks are using electric coffee makers to brew coffee. But I still make coffee with the Chorreador because it just tastes better.

Chorreadors are usually made with a wooden base and either a wood or wire frame is used to hold a cloth bag for the filter about 12 inches above the base. We prefer strong coffee so we grind a dark roast very fine and place about 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds for every 2 cups of coffee. I bring the water to boil in a tea kettle and slowly pour it over the coffee grounds where it filters into the coffee pot sitting on the base below.

You can buy the flannel coffee filters in most grocery stores in Costa Rica, or you can make your own out of cotton flannel cloth. For best results, you should always start with dry filter and rinse it after use with just clean water. Never wash your filter with with soap or detergent because it will leave an aftertaste in the coffee. The filter will stain a coffee color, but this won't affect the taste in the least. After time, the oils from the coffee beans will build up on your filter. You can dissolve the oil by scrubbing the filter with salt. I prefer to use a course ground kosher or sea salt. Rinse the filter well to remove all of the salt before you use it again to make coffee.

John and I have three Chorreadors, one stays in our kitchen, one is used at John's office, and the third stays with our camping gear. Nothing beats the taste of fresh "Café Chorreado" with a tent side breakfast "en el Campo".


For instructions on how to make your own Chorredor de Café go to this link Duck Runner Resources

Miscellaneous

3

Mayan Banana Bread

Banana Bread - Pan de Banano

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound ripe bananas (2 or 3 large)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg, well beaten
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder


Directions:
Soften the butter at room temperature and cream it with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mash the bananas and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and egg. Sift the flour with the baking powder and fold it into the liquid mixture. Pour the batter into a greased (9 by 5-inch) loaf pan. Bake in a preheated moderate (350 F.) oven for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Serve with honey as a cake bread, or as a pudding with cream or ice cream.

7/28/2011 - Note:  This can be cooked in an electric skillet! Just pour the batter in the preheated skillet and baked it for 50 minutes @ 275° F. It will brown on top, but the sides and bottom will be nicely toasted, perfectly moist and delicious.

Fruit

0

Hi-Rise Apple Pancake

Breakfast for two...

Ingredients:
1 red apple, sliced 1/4" thick
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat over 425 degrees. Toss apple slices with lemon juice and sugar. Combine eggs, flour, salt, cinnamon and milk in a mixing bowl. Beat lightly with an eggbeater. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Heat butter in an 11" or 12" skillet (cast iron is best) on burner until hot and foamy. Remove from heat and quickly add the batter. Place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until pancake is puffed up and golden brown. The apples (arranged in a pinwheel ) may be added before or during baking, depending on taste. Remove from oven; sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or serve with dollop of homemade jam. Serve oven hot.

Note: I updated this recipe to add a little salt and cinnamon which is optional, but I think it makes it even better. Try maple syrup as another option for the topping.

Fruit

1

Lara's Banana Bread

Ingredients:
3 large banana, mashed
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Mash bananas, add melted butter, egg & sugar, mix well. Add remaining dry ingredients. Bake in a loaf pan @ 325 for 50 - 55 minutes.

Fruit

0

Gallo Pinto

"Gallo Pinto" is a typical Costa Rican breakfast dish. It is generally accompanied by fried eggs, meat and sometimes with a side of fried ripe plantain (Platano Maduro).

Ingredients:
2 cups Rice (pre-cooked/leftovers)
1 cup Black Beans (pre-cooked/leftovers)
2 cloves Garlic minced
½ cup Onion diced
¼ cup Sweet Peppers diced
¼ cup Celery diced
Cilantro
Salsa Lizano
Tabasco

Saute garlic, onion, sweet peppers and celery in a large skillet. Add cooked rice and stir until throughly heated. Add beans (with or without broth) and stir until throughly heated. Add Salsa Lizano and Tabasco to taste and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro just before serving.

Serves: 4

Rice

3