Bacon Potato Panzella Frittata

This, just like many of my other recipes, incorporates ingredients I have already at the house. Cooking can be a hassle if you don't have the necessary ingredients. Having to leave your house when you are inspired to cook something to buy several dozen different ingredients can be extremely off putting and ultimately lead you to abandon your cooking efforts. So, like usual, I used what I had and combined several of my "go to" recipes. This is a cross between a quiche, frittata and panzella salad. It't not really considered a strata because nothing is layered in this. The bread gives it a chewy texture while the eggs, tofu and bacon give it a tasty portion of protein.

Ingredients:

• 2 pieces thick cut bacon
• 3 pieces cubed italian bread
• 2 large eggs
• 1 medium red onion
• 1 roma tomato
• 1 cup thinly diced potatoes (I used left over scalloped potatoes)
• 1/2 cup crumbled medium to firm tofu
• Garlic
• Dried Vegetable flakes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cilantro
• Basil

Directions:

• Brown bacon in frying pan
• Remove bacon and chop into small squares
  
• Save bacon fat and brown chopped onion and potatoes
• Beat eggs and combine with crumbled tofu
• Cube bread and add to onion and potato mixture
• When onions have started to brown mix all ingredients
  
• Add spices
• Grease a spring form pan
• Add ingredients to spring form pan
• Bake at 375 until done

Enjoy!

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

This bread is everything you want in a breakfast or quick snack. It's dense, chewy, moist, sweet, and aromatic. The bread gets its nice color from a tablespoon of black strap molasses which also adds a decent amount of nutrients. Feel free to substitute any berry into this bread or omit it completely for a banana oat bread.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cup instant oats
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/8-1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup blueberries
• 2 medium over ripe bananas
• 2-3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon black strap molasses

Directions:

• Cream eggs, butter and sugar in mixer
• Mix liquid ingredients
• Add mashed bananas
• Start to add dry ingredients
• Add baking soda/powder and salt
• Mix in flour
• Mix in oats
• Mix in blueberries
• Grease bread pan
• Add mixture to pan
• Bake at 350-375 until done

Enjoy!

French Toast with Yogurt and Berries

This is my favorite breakfast. It's very filling and tastes like a dessert. I used home made honey wheat bread but you can use whatever you have in the cupboard. The yogurt is greek yogurt, which I also strained myself but can easily be bought. To make your own vanilla add a bit of sweetener, like maple syrup or agave syrup or honey and some vanilla or almond extract. The berries and peaches are fresh and very ripe. They are a great addition to the toast. This french toast doesn't need any additional butter or sugar. Plus these look great when made for house guests!

Ingredients:

• Sliced bread
• Egg
• Milk
• Cinnamon
• Flavored Yogurt
• Berries

Directions:

• Beat the egg and mix a small amount of milk and cinnamon for toast batter
• Soak toast on both sides
• Heat up a frying pan and spray with non stick spray
• Cook french toast until slightly browned
• Top with yogurt and berries

Serve with a mimosa or bellini

Enjoy!

Panzella

Panzella is Italian bread salad. It is great for a quick meal but even better if it can set for a few hours. Panzella can be made with fresh bread, but is much better with day old bread. Fresh bread can get too soggy if not eaten immediately. Panzella can be made with an assortment of ingredients but usually includes, bread, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Bread salad is dressed with an oil based dressing. Feel free to experiment with different flavors.

Ingredients:

• Cubed day old bread
• Sliced cucumbers
• Cubed deseeded tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
• Sliced scallions
• Fresh basil
• Dried garlic
• Shredded lettuce
• Olive Oil
• Basalmic vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

• Make dressing by combining oil, vinegar, and spices
• Mix bread, lettuce, and veggies
• Pour dressing over salad
• Let marinate for 1/2 or longer

Enjoy!

Multigrain brown bread

Having a bread maker, I do tend to eat a lot more carbohydrates than I should. But it is so good you can’t help it. And as long as you use recipes that are heart healthy, there is nothing wrong with enjoying carbs. Here is a recipe for a savory soda/yeast bread, as compared to the sweet chocolate banana one I made earlier this week. If you have a bread maker this one is best in the 88 minute quick cycle as opposed to the 58 minute one. For being dairy free, you will be impressed with how moist and chewy this bread is. The seeds give it a nice texture and the black strap molasses gives it a deep flavor. If I had quick oats on hand I would also add those to give an added texture. So if you happen to have the 5 minute cooking oats (not the just add water kind) go ahead and make this even more of a multigrain bread. Anytime I have oats available I usually add an additional ½ cup of oats to add dimension to my multigrain bread (if you do this increase the water to 1 1/2).

Ingredients:
1 cup bread flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1-1 1/2 cup(s) water
1-2 tbsp blackstrap molasses (great way to add iron, potassium and calcium to your diet)
1-2 tbsp flax seed
1-2 tbsp poppy seed
1-2 tbsp honey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1 pack yeast
1 tbsp oil

Directions:
Again having a bread maker is a time and lifesaver for making bread.
Put the bread mixture in the breadmaker
Bake according to directions

This bread is great fresh with butter or prepared as toast.

Keep in mind that the flax and poppyseed will add extra fat calories to the bread but they are healthy fats and are a good source of added fiber

Also because of the added fats, please refrigerate this bread if it is not to be eaten within the day. The oils could cause it to go rancid quickly, especially in hot weather!