From Mama's Table to Mine (21 page)
Read From Mama's Table to Mine Online
Authors: Bobby Deen
What I really love most in the morning is a good farm-raised egg. Sometimes I whip up my
Easy Eggs Florentine
or my
Toasted-Waffle Ham and Egg Sandwich
. They make me feel like I just had a big old diner breakfast, except I’ve taken in fewer than half the calories. Other times, I simply boil an egg, sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper, and eat it walking out the door. Pure protein. Pure delicious.
The fact is, breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. It’s the fuel you need to make the most of your day. So, I say, why not make it delicious, too?
Makes about 12 / Serves 12
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the buttermilk and maple syrup until just combined. Fold the ham into the dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead it a few times, then roll it out to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round biscuit cutter, cut the dough into biscuits. Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and spray the tops lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch.
After: 6g fat, 180 calories
5g protein | 26g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 480mg sodium
“Cutting in” is a baking term for combining butter or some other shortening with dry ingredients. Using a fork is a quick way to work in your butter, but you can also use a pastry blender, your fingertips, or a pair of knives. The most important thing to remember when cutting in is to work quickly to get the butter incorporated before it begins to melt.
Makes 12 / Serves 12
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest. Using a rubber spatula, fold the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing evenly, and bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn the pan over to pop them out onto a wire rack to cool for another 10 minutes. Muffins can be stored (once completely cooled) in an airtight container for several days.
After: 6g fat, 161 calories
3g protein | 24g carbohydrate | 1g fiber | 221mg sodium
My Mama used to serve me my breakfast muffin all warm and toasty, with a generous spread of butter melting all over it. These days, I make a lighter spread by mixing low-fat ricotta, honey, and a squeeze of fresh orange juice—a perfect addition to any muffin.
Serves 4
After: 3g fat, 200 calories
18g protein | 32g carbohydrate | 15g fiber | 82mg sodium
Nutritional count does not include honey or agave syrup
Serves 4
To make the streusel: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, and ⅛ teaspoon of the cinnamon. Add the butter substitute and stir until the mixture comes together. Stir in the pecans. The consistency of the streusel should be pasty, not crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the oatmeal: Preheat the broiler. In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, orange juice, the remaining ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, the salt, and ¾ cup water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the oats and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid has been absorbed, 5 to 6 minutes.
Divide the oatmeal among four 6-ounce ramekins and top each ramekin with the streusel mixture. Broil, 6 inches from the heating element, until the topping is bubbly, 3 to 4 minutes.
After: 12g fat, 280 calories
7g protein | 38g carbohydrate | 4g fiber | 228mg sodium
On your next commute into work, if you take public transportation, get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way. It’s just another way to sneak a little more exercise into your day.
Serves 6
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and tomatoes to a boil over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the Cheddar and remove from the heat.
Meanwhile, in a medium nonstick skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir half of the sausage into the grits.
Spoon the grits into bowls and top with the remaining half of the sausage and the scallions.
After: 9g fat, 170 calories
13g protein | 10g carbohydrate | 2g fiber | 756mg sodium
For Southerners, quick-cooking grits are heaven sent. Most of us simply don’t have the time for the long-cooking stone-ground kind. And instant tastes nothing like the real thing. Done in less than ten minutes, quick-cooking grits are a pantry staple.
Serves 4
In a large bowl, combine the salmon, mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, the egg white, dill, salt, and pepper. Form the mixture into 4 equal-size cakes. Put the remaining ⅓ cup bread crumbs in a bowl and turn the cakes in the bowl to coat each one.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the salmon cakes and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Be sure not to move them around the skillet until they set. Flip them when you can easily slide the spatula under. Place them on a plate while you make the eggs.
Wipe out the skillet and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Crack in the eggs and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, until the edges are firm. Cover and cook over low heat until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Place one egg over each salmon cake and serve.
After: 16g fat, 277 calories
21g protein | 12g carbohydrate | .5g fiber | 677mg sodium
All you need to do to make fresh bread crumbs is pulse up some crustless bread slices in the food processor. I like to use fresh whole-wheat bread that contains no nuts or seeds. While you’re at it, you might as well pulse up some extra. Place the extra bread crumbs in a resealable plastic bag in the freezer. That way the next time you need bread crumbs you’ll have them on hand. They’ll keep in the freezer for 6 months or so.
