Brunch – FoodWatcher

Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin pancakes are loaded with sweet pumpkin, warm spices, and toasted pecans. They’re the perfect warm and cozy start to any chilly morning. As if fall wasn’t already busy enough, we are adding to the madness with a bathroom remodel and some other work around the house. So my week is spent trying to calm …

The post Pumpkin Pancakes appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

Pumpkin pancakes are loaded with sweet pumpkin, warm spices, and toasted pecans. They’re the perfect warm and cozy start to any chilly morning.

Maple syrup being poured over a stack of pumpkin pancakes on a plate.

As if fall wasn’t already busy enough, we are adding to the madness with a bathroom remodel and some other work around the house.

So my week is spent trying to calm a dog who is anxious about the construction work and trying to figure out if the shipping company really lost our new bathtub on top of all of the normal stuff.

I’m really looking forward to a peaceful weekend morning, ok?

I think this weekend is due for a batch of pumpkin pancakes, a cup of coffee with homemade vanilla coffee syrup, and maybe a trip to the apple orchard.

Sounds like a pretty perfect weekend to me.

(more…)

The post Pumpkin Pancakes appeared first on My Baking Addiction.

Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake

The post Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake appeared first on Baking Bites.

Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake

Cake for breakfast is always a treat. Now there are plenty of times were I treat myself to a slice of leftover layer cake from the day before with you morning coffee, but usually cake for breakfast means coffee cake. This Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake is a moist cake packed with fresh blueberries and bright lemon zest, both flavors that are welcome at my breakfast table. And who doesn’t love a bit of extra fruit with breakfast – especially when it helps to justify an extra piece of cake!

The cake starts with a buttermilk cake batter that is flavored with lots of lemon zest. The lemon zest gives the cake plenty of bright flavor, more than you would get from juice alone. I did use two whole lemons (medium sized lemons) for the zest, so be sure to pick up two and save the zested lemons for juicing later on by storing them in the fridge. The blueberries are folded into the batter just before baking. Some may sink to the bottom of the cake because this is a light textured cake that has quite a lot of berries in it, but as long as you’ve greased your pan or lined it with parchment paper, the cake slices will come out neatly with the berries perfectly intact.

The cake is very moist and tender, much more cake-like than your average blueberry muffin. I topped the cake with a very generous sprinkle of sugar before baking to give it a nice crisp top crust and to add a little additional sweetness to the cake. If you have a favorite streusel recipe, you can certainly sprinkle that on top instead of the sugar to turn this easy cake into a slightly more traditional coffee cake.

As usual, you can use frozen blueberries in this cake recipe instead of fresh if fresh berries aren’t in season. If you are using frozen berries, I recommend using them from frozen and not letting them thaw before folding them into the batter. This will prevent the berry juice from running into the rest of the cake and turning the whole thing blue. Your cake might also need an additional minute or so of baking time, especially if you opt to be generous when you measure out the berries (as I sometimes am!), since cold berries will slightly chill the batter. Fresh blueberries are best when they are in season, so keep this recipe in mind the next time you buy a basket from your local grocery store or farmers’ market.

Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake

Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp lemon zest (2 lemons)
6 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 1/4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp coarse sugar, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan or line with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and lemon zest. Add in dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour in melted butter and whisk until butter is completely incorporated. Fold in blueberries.
Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle the top of the cake with coarse sugar.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Allow cake to cool in the pan until almost room temperature (or at room temperature) before slicing.

Serves 9.

The post Blueberry Lemon Brunch Cake appeared first on Baking Bites.

grilled nectarines with gorgonzola and hazelnuts

Listen, I don’t make the rules. These things aren’t rational. But at some point over our vacation in Scotland — a time when we mostly consumed fish and chips, more chips, steak pie, also with chips, a detail that I’m sure is unrelated — I began intensely craving the combination of peaches and blue cheese even though I can’t think of a time when they’ve crossed paths in my kitchen. Once we got home, I beelined for Salad Freak by Jess Damuck [Amazon, Bookshop, More Indies], a cookbook that came out this spring, because I had a hunch she’d put the idea in my head and sure enough, she had a combination of stone fruit and blue cheese waiting to fulfill my wayward vacation craving.

If you are thinking you don’t need a cookbook for salads, as I might have in the past, I’m here to tell you how wrong we are. We do, if not for exact measurements then for inspiration. For more creative ways to throw together what’s left in your fridge so nothing goes to waste. And to figure out what to eat when you’re in the third heat wave [fourth? fifth? heat waves are just a continuum now, aren’t they?] of the summer and everything you thought you’d want to cook in August no longer makes sense because it’s too hot to cook. Damuck’s book has us covered. There’s a breakfast salad with yogurt, cucumbers, eggs, and toasted seeds. There are soba salads and shredded kale salads and tortellini salads dressings with miso-mayo and horseradish goat cheese and a BBQ chicken cobb beloved by Snoop Dogg and every single thing is just a little bit unexpected and delivering the freshness I need right now.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

This smoked salmon pasta is easy and irresistibly tasty, pairing the smoky fish with a creamy sauce, lemon and fresh…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This smoked salmon pasta is easy and irresistibly tasty, pairing the smoky fish with a creamy sauce, lemon and fresh dill.

It’s hard to tire of the rich, buttery goodness of smoked salmon: it’s ideal for pairing with everything from bagels to dip to appetizers. Here’s the newest way we’ve fallen hard for it: Smoked Salmon Pasta! Imagine: chewy al dente pasta, bathed with a creamy sauce punctuated by bright lemon zest and herbaceous fresh dill. It’s hard not to be head over heels about this one! It’s extremely versatile: try it as an easy dinner, a fun brunch idea or picnic pasta salad.

Ingredients in this smoked salmon pasta

This smoked salmon pasta is designed as fast and easy meal, using a protein that’s totally no cook: smoked salmon! It makes it simple to throw into the pasta after you cook it, using cream cheese to make a quick and creamy sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:

Smoked salmon: Look for cold-smoked salmon or lox (with a soft texture), not hard-smoked (which is flaky and more like cooked salmon)
Short cut pasta like penne, rigatoni, or farfalle
Cream cheese
Olive oil
Grated Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper
Lemon zest
Fresh dill

Tips for smoked salmon pasta

This recipe is as easy as they come: boil the pasta, add the sauce ingredients, stir it up and add smoked salmon! There are a few things to note about the method and what to expect. Here’s what to know:

Make sure to cook the pasta to al dente. This means “to the bite” in Italian: ideally when it’s tender with a small white speck inside when you bite into a piece. Boil it a few minutes less than the package instructions indicate, and start taste testing early!
Save the pasta water! This ingredient will be used to make a creamy sauce. It’s easy to forget (been there), so my mom shared a tip with us. Place a liquid measuring cup inside your strainer. When you go to dump the pasta, you’ll remember to remove the liquid!
The texture is best when served immediately. This smoked salmon pasta is best when the pasta is freshly cooked and it’s warm: especially since you use the pasta water to help create the sauce. You can eat it later, but it does get drier in texture. More on that below!

Leftovers and storage instructions

Want to save this smoked salmon pasta for later, or make it in advance? Here’s what to know:

Make ahead tip: The best way to prep in advance? Measure out all your sauce ingredients and place them in a covered container in the fridge. Then cook the pasta and dump them in when you’re ready to serve.
Leftovers become dry with refrigeration. They store up to 3 days refrigerated, but you’ll notice the texture becomes drier. You can reheat the pasta with a splash of water on the stovetop, and revive the flavors with a pinch or two of salt.

And that’s it! We hope you love this smoked salmon pasta as much as we do. It disappeared very quickly at a dinner we made for my parents recently!

More smoked salmon recipes

Smoked salmon is ideal for quick and easy meals because it’s a healthy protein that requires no cooking! Here are some of our top smoked salmon recipes:

Try it on a Smoked Salmon Bagel or Smoked Salmon Spread
Mix up deliciously creamy Smoked Salmon Dip
Opt for a Smoked Salmon Omelette
Go for a Smoked Salmon Sandwich or Smoked Salmon Toast
Try a Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer

Smoked Salmon Bagel

Smoked Salmon Dip

Smoked Salmon Omelette

Smoked Salmon & Cucumber Appetizer

This smoked salmon pasta recipe is…

Pescatarian. For gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.

Smoked Salmon Pasta

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

Author: Sonja Overhiser
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Print Recipe

Description

This smoked salmon pasta is easy and irresistibly tasty, pairing the smoky fish with a creamy sauce, lemon and fresh dill.

Ingredients

12 ounces penne (or other short-cut pasta like rigatoni, farfalle, etc.)
½ cup cream cheese (1/2 8-ounce block)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
6 to 8 ounces smoked salmon*, flaked into pieces with a fork
Zest from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons fresh dill

Instructions

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until it is al dente, testing a few minutes before the package instructions indicate. Using a glass liquid measuring cup, reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Return the pasta to the pot. Add the cream cheese (broken into dollops), olive oil, grated Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt and a few grinds black pepper. Pour in ½ cup of the pasta water and toss until a creamy sauce forms; adding a splash of additional water as necessary to come to a creamy consistency.
Add the smoked salmon (flaked into pieces with a fork), lemon zest, and fresh dill. Gently mix, adding another splash of pasta water so that it’s creamy. Serve immediately. (Leftovers store up to 3 days refrigerated, but you’ll notice the texture becomes drier. You can reheat the pasta with a splash of water on the stovetop, and revive the flavors with a pinch or two of salt.)

Notes

*Look for cold-smoked salmon or lox (with a soft texture), not hard-smoked (which is flaky and more like cooked salmon).

Category: Main Dish
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: Pasta

Keywords: Smoked salmon pasta

A Couple Cooks - Recipes worth repeating.

Classic Mimosa Recipe

Learn how to make a classic mimosa at home with our easy recipe, tips, and tricks! This orange juice cocktail uses only 2 ingredients, champagne, and chilled orange juice. A classic brunch cocktail and perfect for any time of the year! Traditionally se…

The post Classic Mimosa Recipe appeared first on Sugar and Charm.

Classic Blueberry Muffins

This is the best blueberry muffins recipe! The muffins come out tall, fluffy and golden, with an irresistibly sweet fruity…

A Couple Cooks – Recipes worth repeating.

This is the best blueberry muffins recipe! The muffins come out tall, fluffy and golden, with an irresistibly sweet fruity flavor.

Sometimes you just need a classic, non-fancy rendition of a recipe, and this one is it. Meet our best Blueberry Muffins recipe! These babies come out tall and proud, with pure golden tops dotted with crunchy turbinado sugar. The interiors are fluffy and moist, scented with cinnamon and honey and studded with sweet tart purple berries. We spend weeks honing and refining this recipe to make it perfect: and we hope you’ll think it is, too.

What people are saying

To make sure these were indeed the best blueberry muffins, we asked a few of our readers to test this recipe before publishing it here. Here’s what the testers had to say about this recipe:

“I’ve baked many blueberry muffins before and I’m always looking for the right one. I made these this morning and my whole family loved them!” –Jennifer
“The flavor is fantastic, so fluffy, not too sweet, just the right amount of crunch on the top with the sugar!” –Sarah
“Just made this recipe and turned out so yummy! Love the turbinado sugar on top, and it was easy to put together!” –Heather
“It was a quick and easy bake. I love the turbinado sugar on top and that the batter had some flavor from the spices, not just basic batter!” –Elizabeth
“I love a crunchy sugar top muffin! They have a nice crumb: it’s tender but with a nice chew.” –Maya

Ingredients in blueberry muffins

With a recipe as classic as blueberry muffins, there’s bound to be disagreement between bakers and chefs on the “right” way to do things. This blueberry muffins recipe is intended for the home cook: easy to whip up with just the right height and shape. They’re not bakery style, but they look and taste impressive. In our research, we found we prefer oil over butter, and a bit of Greek yogurt and honey improved the texture and flavor profile. Here’s what you’ll need:

Fresh blueberries: fresh are preferred vs frozen
All-purpose flour
Granulated sugar
Cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt: cinnamon and a little nutmeg add complexity to the flavor
Eggs
Honey: required! It adds just the right complexity and moisture (if you must, substitute maple syrup or agave syrup)
Vegetable oil: after extensive testing, we found oil made a moister, lighter muffin than butter
Greek yogurt: Or substitute sour cream! This addition makes a moist muffin and tender crumb
Milk
Apple cider vinegar: adds just the right amount of tang and lift (without having to buy a lemon)
Turbinado sugar makes a crunchy, glittery topping

Tips for this blueberry muffins recipe

Outside of the ingredients list, this blueberry muffins recipe is pretty standard. Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet ingredients, and bake! Here are a few notes to keep in mind during the process:

Wash the dry the berries first. This gives them time to fully dry while you’re mixing up the batter.
Resist the urge to overmix. Overmixing muffin batter causes holes in the crumb and a denser texture. Mix just until the streaks of flour disappear.
The muffin cups will be very full. We believe a good muffin should be tall with a generous muffin top. These will be more full than you’re used to for a homemade muffin.
Baking at 400 degrees makes a taller muffin. After experimenting for years, our favorite temperature for baking muffins is 400 degrees Fahrenheit (versus 350 which is standard). It makes a taller and fluffier muffin: and it’s quicker to bake!

Storage info

The best part about these blueberry muffins? They’re even better after storage. Store them at room temperature overnight, and they become even more moist and delicious. It’s a great reason to make them ahead: but of course, they’re great day of too! Here’s how to store blueberry muffins:

At room temperature: Store up to 4 days in a sealed container at room temperature: they become even more moist over time.
Refrigerated: Store refrigerated up to 1 week or more: allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Frozen: Freeze the muffins in a sealed container for up to 3 months.

Variations on blueberry muffins

Blueberry muffins are one thing…but how about blueberry lemon? Blueberry banana? Here are a few ways to mix up this classic muffin:

Try Lemon Blueberry Muffins, a fun spin with lemon zest and a zingy lemon glaze
Opt for Healthy Blueberry Muffins, a blender-style muffin made with oatmeal and banana (naturally gluten-free)
Go for Vegan Blueberry Muffins, a tasty variation with coconut oil and maple syrup

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

Vegan Blueberry Muffins

This blueberry muffins recipe is…

Vegetarian. For vegan, go to Vegan Blueberry Muffins. For gluten-free, go to Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins.