Secret Strawberries and French Toast

This weekend has been filled with delicious breakfasts! Although, I am feeling guilty for missing Sunday Pancakes (sorry Edrina). Stupid half-hearted virus.

Even with lethargy, I had stewed strawberries on my mind. They are so simple and quick to make, and the sauce can go with just about anything! I can't do pancakes on Sunday's unless it is with the gang; would be committing a sin. Undecided about what to have the strawberries with, I reflected on a recent post about Bacon Crusted Madeira French Toast by Cooking Asshole. Considering my fate (fat and heat disease), I decided to go the Ye Olde French Toast styles. Although, I may have to whip out the cake-bacon for Electric589 sometime. I know you want it...

French Toast with Stewed Strawberries (Serves 2 and a bit...)

1 punnet strawberries, sliced
1 orange, squeezed
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbs sugar

Now, this is my secret recipe, so don't going telling everyone! In a small saucepan, combine all the stewing ingredients. Put on the stove at half-heat and stew for 10-15 minutes. When the strawberries are still partially in tact (you can see lumps of them) and the sauce has reduced and is nice and thick, it is ready to serve! You can always put it in the fridge/freezer and use it later too. You also may want to add a bit more sugar if you like sweet; acid oranges can make the strawberries a bit tart.

4-5 slices of bread (preferably not grainy)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Heat up an electric or stove top pan. If it is non-stick, don't worry about additional grease. Whisk egg and milk together. Place one piece of bread at at time in the egg mix. Coat both sides, and before it gets too soggy put it straight into the hot frypan. Repeat until all the egg mix is gone. Brown both sides of the bread. You can put the slices of toast into a warm oven until they are all done.

Serve two slices of toast with a scoop of ice-cream, and generously pour strawberries and sauce over the top. Oh, and a bit of booze always makes stewed fruit taste better ;)

A Seedy Cure

A few too many beers last night? Well, do I have the breakfast to solve all your seedy, hungover blues!

Well, sort of. I think the problem with this breakfast is that you need to be somewhat coherent to make it (I was this morning, Angus was more the seedy-sit-on-couch kind), or have all the ingredients ready to go. Either way, it is hearty, fatty, a bit creasy and salty and will make those head-pains disappear! Introducing Corn Cakes, with bacon and maple syrup with a side of pan-fried tomatoes.

Corn Cakes (Makes 8 - 10, 2 per person is stacks!)

3 cobs corn, corn cut off and cooked (boil on stove for 2-3 minutes)
2/3 cup polenta
4 tbs flour
Pinch salt, sugar and baking soda
1 1/3 cups milk
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
Bacon
Maple Syrup, to serve

In a bowl, combine the polenta, flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg and oil. Add the wet mix to the dry mix and combine. Add the corn to the mix and stir through. No neat to beat, just get it evenly mixed. Heat a skillet or frypan with veggie oil. Spoon out a tablespoon of mix to make the corn cake. Brown each side of the corn cake, and place in oven to keep warm. You can cook bacon in the same pan for some extra flavour.

I am pretty fussy about cooked tomatoes, especially for breakfast. Going out for breakfast, they always seem to be underdone, tasteless or acidic and generally unpleasant. To make really good tomatoes you have got to use olive oil, and alot of it!

Halve some tomatoes and put them cut-side up in the base of saucepan. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the top, along with some salt and cracked pepper. Turn hot plate onto medium and let them fry! When they are starting to fall apart, turn over (cut-side down) for 2-3 minutes. Turn back over again and let them simmer for another 2-3 minutes. Serve when they are almost falling apart. They will be a bit 'saucey', but will be great with bacon, eggs and other tasty breakfast treats.

Serve two corn cakes with bacon, tomatoes and green garnish. Don't go overboard with the maple syrup, just a bit on top of the corn cakes is plenty. Would also be awesome with mushrooms, cheese, sausages and eggs, and served with chutney or BBQ sauce. You could make this vegan (no meat and with soy milk) or gluten free by using gluten-free flour mix.