Breakfast – Hungry for Louisiana

Breakfast, Farmers Markets, Healthy, Local, Louisiana, Strawberries

Almond-oatmeal bars with fresh Louisiana strawberries

April 7, 2015

I love to use local strawberries in homemade sorbet, on spinach salads with bacon and feta and with farmers market teacakes topped with fresh whipped cream. I also love to make strawberry oatmeal bars to serve for breakfast or as an after school snack.

My version of strawberry oatmeal bars uses fresh berries in a quick filling rather than strawberry preserves. I also like to top them with sliced almonds. And, I use white-whole wheat flour and less butter than many recipes so they’re a little healthier.

This is an easy and tasty use of the season’s bounty. Enjoy!

Breakfast, Eggs, Farmers Markets, Louisiana

Editing the Egg McMuffin

February 23, 2015

It wasn’t that long ago that fresh eggs – the kind with deep golden yolks from happy chickens – were hard to come by. Our farmers market here in Baton Rouge would routinely sell out, especially if you were a sleepy straggler (like me) who liked to get there late. Now it’s much easier. More vendors are selling them at our farmers markets – and probably yours, too. And in many cities, urban poultry is commonplace. I’m usually not without locally raised eggs, and one of my favorite uses for them is in a….

homemade egg McMuffin.

Breakfast, Citrus, Healthy, Kumquats, Local

Kumquat smoothie a healthy way to start the day

January 7, 2015

Kumquats are everywhere in South Louisiana right now, and guess what, they’re great for you. LiveStrong has posted their impressive nutritional content, which includes lots of fiber and Vitamin C. Here’s a smoothie formula using kumquats that will stave off colds and make you feel great. If you’re a fan of orange marmalade, you’ll love this flavor profile.

1 large or two small servings

1 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup kumquat purée*

8 oz. can pineapple (any type) with juice

1 banana

1 tablespoon Agave nectar or honey (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a juicer or blender and serve immediately.

*To make 1 cup of kumquat puree, slice and seed 2 cups whole kumquats (about 15). Puree fruit, skin and all, in an food processor. Use in smoothies, quick breads, sorbet and other recipes.

Breakfast, Citrus, Kumquats, Local

Kumquat banana bread

January 6, 2015

At a certain point in the Deep South, it seems like kumquats that will not away. They’re everywhere, from gift baskets to supermarkets to local trees heavy with ripe fruit. The two in my herb garden are putting out a shocking number of kumquats this year, and they’re at their sweet peak right now. And because I’m a crappy gardener with minimal success in growing edibles, I hate the thought of letting any of them go to waste.

A few weeks back, I posted a kumquat honey sorbet recipe that was a big success. This time around, I’ve got a formula for kumquat-banana bread.

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