Asparagus and Herb Omelet with Feta Cheese
serves 1:

2 eggs, room temperature
2 T. milk
salt and pepper
butter

3 asparagus spears, trimmed and washed
1 T fresh herbs such as basil, thyme, chives, sage
2 T. Feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat broiler on high.
Break eggs into a bowl and whisk until combined. Whisk in milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Microwave asparagus spears for 1 minute on high, or until bright green but still crisp. Toss in a little butter and pepper to taste. Heat an 8 inch omelet pan on medium-low flame. Add about a teaspoon of butter. When butter bubbles, pour in the egg mixture. Sprinkle on the herbs. Using a spatula, move the cooked eggs towards the center, letting the uncooked portions run to the bottom. When all is set but the very top, lay the asparagus spears in the center and sprinke with feta cheese. Place pan under the broiler for no more that 20 seconds, just to heat the cheese. Use spatula to fold omelet over and slide onto plate. Garnish with herbs and extra feta cheese.

Serves 12

• 2 cups diced apples peeled
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease 2 (6 cup) muffin tins. Mix the apples and sugar in a bowl, set aside. In another bowl, combine and mix the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the apple mixture and combine, set aside. In another bowl, put the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a spoon until blended. Distribute the flour mixture throughout the apple mixture. Combine the raisins. Spoon into the muffin tins. Bake for about 25 minutes or until done.

• 2 large Grapefruit
• 2 T. Brown Sugar

Set the oven to Broil. Slice the grapefruit in half. Then, with a small a small knife, slice around the inside of the rind, being careful not to puncture the skin of the grapefruit. Then slice the segments of the grapefruit. Add a sprinkling of brown sugar to the grapefruit and place under the broiler until sugar is melted and grapefruit starts to puff. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 waffles

1 ½ cups blue cornmeal
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk
2 large eggs, separated
6 T. butter, melted

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat approx. 350F degree. In a large bowl, mix buttermilk with egg yolks and 1/4 cup melted butter. In another bowl, mix cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour liquids into dry mixture, stirring to moisten well. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Pour batter into waffle iron and bake until golden brown approx. 4-5 minutes. Top with Sweet and spicy pineapple chili pepper maple syrup and serve.

Sweet and Spicy Pineapple Chili Pepper Syrup

1 cup pineapple, cubed, fresh or canned
pinch red chili pepper flakes
1 cup pure maple syrup

In a saucepan over medium heat slightly sauté the pineapple chunks and red chili pepper flakes. Slowly add the maple syrup, stir, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 2 minutes until the flavor combine. Pour over blue corn waffles.

Serves 4

¾ C. flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, separated
1 ¼ C. sour cream
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
½ C. dried blueberries
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
2 oranges, segmented
Confectioners’ sugar

Preheat Waffle Iron
Stir together flour and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks with sour cream. Blend in oil. Add flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Stir in dried blueberries and orange zest. Beat egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Fold into batter. Spoon a ¼ C. of batter into each section of the waffle iron. Bake until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200-degree convection oven, if necessary. Serve hot with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar and the orange segments.

2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1¾ cups unsifted all purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I substitute with 1 cup blueberries or chocolate chips)
½ cup vegetable oil (I like to use corn oil)
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract
½ t. salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour (or pan spray is fine) a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Do not overmix or your bread will be rubbery. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until top is golden brown and splits slightly, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Serve warm and Enjoy! Don’t double the recipe. It will not rise as high as one recipe.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
4 chives chopped
1½ cups heavy cream 
2 T. butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Use an ungreased baking sheet. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, black pepper, and chives in a mixing bowl. Stir the dry ingredients with a whisk to blend. Add 1½ cups of the cream to the mixture, stirring constantly. Gather the dough together; when it holds together and feels tender, it is ready.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board. Pat the dough into a square that is about ½ inch thick. Cut into 12 squares and dip each into the melted butter so all sides are coated. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, or until the biscuits are lightly browned. Serve hot and enjoy.

Serves 4, about 12 cakes

¾ C. flour
1 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 C. butter milk
3 T. butter, melted
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 T. sugar
1 carrot, grated
2 t. cinnamon
¼ C. raisins
¼ C. walnuts, chopped
Maple syrup

Preheat griddle to 350. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, including nuts and raisins. Combine buttermilk, butter, and 1 egg in a separate bowl, with carrots. With a mixer or hand beaters, whip egg whites with 1 T. of sugar until soft peaks form. Combine dry ingredients with buttermilk mixture until just blended. Stir in ¼ of the egg whites until incorporated. Fold in the remaining whites, gently. Drop batter onto griddle by ¼ C. Cook until golden, and flip. Cook until golden and cakes are springy to the touch. Serve with maple syrup and cream cheese icing if desired.

One ¼ ounce package dry yeast
¼ cup warm water

4 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 C. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
1½ C. sugar
3 t. ground cinnamon
4 T. unsalted butter, melted

In a small bowl, stir the yeast into the water until dissolved. Allow to stand until liquid appears creamy, about 5 minutes.

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment combine the flour, butter, sour cream, eggs, salt and vanilla. Stir in the yeast mixture and work until the dough is smooth. Cover the dough lightly with a damp cloth and plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to two days.

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon. Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll on a lightly floured surface into an 18 by 15 inch rectangle. Brush with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with one quarter of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Fold the short ends in to meet the center, fold in half along the seam, and give it a quarter turn. With the shorter ends parallel to you, roll out again to 18 by 15 inch rectangle, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 quarter of the cinnamon sugar mix. Repeat the procedure again. Roll out a fourth time to an 18 by 15 inch rectangle, brush with remaining butter and sugar. Cut the dough lengthwise into 1 inch wide strips. Twist each strip by holding the ends and twisting in opposite directions. Place 1½ inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Serves 6

Crust:
2½ C All purpose flour
1 t. salt
1 t. granulated sugar
1 C cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ to ½ cup ice water

Put the flour, salt and sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Add the pieces of butter and process for about 10 seconds. (The mixture should resemble coarse meal)

Add ice water, drop by drop, through the feed tube with the machine running, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Turn the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press the dough into a flat circle. Wrap with the plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly butter a tart pan. Roll the dough out to a thickness of 1/8″, on a lightly floured surface. Place the pastry in the tart pan and press lightly to the bottom edges and sides. Trim the pastry using scissors, and crimp or decorate the edges.

Carefully line the pastry with aluminum foil and weight with beans or rice (filling to the top). Bake for 18-20 minutes and then remove the foil and beans. Let the crust bake until it is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling:
10 eggs
2 Cups heavy cream
2 Cups sweet corn (frozen or fresh)
½ of a large yellow onion, diced
½ C grated gruyere cheese
¼ C sun dried tomatoes re-hydrated and diced small
½ t. dried thyme
Salt and pepper

Sauté the onions in butter until tender and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, then add the remaining ingredients and whisk until combined. Stir in the onions.

Heat the oven to 325°. Place the pre-baked tart crust on a cookie sheet. Pour the filling into the crust and carefully place the sheet into the oven.

Bake until a toothpick or paring knife comes out of the center clean.

Wait 10 minutes and cut the tart into 6 wedges. Serve warm.