A good breakfast is touted as the best way to start your day; and what better way to add interest and nutrition to your breakfast than with apples?
They go into everything from omelettes to pancakes, and they taste great alongside bacon, sausage, and ham. Apples add both flavor and moistness to a wide variety of breakfast breads, coffee cakes, and baked goods.
This is a good way to make an omelette for four people so that everyone eats at the same time. You can prepare the apples the night before and heat them in a skillet for a couple of minutes the next morning. You can also keep canned apple slices in the pantry and substitute those in a pinch.
1. Preheat oven to 450
F. 2. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples.
3. Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet, and saute the apples for 5 minutes over low heat.
4. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over the apples. Toss and continue to saute the apples for about 10 minutes, until they caramelize. The mixture will be thick and syrupy.
5. Spoon the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking dish and keep hot in the oven.
6. Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks and the granulated sugar in a small bowl until fairly thick.
7. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff and shiny. Fold into the yolk mixture, a third at a time.
8. Pour the egg mixture over the apples and bake for 8-10 minutes. The omelette will be puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
Sausage and Apple Omelette
I have made this omelette with soybean protein "crumbles" and also "veggie ground round." The flavorings and textures are uncannily sausagelike, making these foods good substitutions for the sausage.
4 ounces sausage meat
3 scallions, including green tops, sliced
1 medium apple (Granny Smith, Baldwin, Winesap, Empire)
1/2-1 tablespoon butter
4 eggs
freshly ground black pepper
1. In a medium-sized skillet, brown the sausage meat, breaking it up and turning it as it cooks, for about 8 minutes. Drain off most of the fat and push the meat to one side.
2. Add the scallions to the skillet and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Peel, core, and chop the apple. Stir into the sausage meat and scallions and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
4. Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the foaming butter. Shake the pan to spread the eggs. As they set, use a fork to make a zigzag pattern from the edges to the center in several places. Shake the pan to keep the uncooked egg mixture moving.
5. After 2-3 minutes, the eggs should be set on the bottom, and the top should be creamy. Remove from the heat; spoon the sausage mixture onto one side of the eggs.
6. Fold the other half over the filling and slide the omelette onto a warm plate. Sprinkle with the pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings
Apple Scramble
This is an easy way to have a good breakfast and satisfy a sweet tooth at the same time. It also makes a good after-school snack.
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1 medium apple (Granny Smith, Braeburn, Empire)
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1. Beat the eggs with the honey.
2. Grate the apple into the eggs. Stir to mix.
3. Heat the butter and oil in a skillet. When it starts to sizzle, pour in the egg mixture.
4. Start stirring immediately with a wooden spoon. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked.
5. Serve on buttered toast for breakfast or a hot snack.
Yield: 2 servings
Apples for Breakfast and Snack Attacks
School-day mornings demand snack breakfasts that are nutritious and quick. These "recipes" make fast and easy breakfasts or an after-school snacks:
One-half-cup yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese topped with 1/2 cup applesauce and sprinkled with a favorite cereal.
1 cup yogurt combined with 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 small apple, chopped, topped with 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 tablespoon wheat germ.
1 apple, chopped and combined in a bowl with instant oatmeal and milk, as indicated on the packet. Microwave on HIGH as recommended, about 60 seconds. Drizzle with honey, spoon vanilla yogurt over the top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
2 slices of multigrain or whole-wheat bread spread with peanut butter and topped with thin slices of apple and slices of cheese; toasted in a toaster oven until the cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes. Sandwich together if eating on the run.
Apple Frittata
Truly, this is a great way to make a vegetable omelette pie. In fact, a frittata may appear on my table for breakfast, lunch, or even dinner. I may use leftover vegetables or a variety of fresh vegetables in season. It tastes delicious warm or at room temperature and is therefore excellent for a brunch buffet.
1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 medium apple (Granny Smith, Empire, Braeburn)
4 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Cheddar, Jack, or mozzarella cheese
1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet. Add the onion, pepper, and garlic, and cook over low heat until the onion is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apple. Add to the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Beat the eggs with the water, sage, mace, and pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Sprinkle with the Cheddar.
4. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, until the eggs are set and the cheese has melted. Serve at once.
Yield: 2-4 servings
