birthday breakfast

My baby boy turned 2 today. Such a strange feeling. I mean, he is running and jumping like a two year old and feeding himself and speaks in sentences, so it shouldn't feel all that strange, but for some reason it does. I don't think I'll ever get over my children growing up. It's so thrilling to watch them learn and change and grow and become such remarkable people, but losing the baby-ness of it all is somehow so heartbreaking. Who knew parenthood would be two such extremes at the same time? I guess anyone who's had kids could have told me that. But it's one of those things I just didn't grasp until I had my own.

So one of our family birthday traditions is to have a special breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And dessert--which is usually a cake of some kind. See, I'm not very good at fun kid stuff, and I'm working on that, but I've discovered, much like my mother, I show my love through food. So I ask my kids several days, sometimes even weeks, in advance what they want to eat on their birthdays. It's fun for me to hear the funny variety of things they'll say. Sometimes it's what we just ate for dinner, and sometimes it's something so way out of nowhere that I'm baffled at the response. But eventually, it starts to narrow down to one or two of their favorite meals. With my 4 year old it was "pink and chocolate and white chia pudding" and spaghetti and meatballs and a "big chocolate cake with ganache." With my oldest, it was very clearly a "pink cake with roses." But what do you expect to hear from a 2 year old? Not a whole lot past babbling. So my husband and I had to think really hard about the foods that he consistently enjoys. And we came up with a couple of very obvious ones. For breakfast it was either some form of eggs or waffles and cream and fruit. Dad, being the serious sweet food junkie that he is, of course tried to convince me baby boy likes waffles more. So it was decided on waffles. And though I would have loved to make some authentic Gaufres de Liege, I just didn't want to wake up at 4 am to start breakfast. (though unfortunately, thanks to a horrible thunderstorm I did end up wake up at 5:30 ... after which my scared little girls would not go back to sleep--which means neither did I ... but that's too long of a grumpy story for this particular piece of the internet) But I wanted that yeasty bite that comes with Gaufres de Liege. So why not make our favorite overnight yeast waffles instead? They're not dense and sturdy like the true Belgian waffle, but I'd say a pretty tasty relative. With a crisp crust and light-as-air crumb, soft enough that the roof of your mouth isn't raw at the end of the meal, but sturdy enough that it holds up to syrups and sauces and juicy berries and lots of whipped cream. Sounds like a dream, right? It kind of is.

Gah! Do you see that bubbly caramelization pattern on the crust?

And the best part? Starting the night before means pretty much no prep in the morning. You'll look like a hero come birthday morning because you've managed to make a spectacularly decadent breakfast while still getting to see the look on your baby's face as he opens each present and thanks his sisters and daddy and mommy for them. All the while your house starts to smell fabulously of vanilla and a caramelized yeasty crust forming. Oooh, I want some more. Let's get started.

Overnight yeast waffles
makes 6-8 waffles (in a deep, Belgian style waffle iron)

1/2 cup warm water (100-110°F)
2 1/4 (or 1 package) active dry yeast
2 cups warm milk (100-110°F)
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pearl sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional

Favorite waffle toppings

1. Start this batter the night before (or 8-12 hours before) you plan on cooking these waffles. In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and the yeast and let stand for 5 or so minutes to proof the yeast. Once the yeast is bubbles and frothy (proofed), add the milk, butter, salt and sugar, and mix well to combine. Add the flour and whisk vigorously to combine. You may want to use a hand mixer for this job. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter overnight.
2. In the morning, right before cooking the waffles, add the eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, mix well until the eggs are well incorporated. Cook in your waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. But before you close the lid on that waffle to cook, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon or so of the pearl or turbinado sugar over the top, if using. And I recommend that you do. I tend to prefer my waffles on a slightly darker crust setting. Serve hot with your favorite waffle toppings.

If making a large batch, keep your oven on the lowest temperature you can with wire cooling racks, and keep your cooked waffles in there until ready to serve.

< sweet way to wake up >

Happy Valentine's day, friends! I had these grand plans to make a special breakfast full of heart-shaped hand pies and and a creamy, pink smoothie for breakfast today, but our car started having problems and my sweetie had to take it in to the shop early before heading to school, so our morning plans were cut short. So I think the hand pies will have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, we had one of our favorite usual breakfasts: Chia seed pudding. And not just any chia seed pudding, but a creamy coconut pudding.

The texture is more like the coconut milk tapioca "pudding" I grew up eating. Or use less liquid, and it'll be more like American tapioca pudding. Yum, right? Adding coconut has it's health benefits, too. Coconuts are high in fiber, vitamins C, E, and a bunch of the B's, magnesium (which most Americans are deficient in), and phospherus. The coconut milk doesn't have the fiber, so topping it with coconut is not only nice for your palate, the rest of your body will thank you for it, too.

So go ahead and make some coconut chia pudding and eat dessert for breakfast and feel good knowing you're doing some good for your body.

Coconut Chia Seed pudding with fruit
serves 6-8
I know this is a really large portion. We always have a little left over for a snack later in the day. I used to make half of this, and my kids were always asking for more. So if it works better for you, by all means halve this recipe. And use the rest of the coconut milk in curry for dinner, maybe? Or a smoothie! Yum!

1 can coconut milk*
enough almond milk (or other milk you want to use) to make 5 cups of liquid in combination with the coconut milk
2/3 cups chia seeds
raw honey or pure maple syrup to taste
coconut flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)
chopped fruit*

*notes: for the coconut milk, make sure you buy coconut milk, not cream of coconut. And don't go light on this. The fat in coconut milk is mostly lauric acid, which "is converted in the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin, an antiviral and antibacterial that destroys a wide variety of disease causing organisms." So feel good about the fat you're eating. I don't believe in low fat anyway.
And today I served it with strawberries in the shape of hearts, but usually we like to eat it with fresh pineapple or oranges. But really, I think most fruit would be good in this. Ripe peaches in the middle peach season! Can you imagine?

1. In a large container (I use a half-gallon mason jar, but you can easily do 2 quart sized jars), combine the coconut milk, almond milk, chia seeds, and sweetener. If using a jar, put the lid on the shake until well combined. If using a bowl, stir until well combined. For the first 20 minutes, you'll want to give it another shake or stir a few times until it's thickened enough for the seeds to be evenly distributed and suspended in the liquid. Otherwise, you'll have a huge, extra thick clump on the bottom and a thin liquid on top. Once the seeds are suspended, it's ready for the fridge. Stick it in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. Serve with fresh fruit and coconut flakes (and an extra drizzle of honey if you like it extra sweet).

< winter blues breakfast >

We've had a long Winter here in central Illinois. The never ending sub-zero temperatures, the snow, the wind. It's hard to get out of my warm and cozy bed sometimes. Especially to get up and make breakfast for my hungry little monsters because, well, we live in an old house. And the kitchen is the biggest room in the house. Awesome, right? Yes, except there's only one teeny tiny vent in that biggest room in the house, and that vent seems to be the last on the route for the warm air because the air coming out of it doesn't feel as warm as in other rooms. Could be my imagination, but I don't think it is. I usually have to add extra layers to go in there.

So on those bitter cold mornings, I have to have a plan to keep us warm. Some mornings that's making muffins or German pancakes just so I have an excuse to turn on the oven. But more likely is a hot bowl of oatmeal or multi-grain porridge. My kids love it, and I've learned to appreciate it. And it's a good heat you up from the inside, stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast.

See, I didn't grow up on sweet porridges. I grew up on savory breakfasts. I still don't like donuts or any other extremely sweet food first thing in the morning. I like my eggs and toast and hashbrowns or miso soup and rice and vegetables. But I have a serious sweet tooth husband who is the master pancake maker (mainly because early in our marriage he realized that if he wanted his beloved sweet pancakes for breakfast, he would have to learn to make them himself--and learn he did. They really are the best pancakes ever), and 3 little kids who have a little bit of both of us in them. And oatmeal is our happy compromise. It's nutritious and dense and hearty and can be customized however you want. I eat mine savory sometimes, while everyone else eats their sweet. And other times I join in on the fun.

But sorry to say, I still don't like your standard rolled oats porridge. It's a little too gluey for my palate. Maybe it's the foreigner in me. Yes, let's blame it on that. But I do really like steel cut oats. It has a sturdier mouthfeel that is so much more pleasing to me. But who wants to stand over a stove, stirring for over 30 minutes just for a your usual weekday morning meal? As I've mentioned before, I'm not a morning person. So my answer would definitely be: not me. And I know there are a lot of slow-cooker methods out there for overnight oats, but the ones I've tried all end up with crusty edges that you can't use or more complicated water baths and such. If any of you have experienced the frustrations that I have, hopefully this method will help. And you know the awesome part? If you have leftovers, pop them in the fridge and reheat when you want to eat them. They don't get gluey-er, they just get creamier.

So here is the basic overnight oatmeal recipe and a multi-grain porridge variation for you to try. You'll never go back.

Stove top overnight steel cut oatmeal (and multi-grain porridge variation)
makes about 6 servings (depending on how much you consider to be 1 serving)
adapted from the kitchn's overnight steel cut oats

2 cups steel cut oats
6 cups water
large pinch of salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (omit if serving savory)

1. In a medium or large sauce pan, heat the water, oats, and salt over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat, put the lid on it, and let it sit over night. Reheat in the morning. You may need to add milk or water to loosen it up depending on desired thickness. Top with your favorite oatmeal toppings.

Multi-grain porridge variation:

1 cup steel cut oats

1/3 cup mixed whole grain or brown rice, rinsed thoroughly

1/3 cup millet

1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly

6 cups water

large pinch of salt

Follow the instructions above for the standard steel cut oats.

< most important meal of the day >

When I was in high school, I attended and early morning scripture study class. I had to get up at 5 am and had to leave the house by 5:45. And somehow my mom woke up every morning when I did, and while I was in the shower, she managed to get a hot breakfast ready for me. It was usually a bowl of rice with a Japanese style omelet, and a bowl of miso soup. Or sometimes a fried egg, some vegetables, and toast. Whatever it was, I think I kind of took it for granted because that's just what Japanese moms do. They show their love through the food they make. And I think a part of me has adapted that, thank goodness, but I also think I'm a little more laid back (translated: lazy) than most Japanese moms, and I also have a very kind and understanding husband who lets his sometimes sleep-deprived and exhausted, not-a-morning-person wife sleep in. And for mornings like that, I need to have quick things prepared for him to grab and go in the pantry.

Cereal, you ask? Go ahead and roll your eyes at me because I don't buy cold cereal like most people, but instead I make my own. But let me defend myself here before you all think I'm some sort of pretentious snob. Yes, I try to avoid processed foods. And yes, I try to use more whole, nutritious foods. But that's not news to anybody, right? And guess what? It's just cheaper to make it yourself. And it's not a whole lot of work. Stir the ingredients together, toss it on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, set the timer, and walk away. Then pull it out of the oven, let it cool, put it in an airtight container to use all week. Not bad, right? Hands on time, maybe 10 minutes. Maybe. We all have 10 minutes, don't we? And I feel good about what I'm feeding my family, which is the best part. So give it a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Homemade cold cereal
Makes about 8 cups of cereal
adapted from whole living's recipe for toasted muesli by Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille

boiling water (enough to cover millet)
1/2 cup millet
2 cups rolled oats (make sure and get certified gluten-free oats if it needs to be gluten-free)
1 cup almonds (or any other nut or seed of choice) chopped small
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or scrape out 1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar, (optional, see note)
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 oz (or however much or little you want) freeze dried strawberries (see note)

note: the brown sugar isn't a must. The cane sugar helps to encourage the dry ingredients to "clump" together. If you omit it, the resulting cereal will have a looser consistency. I prefer the clumps, but it's a matter of personal preference, really. Also, you can replace the strawberries with any freeze-dried or dried fruit, or even chocolate chips for a more decadent treat. Totally customizable.

1. In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the millet and let sit for 30 minutes to soften.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the millet in a fine mesh strainer. In a large bowl, combine the millet, oats, almonds (or other nuts or seeds), flax seeds, coconut flakes, and vanilla.
3. In a small sauce pan, heat the honey, salt, coconut oil, and brown sugar until melted and sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over the oat mixture and stir well to combine.
4. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pat down so that it's an even, thin layer. Place in the oven, tossing once, until golden brown. 20-30 minutes. Let col completely.
5. Once cooled, add the freeze dried strawberries, and place in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

breakfast kick

I guess I've been on a bit of a breakfast/brunch food kick, and it might be because my cute husband was home for 3 weeks over the Christmas break. It was so nice! Especially because he spoiled me and let me sleep in every morning that I wanted to. Which was most mornings.

And like I've mentioned before, he loves sweet food. So on the rare occasion that I got up with everyone else, I thought I should be sweet back and give him his favorite breakfasts. Hence the waffles from the other day, and now french toast. Although this french toast was after the break this morning. Either way, it's my way of showing my appreciation for my sweetheart. And it's fun to indulge once in a while.

And I have a pretty strong opinion about french toast. I think most people do. I think french toast is best made with quality bread. Challah and brioche are great, but honestly, my favorite is when it's made with a good crusty loaf. The crust gets the right kind of chewy, and the crumb absorbs the custard perfectly and develops a slightly crisp crust. It's the only way to do it. Just make sure your bread is at least a day old. And if it's a REALLY crusty loaf to begin with, slice it on the thin side and let it soak longer in the custard. Or you won't be able to cut through it too well. I always use my own homemade bread that I bake from my favorite bread book.

My French Toast
serves 4 (or less, if you have a big eater)

1 1-lb loaf crusty white bread, such as a simple boule, sliced about 1 inch thick

1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine(as opposed to coarse, not quality) salt

butter for the griddle

1. Preheat the oven to lowest setting and place an oven-proof platter in the middle of the oven.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl (I always use a ceramic or glass pie plate), mix the eggs and cinnamon together. This encourages the cinnamon to properly get mixed into the batter as opposed to sitting on top. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined.
3. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter on a griddle heated to medium-low. Soak 2~3 slices (depending on the size of your griddle) in the custard, about 10 seconds on each side. Let excess custard drip off and place each slice on the griddle in one layer. Once the first side is golden brown, flip it over and cook the other side through. Once cooked through, place the finished slices on the platter in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining slices.
4. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Happy New Year!

We started the year at church, with a special Sunday brunch in the morning. My sister taught me this recipe for waffles a while back, and I've tweaked it a little here and there and added our new favorite topping to the mix. A little rich, maybe, but why not start the year with deliciousness, right? We did, after all, practically detox on all Japanese food for the following week. Japanese food is good for that.

And speaking of Japan and the New Year, one of my new year's resolutions is to be on here at least once a week. And at least one Japanese recipe a month. Hopefully more often, but gotta start somewhere when somehow I've lost some steam. I blame the pregnancy, but it's hard to use that as an excuse when I've been cooking a lot since the second trimester. Let's blame the major lack of sunlight in the Winter months instead.

I have a passion of my culture and food is so central to it. So why not explore it more and share it with you, my dear friends? So hopefully I still have supporters and followers and please continue to have faith in me. I'm back for real this time, so please frequent this humble little space on your interesting-things-online hunting from time to time.

Our favorite wafffle/pancake/french toast topping is a banana caramel sauce. I got the idea from a book I bought on clearance at TJMaxx one day--purely an impulse purchase. But not one I regret. The dark, rich caramel sauce coating each piece of banana is divine on top of a rich breakfast staple like waffles. And these oatmeal waffles are buttery and tender but crisp and that comforting oat flavor goes so well with it. So when you're feeling decadent and in need of an indulgence, have fun with this easy, probably mostly pantry ingredients waffles recipe.

Oatmeal waffles

makes about 6 large waffles, depending on the size of your waffle iron

1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1.5 cups milk
1/2 c melted butter, cooled slightly
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. 
4. Preheat the oven to the lowest setting with a cooling rack resting over a baking sheet. Grease a preheated waffle iron and pour about 1/3~1/2 cup of the batter into it. Close and cook to manufacturer's directions. Place the waffle on the cooling rack in the oven to stay warm while you cook the rest.
5. Serve with banana caramel sauce (recipe follows), lightly sweetened whipped cream (to soft peaks), your favorite jam, pure maple syrup, apple butter, or fresh fruit.

banana caramel sauce

3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 bananas, peeled and sliced thick
3 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Once melted, add the honey and sugar and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer on medium-low until the sugar dissolves and starts to darken a little, 3~5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bananas and stir until all of the banana slices are coated. Pour into your serving and let cool slightly before serving. (The starches from the banana will thicken the sauce as it cools so don't worry if it seems a little runny when you pour it out of the pan)

a fresh start

If you're here, that means you've followed me through a long journey of discovering myself, and discovering an even deeper respect for food than I thought I had. Thank you.

Let's begin.

We're starting with pancakes. Everyone loves pancakes, and they can be so simple! And this version is full of texture, delicious, easy, and really good for you. And with my blackberry kiwi sauce on top with a little dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, you won't be going back to a box mix again.

 This recipe is based on a basic pancake recipe, which is inspired by Japanese-style hot cakes. Japanese hot cakes are thick and sweet and fluffy, with lots of vanilla fragrance. They're often eaten as an afternoon snack instead of breakfast. In our house, we eat them for pretty much any meal of the day.

This version, though, has things like wheat germ and cornmeal and yogurt that make you feel pretty good about letting yourself take another one. And with some fresh fruit sauce on top, you might even be ok with adding a little dollop of whipped cream. This is my kind of mid-week breakfast. Easy, tasty, and good for you.

Multi-grain pancakes with blackberry-kiwi sauce

for the pancakes:
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar or maple syrup)
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup low fat milk
2 tablespoons light olive oil or canola oil (or other light tasting oil--or butter, of course)
1 large egg
1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 200°F; have an oven proof platter ready in the oven to keep cooked pancakes warm while you finish your batch. In a small bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, yogurt, milk, oil, and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix).
3. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Using a paper towel folded and moistened with canola oil, rub the griddle with very light coat of oil.
4. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of batter onto the oiled griddle, using the back of a spoon to spread the batter into a round. (*hint: if you spray the back of the spoon with cooking spray, it won't stick to the batter)
5. Cook until surface of the pancakes have some bubbles. Flip over and cook until the other side is lightly browned, 1 to 2 more minutes. Transfer to the platter in the oven. Serve warm.

for the sauce:
8~10 oz fresh blackberries, washed
4 kiwi, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey

1. In a medium saucepan, add all of the ingredients. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, until fruit begins to break down and soften, about 5 minutes. Break fruit pieces with the wooden spoon as you stir. (*hint: using a potato masher will make this job a lot easier and faster)
2. Turn the heat to medium-low, and let the fruit mixture thicken. (At this point, you want to taste it to make sure it's the right sweetness. Depending on how in-season the fruit is, you might want to add some more agave nectar for sweetness or a little squeeze of citrus for brightness) Once it reaches the desired thickness, take off heat and let cool slightly. Serve over hot pancakes.