Category: Breakfast

Nut Omelette

This is going to sound pretty ridiculous considering all the things I learned to make in culinary school, but the humble omelette is what really got me. It wasn’t so much the technique as much as flipping the thing. A well-made omelette is fluffy and moist, so when you’re ready to flip, it’s a jiggly mess. I can’t tell you how many omelettes I went through (actually I can, it was 5) until I was able to flip one properly on omelette day.

You can’t begin to imagine what the kitchen looked like after Hurricane Omelette came through. Even Chef Wiseman’s shoes were covered in scrambled eggs. The stovetop was a complete disaster, with bits and pieces of sticky eggs stuck to every crevice. And guess which lucky individual was assigned to clean it all? That would be ME. Miss-goofed-up-with-5-omelettes-till-she-got-it-right.
Nisht gut.

I was determined to get that flipping action down, so for the next couple of days, my husband woke up to a fluffy 3-egg omelette for breakfast, and my kids got their choice of quesadillas for dinner. I was flippin’ paper clips, candy, and yes, I was flipping myself…out.

By the time our practical test came at the end of the semester, my omelette was spot on. I flipped it on the first try. Couldn’t be better. I wish you could have seen the smile on my face when I put that fluffy omelette on the plate. Priceless.

But I’ll share a little secret with you all. I’m not above another omelette flipping disaster. When I went to flip the dessert omelette in the photo, the yolk splattered all over me. I was covered in Passover nut omelette batter.
Nisht gut.

So now that I’ve shared my omelette hall of shame, I’d be happy to share some secrets to making the perfect fluffy American omelette (French omelettes are creamier and are not browned or flipped).

#1 Add a splash of milk to your eggs and season with salt and pepper.
#2 Whisk the mixture well to incorporate some air into the batter.
#3 Make sure your nonstick pan is greased and hot so you get a nice brown finish on the egg.
#4 As soon as your batter hits the pan, stir with a spatula from the inside out and quickly scrape down the sides. Repeat several times until the omelette is beginning to set.
#5 Sneak some butter or oil under the edge of the omelette and shake the pan to see if the omelette can slide. If not, add a bit more fat and test again. Once you are sure the omelette can slide on the pan, you’re ready to flip.
#6. Slide the omelette towards the sloped end of the pan and FLIP. Try not to get egg batter all over your face.
#7 This is where you would add your fillings of choice.
#8 Fold the omelette by one third, starting from the right side.
#9 Turn the pan towards you [like how someone might stab themselves (thanks to The Wise Man for that awful metaphor!)] and flip the pan over onto a plate, so that it sits seam-side-down.
#10 Garnish with fresh herbs or your garnish of choice.

The process sounds long, but it shouldn’t take more than 1 1/2-2 minutes total, from start to finish.

Now that I’ve given you some tips on making the perfect omelette, lets talk a little bit about nut omelettes. Huh? Yes, I said nut omelettes. Why would anyone want to eat a sweet omelette? Well, they might be on a strict no-carb diet. Or, it might be Passover, and they might not be fond of eating chocolate cake made out of potato starch for breakfast.

When I was growing up, my mom would scramble up this sweet nut omelette batter for us whenever we felt sick of the heavy Pesach food (which was pretty often). Last year, I even managed to convince my toddler that they were pancakes (she hates eggs!) and she gobbled them down.

So before you make a face at having a sweet omelette for breakfast, just imagine that you’re almost having a crepe – only fluffier. And you get to skip all the crepe-making. Which is a lot harder than it looks BTW. I should know, I went through a LOT of them on breakfast day.
Nisht gut.

For more Passover dessert ideas, check out the Kosher Connection Link-Up below!

Nut Omelette

3 eggs
2 tbsp milk (use almond milk for nondairy, or omit if you must)
1/4 cup ground walnuts (or your nut of choice)
1 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
raspberry jam (or your favorite jam), optional, for filling
fresh fruit, optional, for garnish

Method:

Whisk together the eggs, milk, nuts, sugar and salt until fluffy. Pour dessert omelette batter into a hot nonstick frying pan that’s been greased. Working quickly, continuously stir the eggs, scraping down the sides as you go. When the eggs looks like they’re starting to set, shake the pan to see if the omelette can slide around. If it’s stuck, sneak some butter or oil underneath, going all around the edges until it’s able to slide easily. Slide the omelette towards to sloped edge of the pan and flip it over. If desired, spread some jam in the center of the omelette and fold it in thirds. Roll it on to a plate, seam side down. Garnish with fresh fruit.

1 year ago: tater tot chicken nuggets
2 years ago: orange chicken

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Banana Oat Muffins

There’s something about the stormy weather that just makes you want to stay inside and bake. So while my kids cozied up to warm mugs of hot cocoa, I decided to make use of my overripe bananas. It seems like every time I buy a bunch, they always seem to ripen faster than we can eat them. Usually, I just put them in the freezer to use for smoothies, but with Hurricane Sandy about to make an entrance, I just feel like nesting. And just in case any of my Brooklyn neighbors decide to brave the Frankenstorm for Halloween treats, I’ll have something to give them (although they’d probably rather some kit kats!)

Talking about storms, I have to be honest with you all. Lately, I’ve been cooking up some storms of my own. With the busy month of holidays behind us, I took a little break, but now I’m back to hosting big Shabbat meals again. I’ve been making lots of new delicious recipes, but I haven’t been able to find the time to photograph anything! Especially with Fridays getting shorter, and my menu’s growing more adventurous, it’s been difficult to document my foodie experiments. I still make an effort to post my weekly menu’s on my facebook page, and I’m happy to share recipes whenever I get a request. So if you don’t already follow BIB on facebook, feel free to join in on the fun.

In the meantime, stay safe and bake up a batch of these delicious muffins before your electricity goes out! The oats add a wonderful texture to the muffins and unlike most banana bread recipes, these are not too sweet, so they are perfect drizzled with some honey, alongside a cup of steaming hot coffee.

Banana Oat Muffins
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, lightly beat (or whisk) the egg. Stir in the milk, oil, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, whisking to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture into the banana mixture and stir to combine. Pour the batter into muffin tins and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.


1 year ago: roasted eggplants with Israeli salad

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Healthy Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal


Fall has got to be my favorite season. That crisp, clean air and the colorful pallete of falling leaves just make me want to cozy up to a warm cup of apple cider. But even more than the weather, I love the fall bounty. With fruits like cranberries, apples and pears and vegetables like pumpkin, parsnips and kale – there’s so much to choose from! I can’t wait to get started on healthy comfort foods to keep my family warm all winter long. This delicious baked pumpkin oatmeal is the perfect way to get started!

Baked oatmeal is all the rage right now, with flavors like apple pie, mixed berry, banana bread, and peanut butter cup, to name just a few! But fragrant pumpkin oatmeal just takes the cake for me. It’s rich and creamy with spices of autumn – the perfect treat for any time of day, even dessert! I’ve created a healthy version with no added fat and only a small about of sugar, so it fills you up without filling you out :) You can even prepare individual portions in cupcake pans for the perfect healthy snack on the go!

If you love pumpkin, here are some other great recipes to try:

pumpkin crisp
pumpkin banana bread
pumpkin whoopie pies
Rivka’s pumpkin cake
pumpkin hamantaschen


Healthy Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

3 cups old fashioned oats
2 tbsp organic brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup craisins (optional)
3 cups milk
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla
additional maple syrup, for serving

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients including the oatmeal, brown sugar, spices and craisins. In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients including the milk, eggs, pumpkin, syrup and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a greased 9×13 pan and bake until set, about 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

Variation: The oatmeal may also be baked in indivual ramekin or cupcake tins, just cut down the baking time.

NOTE: The “batter” can be prepared the night before. Just refrigerate and stir before baking.

This recipe was posted on Foodie Friends Friday LinkUp Party

1 year ago: pumpkin crisp

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New Year, New Resolutions + A Power Breakfast

I’m not one of those mother’s who stands at their son’s bris, just 8 days after giving birth, looking like they’ve just run a marathon (I mean that in the skinny sense, not in the just-been-through-labor sense). I squeezed myself into control top pantyhose, and my feet were so swollen, I could not fit them into a single pair of shoes. I still remember sending my brother to Macy’s the night before the bris to get me a pair in the next size. Alas, they did not fit on my feet either, and there I stood, dressed in my finest, with Crocs on my feet. Thankfully, I decided to make a last ditch effort and try on a pair of short boots that I had, and with a little nudging, they made it.

My son is now nearly 2 years old, and the swelling has by far subsided. But I put on a lot of weight. Unfortunately, I belong to that small percentage of women who actually gain weight while nursing, and gain weight, I did. It also didn’t help that I started my blog sometime around then, so the pounds just piled on. Yet here I am, coming on my 2 year blogoversary, and I’m proud to say that I’ve lost it – 35 lbs. and counting! I am half of the dress size I once was, and I’ve never felt better!

It wasn’t easy, let me tell you. I’ve done this a few times before. In fact, I’ve done it after every baby. But as I get older, it gets harder, and the pounds become more and more stubborn. I may not be as thin as I was before I had my kids, but I’m more fit than ever, thanks to a strict exercise regimen. When I started out my weight loss journey (if you follow my blog, you may recall this post) I was so out of shape that I started physical therapy for the pain in my knees and ankles. I tried to start walking but I could barely get through one block before my knees buckled. All that extra weight on my petite frame was just too much for my body to take. I started off going to a personal trainer, who began our sessions with low impact exercise to minimize the strain on my knees and ankles. As time went on, she upped the ante, pushing me to my limit, and not allowing me to give up when the going got tough. I hated going to those sessions, I really did. I dreaded them like a high schooler dreads a math test, but I persevered and boy am I thankful to Esther (my trainer) for pushing me.

After a few months of personal training and dieting, I wanted to change up my routine so I began taking Pilates. The Pilates instructer actually taught me french for 3 years in high school. I had met her a few months before, but she could not seem to place me. I reminded her my maiden name, and some of the classmates I was with, but she just did not remember me. When I stepped into her Pilates class, quite a number of pounds less, she immediately realized who I was. I could not believe that I had gained so much weight that it rendered me unrecognizable. Of course it became our little joke, as she teased me for being the one to kickstart my weight loss.

Pilates was, and is, a lifeline for me. It’s low impact, so I can do it even after a long day, yet it’s rewards are so much greater than the effort it requires. Pilates has helped me strengthen my core, improve my posture, and gives me a sense of overall confidence. But being a low impact exercise, it wasn’t enough to keep up with my weight loss, so I joined a running group. My running instructor, Shaina Sara, uses the pose running method, which is extremely difficult at first. That first month of running was practically torture for me and I wanted nothing more than to back out of the group. But I’m no quitter, so I pushed myself and kept going at it. I’m still a work in progress, but I have come to enjoy every run, even while it taxes my body. Running makes me feel powerful and strong, and the endorphins it releases put me in the best mood.

Following my weight loss journey, my husband finally decided to join the diet bandwagon with his facebook “run for likes” campaign. The same husband who could not wake up for anything short of a fire, is now jumping out of bed at 6 AM to pound the pavement. His determination has inspired me to keep going, even as I get tired and lazy to go for my runs.

I am sharing my journey with you because I want all of you to know that it’s never too late to get healthy and fit. I’m a food blogger, no-one loves good food more than me. If I did it, you can to! Exercising has breathed new life into me. I used to feel tired and lethargic, unable to keep up with my kids. But now I’m full of energy and I feel so strong. It doesn’t matter how much you weigh, or what size you are, you can always bump up your fitness routine and get on track to a healthier you. With the New Year upon us, I’m renewing my commitment to stay healthy and not fall back into my old ways. It’s so easy to revert back to our bad habits, but I’m going to push myself to continue to stay healthy and strong, and I hope you will too!

BIB Power Breakfast

1 toasted Ezekiel English muffin
1/2 avocado, mashed
1 tsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
2 egg whites + 1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste
1 large spoonful cottage cheese

Method:

Mash avocado and season with salt and lemon. Whisk egg whites and egg and season with salt and pepper. Scramble over low heat to desired consistency. Spread avocado on both sides of the english muffin. Top with eggs. Finish with a spoonful of cottage cheese and some freshly ground pepper.

1 year ago: couscous with thyme & honey roasted carrots, parsnips and beets

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Loaded Baked Potato Omelette

Potatoes have got to be my all time favorite food. I’ll eat any type of spud, in just about any preparation. I can’t say the same about eggs though. I don’t especially love omelettes, (I prefer sunny side up) but because these have potatoes in them, I kind of forget about it. You can use any type of potatoes in these, or even some leftover french fries. Top it off with your favorite baked potato toppings like sour cream, salsa, chives or cheddar cheese for the authentic baked potato experience!

Loaded Baked Potato Omelette

1 russet potato
2 eggs
salt and pepper, to taste
toppings of choice (chives, sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese)

Method:

Heat up a frying pan with cooking spray. In the meantime, scrub the potato to remove dirt. Dry the potato and slice into rounds. Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Add the potatoes to the pan and cook until softened and browned. Flip the potatoes over and pour in the eggs. When eggs are browned and set, flip the omelette over and cook on the opposite side. Remove from pan and garnish with desired toppings.

1 year ago: strawberry rhubarb soup

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