Chocolate Pecan Bread

This last week I saw a Nutella breakfast bread on Pinterest that got my mouth watering. I don't mind Nutella, but when I started thinking about making this, I thought 'how delicious would this be if I used dark chocolate instead'? Then it would be more like pain au chocolat, right? Right. It was a good decision.

12 Rhoades frozen dinner rolls
5 oz. (1/2 a bag) of dark chocolate chips (I recommend the Ghiradelli 60% cacao chips)
1 (2.25 oz.) bag of chopped pecans
2 Tbsp. melted butter
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
Flour for dusting
1 Egg
Water

First off, this is an overnight recipe. Plan ahead. Assuming you'll be making this for breakfast, spray a large bowl with non-stick cooking spray and place the 12 frozen rolls inside. Cover with plastic wrap and a dish towel and let sit out overnight.

Once you've gotten your beauty rest, remove the cover from the dinner rolls and preheat the oven to 375 degrees. The dough should be really puffy and sticking together. Sprinkle some flour on a flat working surface and dump the clump of dough out. Roll out with a rolling pin to make a rectangle (roughly 9"x13").

In a small bowl, mix the butter and brown sugar together to form a paste. Spread the paste on the rolled out dough and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and pecans. Cut the dough in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter to create two sections. Starting on the long edge of the dough, begin rolling towards the center to form a tight log. Do this for both pieces of dough and then life the logs onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Twist the dough logs around each other and tuck the ends in. I made mine into an "S" shape. Cut slits in the dough to expose some of the filling. I like it when bits ooze out while it bakes. Cover, and let rest of an hour. The dough should puff back up slightly. Whisk together the egg and a little water and brush the dough with the mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes.

Here's a replay in photos:

The night before, place the frozen dough in a grease bowl. Cover and sit overnight.

The next morning the dough should look like this.

Roll out on a floured surface.

Spread with the butter and sugar paste.

Sprinkle on the toppings. Don't go overboard. Nor possible you say? Yeah, I know, but trust me on this.

Slice lengthwise into two pieces and start rolling.

The two logs.

Move to the cookie sheet and twist together tucking the ends in. Cut slits in the dough if you like.

Cover and let rest for an hour.

After a rest...

Voila! Golden deliciousness out of the oven.

Quiche

I can't believe I'm making this post. This recipe has been a personal favorite of mine for years, and I wanted to keep the fame to myself by never sharing. But it's too easy and delicious.

World, you are welcome.

One of my all-time favorite cookbooks holds this beloved recipe. It's the most unusual cookbook but has some of the most amazing recipes I've ever tried. It's called The Best of France by Evie Righter. I'd highly recommend her other book The Best of Italy too. If you've ever wanted to try any of the classics, these are the recipes to start with...French Onion Soup, Creme Brulee, Meatballs, Alfredo sauce, etc.

So here it is. You can switch up the ingredients any way you like. Today I used ham, onion, spinach, and cheddar cheese. Try using bacon, leeks, tomatoes, Gruyere, Parmesan, fontina...the possibilities are endless. My favorite part about this recipe is that its egg-hater friendly. As much as I detest eggs, there are only 3 in the entire dish, and the texture is perfect. Word of advice, you may want to make two...

1 recipe pastry dough (store bought refrigerated or frozen in a tin are perfect)
3 eggs
1 C. milk
1/2 C. heavy cream
2-3 tsp. Dijon mustard
Freshly grated nutmeg (vital!!!)
Salt and Pepper

For the filling:
1 C. diced ham
1/2 C. thawed frozen spinach, drained and squeezed dry
1/3 C. minced onion

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and prepare the pastry dough by pressing into a pie pan and pricking with a fork to help vent (if using the frozen shells already in the pan, no extra steps needed!). Bake the crust for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, cream, mustard, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Sprinkle the toppings into the cooled pastry shell and pour the egg mixture over the toppings just up to the rim of the crust.

Place pie dish on a baking sheet and bake 30-45 minutes until the quiche starts to puff and brown. I like to cook the quiche well so that the middle no longer jiggles. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Lemon Pancakes

Lemon. Pancakes. Pancakes so good syrup isn't needed.

After numerous local write-ups and reviews, I finally had a taste of Hell's Kitchen's Lemon Ricotta Hotcakes. I now know what all the fuss is about. However, I ordered Heuvos Rancheros instead of the hotcakes, so I was left with just a taste from a friends plate. This morning I couldn't help but think about this delicious dish and how I could re-create it...and with a healthy twist.

My attempt was a success and I needed to share the recipe with you. One batch makes roughly 6 pancakes, or 3 servings (2 if you've got an appetite). Total caloric damage? Only 365 calories. Add a few strawberries and round it up to 400. Not bad for a weekend indulgence!

Lemon Pancakes
Adapted from the "Joy of Cooking"

3/4 C. AP Flour (I used GF Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed (mmm good ole fiber -- you can sub flour if you don't have flaxseed)
1/3 C. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
3/4 C. Greek yogurt
1/3 C. milk (I used Almond milk)
1 egg
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Zest of one large lemon
1/4 C. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon extract

Mix your dry ingredients with a whisk: flour, flaxseed, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl combine the remaining wet ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture until well mixed (no lumps with this recipe).

Scoop into 1/2 cup dollops and cook on a medium heat griddle or frying pan. Serve with diced strawberries and powdered sugar. If you must, use real maple syrup.

Breakfast Burritos

I'm not much of a breakfast person, but every once in I get on a kick where it's all I crave. Lately, I'd say it's any sort of breakfast scramble or mexican inspired dish. And the more vegetables you can sneak in there, the better I feel about skipping my usual cereal and coffee routine.

This recipe was inspired by my recent trip to French Meadow Cafe, a local restaurant that specializes in local and organic food here in Minneapolis.

If you like crisp hashbrowns and Mexican spices, I think you'll really enjoy this one. It got 2 thumbs up from my college roommates this weekend!

Canola or Safflower oil
1 (20 oz.) pkg. Simply Potatoes O'Brien has browns
8 eggs, beaten and set aside
1 can spicy black beans
1 1/2 - 2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
4-6 large flour tortillas
2-3 thinly sliced green onions
1/2 C. sour cream
2 canned chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce, finely minced
Salsa
Salt and pepper

Combine the sour cream and chipotle peppers in a small bowl Set aside until ready to serve.

In a large non-stick skillet, heat a good 2-3 tablespoons of the oil and add the hashbrowns. Cook over medium-high heat adding more oil to increase crispiness (if desired) until fully cooked. Set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the eggs. Stir/scramble the eggs until almost cooked through. Add back the potatoes, and then the beans, cheese, and salt and pepper. Stir until the eggs are fully cooked and cheese is melted.

To assemble the burrito, scoop a healthy portion of the egg and potato mixture onto a tortilla. Then either add the green onions, chipotle sour cream, and salsa to the inside before folding or add to the top of the burriton once rolled up.