Volume 9, Issue 66 - October 3, 2005

Hello Recipe Club,

Breakfast … we are told it is the most important meal of the day. But for many, breakfast means stumbling out the door with just a mug of coffee and a muffin. Although this might suffice once in awhile, more variety is necessary - to keep people both healthy and interested. The Culinary Institute of America has assembled more than 175 recipes that will ensure a nutritious, satisfying and delicious breakfast or brunch.

Whether you are looking for new or familiar breakfast and brunch recipes, you will find them all in THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA BREAKFASTS & BRUNCHES (Lebhar-Friedman; August 2005; $35.00/ Hardcover; ISBN: 0-86730-907-5). They have included everything from beverages, breads and pastries, to breakfast and brunch standards like pancakes, crêpes, waffles and eggs.

This week we will get a peak at 15 of these great recipes.

www.ciachef.edu The Culinary Institute of America, the world's premier culinary college, offers degree programs in culinary or baking and pastry arts.

Taco Salad

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
3 cups Taco Sauce, divided use (recipe follows)
1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or as needed
1 cup cooked or canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, cut into fine shreds
8 tortilla bowls (made from 10-inch flour tortillas)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onion
1 cup Salsa Fresca (recipe follows)
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
20 pitted black olives
1/2 cup sliced scallions, cut thin on the bias

Preparation:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it is fully cooked and no longer pink. Remove the meat from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain well in a colander or sieve. Transfer to a bowl and combine with about 2 cups of the taco sauce. The meat mixture should hold together and be moist. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm. Heat the beans over low heat or in the microwave and keep warm.

Place a layer of lettuce in the bottom of each tortilla bowl. Layer the beans, beef mixture, tomatoes, onions, salsa, sour cream, cheese and olives. Sprinkle with scallions and serve immediately.

Taco Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup minced onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ground dried chiles
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
pinch ground coriander
pinch ground cloves
1 1/2 cups tomato purée
2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

Preparation:

To make the taco sauce, heat the oil in a medium pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté stirring frequently until tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until aromatic, another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the dried spices and sauté for 1 minute. Add the tomato purée and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the broth and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is well flavored. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

If the sauce seems thin, add enough of the dissolved cornstarch to the simmering sauce to thicken (it should coat a spoon evenly). The taco sauce is ready to use now or it may be cooled and stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Return the sauce to a simmer if it has been refrigerated.

Salsa Fresca

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

1 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoons small-dice green bell pepper
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon chopped oregano
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, olive oil, garlic, cilantro and oregano. Add lime juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Let the salsa rest in a covered container in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours before serving.

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Banana Pancakes

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup mashed ripe bananas
cooking spray or vegetable oil to coat pan, as needed
powdered sugar for garnish
2 cups Blueberry Maple Syrup (recipe follows)
blueberries for garnish

Preparation:

Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, blend the buttermilk, eggs and butter. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir by hand just until the batter is evenly moistened. The batter is ready to use or may be stored covered and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Oil it lightly by brushing or spraying with cooking oil. Just before making the pancakes, fold the bananas into the batter. Drop the pancake batter into the hot pan by large spoonfuls, about 1/4 cup. Leave about 2 inches between the pancakes to allow them to spread and to make turning easier.

Cook on the first side until small bubbles appear on the upper surface of the pancake and the edges are set, about 2 minutes. Use an offset spatula or a palette knife to turn the pancakes and finish cooking on the second side, another 2 to 3 minutes. Adjust the temperature beneath the skillet or griddle to produce a good brown color.

Serve the pancakes at once dusted with powdered sugar and blueberry maple syrup. Garnish with blueberries.

Blueberry Maple Syrup

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup maple syrup

Preparation:

Combine the blueberries and lemon zest in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and simmer stirring occasionally, until most of the juice has been released and the mixture develops a sauce-like consistency, about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan, making sure to press all of the juice out of the blueberry mixture. Return the juice to a simmer and add the maple syrup. Simmer over low heat until the syrup is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

The syrup is ready to serve now, or it can be cooled and stored in a container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Reheat over low heat or in the microwave.

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Broiled Sirloin Steak with Sautéed Mushrooms

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced shallots
6 cups sliced white or exotic mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided use
1/2 cup dry white wine
8 sirloin steaks (about 5 ounces each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or as needed

Preparation:

Heat the butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they are translucent and soft, about 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the mushrooms. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Sauté until they develop a golden color, a rich aroma, and most of the liquid they release has cooked away, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Add the white wine, stirring to release the drippings in the pan. Simmer until the wine is reduced, about 3 minutes. Keep the mushrooms warm if you are broiling the steaks right away, or let them cool and keep refrigerated up to 2 days.

Preheat the broiler and the broiler pan.

Blot the steaks dry and season them with the remaining salt and pepper. Brush lightly with the oil.

Place the steaks on the broiler pan. Broil until browned on the first side, about 4 minutes. Turn the steaks and continue broiling to the desired doneness, about 5 more minutes for medium rare. Serve the steaks on a heated platter or plates topped with hot sautéed mushrooms.