Go outdoors for breakfast
I am not a breakfast person. I usually tide myself over with a
cup of yogurt for the first few hours of the day. On family
vacations when the rest of the family is ordering breakfast
croissants at a fast food place on the road, I’ll order a burger
and fries. I just don’t really care much for toast, eggs and
breakfast meats, even when my mom gets up early on a Sunday morning
to cook a full meal.
Go outdoors for breakfast
I am not a breakfast person. I usually tide myself over with a cup of yogurt for the first few hours of the day. On family vacations when the rest of the family is ordering breakfast croissants at a fast food place on the road, I’ll order a burger and fries. I just don’t really care much for toast, eggs and breakfast meats, even when my mom gets up early on a Sunday morning to cook a full meal.
There is, however, one thing that can change my tune about breakfast and that is OD’s restaurant in Gilroy. If anyone suggests eating breakfast out, I am the first one to say, ‘Let’s go to OD’s.’ The reason the little hole in the wall eatery has won me over is the home fries. I’ve tried to recreate them at home and have come up with a few good options, courtesy of Rachael Ray’s Cowboy Hash and other recipes, but nothing beats OD’s crispy potato chunks. And I think I figured out why when I came across a recipe for home fries on the grill. Bobby Flay’s recipe calls for a cast iron skillet and I’ve been trying to cook my home fries in non-stick anodized pans. They lack the flavor that comes with a well-seasoned cast iron one.
So armed with one breakfast recipe, I thought I would tackle breakfast on the grill. One of the easiest breakfast items we cooked when I was a kid on camping trips was French toast. It cooks up quickly and keeping the heat at the right temperature isn’t crucial for this meal. The possibilities are almost limitless when it comes to different options with the bread, the batter and the topping.
As kids, our favorite French toast was made with raisin bread and dipped in an egg-milk mixture sprinkled with cinnamon. But over the weekend I decided to try a little more upscale breakfast toast with a few changes. Sandra Lee, of Food Network, has a Grand Marnier French toast topped with strawberries and whipped cream. We swapped the Grand Marnier for orange extract – which was about $20 cheaper a bottle – and used sourdough French bread as the base for our dish. The result is a dish that can be cooked outdoors over coals or just as easily as on an indoor grill or griddle.
And of course, no breakfast is complete without hot chocolate. Enjoy.
Hershey’s syrup hot chocolate
Heat 3 c. milk over medium low heat in a medium saucepan. Do not boil.
Add Hershey’s chocolate syrup to desired sweetness.
Ladle into coffee mugs and top with whipped cream.
Recipes below courtesy of Foodnetwork.com
Grand Marnier French toast with strawberries
16 oz. frozen strawberries, thawed
1/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marinier)*
For French Toast:
3 eggs
1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)*, optional
2 tbsp. sugar
6 thick slices bread, cut in 1/2 diagonally
Whipped topping
In a large bowl, combine strawberries, sugar, and liqueur. Let stand one hour, stirring occasionally.
Set up grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Oil grate when ready to start cooking.
In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, liqueur, and sugar. Coat each slice of bread on both sides with egg mixture. Place coated bread slices on hot oiled grill. Cook for 3 to 4 min. per side.
To serve, place one piece of French toast on plate. Top with strawberries and whipped topping. Add another slice of French toast and repeat.
To prepare indoors: Prepare bread slices as directed. Melt 2 to 3 tbsp. of butter on a hot griddle (over medium-high heat). Cook prepared bread slices until golden brown on both sides. Serve as directed.
* Orange extract can be substituted for orange liqueur.
Cast iron home fries
2 lb. new red potatoes, cooked until tender and halved
1 Spanish onion, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 jalapeno chiles
Vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. butter
Heat grill to high. Brush potatoes halves, onion slices, peppers, and chiles with oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Grill potatoes and onions for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until just cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from heat, cut each potato half in half again, and finely chop the onions.
Grill peppers and chiles until charred on all sides. Remove from the grill, place in a bowl, cover, and let steam for five minutes. Remove skin and finely dice.
Melt butter in a 9-inch cast iron skillet on the grates of the grill. Add the potatoes, onions, peppers, and chiles all in one layer and pack down. Cook until crisp and nicely browned.
