0 BREAKFAST FAVORITES BY MARLA FROM "FAMILY FRESH COOKING"

A few weeks ago, I put together a recipe roundup focusing on my favorite Valentine's Day Desserts for my dear friend Marla. It was a real honor for me to be featured on Family Fresh Cooking as I have been reading her lovely blog since 2010 and was lucky to witness how this dazzling woman has developped her cooking, baking, writing and photography skills over the years.

As I had so much fun and pleasure composing my article for Marla, I thought that it would be a great idea to ask her if she wished to return the favor. Thankfully, she didn't refuse my offer and graciously accepted my proposition with much enthusiasm. Her positive response to my request made me extremely happy.

You see, Marla is a talented, optimistic and kind person who is very influential. I respect and admire what she does. Every time I visit her refreshing and unique blog, I take a virtual vacation and feel highly inspired. Her healthy, yet indulgent, original and tempting recipes never fail to make me hungry and her brilliantly radiant pictures (dishes, landscapes as well as sweet family portraits) always make me dream, bring a smile to my face and delight me to the highest point.

For those of you who still don't know who this perky lady is, well let me introduce her shortly.

Marla is a sporty (she skis, surfs & is active at all times and all seasons), energetic, bubbly and proud mother of two (a cute girl and an adorable boy) who lives in Southern California  (Orange County) and feeds an undying love for Telluride in Colarado, travelling, work, anything artistic as well as for quality food. Being fit and on the move is very important for her, so everything she cooks has to have a positive impact on her well-being. Mindful living is her mantra in everything she does and her mission is to inspire a lifestyle through her site.

Even if we don't live on the same continent and have very differents lives, we both have a lot in common. Not only does our mutual enthusiasm for everything related to food, photography and blogging unite us, but also other subjects make us connect. As a matter of fact, we both share an undying love for the nature and especially alpine regions. She happens to be enamoured by a mountainous state I dream of visiting and I reside in a country she is passionate about!

So, today, I am extremely thrilled and grateful to host her fantastic work on Rosa's Yummy Yums. I hope you'll enjoy Marla's marvelous shots and breakfast treats as much as I do...

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Hi there! My name is Marla Meridith and I am the content creator, recipe developer and photographer behind the blog Family Fresh Cooking. I launched my blog back in June 2009. One of the first wonderful people to welcome me to the ever-growing food blogger community was Miss Rosa. I am honored and thrilled to be guest posting here today. Rosa has been an inspiration to me as soon as I stumbled on her stunning site. I am a creative person who loves great food and amazing photography. Rosa offers all of that and more. I try to emulate the same practices on my blog. Sharing a thoughtful, open and honest voice is also very important ~ yet another reason why we hit it off so well.

Another interest we share is a love for travel and the mountain lifestyle. She lives in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Switzerland is first on my bucket list for travel. Although I live at sea level in Orange County (the OC) California, my heart is in the San Juan Mountains ~ in Telluride, Colorado. We spend a good part of the winter and summer there and I jet back as often as possible. My favorite film festival MountainFilm is held every May. Although I just got back from skiing T-Ride a few days ago I am all ready obsessed with the idea of my next visit. I embrace places with awesome people, a sense of history, breathtaking landscapes and of course great food!

Currently I am working on a press trip to Rosa's beautiful country for late June-early July. I will be in the St. Moritz region. Any advice and tips you have for me would be so appreciated, feel free to Email or Facebook me your thoughts on the area. I will take a train from Zurich to St. Moritz and stay at a lovely resort. I will rely on public transportation to bring me and my camera gear around to photograph all the beauty. My goal is to keep it simple, stay near St. Moritz and take day trips to photograph the countryside and small surrounding towns. Currently I know nothing about the region ~ other than the fact that it is beautiful!

Let's talk about food, shall we?

The focus of my recipes is on energetic, whole foods that taste great and keep you going throughout the day. I believe in homemade lunch box meals no matter what your age if you spend lots of time away from the home. Real food tastes great and makes us feel our best. Treats and desserts are super fun too ~ for those I rely on Rosa. She is the queen of gorgeous, internationally inspired decadence. As a matter of fact, she shared some of her beautiful desserts on my blog to honor Valentine's Day earlier this month.

Since breakfast thrills me more than any other meal of the day, I have decided to share with you some of our favorites. The thought of an awesome home made breakfast has me dashing out of bed each day by 4am. A large pot of coffee helps to....

Let's start with my Blueberry Coconut Baked Steel Cut Oatmeal. Not only do we love this because of it's vibrant purple color, but the flavor of sweet blueberries with creamy coconut is heavenly!

If you like to sip your meals in the form of a gourmet frozen shake then you will enjoy my latest Creamy Roasted Carrot Coconut Shake. This is kind of like carrot cake in a frosty glass. Do be sure to roast your carrots first as this is what will add all of that great flavor to your creamy, dreamy shake.

You might notice a theme in my breakfasts...most include form of coconut and lots of nuts. I am nuts for nuts, and they always need to be toasted to bring out their fullest flavor.

Have a heart & cut your toast into heart shapes with a big cookie cutter. This is my sweet twist on scrambled eggs: Sweet Coconut Scrambled Eggs on Toast.

If you are more in the mood for a savory breakfast, frittatas are another great option. Here is my Baby Peas and Cheese Frittata. I use a combination of my favorite cheeses in this recipe. Feel free to use your favorites too no matter what the combination. Cheese rules and that is all there is to it.

Now back to some sweetness....Do you ever have sweet potatoes for breakfast? We sure do in my Quinoa Sweet Potato Breakfast Bake. I love that sweet potatoes are such a healthy food that taste great both sweet or savory. My Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Bacon are a great option for party appetizers or to much with a hearty green salad.

No matter what the season pumpkin is always a favorite. I stock up on cans of pumpkin purée in the winter months so I can enjoy it throughout the year. My Pumpkin Pie Tart has a gluten free & vegan almond meal crust. It takes hardly any time at all to bake up, it's the quickest way I have found to make a pumpkin pie from scratch.

Yes, we do enjoy this tart-pie for breakfast, snacks and desserts. It is super healthy & of course delicious!

If you want a quick handheld breakfast then how about Chai Carrot Pear Muffins? Another gluten free and vegan recipe. For the record in our house we are not gluten free or vegan, but I love experimenting and providing recipes for all different lifestyle choices.

This was based off my recipe for Chai Pear Carrot Sauce. Serve this fruity spiced sauce with yogurt for creamy parfaits....

Last, but certainly not least feel free to indulge in my Gluten Free Harvest Fruit Crumble. Embrace the flavors of the season with fresh fruit topped with almond meal, old fashioned rolled oats and sunflower seeds. Feel free to use the freshest seasonal fruits.

Thanks for having me over for a visit & I hope to connect with you over on my blog too!

Visit me at Family Fresh Cooking and I am all over the web: on Pinterest, Twitter,  Facebook, StumbleUpon & Instagram.

 All of the images in this post are ©Marla Meridith Photography.
 

0 CARDAMOM CRUMB CAKE

During the weekend, I'm always looking for easy to make, yet highly pleasurable treats that we'll be able to savor in front of our favorite series...

While going through my much-loved copy of Dorie Greenspan's "Baking Fom My Home To Yours", a streusel-topped cake attracted my attention with it's interesting combination of flavors and moist texture. It looked and sounded so good. I knew that I had to try it!

Although, at first glance, this crumb-topped coffee cake looks somehow plain, I wasn't at all disappointed as it is really not just an ordinary baked good. From afar, it looks just like any other cake and seems not to be too special, but once you take a bite from it, you immediately realise that it is unique and soul-upliftingly divine.

Dorie Greenspan's "Cardamom Crumb Cake" is heavenly. The unusual combination of cardamom, coffee, walnuts, vanilla and orange zest is just mindblowingly fantastic, and it's smooth as well as moist inside pairs perfectly well with the generous layer of cardamom-spiced, walnut-dotted crunchy topping.

A delicious cake for all occasions!

~ Cardamom Crumb Cake ~
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From My Home To Yours" and adapted by Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

Makes one cake or 8 servings.

Ingredients for the "Crumbs":
1/2 Cup (64g) All purpose flour
1/2 Cup (60g) Coarsely chopped walnuts
1/3 Cup (70g) Castor sugar
1 Tbs Grated orange zest
1/2 Tsp Instant espresso powder
1/2 Tsp Ground cardamom
1/2 Stick (4 tbsp/60g) Unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces, at room temperature
Ingredients for the "Cake":
2 Cups (255g) All purpose flour
2 Tsps Baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 1/4 Tsps Ground cardamom
1 Tsp Instant espresso powder
2/3 Cup (140g) Castor sugar
2 Tbs Finely grated orange zest
1 Stick (8 tbsp/120g) Unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 Large Eggs (~63g)
1/2 Cup (120g/ml) Whole milk
1/2 Cup (120g/ml) Strong coffee, cooled
1 1/2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract or paste

Method for the "Crumbs":
1. Put all the ingredients except the butter in a bowl and toss them together with a spatula just to blend.
2. Add the butter and, using your fingers or the spatula, mix everything together until you have crumbs of different sizes.
3. Set the crumbs aside.
Method for the "Cake":
4. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 200° C (400° F).
5. Butter an 20x20cm (8 inch square) pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet.
6. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, and espresso powder in a large bowl.
7. Turn the dry ingredients out onto a sheet of wax paper and put the sugar and zest in the bowl. Rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and the fragrance of orange strong, then return the dry ingredients to the bowl and whisk to blend.
8. Put the remaining ingredients in another bowl and whisk them to blend.
9. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and stir - don't beat - to mix.
10. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and top with a thick, even layer of the crumbs. 11. Pat the crumbs ever so gently into the batter.
12. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake has risen (it will crown), the crumbs are golden and a thin knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
13. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Remarks:
Why not replace the walnuts by pecans?
When mixing the butter with the dry crumb ingredients, remember that it's nice to have a few big pieces, so don't overdo it.
The crumbs can be made up to 3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.
When mixing the wet ingrdients with the dry ones, stir only until you've got an evenly moistened batter.
Cut the cake in the pan, otherwise, if you transfer it to a serving plate, you'll lose some of the crumbs when you turn it over.
This cake is best served on the day it is made, but it can be airtight wrapped and frozen up to 2 months (once it defrosts, it benefits from a quick warm-up in a 180° C/350° F oven).

Serving suggestions:
Serve warm or at room temperature for breakfast, lunch, brunch or dessert. You can even drizzle some flavored (cardamom, coffee or vanilla) glazing over the cake.

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~ Cake A La Cardamome~
Recette tirée du livre de Dorie Greenspan's "Baking From My Home To Yours" et adaptée par Rosa @ Rosa's Yummy Yums.

pour 1 cake ou 8 parts.

Ingrédients pour le "Streusel":
1/2 Tasse (60g) de Farine blanche/fleur
1/2 Tasse (60g) de Noix de Grenoble grossièrement hachées
1/3 de Tasse (70g) de Sucre cristallisé
1 CC de Zeste d'orange
1/2 CC de Poudre à café (espresso) soluble
1/2 CC de Cardamome en poudre
60g de Beurre non-salé, coupé en 8 morceaux, à température ambiante
Ingrédients pour le "Cake":
2 Tasses (255g) de Farine blanche/fleur
2 CC de Poudre à gâteau/lever
1/2 CC de Sel
1 1/4 de CC de Cardamome en poudre
1 CC de Poudre à café (espresso) soluble
2/3 de Tasse (140g) de Sucre cristallisé
2 CS de Zeste d'orange
120g Beurre non-salé, fondu et à température ambiante
2 Gros oeufs (~63g)
1/2 Tasse (120g/ml) de Lait entier
1/2 Tasse (120g/ml)de Café fort, à température ambiante
1 1/2 CC d'Extrait ou de pâte de vanille pure

Méthode pour le "Streusel":
1. Mettre tous les ingrédients sauf le beurre dans un bol et bien mélanger.
2. Ajouter le beurre et, en utilisant les doigts, bien incorporer le beurre afin d'obtenir une texture grossière s'apparentant à du sable grossier (grains de différentes tailles).
3. Mettre ce mélange de côté.

Méthode pour le "Cake":
4. Mettre une grille au centre du four et préchauffer à 200° C (400° F).
5. Beurrer un moule carré de 20x20cm et le saupoudrer de farine, puis enlever l'excédent en tapant sur le dos moule.
6. dans un grand bol, mélanger ensemble la farine, la poudre à lever, le sel, la cardamome et la poudre de café soluble.
7. Mettre le sucre et le zeste d'orange dans un petit bol et les frotter ensemble avec les doigts afin que les zestes libèrent toutes leur saveur, puis transférer ce mélange dans le grand bol et bien mélanger.
8. Mettre tous les ingrédients restants dans un bol moyen et battre légèrement afin d'obtenir un mélange homogène.
9. Verser le mélange liquide sur le mélange sec et incorporer délicatement (sans battre ni trop mélanger) afin d'obtenir une pâte.
10. Verser la pâte dans le moule et saupoudrer avec le "streusel".
11. Appuyer légèrement sur le "streusel" afin qu'il adhère/colle bien à la pâte.
12. Cuire pendant 30-35 minutes, ou jusqu'à ce que la lame d'en couteau inséré dans le cake en ressorte propre.
13. Mettre sur une grille et laisser le cake refroidir.

Remarques:
Pourquoi ne pas remplacer les noix de Grenoble par des noix de pécan?
Quand vous incorporez le beurre au mélange sec pour le streusel, faites-le tout en faisant un sorte que le streusel soit pas trop fin.
Le streusel peut être fait 3 jours à l'avance et conservé au frigo dans un récipient bien étanche.
Quand vous incorporez les ingrédients mouillés aux ingrédients secs, ne mélangez pas trop - juste suffisamment afin que ça forme une pâte.
Coupez ce cake dans le moule. Si vous le transférez, vous risquez de perdre une grande quantité de streusel au cours de l'opération.
Ce cake est meilleur lorsqu'il est mangé le même jour. Par contre, il peur être bien emballé et congelé (pas plus de deux mois et, une fois, dégelé, passé au four à 180° C).

Idées de présentation:
Servir ce cake tiède ou à température ambiante, pour le petit-déjeuner, le brunch, le slunch, les quatre heures ou pour le dessert.
Vous pouvez même le servir avec un glaçage (qui fera office de sauce) à la cardamome, au café ou à la vanille.