Classic Waffles

A lovely, crispy waffle perfect for the morning.

The Recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.

2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.

3. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

To Die For Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are extra large and yummy with the sugary-cinnamon crumb topping. I usually double the recipe and fill the muffin cups just to the top edge for a wonderful extra-generously-sized deli style muffin. Add extra blueberries too, if you want!

The Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Breakfast Burritos

Breakfast Burritos are easy and cheap to make for your whole family. They're great for weekend morning, or for wrapping to go as everyone is rushing out the door on school days.

The Recipe:

Hands-On Time: 15 min.
Ready In: 15 min.
Yield: 5 servings.

Ingredients

• 1 pound sausages
• 6 eggs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 5 medium size flour tortillas (or you could use plain chapatti's if you like)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salsa or hot sauce on the side to taste.

Directions:

1. Crumble sausage in a large non-stick frying pan on medium-high until brown (about 10 minutes). Then drain meat in a colander or on a few paper towels.

2. A few minutes before the sausage is done, break the eggs into a separate buttered frying pan and scramble until cooked through.

3. Soften the tortillas by wrapping them between two dry paper towels and microwaving them for 15 seconds.

4. Assemble each burrito by laying a tortilla on a plate, and adding equal portions sausage and egg (about 1/3 cup of each) in a line down the center, up to about two inches from the edge. Sprinkle cheese over the top. Wrap the edge you left over the fillings, then fold the adjoining two sides, leaving the front open.

Fluffy Pancakes

I am complete sucker for pancakes. If I could, I would make pancakes everyday. They honestly make my day if I have them in the morning. Now, I'm going to share that happiness with you :)

Fluffy Pancake Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• cooking spray

Directions:

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

I hope you enjoyed making these and I hope it made your day :)

Baked Brunch Eggs

Oh my. Ramazan has been here and gone.
Now, I'm sure we've all returned to our routine of having breakfast in the morning, which is wonderful. But come on, don't eat the regular over-easy eggs, toasted bread and some sausages. Spice your breakfast up a bit. In the next week, you will see very scrumptious breakfast dishes that you must try.

The Recipe to Baked Brunch Eggs:

Hands-On time: 15 min.
Ready in: 1 hr.
Yield: 8 - 10.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups grated cheese,, divided
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 8 ounces cooked ham, slivered
• 8 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsely
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Directions:

1.Melt butter in a large skillet. Sauté onions and bell pepper with the mushrooms until veggies are tender and the liquid given off by the mushrooms has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Set aside and cool.

2.  Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Fill with half the grated cheese. Top with sautéed and ham, then sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

3.  In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from fridge and uncover. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs together with the flour, salt and pepper. Add the chives and parsley and mix well. Pour egg mixture over the cheese layers making spaces with a fork so the egg can settle to the bottom of the dish.

4. Bake for 45 minutes or until puffed and golden and set in the middle.

And there we go. For those of you who like to cook and try new recipes, trust me, this week will be filled with things for you to try out on weekend mornings and holidays. Every day, a different dish. Now breakfast can be fun.

Blueberry Lemonade

  In the Maldives, it's normally sunny and hot. Sometimes, your mouth dries up and you just wish you had a cool drink in your hand but your sick of just drinking Iced Tea or plain ol' lemonade. So mix it up a bit.
  Try Blueberry Lemonade. It's different and you can make it by yourself, anytime you want.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 to 1 cup lemon juice, depending on tastes
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• water

How to make it: 

1. Combine 1 cup water, sugar and blueberries in a small saucepan. 
2. Simmer over low heat, stirring often until the sugar has dissolved and the blueberries are soft and they leach color. 
3. Strain the blueberries and wait for the sugar/water/blueberry mixture to cool.
4. Combine lemon juice with the mixture and add enough water to make 2 quarts of lemonade. 
5. Serve with extra cup of blueberries for garnish. 

  And there we go. Now, you can sit outside in your balcony, on the terrace or by the window, fan at your side and the beat the heat with a cool and fun drink. 

4 Secrets To The Best Homemade Ice-cream (Without All The Heavy Cream)

These are some tips that help you make yoour ice cream without messing it up with alll those calories.
1. Use gelatin: If you want your lighter ice cream to mimic premium ice cream, you need a rich, soft mouthfeel that doesn't come from heavy cream. That's where the gelatin comes in. It's a flavorless, tasteless ingredient that adds a silky texture without adding fat and calories, and it helps prevent large ice crystals from forming--a common problem when you're trying to make light ice cream
2. Buy an ice cream maker: If only it were as easy as throwing the ingredients into the freezer and walking away! Lighter ice cream or not, you need an ice cream maker to make ice cream. The mechanical motion helps keep the freezing even and the texture smooth, not icy. They range in price from around $30 right on up to over $250. Follow the instructions that come with your maker for the best results.
 3. Use sweetened condensed milk: Texture is the most important thing when it comes to enjoying lighter ice cream. Because it is lower in fat, it can be a little thin and icy. Another helper in this department is nonfat or low-fat sweetened condensed milk. It adds sweetness, but also a richer flavor and texture that you wouldn't get by just adding sugar or another sweetener on its own.
4. Boost flavor with buttermilk: Want to give your lighter ice cream a flavor boost? Try making it with buttermilk. Naturally low in fat, it behaves like milk, but tastes like yogurt. Substitute buttermilk for milk in any recipe that could use some extra tang.