You have probably noticed that most of life is a rush, Fellow FoodBeest. Deadlines. Commitments. Meetings. Workouts. Classes. Emails, texts and phone messages to answer. Documents to read. Recordings to hear.

I’m not complaining. These are the times I live in. Choose it or get stuck with it. This is the life I chose. It’s just I sometimes miss the luxury of leisurely everyday meals when everyone sits together and talks to each other. As my friend, Joyce said this week, “Less electronics! More being here.”

I’ll tell you a secret: if you cook it, they will come. And Sunday morning may be your moment.

Here are two choices for really wonderful Sunday breakfasts. There are many more, but I just tried these and adapted the recipe from two other food bloggers who do good food (Baking Bites for the pancakes and Emily Bites for the oatmeal).

Fluffy Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes

These are crispy on the outside and light on the inside and sparkle with the addition of blueberries. And they fill the kitchen with the smell of Sunday morning.

What You Need to Make Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
1 C all purpose flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
4 large eggs, separated
1 T butter, melted and cooled
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 C ricotta cheese [I used fat-free and I didn't regret it]
3/4 C milk [1% here, but you could use anything from whole to fat-free]
1 T sugar
¾ C fresh blueberries
[Blueberries are in season and I used fresh, but frozen would also work]

How to Make Blueberry Ricotta Pancakes
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
[Shortcut Alert – you can use a cup of good pancake mix for this step. If you do, I like Krusteaz]

In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, melted butter, vanilla extract, ricotta cheese and milk until smooth. Pour in flour mixture and whisk until just combined and no streaks of dry ingredients remain.

In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, beating in the sugar as the egg whites become foamy. Fold into ricotta mixture.

Heat a griddle or skillet (nonstick or lightly greased) over medium-high heat until a drop of water placed on the surface skitters around (if it evaporates instantly, reduce heat slightly).

Use your ¼-cup measure to drop batter on griddle and cook until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Serve immediately, with butter and maple syrup.

Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of those great foods. It’s hearty and filling. It’s proven to be “good for you.” And this recipe is sweet and hot and crunchy and chewy and filling and worthy of a slow Sunday morning.

This recipe claims to serve 9. I made one-third of it for the two of us. And it was a lot of food. Instead of baking it in a casserole dish, I used two small ramekins, like the kind you might bake an individual soufflé in.

What You Need to Make Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal
3 cups old-fashioned oats
[Rolled oats are best. I used steel-cut oats which gave the dish a different texture.]
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
1¼ C skim milk
1/4 C unsweetened applesauce
1 t vanilla extract
1 peach
[If peaches are out of season, you can use a small (15 oz) can of sliced peaches in water, drained and chopped. If you’re being careful about calories or points, you might be able to find them sweetened with Splenda]
1 C fresh or frozen blueberries [I used fresh]
1/3 C chopped pecans [I used some spiced pecans from Trader Joe’s that gave the oatmeal an additional punch]

How to Make Baked Blueberry and Peach Oatmeal
Preheat the oven to 350.

Bring a small pot of water (enough to cover the peach) to a boil. Drop in the peach for about 30 seconds. Remove, cool under cold running water. Use a sharp knife to score through just the skin and slip the skin right off the peach Cut into bite-sized pieces.

If you are using steel cut oats, I recommend that you start this the night before to give the oats time to absorb the liquid.

Combine oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg whites, egg, applesauce, milk and vanilla. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until blended together. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes (if you are using steel-cut oats, let it sit to absorb the liquid overnight — or at least an hour). Mix in the blueberries and peaches.

Spray a 7” x 11” baking dish with cooking spray and pour the oatmeal mixture into the dish, spreading it evenly. Sprinkle pecans on top. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

 

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