Texas Tin Eggs
From the Allenspark Lodge, this is an easy but impressive breakfast for two.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons salsa
2 eggs
4 tablespoons shredded cheese
2 toasted
English muffins
2 slices Canadian bacon, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Coat large muffin tins with cooking spray. Place 1 tablespoon salsa in bottom of each tin. Crack an egg into tin, being careful not to break yolk.
Bake 12 minutes. When egg begins to turn white, top with 2 tablespoons shredded cheese and bake 3-4 minutes more.
Serve over toasted English muffin and Canadian bacon, if using.
Pecan Pie Mini Muffins
Juanita Martin of Allenspark Lodge says these lovable little sweets almost have the gooey texture of pecan pie. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen.
Ingredients
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup melted margarine or butter (she uses Country Crock)
1 cup chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, mix brown sugar, flour, eggs, margarine or butter and chopped pecans.
Spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Fill about 2/3 full with batter. Top with a pecan half.
Bake 15 minutes.
Blueberry Pot Pie
Bill Martin, owner of the Allenspark Lodge near Estes Park, says this is one of his favorites. His wife, Juanita, uses Country Crock margarine (she says it works better at her altitude, 8,500 feet) and Mexican vanilla, but you can use butter or other margarine, and any type of vanilla. Serves 8.
Ingredients
Filling:
1 1-pound bag frozen blueberries
3 tablespoons grape jelly
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes
Topping:
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (she uses Mexican)
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine blueberries, jelly, flour and sugar. Place in a buttered 8-inch round or square pan and scatter butter over top.
In a large bowl, mix margarine or butter, sugar, egg, vanilla and sour cream. Add flour, baking powder, soda, salt and pecans. Drop batter over blueberries and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake 45-55 minutes.
Chocolate Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
Chocolate + comfort food = romance with this rich recipe from Highland Haven. Serves 8-10.
Ingredients
1 loaf French bread
4 cups milk
2 tablespoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup chocolate pieces
Sauce: (optional)
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons whiskey
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Tear bread into 1-inch pieces. Place in large bowl, add milk and vanilla. Mix and cover to let stand at room temperature 1 hour.
Mix eggs, sugar and chocolate pieces together, add to milk and bread mixture and stir well.
Pour into buttered casserole dish and bake 1 hour.
Serve warm with whiskey butter sauce over top.
Kline Family Ham Balls
Highland Haven owner Gail Riley says these are a big man-pleaser. Make them the day before you plan to serve them. This recipe makes 36.
Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds ground lean pork
2 pounds ground cooked ham
1 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
4 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Sauce:
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons vinegar
1/2 cup water
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine meat, bread crumbs, eggs and seasonings. Shape or scoop into balls. Place in 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Combine sauce ingredients and pour over ham balls.
Bake 1 hour.
Heavenly Breakfast Trifle
This recipe from The Highland Haven Creekside Inn makes enough to serve about eight people, but you could cut it down and serve in parfait glasses for a romantic and healthy breakfast dish.
Ingredients
1 angel food cake, home-made or purchased, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 32-ounce container of vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 pint fresh strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 large banana, sliced
1 pint blueberries (or other berries)
1 cup granola of your choice (we make our own and add dried fruit)
Directions
In a glass bowl or parfait glass, layer half the angel food cake pieces. Spread half of the yogurt. Layer half of the fruit assortment. Layer half of the granola.
Repeat layering, reserving a few berries to garnish the top.
Salsa Roja
Briar Rose owner Gary Hardin suggests using canned tomatoes when you can’t get ripe, fresh tomatoes.
Ingredients
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with basil (or 6 sweet, ripe, medium red tomatoes)
8-12 red chiles, depending on how hot they are, and how hot you want the salsa
2 medium onions, chopped
Directions
If you are using fresh tomatoes, cut them in half and roast them under the broiler until they begin to turn black. Peel off the skins and chop them.
In a medium, covered saucepan, cook chiles in about an inch of water at a slow boil 1/2 hour, until soft, adding water as necessary so they don’t boil dry.
Cool chiles slightly, pull off the stems and, using a spoon or butter knife, remove as many seeds as you can easily get. In a blender or food processor, purée chiles in their cooking water.
Peel and chop the onions, and sauté in olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until they turn translucent. Combine all the ingredients in the pan and simmer for at least an hour; the longer the better.
Salsa Verde
This green sauce looks like pesto but has a brighter, more complex flavor. Gary Hardin of the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast in Boulder adapted this recipe from “The Savory Way” by Deborah Madison.
Ingredients
1 bunch Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, washed and stemmed (some stems are OK)
Juice of 1 lemon (the zest can be nice too)
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely chopped
1/3 cup walnuts
1-2 ounces capers, drained
1/3- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Roughly 10 basil leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
Pinch of dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Blend all ingredients in a food processor until just blended. A slightly coarse texture is nice. Add olive oil as needed to get the desired texture – thick, but not chunky.
Southwestern Corn Soufflé
Gary Hardin of the Briar Rose Bed and Breakfast in Boulder makes this in a big pan. You could cut it down and make it in ramekins for two or four. This recipe serves 10-12.
Ingredients
1-2 onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced (optional)
1-2 large red bell peppers, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 eggs
1/4 cup cup half-and-half
8 ounces ricotta
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1/2 bunch spinach, washed and chopped
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large frying pan, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium-high heat until they become translucent and begin to brown. Add peppers, cooking until they just begin to blacken. Remove from heat.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with half-and-half. Combine all ingredients with eggs and pour into buttered 9-by-13-inch pan.
Cover with foil and bake 1 hour.
Remove foil and bake until done (about 15 minutes). Serve with Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde.
Capitol Hill Blueberry Scones
From Capitol Hill Mansion Bed and Breakfast, makes 8-12 scones.
Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pint whipping cream (heavy cream)
2-4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel
1/2 pint blueberries
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Blend in whipping cream and 2-4 tablespoons water just until moistened. Add lemon peel and blueberries. Knead on a floured surface 5-6 times. Place dough on a cookie sheet, pat into an 8-inch circle and cut in 8-12 triangles. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake 24 minutes.
Smoked Jalapeño Cheddar Egg Soufflé
From Capitol Hill Mansion Bed and Breakfast, this recipe will feed a crowd, but you can easily decrease the proportions.
Ingredients
8-10 slices jalapeño cheddar focaccia bread, cubed
8-9 green onions, chopped
2 jalapeños, chopped
12 ounces or 1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese or smoked jalapeño Edam
12 large eggs
2 1/4 cups cup milk or half-and-half
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon onion salt or onion powder
Chopped cilantro
Smoked Spanish sweet paprika or Hungarian sweet paprika
Directions
Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
Coat six 8- to 10-ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Divide bread cubes, green onions, jalapeños and cheese among ramekins.
Mix eggs, milk, salt, pepper, onion salt or powder and cilantro. Pour into ramekin dishes. Sprinkle with sweet paprika and more cheese. Bake in oven 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden brown, center should be set but slightly wobbly.
