Azoresgal~Life on an Island

   I hope that you and your loved ones are having a wonderful holiday season! Just wanted to share these  scrumptious waffles with you, they are lovely! They remind me of yummy gingerbread cookies,I love them for the holidays.  I think they make breakfast extra special, without  being complicated to make, because we all know I like things easy around here! ‘Tis the season for hanging out in your pyjamas all day and being lazy, am I right?  So please make these, grab a cup of coffee, pour some mimosas and enjoy some gingerbread waffles together! INGREDIENTS 1 1/3 cups milk, warmed to room temperature 3 tablespoons melted butter 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1 large egg 1 3/4 cups (290g) all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon ground ginger 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Melted butter or cooking spray for coating...

Why make English muffins... well  I say why not? They are easier to make than you’d think and you only need  a few basic ingredients and a griddle. Fluffy on the inside, a super crunchy crust, and all those lovely nooks and crannies for jam to sink into. On the weekends, these muffins nicely toasted and slathered in butter, make a wonderful morning meal with fried eggs and coffee. I am telling you, give them a try, you will love them! 1 1/4 cups warm water 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil (canola, vegetable, olive etc.) 2 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon salt Cornmeal, for dusting Pour warm water into a large bowl. Sprinkle sugar, then yeast on top. Let sit and foam for 10 minutes. Add in melted butter/oil, flour, and salt and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Once combined, drop dough onto floured surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding just as much flour as needed to make the dough stop sticking ...

Summertime, and the livin' is easy... it sure is! Can you believe we are headed toward the month of August already? Summer please slow down, I am enjoying all of our late mornings, pool days, BBQ's and our respectable laziness ( our as in me and the kids, Mr.G is working, well because someone needs to pay the bills around here ). As much as I love summer, there is something I struggle with, and no it's not the crazy island humidity, but instead cooking!! Gasp, I know how the heck do you have a food blog and yet hate cooking in the summer. The struggle is real, I just loose my kitchen mojo. Anyone else feel the same? I just want some simple suppers, something I can fix perhaps in the morning and not worry about it when it comes to dinner time. So my dear ones, I present to you the Quiche Lorraine, make it and forget about it. Serve warm or cold and add a salad, and tah-dah dinner is served! Mini Quiche Lorraine Crust 1 3/4 cups (430 ml) unbleached all-purpose fl...

Over the weekend, my Facebook "on this day" memories, were kind enough to remind me that I had given these pumpkin scones a try last year. I was also reminded that it went terribly wrong, and that's why I never added them to the blog. They tasted really great, but they were difficult to make, the dough was really wet, and kneading it was a doozy. I however am not a quitter, and decided to give these babies a try again, with some little tweaks, and this time they were a success! Pumpkin Scones Scones: 2 cups all-purpose flour ( I added an extra 1/2 cup) ¼ cup plus 3 tbsp granulated sugar 1 tbsp baking powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp ground cinnamon ( I used 1 teaspoon) ½ tsp ground nutmeg ( I used 1teaspoon) ¼ tsp ground cloves ( I used 1/2 teaspoon) ¼ tsp ground ginger ( I used 1/2 teaspoon) 6 tbsp cold butter, cut into cubes ( I used 1/2 cup cold butter) ½ cup canned pumpkin 3 tbsp half-and-half ( I used  full fat cold cream) 1 large egg (cold) Powdered...

 Just because you are the only one at home, doesn't mean you can't enjoy a nice breakfast! This is a simple recipe, that can be made in a few minutes, and makes one  perfect waffle. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, all you have to do is pick your favorite topping, and enjoy ! 1/3 cup flour pinch of salt 3/4 tsp baking powder 2 tsp sugar 1 egg 1/4 cup milk 1 tbsp melted butter/or oil 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Combine all ingredients together in a  small bowl, mix until incorporated. Pour into prepared waffle maker and cook according to the settings provided with your model. Mine cooked in about 5 minutes. Ta-dah your waffle for one is ready ! **this makes one waffle, perfectly in my belgian waffle maker **if using a traditional waffle maker, you may get two waffles out of this recipe recipe source

So you are probably wondering what a "bolo lêvedo" is? All I can say is, think english muffin , but a million times better! They are an Azorean bread, typical of the island São Miguel (a 20 minute plane ride, from my island). They are larger in size than an english muffin, have a lighter crumb, are sweeter, and have no nooks and crannies like it´s english cousin. They are not baked, but instead cooked on a hot iron griddle. Straight off the griddle, smothered in butter and jam, they are out of this world, but they can also be toasted. This sweet muffin, is not just for breakfast, it's perfect for making great sandwiches, and amazing burger buns too! With only a few simple ingredients, flour, sugar, eggs, butter, milk, and yeast, they are super easy to make at home. The hardest part...two rising times, but trust me, it´s so worth the wait! I made mini-bolo levedo, so stinkin' cute ! 500 grams flour (+ 100 grams extra) / 4 cups plus 1 extra 125 gram...

My favorite things about the weekend, getting to sleep in, everyone is home, and breakfast. Weekday mornings Mr.G and the kids all have different schedules, so breakfast is quick, some toast, a bowl of cereal, yogurt or fruit. Soooo on Saturday and Sunday, I like to spoil them and myself while I am at it. This morning Mr.G was headed to the farmers market, he was up first, and was kind enough to start making the coffee, before heading out. With the kiddos still waking up, I decided on Biscuits and sausage for breakfast. Now trust me, biscuits are really easy and super quick to make. These are light and fluffy on the inside , crispy on the outside. I made sausage because, that's what I had had, but bacon would be divine, but so would butter and honey! The kids made it to the the table just as these were coming out of the oven. It's a good thing I saved some for Mr.G, because the rest were all gobbled up quickly. I hope you try these, I really think you will like them! ...

This is one of my favorite breakfast dishes ever, I love to prepare it for Mr.G and I on lazy sunday mornings. Smoked salmon layered on a toasted bagel, topped with a poached egg and a lemony hollandaise sauce, it's magical, an explosion of flavors. I love the presentation of this dish too, it's so beautiful!  Try it for your next lazy weekend, great for brunch, lunch or dinner, so simple to make, but delicious in taste! For this recipe, you’ll need to know how to poach eggs . It’s not difficult, promise! You’ll also need to make a batch of hollandaise sauce . 4 poached eggs 1 batch  Hollandaise Sauce  smoked salmon, sliced thin 2 bagels Split and toast the bagels. Put one half on each plate, or two if your really hungry! Place a  layer of smoked salmon on each toasted bagel half. Top each salmon-bagel with a poached egg. Spoon hollandaise sauce generously on top. Serve immediately. ***butter the bagels if you wish *** top with dil...

Another kitchen confession of mine, I was afraid to make hollandaise sauce, how about you?  Well fear no more, I am going to show you a quick and easy way to do it, using a kitchen blender! If the great Julia Child did it this way, then so can we! I promise you, your weekend brunch will never be the same again, I am addicted to this rich lemony sauce, and eggs benedict is something I look forward too now on Sunday mornings! 3 egg yolks 1/4 teaspoon salt Pinch black pepper ( I like cayenne) 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice 8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces Directions: In a blender, combine the egg yolks, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium-high, add the butter and heat until foaming. Blend the egg yolk mixture at top speed for 2 seconds then, with the blender running, remove the cover and pour in the hot butter in a thin stream of droplets. By the time two-thirds of the butter has been a...

 This is such a great and easy way to make breakfast! I have been making these all week long, and it has been a great big hit, Mr.G has really enjoyed them. Truth be told, I have too, shocking I know, as there is no butter, cream or chocolate in the recipe! All kidding aside, breakfast is a very, very important start to your day, and hello can we talk about Chia seeds ??! So good for you ( google it ) and so amazing in this, they poof up in the milk, and make it nice and thick. I love that it's so quick to put together, the night before, pop them in the fridge and in the morning, you have no excuse not to have breakfast. I made some during the week with blueberries, but my favorite has been with sliced bananas , kinda sorta tastes like a bananas foster, well kinda sorta... wink...wink ! Go on give them a try, I promise you will like them ! Ingredients ⅔ cup oatmeal (150ml) 1 tbsp chia seeds 1 tbsp brown sugar/ maple syrup/ sweetner of choice 1 tsp cinnamon 3/4--...

This Poached Egg and Avocado Toast  recipe  is so simple to make. I know your thinking poached eggs ..yikes! Please.... please don't be scared of them. They are really easy to prepare, I promise! This has become one of my favorite meals to have for breakfast, lunch, even dinner. I kid you not, toast, poached eggs, and avocados, are three of my favorite things and when you put the three of them together…it's a beautiful thing! 1 egg splash of vinegar 1 slice bread 3-5 slices of avocado ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper Squeeze of lime 1. Bring a small pot with water( enough to cover the egg ) to a boil, then lower to a simmer. You don't want it to be a rolling boil. Add in vinegar and a pinch of salt. 2. Crack the egg into an individual ramekin/ small dish.  Use a spoon to swirl the water in the pan to form a spiral. Add the egg as close as possible to the water from the ramekin. The egg white should swirl around the egg. Allow the ...

This cinnamon bread wreath  has become a favourite in our home and it pretty much disappears as soon as it comes out of the oven. A wondeful treat – buttery, and cinnamon-y, that is easy peasy to make, I cheat and use store bought crescent dough ! It’s perfect served warm right out of the oven, makes your home smell amazing and the addition of an icing drizzle will make you swoon! 1 package crescent rolls 1//4 cup soft butter 1/4 cup sugar cinnamon Pre-heat oven 180º Open up the crescent roll dough, open and flatten it out, pressing the seams together. Spread some butter on the dough ( I use my hands). Next sprinkle with sugar, and then the cinnamon. Now, roll the dough just like you’re going to make cinnamon rolls. Next slice down the middle of the roll (the lenght of it) with a very sharp knife. You will have two long halves. Turn both halves of the dough with the cinnamon and sugar facing up. Now twist the two lengths of dough, like a rope,  and t...

“All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast.” – John Gunther  This weekend Mr.G and I hosted a brunch for some family and friends. I think that brunch is the perfect meal, it's not too early, it's relaxed, you can eat breakfast or lunch, drink coffee or Mimosa's! The hardest part really is deciding on the perfect spread - balancing the sweet and savory foods and of course making sure it all comes together at the same time. The night before, I set the tables and prepare anything that can be made  ahead of time. There is no shame in buying pastries, cookies and bread from the bakery, it means more time for other things. I think I did pretty well, if I do say so myself!  It was the perfect lazy Sunday spent  around our table with delightful company, enjoying delicious food. This, was our brunch spread: Blueberry Muffins Greek Yogurt Parfaits Pancakes Bacon Breakfast Sausage Scrambled Eggs Oven Roasted Potatoes Sauteed Mushrooms Assorted Cook...

My family and I were invited to a friend's house for brunch today. When she made the invitation, I knew right away what I wanted to make, to take to her house, Granola Parfaits. I love the layers you get in parfaits – nice creamy yogurt, crunchy granola, along with fresh fruit. They just always look delish, and somehow it feels like your eating dessert for breakfast. My intial plan was to make   individual parfaits, but I had no idea how many other guests would be there. So I actually only made the one in the picture, that I promise you did not go to waste. I went ahead and assembled everything in my trifle bowl, a much better way to feed a crowd. I have a great recipe for granola, but went with a store bought one, only because it had chocolate in it, don´t judge me ! I also nixed the fruit this time around, because did I mention there was chocolate in the granola? Parfaits or Trifle, both  are so incredibly easy to make and so delicious! 1 tub greek...

Who loves French Toast? Better question is who doesn’t? Now imagine french toast that is stuffed with  ricotta cheese and chocolate chips. This is such  a simple idea, but it's big on flavor. It literally takes minutes to prepare and will turn breakfast into something outstanding. Now here's the thing, this recipe is perfect for two people..you and someone special. Great for a lazy Sunday morning, when breakfast in bed is an option. Don't forget the maple syrup and the icing sugar, it brings it all together. 1 cup ricotta cheese (I used low-fat) 1/4 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup regular or mini chocolate chips 2 large eggs 1/4 cup heavy cream or milk 4  large, thick slices of bread ( I used 4 thick slices of massa sovada/sweet bread) 2 tablespoons butter powdered sugar, for serving syrup, if desired In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, powdered sugar & vanilla.  Stir in the chocolate chips and set the mixture aside. ...

 This is one of my favorite recipes, I have had for atleast 15 years. It is hand written on a tattered and yellowing page in my very old cookbook. I haven’t made it in such a long time and I’m wondering why since it’s SO good. It is a great coffee cake, very pretty and it tastes great too. For variety, you can use your choice of pie filling in place of cherry pie filling, strawberry or blueberry. The glaze is optional, but yummy, I did not add it today, as I was out of icing sugar. I hope you try it, you won't regret it. Enjoy your weekend ! 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 1/4 cups flour 3/4 cup white sugar 3/4 cup butter 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 egg 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 can (19 oz.) cherry pie filling 1/3 cup sliced almonds Glaze (optional) 1 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons milk 1/2 teaspoon almond essence Directions: Combine milk and lemon juice. Set aside. Combine flour and sugar in food pr...

 I had some greek yogurt that had been sitting in the fridge for a while, so these were perfect. You only need 1 bowl, 4 ingredients, and 10 minutes to make these. Flour, an egg, baking soda, and  Greek yogurt....thats it ! These are not very sweet, you could add some honey if you like, but any topping you use will make them sweeter.  While on the griddle I added blueberries to mine, only because I had some, I think bananas would be great too, and a flavored greek yogurt would work as well.  I served these to my  pancake aficionado , Simon, and waited for a verdict. He loved them and said they were "really fluffy and yummy". I made them small, and got about 8 pancakes. Considering today is Pancake Tuesday, you still have time to make them ! Ingredients 3/4 cup //6 oz of your favorite Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon honey (optional) 1 egg  ½ cup flour 1 tsp baking soda ***blueberries if using To begin, heat griddle or skillet over med...

This is such a great breakfast dish, it is a cross between bread pudding and french toast. It is prepared the night before, so it is great for any holiday breakfast or brunch, or a lazy Sunday morning. It's filled with blueberries and cream cheese, and served with a very yummy blueberry sauce that just make it...the breakfast of Champions ! Seriously I wouldn't lie to you! The sauce really takes it over the top, but if you just want to serve it with icing sugar, and maple syrup, that's fine too. My family loves it, I hope your's will too. Ingredients 12 slices day-old bread, cut into cubes **or enough slices to fill a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish quite full. 2  packages cream cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes 2 cups fresh blueberries/or frozen 12 eggs, beaten 2 cups milk/ or 1 milk and 1 cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup maple syrup Sauce 1 cup white sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 cup water 1 cup fresh blueberries/or frozen 1 tablespoon bu...

 Challah is an amazing bread, and I am sorry I waited this long to make it! It somehow scared me, I thought it would be complicated. Turns out it is a simple process, but it does take a little bit of time and effort. But when you  smell the bread baking, then see your beautiful braided challah on the dinner table,  it really makes it all worth it. As for braiding the Challah, I will add the link to the video, that helped me out ! Honey Challah Bread makes 2 loaves Ingredients: 1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees) 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets) 1/2 cup sugar plus 1 tsp sugar 1/2 cup honey 8 tablespoon butter, softened 3 eggs 2 teaspoons salt 5 1/2 cups flour (or more if necessary) 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash Directions: 1.  Lightly oil a medium bowl and line a large baking sheet with silicon mat or parchment paper and set aside.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment, put warm water in the bowl a...

During dinner last night, Simon our 8 year old, out of the blue asks : "Mommy what are you baking for breakfast Christmas morning??" I couldn't help but laugh, and then asked him what he would like me to make. To which he quickly replied "you have to make those cinnamon rolls, you made last year " and then he added  "you should make them more often mommy" ! You know what Simon, you are right I should make them more often, and I think I should also share the recipe on the blog. Please don't be scared to make these, just be sure to give yourself plenty of time, I would suggest a lazy afternoon, when you are not in a rush. Homemade cinnamon rolls are easier to make than you think – I promise! Cinnamon Roll Dough: 1 cup milk. warm ½ cup + 1 TBS granulated sugar divided 1 TBS Active dry yeast/ 1 package 2 large eggs room temperature, beaten 6 TBS butter melted 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 4 to 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp se...