Always The Best Way To Start Your Day

And I'm not just talking about regular breakfast that may consist of two slices of toast or some cold cereal, but a fill-you-up-to-your-eyeballs-and-still-want-more kind of breakfast.  These are especially tasty on cold fall mornings and as always, with a friend or two.  After a mid-morning nap, they seem to keep you full for the rest of the day.  Or, at least until a late afternoon lunch.  I had the great pleasure of making one of these breakfasts Friday morning to kick off a day of knitting with a close friend.

Since it was just the two of us, I kept things very simple with fried eggs, toast, hashbrowns, and banana muffins all served with a smoky green tea.  Tea is always a staple at my house 1) because it is my preferred hot beverage, and 2) I do not own a french press, yet (hint hint hint).  Also, tea doesn't seem to fill me as much as a coffee drink allowing me to eat more! It is truly amazing that I don't weigh 400lbs.

And here's how I did it....

Hashbrowns - 2 medium potatoes (any kind will do)
                      1/2 medium onion diced
                      1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (it's all I ever use)
                      2 tablespoons butter
                      1 teaspoon garlic powder
                       salt and pepper to taste

Over medium heat saute onions with olive oil, butter, and a pinch of salt until the onion is translucent, making sure they do not brown.  While the onion is cooking, cut the potatoes into roughly 1/2 inch cubes (they cook faster).  Add the potatoes once the onion is translucent, add a dash more olive olive, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Cover and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork tender and slightly browned (roughly 20 minutes).  You can keep the potatoes on low for quite a while as they will only get better and better.

When the potatoes are almost finished, heat up 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and fry the eggs on a just below medium setting.  It may seem like a ton of butter but it will help the eggs to not stick no matter what kind of a pan you use.  Top with a little sea salt and pepper, or if you want to get extra fancy, sprinkle a little paprika and basil on top.  Absolutely Amazing!

For the muffins, I started with a recipe from a Betty Crocker cookbook I got for Christmas a few years back with a few spins.  I substituted the baking soda for baking powder and added a little more salt.  The muffins came out more light and fluffy than I've ever had them do before!  I also used a few table spoons of whole milk as opposed to buttermilk.

Muffins - 1 1/2 cups flour
               1 2/3 cups sugar
               1 tablespoon baking powder
               1 1/4 teaspoons salt
               2 eggs
               1/2 cup oil (I again used extra virgin olive oil, trust me it's awesome)
               2 tablespoons whole milk
               1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
               3 or 4 very, very ripe bananas

Preheat oven to 325 F. In one mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and the bananas mashed.  Add the wet to the dry and mix until everything is combined.  In a greased muffin pan, fill each cup to just under the rim.  Bake at 325 F for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan once.  Serve while piping hot or at room temperature with a cup tea a little later. 

And, no there is no picture of the eggs and potatoes due to the fact that we scarfed them down so quickly there was nothing left to take a picture of...Next time I must remember!