Holiday meals can sometimes get very lavish and over-the-top. So we thought it would be fun to kick it down a couple of notches and make a cozy and rustic holiday breakfast menu for those days in between all the chaos. Let’s face it: The best way to celebrate the holidays is just by being together with the people you love and spending some quality time catching up and reminiscing. Whether you have family or friends staying with you for the holidays or you are just having folks over for a visit, this easy, heart-warming menu is the perfect way to say Happy Holidays.
The Menu
• Homemade Venison and Pork Breakfast Sausage
• Sweet Potato Hash with Bacon and a Fried Egg
• Quick Beer Bread
• Quince Apple Butter
|
|
|
HOMEMADE VENISON AND PORK BREAKFAST SAUSAGE
We know there are a lot of hunters out there, and especially at this time of year, people tend to have an abundance of venison in their freezers. This homemade venison and pork breakfast sausage is very easy to make and is such a treat to serve on a crisp December morning. You can adjust the spice to suit your taste, and the touch of pure maple syrup helps balance the spices and complement the natural sweetness in the meat. Unlike pre-packaged sausages, this recipe is all-natural and isn’t full of sodium sulfites or preservatives. If you are not a fan of venison, try this same recipe using ground turkey along with the pork. You can even double the recipe and freeze the extra patties to use later.
YIELDS: 12-14 patties
1 pound ground venison
1 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground venison and pork until well blended.
2. Season the meat with the remaining ingredients and blend until everything is incorporated.
3. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to come together.
4. Divide the sausage into 2-ounce patties. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle. Fry the sausage patties until they are cooked through or when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Serve alongside the sweet potato hash or your favorite breakfast dishes.
SWEET POTATO HASH WITH BACON AND A FRIED EGG
This sweet potato hash is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. It is full of flavor from the smoky bacon along with the cooked-down onions and bell peppers. It is an easy dish to prep ahead of time and can be finished right before you serve. Topping the hash with a fried egg is the perfect complement to this rustic breakfast.
SERVINGS: 6
6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 slices of bacon, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
½ teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons butter
6 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large pot, bring 8 cups of salted water to a rolling boil. Add in the prepared sweet potatoes.
2. Blanch the sweet potatoes for 2-3 minutes. Drain them well and set aside.
3. In a large skillet, fry the chopped bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon bits onto a paper towel to drain, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Add the chopped onions and bell pepper to the skillet.
4. Add in the salt, pepper and herbes de Provence, and sauté 2-3 minutes or until everything is tender.
5. Add the blanched sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Cover and allow the sweet potatoes to cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Remove the lid and stir everything to prevent sticking. Cover the skillet and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. Cook until the sweet potatoes are tender but still have their shape.
7. While the sweet potato hash cooks, melt the butter in a separate non-stick skillet and fry the eggs until the whites are fully cooked but the yolks are still runny. Sprinkle the fried eggs with a little salt and pepper.
8. Divide the sweet potato hash among 6 plates, sprinkle each with a little of the fried bacon and top each portion with a hot fried egg. Serve immediately.
QUICK BEER BREAD
Beer bread is a delicious quick bread that can be thrown together in a couple of minutes with ingredients that you have around your pantry. It is called a “quick” bread because it does not use yeast. The beer acts as the leavening agent, along with the baking powder. This bread is a great accompaniment with all kinds of dishes, including soups and stews. The type of beer you use will alter the flavor of the bread a bit, so if you enjoy a richer beer flavor, use a heavier beer. We do not recommend using light beer because it contains too much water and tends to make the bread a little gummy.
YIELDS: 1 loaf
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1½ teaspoons salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ cup honey
1 12-ounce beer (not a light beer)
¼ cup melted butter
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 9×5 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flours, salt and baking powder.
3. Pour in the honey and the beer, and stir until well combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and drizzle the top of the batter with the melted butter.
5. Bake the bread for 55-60 minutes or until the top is golden and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the center.
6. Allow the bread to cool slightly before removing it from the baking pan onto a cooling rack.
7. Let the bread cool for an additional 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Quince Apple Butter.
QUINCE APPLE BUTTER
Apple butter is one of our favorite things to make during the holidays. We do it in a slow cooker, and it takes no time to prepare. Tracey decided to add quince to this recipe because one of her neighbors kindly shared some of their homegrown quince with her, and we are so glad they did. The flavor is amazing. Quince is a tough fall fruit that looks a bit like a pear or an apple, and becomes yellow as it ripens. They are not to be eaten raw, but once cooked their hard flesh becomes soft and pinkish in color. The flavor is sweeter and more floral than that of an apple, making the pairing of the quince and apple a perfect balance. However, if you are unable to find quince, try using a variety of both Granny Smith and Gala apples.
YIELDS: 3½ cups
|
|
|
2½ pounds quince
2½ pounds apples (Granny Smith or Jazz work well)
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1. Peel and seed the apples and quince.
2. Using the grater attachment on your food processor or a box grater, grate the apples and quince into a large bowl.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt, lemon juice and spices.
4. Place the mixture into the base of a slow cooker and turn the setting to high.
5. Cook the mixture in the slow cooker on high for 4-5 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent the sides from burning.
6. Turn off the slow cooker and carefully place the hot mixture into a food processor. Puree until it is smooth and then pour it back into the slow cooker.
7. Set the slow cooker on low and continue to cook for an additional 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally. It will begin to caramelize and become a deep pinkish brown color.
8. Remove the quince apple butter from the slow cooker and allow it to cool completely. Divide it into airtight containers and keep it refrigerated for up to 3 weeks.
This article was originally published in the December 2016 issue of 225 Magazine.