Category Archives: Breakfast

Biscuits ‘n Gravy

Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

This is not a “Weight Watchers” recipe or anything “cooking light” it is not something that should be consumed more than once or twice a year preferably after your physical – HOWEVER, being the nutrition freak I am, there are ways to cut back the fat. I use turkey sausage and skim milk for the gravy – still yummy, but if you want the “real” thing, use pork sausage and whole milk or heavy cream – ouch.

Moving forward –  I’d like to show you how to make a very important cowboy staple: Biscuits and Gravy.biscuitsgravy

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces hot bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 12 ounces mild bulk pork sausage (substitute with turkey sausage)
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 gallon milk or cream
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Biscuits, store bought or homemade

 Directions

  1. In a large skillet, add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.
  2. Drain the grease into a cup and remove sausage from the skillet into a bowl.
  3. Return 2 – 4 tablespoons of grease and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of flour to the grease.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the grease turns into a roux (paste)
  5. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to turn golden in color – adding flour if mixture is not thick (pasty)
  6. Begin to add the milk one cup at a time and keep whisking to prevent lumps, stir until the mixture is bubbly and smooth, adding milk a cup at a time until gravy consistency.
  7. At this point, you can start add back the sausage or if you made sausage patties, break a few up and throw into the gravy.
  8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. Serve over biscuits – homemade or store bought.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

Bread, Breakfast January 8, 2013 Leave a comment

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits – (Medium ease)

Nothing like the taste and smell of homemade biscuits.  Here are a few tips & hints to help you biscuitsalong;

  • Do not over-bake.
  • The key to real biscuits is not in the ingredients, but in the handling of the dough.
  • The dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits.
  • I have been told that a food processor produces superior biscuits, because the ingredients stay colder and there’s less chance of over mixing.
  • If not using a food processor – Use a fork to mix the wet ingredients into the dry – do not stir to mix – just “fluff” together
  • Rolling with a rolling pin is a guaranteed way to overstimulate the gluten, resulting in a tougher biscuit, use your hands to pat the dough out
  • You can make these biscuits, cut them, put them on cookie sheets and freeze freeze them, place in plastic bags when frozen for up to a month.
  • When you want fresh biscuits, simply place them frozen on the cookie sheet and bake at 450°F for about 20 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder ( use one without aluminum)
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very cold
  • 1 cup buttermilk ( approx) * You can make your own buttermilk: Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. (if possible use whole milk or heavy cream). Let stand for five minutes. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Directions

  1. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor.
  3. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal, using a pastry dough cutter or two knives.
  4. Add the buttermilk and using a fork mix JUST until combined, do not beat.
  5. If it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be wet.
  6. Turn the dough out onto a floured board.
  7. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it’s about 1/2″ thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use flour to dust the board or counter if dough is sticking.
  8. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.
  9. You can gently knead the scraps together and make a few more, but they will not be anywhere near as good as the first ones.
  10. Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet- if you like soft sides, put them touching each other.
  11. If you like”crusty” sides, put them about 1 inch apart- these will not rise as high as the biscuits put close together.
  12. Bake for about 10-12 minutes- the biscuits will be a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom.

What do do with the biscuits when they come out of the oven; drizzle with honey, biscuithoneyspread butter, or jam on your biscuit, eat naked, or squirt some whipped cream on each half and add fresh fruit on top.  Or my fav, Biscuits and Gravy – post to come.

Hint; Never cut a biscuit with a knife, always break in half.