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We’re hoping that you had as nice of a holiday weekend as we did: Good food, family, and maybe a picnic or outing.
There’s a canyon about 45 minutes east of here that we love, a deep forested canyon with a babbling brook. As pretty as it is, rarely do we see anyone up there.
This early in the year, it was thick with wildflowers. Merri Ann took pictures to add to her collection. I kept asking, “What’s that?” Usually she knew the answer.
The trail climbs through the trees with vantage points overlooking the stream and beaver ponds. Yesterday we flushed a coyote, an unusual cream-colored one, that pounded through the low growth and then stopped on the ridge to watch us for a few moments before fading out of sight.
We hiked to the end of the trail and then “bushwhacked” to get to a side canyon that I wanted to explore. I’ve never found a canyon with so many bogs and by the time we reached the side canyon, we were muddy up to our knees. It was worth it but I don’t think Merri Ann would agree.
We love the mountains and the solitude and I’m so grateful that I’m blessed with the health to do such things.
The Salmon Sandwich
Earlier in the weekend, we had grilled a whole salmon fillet, more than we can eat in a sitting or two. So yesterday, I made a salmon sandwich. It’s simple. The bread is rosemary focaccia, which is perfect. Focaccia mixes are the easiest breads to make: mix the dough, press it into a pan and let it rise, dimple it and add the herbs, and then bake it. Split focaccia makes a superb sandwich.
Get a focaccia bread mix here.
The Breakfast Pizza
This is one of my favorite breakfasts. It’s simple: Make a pizza crust, load it with scrambled eggs with other goodies, sprinkle it with cheese and slip it back into the oven until the cheeses are melted.
You can freelance with these but here’s a recipe to get you started.
Choose your pizza dough mixes here.
Country Breakfast Pizza Recipe
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 green or red bell pepper, chopped
diced ham, crumbled bacon, or sausage bits
5 large eggs
pepper and salt
salsa
2/3 cup grated cheddar
2/3 cup grated mozzarella
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Mix the dough according to package instructions. Divide the dough into two parts to make two thin-crust, 14-inch pizzas. Roll the crust in pizza pans using a pizza roller. The crust will be about ¼-inch thick. Cover them and set them aside while you cook the eggs and veggies.
- In a skillet, melt the one tablespoon of butter and sauté the onion, pepper, and ham in the butter until the vegetables are almost tender. Stir in the eggs and pepper and salt to taste. Cook until done but soft, stirring frequently.
- While the eggs are cooking, brush the crusts with olive oil and place the pizza crusts in the oven. Bake until the crusts are a light golden brown, about ten minutes. The crusts will be thin and almost cracker-like.
- Spread the crusts with salsa. Spoon the cooked eggs and veggies onto the crusts over the salsa. Sprinkle the tops of the eggs with the cheeses. Place the pizza back in the oven at 425 degrees and bake for two more minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Serve hot.
Strawberries and Cream French Toast with Lemon Syrup
This is stuffed French toast. It’s quick and simple to make and luscious.
Stuffed French toast is easy to make. Make a sandwich with your choice of filling. Dip your sandwich in an ordinary egg wash, and slap it on the griddle. It takes a little longer to cook than ordinary French toast so turn the heat down a bit and let the heat soak through both slices.
Learn more about making French toast like this.
If you are not already making stuffed French toast, the basic concept is very simple and it’s a terrific way to make some very special breakfasts. Search our website for more ideas.
We’re wishing you a wonderful summer!
About the Author
Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho and the author of “How to Bake: The Art and Science of Baking” available as an E-book or as a Kindle book on Amazon. Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and six beautiful granddaughters.