Love is in the air, with the countdown having begun to Valentine’s day. Here are some recipes for breakfast and brunch one can try through the week. Happy Cooking folks! And I don’tmean just the ladies!

Red Velvet Pancakes

What a sumptuous and exotic start to a valentine’s breakfast/ brunch. Dare to be different—red is the color this season.

• 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons red food coloring
• 1/4 cup melted butter

Directions

Preparation time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 15min

Ready in :30 mins

1. Prepare the cream cheese glaze by beating the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Thin with 1 tablespoon milk or as needed to achieve a pourable consistency. Set aside.
2. Whisk the flour, white sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 cup milk with the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Stir in the flour mixture until moistened. Drizzle in the melted butter, and stir until the butter has incorporated and small lumps of flour remain.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle with the cream cheese glaze to serve.

Tip

• Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: 597 calories; 25.4 g fat; 79.7 g carbohydrates; 13.2 g protein; 159 mg cholesterol; 1099 mg sodium.

Eggs Benedict with Rye Bread and Salmon

“Smoked salmon and Rye Bread add a new twist to the traditional eggs Benedict. Sauce can be set aside at room temp for up to one hour. When ready to serve, reheat gently in double boiler.”

• 3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  2 teaspoons lemon juice
  3 egg yolks
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared Dijon-style mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 pinch ground black pepper
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 8 eggs
• 8 slices rye bread
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into thin slices
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
• 1 teaspoon capers, for garnish

Directions

Preparation Time: 30mins

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ready in: 1 hour

1. To make the sauce: In the top of a double boiler, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, egg yolks, mustard, salt, sugar, pepper and hot sauce. Cook over simmering water while stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
2. In a large stock pot heat 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Carefully break the eggs one at a time into the boiling water. When all the eggs have been added, reduce the heat to medium. When the eggs float to the top, remove them with a slotted spoon and let drain briefly.
3. To assemble final dish: Toast bread slices and place on warm plates. Top each piece of toast with a slice of smoked salmon and a hot poached egg. Drizzle with yogurt sauce; garnish with parsley and capers.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 223 calories; 9.3 g fat; 18.1 g carbohydrates; 16.4 g protein; 271 mg cholesterol; 617 mg sodium.

 Valentine’s night Strawberries & Cream

“Strawberries stuffed with lightly-sweetened cream cheese and walnuts are perfect for that romantic evening. Pecans also work well in this recipe.”

Ingredients:

• 20 fresh strawberries
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ready in: 15mins

1. Dice two strawberries and set aside. Cut the stems off of each of the remaining strawberries, forming a base for strawberries to stand on. Starting at the pointed ends and cutting most of the way, but not completely through the stem end, slice each strawberry into four wedges.
2. Beat the cream cheese until fluffy; stir in the diced strawberries, walnuts, and powdered sugar. Spoon or pipe about a teaspoon of mix into each strawberry.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving: 31 calories; 2.2 g fat; 2.4 g carbohydrates; 0.6 g protein; 5 mg cholesterol; 14 mg sodium.

Recipes Courtesy: Allrecipes.com