Top Five: "Two for Brunch, Please." (DC)

Brunch. The time of day where breakfast and lunch compromise on the weekends. We love it and wake up eager for some poached eggs on any given Saturday. A few years ago, it was a little hard to find a good brunch menu or two, now there are multiple places to get some eggs in your drunken system. After a night on the town, brunch can become a mandatory task and knowing where to go should be listed right beside your emergency phone numbers. For the Top Five this week we focus on five of the newest brunches in the District. Check it:

1. Kellari Taverna (Mediterranean)- If you're looking for feta or pita with your eggs, this is the stop.

2. Acadiana (Southern Comfort)- When you order from their prix-fixe menu, you can get unlimited Bloody Marys or mimosas for 25 Cents. More info here.

3. Againn (British Isles)- The new brunch menu reflects the cuisine of the British Isles with dishes such as House-made Cranberry and Cornmeal Scones and English Style Breakfast served with two fried eggs, baked beans, marinated tomato, bacon and bangers.

4. Birch & Barley (American)- Yum to Fried Chicken and Waffles and Whiskey-Vanilla French toast w/ caramelized apples and whipped cream. Also, there are bites to share: fried donuts, sticky buns w/ brown sugar toffee and banana coffee cake. Hearty breakfast that ranges in price from $5 to $16.

5. Restaurant Ris (Classic American)- Think of this as the basics spot. All your grounds are covered whether you're in the mood for: french toast, eggs benedict or chicken fried skirt steak. Brunch runs on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm.

Please feel free to print this and post on the fridge. From all the Artini's and cocktails at Yelp Drink Week, you may need it.

Picture source

Recipe: Spinach Omelet

Spinach Omelet

2 eggs
1 cup baby spinach leaves (torn in half)
1 1/2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 garlic (minced)
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp. butter (for coating pan)

In a bowl, beat the eggs, and stir in the baby spinach and Parmesan cheese. Season with onion powder, garlic powder, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. In a skillet coated with butter over medium heat, cook the egg mixture about 3 minutes, until partially set. Flip with a spatula, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: We have not made breakfast in forever and a day so it's time for us to give up the Starbucks fix and start cooking in our own kitchen in the mornings. Omelets are such an enticing way to start the morning, they give you the boast of energy and filling that you need throughout the day. In combination with spinach, you can't lose. We suggest pairing with some fresh fruit and tall glass of OJ (*Translation: orange juice:-).

Picture source

Recipe: Low Fat Veggie Cream Cheese

Low Fat Veggie Cream Cheese


1 package vegetable soup mix
1 (8 oz.) package low fat cream cheese (softened)
2 tbsp. low fat sour cream


Combine all ingredients until blended and smooth. Serve.



*Johnna's tip: We took the easy way out today, vacation time is over and we are still easing out of our super relaxed mode. This is the cream cheese we took a liking to this morning as we rushed around pulling our lives together. Spread on top of an "everything" bagel or plain or wheat or whatever you're feeling up to this morning;-) Enjoy!

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
1 egg (beaten)
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. milk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in the sugar. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg and milk. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and whisk together until blended but slightly lumpy. Add in the blueberries and give a slight stir until they are combined. Pour the batter evenly into the muffin pan and bake until golden and cooked thru, about 20-25 minutes. Carefully remove the muffins from the pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve.

*Johnna's tip: Warm muffins in the morning. There's nothing like it. Blueberry muffins are especially perfect because they can serve a large party at once alongside some other quick and easy breakfast items. Try alongside some mixed fresh fruit slices and your favorite cup of coffee.

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muffin_NIH.jpg

Homemade Pancakes

Homemade Pancakes

2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1 large egg (beaten)
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp. frying oil or cooking spray

Preheat the frying pan over medium heat with the oil. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Add in the butter, egg (beaten) and buttermilk; mix until smooth. Ladle the pancake mixture into your frying pan and fry on one side until small bubbles begin to form on the surface, flip the pancake and fry until golden brown on both sides.

*Johnna's tip: After watching some TV entertainment last night (*probably one of the funniest pancake contests we've seen in awhile...), we were inspired to sort out the ingredients of homemade pancakes. It almost seems archaic in these times to make a pancake from scratch but these make the best breakfast! Pair with some fresh strawberries or blueberries as your topping and warm maple syrup;-) Indulge!

Picture source: http://www.glenhavenfire.org/AboutUs/Fundraising/PancakeBreakfast/tabid/64/Default.aspx

Corned Beef Hash

Corned Beef Hash

3 tbsp. butter
2 cups corned beef hash (chopped)
3 cups potatoes (cooked and chopped)
2 tbsp. onions (finely chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 tbsp. brown gravy (*The packets are found at your local grocery store)

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add in the corned beef, potatoes and onion; combine and spread evenly on the pan. Turn throughout the cooking process so that each side of the mixture is browned. Drain the excess fat and add in brown gravy; combine well. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: People often associate corned beef with St. Patrick's Day, where many Irish Americans consume a traditional meal of corned beef and cabbage (*Yum!). The irony of all of this is that corned beef is not traditional in Ireland and is said to have been originally a substitute for bacon by Irish American immigrants in the late 1800's.

Picture source: http://restaurant-hospitality.com/recipes/corned_beef_hash_1108/

Blueberry Waffles

Blueberry Waffles

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup peanut oil
2/3 cup small blueberries

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and sugar and mix well. Add in the vanilla, eggs, milk and oil and mix well. Add in the blueberries and mix well. Spoon/pour batter into the waffle iron and cook according to manufacturers instructions. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Serve immediately. Nothing is nastier than cold breakfast food:-( Great toppings are adding some additional fresh blueberries on top of the waffles and dripping your favorite syrup over the waffles. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so why not make it fun and comforting?!

Picture source: http://www.allaboutyou.com/food/American-recipes/v1

Food.Fun.Stuff: A Delightful Little Treat

JKGF discovered a new treat for the morning (or as a snack) that actually helps with that fiber intake (*Fiber is soo important to a healthy diet and so many of us neglect to take in enough). Quaker True Delights Granola Bars are what we're ranting about. There are 3 grams of fiber in each bar. It's a combo of real fruit, whole nuts and chocolate mixed into honey drizzled Quaker oats. The 140 calories and the lack of hunger you feel afterwards sold us, in addition to the fact that these are not too sweet (*sometimes you wonder when something is too sweet, are they really just tricking you into thinking it's healthy for you??...Hmmm)

The Flavors of Our Lives:

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Almond
Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry
Toasted Coconut Banana Macadamia Nut

Try one and tell us what you think;-)

*Visit http://www.quakertruedelights.com/ and click on "Try a free sample"...test them out before you buy;-)

Picture source: http://www.quakeroats.com/products/oat-snacks/true-delights/dark-chocolate-raspberry-almond.aspx

Johnna's Pick of the Week: The Heights (D.C.)

Cheap champagne and poached eggs. Yum! This is our idea of a fun Saturday afternoon or Sunday afternoon...weekend brunch is what we're ranting about. The Heights, named perfectly for the ever-changing Columbia Heights neighborhood, adds just the right flavor to the neighborhood, literally. The service is great and the restaurant almost feels a little like home away from home if you minus the other patrons eating around you;-) The poached eggs are our favorites (*JKGF is a huge fan of poached eggs with everything!) and the Crab, Asparagus, Red Pepper and Cheddar Omelet is nothing to sleep on either:-) Brunch starts at 9 am and ends at 4 pm (Sat.-Sun.) for those of us who sleep til 2 pm on the weekends...this gives you plenty of time to roll out of bed and over to some goodies that will hopefully calm that hangover that's lurking from the night before...

The Low Down: A bottle of champagne with your brunch meal is $25 (*split it with a friend and celebrate Saturday/Sunday brunch! We really look for any reason/celebration to drink brunch champagne...;-)

Disclaimer: We don't know if we still were thinking about the high amount of alcohol consumed the night before or if we really did enjoy the service, but we know we didn't feel annoyed and bothered by our time there, so it must've been good. Go and hopefully you'll have the same experience we did but we can't promise anything;-)

Picture source: http://www.theheightsdc.com/gallery.html

Waffles

Waffles

2 cups sifted flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs (separated)
1 1/2 cups 1% milk fat milk
5 tbsp. shortening (melted)
1 tbsp. powdered sugar

Preheat waffle iron. Sift together dry ingredients; make sure mixed well. In a bowl, combine the beaten egg yolks, shortening and milk; add in the dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour the batter into the hot waffle iron being careful not to overflow and cook until golden brown and crisp. Serve warm.

*Johnna's tip: There's nothing like warm waffles in the morning. Waffles are actually one of the easiest and quickest breakfast foods to make. Save some of the batter for another day by refrigerating in a Ziploc container (*you should keep no longer than 3 days after making the batter).

*Johnna's tip, tip: Toppings options (ohh, the toppings...;-)= Whipped cream, strawberries, warm honey and of course, sweet maple syrup;-)

*Johnna's tip, tip, tip: Who would've thought fried chicken and waffles make a good combination?? Well they do and the folks at Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and Glady's Knight & Ron Winan's Chicken and Waffles have made it the staples to their restaurants. Try this at home with your waffles: using your favorite fried chicken recipe (*we all have one...;-), make the fried chicken and make the waffles last, serve together and have a breakfast-chicken food feast. Also, fried fish and waffles isn't a horrible idea either...we wonder who's going to take that idea and run with it just like the good folks at Roscoe's did with chicken and waffles...hmm...

Picture source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle

Garlic Home Fries

Garlic Home Fries

2-3 baking potatoes (cut into squares)
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1 tbsp. garlic (minced)

In a skillet over medium heat, add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil, once the oil is heated add in the potatoes, onions and minced garlic (*Be careful! The oil will pop you if you add to fast). Lower the heat, spread remaining olive oil over the mixture and cover; cook for 15-17 minutes until potatoes are soft. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: Home fries are the best go-to meal of breakfast. As long as you have potatoes you can pretty much add any ingredients you have on hand to the dish...we like green, orange and red peppers as an added treat;-)

Picture source: http://www.bfeedme.com/oven-home-fries-with-peppers-onion-recipe/

Food.Fun.Stuff: Who Would've Thought High School Could Be So Interesting?? And Profitable...

High School Musical (*the show that's a musical about high school...on Disney...) has not only taken over the teenage world, but has now entered the food world with a new cereal produced by Kellogg's. Please try it and share your thoughts with us...we are interested to know how much energy you get from "musical" cereal;-)

Picture source: http://www2.kelloggs.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=13851

Johnna's Pick of the Week (Brunch Special): M Street Bar and Grill

Sunday's are JKGF days to relax and kick back before the week begins. This is what sparked our interest to search the city for a brunch that fit this attitude and provided some good drinks on the side. M Street Bar and Grill is what we discovered. We walk in with our Juicy Couture sweatsuit, looking like we're going to sit in someones living room instead of eat at a restaurant, and it's immediate that we fit right in. The live jazz musician on the keyboard is welcoming as we enter the room and the waiters were quick to seat and serve us (*some may wonder: good service is a major plus in the District where you can find it...). The morning mimosa's and endless cheap champagne helped get the morning/early afternoon to a great start. And the food was just what we love: poached eggs! (*This is a JKGF favorite...) So we ate, we saw and we conquered...it was definitely worth leaving the house to fill our belly's before the Big Game;-)

*Pretty good deal, for $60 (*$30 per person) two people can have a 3-course brunch and endless champagne or mimosas:-)

Picture source: http://www.mstreetbarandgrill.com/

Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

Homemade Breakfast Biscuits

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter milk
1/4 cup shortening
2 tsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine all ingredients except melted butter and roll out dough using a rolling pin, should be about 1" thick. Using a round cutter, cut out the biscuits and place in a greased baking dish. Brush tops of biscuits with butter and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

*Johnna's tip: Stuff the biscuits with your favorite breakfast addition i.e. sausage, eggs, cream cheese or honey...

Picture source: http://baking.about.com/od/breakfast/ig/Company-for-Breakfast/Biscuits.htm

Buttermilk Pancakes

Buttermilk Pancakes

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp. melted butter
2 tbsp. vegetable oil/cooking spray

Sift dry ingredients together and add in the eggs and buttermilk; stir until lumps are gone. Heat a griddle/skillet over medium heat with oil/spray (*let this heat up completely before adding the mix to the pan) and add about a 1/4 cup of the mix to the skillet, filling the pan with pancake circles. The sides and top should start to bubble. Flip the pancakes to the other side and cook about 2-4 minutes; or until cooked through and golden brown on each side. Serve hot.

*Johnna's tip: The new mate for pancakes is Honey. It is delicious on a nice stack of buttermilk pancakes and the fresher the better. Drop the syrup and get some honey;-)

Picture source: http://www.bfeedme.com/it%E2%80%99s-saturday-morning-buttermilk-pancake-recipe-time/

Spinach and Feta Omelet

Spinach and Feta Omelet

2 tbsp. olive oil
3-4 eggs
1 cup fresh spinach (cooked and warm) (*you may want to use more...your desired amount)
1 oz. feta cheese
1/2 cup onions (chopped and saute til browned)
Pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup fresh tomatoes (chopped)

Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Beat the eggs and add to the skillet, cooking for 2-4 minutes. Move the eggs around in the pan so that the uncooked parts are spread around to cook (the key to an omelet is to not over cook but don't under cook leaving the omelet soggy). You can lift up sides of the egg and move the pan around to cook all the parts. Top with the spinach, cheese, onions and fresh tomatoes. Sprinkle on the black pepper and cook until the cheese is melted making sure not to burn the bottom of the egg. Fold one side of the egg onto the other and slide onto your plate...and there you have it...Breakfast!

*Johnna's tip: A great addition to this would be to create your own Greek dressing (*try throwing some garlic, olives, Greek yogurt and whatever else you like into the food processor and combine). A dollop of your Greek dressing is the perfect ending to this omelet.

*Johnna's tip, tip: Salt lovers, there is no need to add salt to this one. The feta cheese has enough salt content to fulfill your salty needs:-)

Picture source: http://www.weightwatchers.com/food/rcp/index.aspx?recipeId=50062

Corned Beef Hash

Corned Beef Hash

3 tbsp. butter
2 cups cooked corn beef (chopped)
3 cups potatoes (chopped)
2 tbsp. onions (minced)
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

In a skillet, melt the butter in the pan and add in the corned beef, potatoes and onions. Mix in pan until all ingredients are browned; drain. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

*Johnna's tip: Simple enough, right?? Yup. Corned beef hash is a southern breakfast favorite. Add in the ingredients you like i.e. some green or red peppers would add a nice bite to this or lighten up on the potatoes if avoiding carbs is your thing Or trade the white/yellow potatoes in for some sweet potatoes in the hash...Long story short, have fun with it!

Picture source: http://www.real-restaurant-recipes.com/corned-beef-hash.html

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

6 large eggs
1 tbsp. sour cream
1 tbsp. milk
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 tbsp. chives
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (*mix in Swiss if you want more flavor)

Combine eggs, sour cream, milk, salt, pepper and chives. In a pan over medium heat, melt butter and add in egg mixture, stirring. Stir in cheese(s) until desired consistency is reached; Serve steaming hot!

*Johnna's tip: JKGF loves the egg breakfast because it can have so many variations, meaning when your dollar is low, you can use just about anything to spruce up your eggs (*that is if you even have some eggs hanging around...). We like onions, mushrooms, green peppers and even olives. Note to yourself: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day...why not make it perfect??

Picture source: http://startcooking.com/blog/38/Scrambled-Eggs

Morning Quesadilla

Morning Quesadilla

2 tbsp. butter
8 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk
4 green onions (diced)
1 jalapeno pepper (*optional) (diced)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
8 soft flour tortillas
12 oz. pepper jack cheese
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
Tomato salsa (*Spice level depends on you)
Sour cream
Cilantro (Chopped)

Over medium heat, saute the onions and peppers with butter. Whisk eggs, milk, cumin, salt pepper and a little cilantro together in a bowl; add this mixture to the onions and peppers and turn down heat to scramble ingredients. In another pan, melt some butter and place one tortilla and 1 1/2 oz. of the cheese in the pan. Add in a spoonful or two of the egg mixture to tortilla and cover with cheese and a second tortilla. Cook for 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned and remove from pan. Repeat process for remaining tortillas. Top tortillas with remaining cilantro. Serve with salsa and sour cream.

*Johnna's tip: With breakfast tortillas you can be just as creative as you would be with a fajita or taco of your choice. Make it healthier by using only egg whites, low fat sour cream and low fat cheese. We know, we know eggs have been getting a bad wrap, but this is fun way to twist up your eggs into a good breakfast...you can't feel but so guilty when there's flavors like jalapeno and onions filling up your palate...

Picture source: http://www.aa.com/content/amrcorp/pressReleases/2006_09/18_reaffirm.jhtml

Blue Berry Muffinz

Blue Berry Muffinz

1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg. Add milk in alternately with dry ingredients. Fold in the berries. Spoon the mixture into muffin tins. Bake for 20-22 minutes until lightly browned.

*Johnna's tip: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? So why not start with something that leaves a lasting impression on your mind all day by how delicious it is? Homemade, fresh, out the oven, blueberry muffins are ridiculously good! Spread them with your favorite butter, margarine or butter substitute and get ready to start your most fabulous day;-)

Picture source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/photo/CINNAMON-BLUEBERRY-MUFFINS-1222209