Posted on December 18, 2014 in Cooking by Leslie Rulewicz

What nicer thing can you do for somebody than make them breakfast? – Anthony Bourdain

Breakfast.

As clients enter residential treatment, generally it is voluntary. They have support of loved ones to make a change, but ultimately it is the individual’s decision to receive residential treatment. When a client makes the choice to come to residential treatment they may be dehydrated and malnourished from years of use. At Sanford House, we understand the role of food in the recovery process and our food program is at the forefront of our treatment. We also try to recognize our resident’s history with food through an initial confidential assessment to discover food allergies, intolerances, and preferences. As the chef of Sanford House, knowing the answers to these questions about a resident really helps me in rebuilding their relationship with food.

Breakfast starts at Sanford House each morning at 8:00. It is important, now more than ever, for women to build a foundation to cope with what may be physically (and mentally) draining activities, exercises, and group sessions. Being a strict coffee and toast kind of girl, I still struggle with finding the time for breakfast or the right balance of foods, so this article is certainly serving me a dose of my own medicine.

Have you ever eaten breakfast in the morning and an hour or two later you feel a crash in energy and mental awareness? I definitely have. Particularly in early recovery, breakfast should really focus on three areas: starches, proteins and fats. We provide several choices for breakfast because we believe that residents should have the ability to decide how they would like to start their day. Now – when I talk about the three areas of concentration for breakfast this is the reason why. Starches start breaking down immediately in your body giving you a boost of energy right away lasting between an hour and hour and a half. Proteins take a bit more time to digest – usually two hours later which provides another surge of energy. Lastly, fats kick in after about three hours and really are the ones that help get you through until lunch time. Examples of good starches for breakfast include oatmeal, whole grain breads, bagels and fresh fruits. Ideas for beneficial proteins include meats, eggs, nuts or seeds. Additionally, healthy fats recommended are: yogurt, peanut butter, and milk.

This Sanford House breakfast in particular featured cold items – hard boiled eggs, assorted bagels and cream cheese, pumpkin spice muffins, carrot cake scones and yogurt and fruit filled granola cups. It also featured hot items – a ham and veggie frittata (ham, Swiss cheese, asparagus, mushroom and onion) and roasted brunch potatoes. Each morning we have fresh coffee and assortment of loose teas, infused water, juices and smoothies available. We really tailor our menus to the women at Sanford House and their wants and needs. They are able to choose a breakfast they want to start before moving onto bigger successes throughout their days.

I have shared my recipes for our carrot cake scones, yogurt and fruit filled granola cups and breakfast frittata for you to enjoy at home.

Eat well – be well,

Leslie Rulewicz

Executive Chef

Sanford House

Carrot Cake Scones

Author: Leslie Rulewicz

Serving size: 8 scones (or 16 mini scones)

Scones

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ cup butter

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1 egg

½ cup shredded carrot

Half & half to brush on (optional)

Granulated sugar to sprinkle (optional)

Glaze

6 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or two forks until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
4. In separate bowl, stir together yogurt and egg. Slice the vanilla bean length-wise opening it up and scrape contents from inside and combine with yogurt and egg mixture to disperse vanilla seeds. Stir in shredded carrot and add to dry mixture, stirring until just combined.
5. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 4-5 times until just comes together.
6. Shape dough into about an 8 inch circle or split dough into two smaller circles for mini scones. Cut into 8 pieces and place on prepared baking sheet.
7. If you choose to, brush the tops of the scones with half & half cream and sprinkle granulated sugar over the top.
8. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until just starting to turn light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
9. Prepare glaze by whisking together confectioner’s sugar and maple syrup until smooth.
10. Spoon glaze over the top of scones. Serve.

Chef’s tip: this recipe freezes great, just wrap tightly with plastic wrap and store in a zip top bag. Pull out of the freezer and thaw in the refrigerator the day before you want to make them.

Yogurt & Fruit Filled Granola Cups

Author: Leslie Rulewicz

Serving size: 10 – 12 cups

2 cups rolled oats

1?3 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries

1 tsp cinnamon

3 Tbsp sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp melted butter

1 egg

Yogurt

Assorted fruits

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
3. Press the mixture into a large greased muffin tins. The mixture should take the form of the muffin tin.
4. Bake until golden – about 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Cool and remove with a sharp knife.
6. Fill with yogurt and fruit.

Chef’s tip: feel free to get creative with different flavors of yogurt and different fruits! I used vanilla Greek yogurt and topped with strawberries, raspberries, kiwi and pomegranate seeds.

Ham, Swiss & Veggie Frittata

Author: Leslie Rulewicz

Serving size: 8 portions

2 tablespoons olive oil

½ sweet onion finely diced

1 ham steak, diced

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

8 – 10 asparagus stalks

2 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp table salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

12 large eggs, beaten

¼ cup half & half cream or milk

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Instructions

1. Place pot of water on the stove top and bring to a boil. Once it comes a boil add asparagus stalks. Remove once asparagus becomes bright green in color – about 45 seconds. Immediately add the asparagus to a bowl of ice and cold water to shock – or end the cooking process. Once fully cooled remove ends (bottom inch) of asparagus and discard – cut stalks into 1” pieces.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a 10-inch (2-inch deep) ovenproof non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté onions in hot oil until translucent. Add ham to skillet and cook until ham gets a nice caramelized color – about 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Add mushrooms and asparagus and sauté until al dente (tender, yet not overcooked). Lastly add the garlic in – adding it last prevents it from browning and burning.
4. Add eggs, salt and pepper and sprinkle with cheese. Cook 3 to 5 minutes, gently lifting edges of frittata with a spatula and tilting pan so uncooked portions flows underneath.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven, and let stand 5 minutes. Slide frittata onto a large platter, and cut into 8 wedges. Serve immediately.

Chef’s tip: You can also make individual frittatas by completing steps 1-3 and dispersing ingredients between 8 greased ramekins. Pour egg mixture over cooked ingredients and divide cheese between the eight ramekins and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake about 12 to 15 minutes or until set.