Homemade Organic Bacon and Hash Brown Casserole

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 lb. organic pork belly, sliced thin like bacon OR organic bacon without synthetic additives
• 1 small organic yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cups frozen Homemade Organic Hash Brown Potatoes
• 2 1/4 cups organic grass-fed whole milk
• 8 large organic pasture eggs
• 1 tsp. Real Salt
• 1/4 tsp. organic freshly ground peppercorn blend
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated organic nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp. organic dry mustard
• 4 cups cubed organic multigrain bread; crusts removed, diced and dried for croutons
• 1 cup grated organic cheddar
• 1 cup freshly grated organic Parmesan

Here’s How I do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook the bacon over medium-high heat until it is cooked through.
3. Using additional lard, butter or bacon grease, coat a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish.
4. Add the onion and saute over medium-low heat until soft, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the hash browns and break apart. Saute until crispy, about 10 -15 minutes.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard.
7. Whisk briskly to blend.
8. Spread the onions and hash browns evenly at the bottom of the greased dish.
9. Place the bread cubes evenly on top of hash browns. With a slotted spoon distribute sausage as the third layer. Pour the milk and egg mixture over these layers.
10. Add Parmesan as the next layer, and then add the cheddar as the final layer.
11. Bake the casserole, uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, until puffed and golden brown.
12. Enjoy!

If you’d like, you can refrigerate the casserole overnight before baking.

 

Homemade Organic Hash Brown Potatoes

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 lb. organic potatoes (Russet works great, but any kind will do.)

Here’s How I do it:

1. Grate the potatoes and place them into a colander.
2. Once all of the potatoes are grated, run water over them for 10 minutes mixing occasionally to get all of the starch removed from the potatoes.
3. For Freezing:  While the water is running, line 3 -4 baking sheets with parchment paper.  After the potatoes are finished being under the running water, spread the hashed potatoes across the parchment paper.  Try not to overlap them too much.  Freeze them in a deep freezer for 10 minutes, then transfer to a glass Mason jar with tight-fitting lid.  Return them to the freezer and use like frozen hash browns from the store.
4. If you don’t want to freeze them, you can add some lard or, other fat for frying, into a medium-sized frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the hash browns and cook them until brown and crispy on one side.  Do not turn them until they’re finished on the one side.  Do the same on the other side.  You may season them however you wish; salt, pepper, etc.
5. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Waffles

I have adapted the recipe from Tammy’s Recipes.  This is really delicious with Homemade Organic Strawberry Syrup.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1-3/4 cups flour (organic unbleached white, or organic whole wheat, or a combination)
• 2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
• 1 Tbsp. Homemade Baking Powder
• 2 organic pasture eggs
• 1-3/4 cups organic whole milk
• 1/2 cup organic pasture butter, melted
• 1 tsp. Homemade Organic Vanilla Extract

Here’s How I do it:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl.
2. Beat all wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stirring just until moistened.
4. Cook on pre-heated waffle iron until waffles are browned and test done.
5. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Banana and Walnut Muffins

I got the original recipe from the Williams – Sonoma Muffins cookbook.  I have adapted this recipe.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 1 1/2 cups of organic white unbleached flour
• 3/4 cup organic cane sugar
• 3/4 cup organic walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. Real Salt
• 1/2 cup organic walnut oil or melted organic pasture butter
• 1 large pasture egg
• 2 or 3 medium to large very ripe bananas, slightly smashed to yield 1 1/4 cups.
• 3 Tbsp. organic buttermilk or organic whole milk
• Organic pasture butter, for greasing muffin tin

Here’s How I do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease 10 muffin cups with pasture butter.
3. Fill the unused cups 1/3 cup full of water to prevent warping of the muffin pan.
4. Mix the flour, sugar, chopped walnuts, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
5. In another bowl, mix the butter or oil, egg, mashed bananas, and buttermilk or milk until blended.
6. Add the dry ingredients and beat well until evenly combined and creamy.
7. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the cup.
8. Bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, approximately 20 – 25 minutes.  A toothpick inserted to the center of the muffin should come out clean.
9. Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve warm or room temperature with Maple Butter or butter.
10. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Blueberry Muffins with Streusel

I found this  original blueberry muffin recipe in the Williams-Sonoma Muffins cookbook published by Simon and Schuster.  I have adapted it slightly.

For the Muffins

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 7 Tbsp. [1 stick minus 1 Tbsp.] organic pasture butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup of organic cane sugar
• 2 large organic pasture eggs
• 2 1/4 cups organic unbleached white flour, PLUS 2 Tbsp. for dusting blueberries
• 4 tsp. Homemade Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Real Salt
• 1 cup grass-fed organic whole milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. Homemade Organic Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen organic blueberries
• Homemade Organic Maple Butter, for serving

Here’s How I do it:

1. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Add each egg separately and mix well in between.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, stir the flour, salt and baking powder together.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two segments, alternating with the milk and vanilla.
6. Stir until just evenly moistened.  The batter will be slightly lumpy.
7. Combine the blueberries and 2 Tbsp. flour until well coated.
8. Using a large spatula, fold in the blueberries until just evenly distributed, no more than a few strokes.  Take care not to break up the fruit.  Do not overmix.
9. Spoon the batter into each muffin cup, filling it level with the cup.
10. Bake for about 12 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven.
12. Sprinkle each muffin with streusel.
13. Place back into the oven and bake until golden, dry and springy to the touch, approximately an additional 8 – 13 minutes.  A toothpick inserted to the center of the muffin should come out clean.
14. Place the muffins on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature with Homemade Organic Maple Butter.

For the Streusel:

• 1/2 cup organic unbleached white flour
• 2 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
• 2 Tbsp. organic light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 tsp. organic ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. organic pastured butter, cut into small pieces

Here’s How I do it:

1. Mix together the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture just until coarse crumbs form.

Homemade Organic Banana and Peanut Butter Smoothie

This is a great smoothie to make for breakfast because of the protein and magnesium content as well as the probiotics.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

• 2 organic ripe or overripe bananas
• 1/4 cup homemade peanut butter
• 1/4 cup organic banana mango yogurt (Plain can be used as well but one might need to add some organic cane sugar.)
• a splash or two of organic whole pastured milk, preferably raw

Here’s How I do it:

1. Add all ingredients to a tall Mason jar.
2. Use an immersion blender and mix the ingredients well.
3. Enjoy!

Homemade Organic Cheese Grits

Here’s what you need:

• 3 cups unchlorinated and unfluoridated water
• 1 cup organic grass-fed whole milk
• 1 tsp. Real Salt
• 1 cup organic cornmeal/grits
• 1/2 tsp. organic freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp. organic pasture butter
• 4 ounces organic cheddar cheese, grated

Here’s how I do it:

1. Place milk, water and salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, add cornmeal/grits.
3. Decrease temperature to low & cover.
4. Remove lid and whisk frequently (approximately every three to four minutes).
5. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until thickened.
6. Remove from heat, add pepper and butter.
7. Once the butter is melted, slowly add the cheese by the handful and whisk until well incorporated.
8. Enjoy!