Brunch

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup apple sauce

4 eggs

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

2 tablespoons hot water

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions:

Combine the sugar and oil in a large bowl. Add the eggs and pumpkin and blend well. Combine the hot water and baking soda in a bowl Add to the pumpkin mixture with the flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Pour into greased and floured mini muffin pans – bake at 350 degrees 20 minutes or until muffins test done. May also use 5-inch-by-9-inch or 4-inch-by-8-inch loaf pans baked for 1 hour. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Submitted by Coordinator of Alumni Reunions and Special Events Jean Service ’85 (attributed to the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties Carolina Thyme)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups unbleached flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

2 cups buttermilk

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted, cooled

2 egg whites

Instructions:

Combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, egg yolks and butter in a separate bowl and mix well. Beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened; do not overmix. Fold in the egg whites.

Spoon the batter 1/3 cup at a time onto a hot greased waffle iron. Bake 2 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately with your favorite fruit sauce or syrup. You may want to top with fresh fruit and confectioner’s sugar.

Submitted by Coordinator of Alumni Reunions and Special Events Jean Service ’85 (attributed to the Junior League of Durham and Chapel Hill Carolina Thyme)

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped nuts

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

2 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apples

Instructions:

Combine 1 cup of sugar, nuts, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Beat the butter and the other cup of sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla.

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the sour cream, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.

Fold in the apples gently. Pour half of the batter into a greased Bundt or tube pan. Sprinkle with half the nut mixture. Top with the remaining batter and then the rest of the nut mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake tests done. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm.

Submitted by Coordinator of Alumni Reunions and Special Events Jean Service ’85 (attributed to Junior League of Durham and Chapel Hill Carolina Thyme)

Dry Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

½ cup brown sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins

Wet Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 cups milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

Topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

¾ cup chopped pecans

¼ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon pumpkin spice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 2 ½-quart baking dish.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together then pour over the dry ingredients, stirring to combine. Pour into the prepared baking dish. In a clean bowl, combine all topping ingredients until the pecans are coated in brown sugar. Scatter the topping over the top of the oats.

Bake uncovered 35-45 minutes until the oats are tender and the mixture is set.

Serve warm.

Submitted by Accounting Assistant Rachel Welch (attributed to CelebratingSweets.com)

From the chef: This naturally sweetened baked oatmeal recipe features blueberries (or any fruit – I used mixed berries and peaches when in season) wholesome oats, nuts and warming spices. Reheats well all week.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans (or walnuts)

2 cups old-fashioned oats

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt (or ½ teaspoon regular table salt)

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 ¾ cups milk of choice

½ cup maple syrup or honey

2 large eggs or flax eggs

3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter or coconut oil (divided)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

12 ounces or 1 pint fresh or frozen blueberries (or 2 ½ cups of your preferred berry/fruit, chopped into ½-inch pieces if necessary), divided

2 teaspoons raw sugar (optional)

Optional toppings for serving: plain or vanilla yogurt or whipped cream, additional maple syrup or honey for drizzling, additional fresh fruit

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch-square baking dish. Optional: pour the nuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 4-5 minutes until fragrant (I skip this).

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oats, nuts cinnamon, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Whisk to combine.

In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the milk, maple syrup or honey, egg, half of the butter or coconut oil and vanilla. Whisk until blended. (If you used coconut oil and it solidified in contact with the cold ingredients, briefly microwave the bowl in 30-second increments, just until the coconut oil melts again.)

Reserve about ½ cup of the berries for topping the baked oatmeal, then arrange the remaining berries evenly over the bottom of the baking dish (no need to defrost frozen fruit first). Cover the fruit with the dry oat mixture, then drizzle the wet ingredients over the oats. Wiggle the baking dish to make sure the milk moves down through the oats, then gently pat down any dry oats resting on top.

Scatter the remaining berries across the top. Sprinkle some raw sugar on top if you’d like some extra sweetness and crunch. Bake for 42-45 minutes, until the top is golden. Remove baked oatmeal from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes. Drizzle the remaining melted butter on the top before serving (I skip this to reduce fat – still delicious!).

Submitted by Advertising Account Representative Jana Collins ’92 (MA)

Ingredients:

1 yellow cake mix (I use Betty Crocker Super Moist)

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup of sour cream (8 ounce container)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped pecans (optional)

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan).

Grease and lightly flour 13-inch-by-9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

Spread half of the batter in pan.

In small bowl, stir together brown sugar, pecans (optional) and cinnamon, sprinkle over batter in pan.

Carefully spread remaining batter evenly over pecan mixture.

Bake 44 to 48 minutes or until deep golden brown.

In small bowl, stir powdered sugar, milk and vanilla until thin enough to spread.

Prick surface of warm cake several times with fork.

Spread powdered sugar mixture over cake.

If you can, cool completely (never happens with my folks 😊) . Store covered.

Submitted by Assistant Director of Enrichment Programs Tanea Pettis ’95

From the chef: We’ve used both a cast-iron Dutch oven and a cast-iron skillet to cook this dish. Using the Dutch oven allows the pancake to cook up a bit more evenly than the skillet, but both work wonderfully. I have also read that you can use a round baking dish or any other heavy 10-inch skillet. For a fall flavored dish, top this pancake with fried apples. You can use canned fried apples as a time saver (Luck’s makes a great canned fried apple) and simply heat them up in a pan with a little butter and some apple pie spices of your choice. I recommend taking advantage of the fresh fall apples that are available at your local farmers market or grocery store.

Pancake ingredients (makes 1 pancake, serves 4-6 people):

3 eggs

½ cup flour

½ cup milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Pinch of nutmeg

Splash of vanilla

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Warm maple syrup and fried apples (for serving)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Whisk together eggs, flour, milk, sugar, vanilla and nutmeg until smooth.

Place butter in a cast-iron Dutch oven, heavy 10-inch skillet or baking dish and place in the oven. Once butter melts, add the batter to the pan, return pan to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the pancake is puffed and golden. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake five additional minutes.

Remove pancake from oven, cut into wedges and serve topped with warm fried apples (recipe below), maple syrup and a sprinkle of powdered sugar (if desired).

Simple Fried Apples:

¼ cup butter

3-4 cooking apples of your choice (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith and Golden Crisp are some of my favorites), sliced (I leave the skin on for added texture and nutrients, but feel free to peel it off.)

¼ cup dark brown sugar (more or less to your taste)

Dash of kosher salt (optional)

Spritz of lemon juice (about ½ teaspoon)

Apple pie spices of your choice, to taste (I enjoy using cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.)

¼ cup water (to use as needed)

Instructions:

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the apples and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in brown sugar, salt, lemon juice and spices. Continue cooking apples until syrupy and tender. Note – if it seems your apples are not becoming tender as quickly as desired, add in a little water and cover the pan with a lid. Be careful not to leave them covered too long as the end result will be a bit more stew-like. Serve warm on top of Dutch Baby with warm maple syrup.

Submitted by Coordinator of Alumni Reunions and Special Events Jennifer Guy ’09 (pancake recipe adapted from Florence Fabricant’s Dutch Baby recipe on New York Times Cooking).

From the chef: I love homemade granola! The recipe below makes a large batch that you can store in the freezer and use as needed. For fall, it is delicious when paired with yogurt, cinnamon and fresh apple cubes. It’s fall in a bowl (or Mason jar J).

Granola Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats (I like to use Quaker Old Fashioned Oats.)

1 ½ cups raw (not toasted) nuts of choice, roughly chopped. Truly – this is for you! Use a combination of what you like. I like to use 1 ½ cups of whatever nuts I have on hand. I often purchase a variety of nuts in bulk so that makes it easy. Sliced almonds, walnuts, cashews and pecans are all great choices.

½ cup pumpkin seeds

¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup (Note – you can use honey here if you do not have maple syrup available. The granola will stick together a bit more in this case. No worries – this isn’t a bad thing and makes it easier to snack on in clusters, fresh off of the pan J.)

4 tablespoons honey

¼ cup vegetable oil

¾ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

Combine oats, nuts, seeds and coconut flakes.

In a separate bowl, mix together brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, vegetable oil and salt.

Combine both mixtures and pour onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to achieve an even golden color.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Store mixture in a gallon-size freezer bag in the freezer. Use as needed – no need to defrost. It will remain perfectly fresh and crunchy, straight from the freezer.

Parfait ingredients (quantities are not listed as this recipe is adaptable based on the number of people you are serving):

Plain or vanilla yogurt

Fresh apples, cubed (your choice of type)

Sprinkle of cinnamon and allspice

Fresh granola

Drizzle of maple syrup or honey (optional)

Instructions:

Assemble parfait in a bowl or Mason jar, using the yogurt as your base, followed by the apples, spices, granola, and maple syrup or honey. Close your eyes as you take the first bite — you are likely eating this for breakfast or brunch but might think you are eating dessert. Enjoy J!

Submitted by Coordinator of Alumni Reunions and Special Events Jennifer Guy ’09

Ingredients:

14 to 16 ounces chorizo sausage, casing removed

2 ½ cups whole milk

5 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 6 ½-inch-by-4 ½-inch slices sourdough bread, crusts trimmed

1 ¾ cups shredded hot-pepper Monterey Jack cheese (about 7 ounces)

1 4-ounce can chopped mild green chilies, drained

½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions:

Lightly coat a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Sauté chorizo in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer chorizo to plate lined with paper towels; drain well.

Whisk next 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend.

Place 2 bread slices in bottom of prepared dish. Sprinkle with ¾ cup cheese and half each of chilies, cilantro and chorizo. Pour 1/3 of egg mixture over. Repeat layering with 2 bread slices, ¾ cup cheese and remaining chilies, cilantro and chorizo. Pour half of remaining egg mixture over. Top with 2 bread slices. Pour remaining egg mixture over and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup cheese.

Cover; chill overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake strata uncovered until puffed and golden, about 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Submitted by Director of Membership Stephanie Miller ’83 (attributed to epicurious.com)

Ingredients:

1 pound croissants (about 5 to 7), split in half lengthwise

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, more for baking dish

1 bunch scallions (6 to 7), white and light green parts thinly sliced, greens reserved

12 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage

8 large eggs

3 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

8 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (2 cups)

1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:

Heat oven to 500 degrees. Spread croissants on a large baking sheet and toast, cut side up, until golden brown, 5 to 10 minutes (watch carefully to see that they do not burn). Let cool, then tear into large bite-size pieces.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced scallions and sausage; cook, breaking up meat with a fork, until mixture is well browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage and remove from heat. In a large bowl, toss together croissant pieces and sausage mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, 1 ½ cups cheese, salt and pepper. Lightly coat a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

Turn croissant mixture into pan, spreading it out evenly over the bottom. Pour custard into pan, pressing croissants down gently to help absorb the liquid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the casserole, heat oven to 350 degrees. Scatter the remaining grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Transfer to oven and bake until casserole is golden brown and firm to the touch, 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Garnish with sliced scallion tops before serving.

Submitted by Director of Membership Stephanie Miller ’83 (attributed to epicurious.com)

From the chef: You can also watch Nadiya make her egg rolls on her Netflix show, Nadiya’s Time to Eat, episode 1, “Recipes in a Rush.”

Ingredients:

6 free-range eggs

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic granules

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

oil, for frying

6 small tortilla wraps

85 grams/3 ounces sliced black olives (drained weight from 185 grams/6½-ounce jar)

100 grams/3½ ounces fresh, frozen or tinned button mushrooms, sliced (optional), defrosted if frozen

6 teaspoons sun-dried-tomato paste

Directions:

Crack the eggs into a bowl, then add the parsley, garlic granules, salt and pepper, and give everything a good mix.

Put a small frying pan over a medium heat, and drizzle in two teaspoons of oil. Take the time at this stage to peel the tortillas away from each other.

Put the olives into a bowl, and the sliced mushrooms, if using, in another bowl, and have both nearby. Pour 3 tablespoons of the egg mixture into the pan – the eggs should sizzle, but if they don’t, turn the heat up a little.

Scatter a few olive slices and mushrooms onto the wet egg mix.

Take a tortilla wrap and spread it with a teaspoon of sun-dried tomato paste. Quickly put the tortilla on top of the egg, paste-side down. While the wrap and egg are cooking, get the next wrap ready and spread with the paste.

Using the back of a slotted spatula, press the top of the tortilla to help distribute the egg under the wrap. Cook for no more than 30 seconds, then, as soon as the egg has glued itself to the tortilla, flip over and cook on the other side just to warm it through for another 30 seconds.

Take the pan off the heat and put the tortilla/egg on a plate. Roll the whole thing when it is cool enough to touch. Do the same with the rest of the wraps until the egg is used up. Serve.

Submitted by Coordinator of Membership Services Katie Thore ’15 (attributed to Nadiya Hussain, https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/egg_rolls_46445)

From the chef: This recipe makes 1 large 9-inch-by-12-inch pan, approximately 10-12 servings.

Ingredients:

12 eggs

4 cups of milk

4 slices white bread broken into small pieces

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 pound bulk sausage

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 can mushrooms (optional)

Instructions:

Brown sausage.  Drain well.

Beat eggs, add milk and rest of ingredients, except sausage.

Crumble sausage in bottom of pan, pour mixture over.

Must sit (refrigerated) overnight or all day.

Cook uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (checking periodically).

Serve with fruit salad.

Submitted by GAA President Doug Dibbert ’70

Ingredients:

4 pork loin chops, about ¾-inch thick

2 tablespoons Italian salad dressing

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 small onion, sliced

Instructions:

Trim fat from chops.

In small bowl, combine dressing, mustard and pepper. Brush both sides of chops.

Cook in covered skillet (medium-low heat) 20 minutes.  Turn chops, add onion; cook covered 5-10 more minutes.

Submitted by Printshop Coordinator Tom May

Servings:  Makes 2 quiches

Ingredients:

2 9-inch, deep-dish pie shells

1 pound hot bulk sausage

1 4-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained

½ cup chopped onion

¼ cup chopped green pepper

1 teaspoon minced parsley

1 teaspoon basil

Dash garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups milk

4 eggs

Dash paprika

Instructions:

Bake pie shells until thoroughly browned.

Brown sausage; drain.

Combine next 7 ingredients with sausage.

Spoon into shells; top with cheese.

Combine milk and eggs, beating until foamy.  Pour over cheese and sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes.

Submitted by Telephone Receptionist Susan Stedman (handed-down family recipe)

From the chef: This recipe is from my mom; I do not have anything from her as to where it originated.

Ingredients:

1 8-ounce package refrigerated crescent rolls

¼ cup chopped onion

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 cup finely chopped ham

1 cup (4 ounces by weight) shredded Swiss cheese

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives (optional)

Instructions:

Place crescent rolls in an ungreased 13-inch-by-9-inch-by-2-inch pan or a pizza pan.  Press to ½ inch up the sides of the pan. Seal perforations. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes on lower rack of oven.

Melt butter in a small pan and sauté onion, stirring constantly until soft. Stir ham into the onions. Spoon mixture over dough.  Sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Combine egg, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour over ham, onion and cheese mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.  Server immediately.  Yields 6 to 8 servings.

Submitted by Controller Lisa Beers

From the chef: This is my go-to beverage for catching up on nutrients that I might have missed during the week. If you’ve never added spinach or chia seeds to your smoothie, try it! 

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen fruit (you decide which fruit!)

1 cup water

1 cup almond milk, dairy milk or yogurt

½ cup spinach (small handful)

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to blender. Use “chop ice” setting for 1-2 minutes, then switch to highest setting for another 1-2 minutes to blend well. If you don’t see a vortex form on the highest setting, add ¼-½  cup more water.

If you feel so inclined, add a splash of your favorite adult beverage and celebrate the weekend. 🙂

Submitted by Senior Coordinator of Alumni Education and Travel Douglass Payne ’04 (’06 MAT)

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas (provides the sweetness)

Frozen fruit of choice (strawberry, blueberry or mango are favorites)

Milk of choice (soy, rice, almond, other)

*It’s easy to vary this depending on amount needed.

Instructions for 2 smoothies:

Add 2 ripe bananas, about ½-1 cup frozen fruit and 1 cup of milk to blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste (such as more banana for more sweetness, more frozen fruit to increase fruit flavor or more milk if too thick).

Submitted by Associate Editor Keith King ’82

Ingredients:

Earl Grey tea

hot water

warm milk

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

In a cup, add vanilla extract and honey to taste.

Brew the Earl Grey tea in hot water. Use a teabag or loose-leaf. Cover and steep for 5 minutes.

In a serving cup, fill half of the cup with the brewed Earl Grey tea mixture. Add hot milk to the remaining half of the cup. Serve immediately.

Submitted by Assistant Director of Alumni Records Rachel Orr (attributed to https://realandvibrant.com/london-fog/)