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Thank Mom with breakfast in bed
Melissa Elsmo
Mom’s Savory-Sweet Pancake Breakfast
Have the kids help fill a sturdy tray with coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, berries and a batch these savory mushroom pancakes to surprise Mom with a lovely Mother’s day breakfast in bed!
2 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon butter
4 ounces small button mushrooms, thinly sliced (halved vertically if large)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
4 asparagus stalks, woody ends discarded and sliced into 1 ½” length.
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1½ cup “Complete” pancake mix
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons roasted red pepper, minced*
1 Tablespoon chives, snipped
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons spinach and artichoke flavored boursin cheese
2 Tablespoons diced red pepper
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and sauté until just fragrant. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool. If desired, cover and refrigerate the mushroom mixture overnight and proceed with the recipe in the morning.
Wipe the skillet and heat the remaining olive oil until nearly smoking. Add the sliced asparagus and sauté until slightly brown on the edges and tender-crisp (about 5 minutes). Season the asparagus with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve.
Gently warm the syrup in a small sauce pan over very low heat with the chopped rosemary.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle or electric griddle to 375 degrees. Mix the pancake mix and water until just combined. Fold in the mushroom mixture, red pepper, chives and mustard. Pour ¼ cup batter onto the griddle and cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter until you have 6 pancakes.
Place a warm pancake on a plate. Spread with ½ Tablespoon boursin cheese, top with another pancake and spread with ½ Tablespoon boursin cheese. Top the stack with a thirds pancake. Surround the stack with the asparagus, drizzle with the rosemary syrup, garnish with diced red pepper and chives. Makes 2 servings.
*If you are running short on time, feel free to used roasted red peppers from a jar to cut back on breakfast prep on a hectic morning.
Article Extras
Updated: June 11, 2012 8:35AM
Even in the hands of the most capable chefs, a perfectly balanced dish can be elusive. Sour, bitter, salty and sweet are in constant opposition, but these basic elements of flavor can work in unison to elevate the essence of a dish to new heights.
Motherhood is a little like finding the harmony between divergent flavors in a single dish.
Children are complicated little creatures and mothers channel their inner chef every day in their attempt to create a sense of balance at home. Children can quickly become bitter, but deft mothers know just how much acid and sweetness are needed to coax out kindness, humor, and creativity in their children.
Sure, it can be a baffling proposition, but mothers selflessly tinker with the basics and adjust their approach in the un-ending hope the result of their efforts will be nothing short of extraordinary. Dedication of that magnitude deserves to be celebrated.
This Mother’s Day, honor all of the devoted mothers in your life by serving a single dish that strikes a memorable balance between savory and sweet and recognizes the tireless commitment mothers demonstrate everyday.
Mom’s Savory-Sweet Pancake Breakfast
Have the kids help fill a sturdy tray with coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, berries and a batch these savory mushroom pancakes to surprise Mom with a lovely Mother’s day breakfast in bed!
2 teaspoons olive oil (divided)
1 teaspoon butter
4 ounces small button mushrooms, thinly sliced (halved vertically if large)
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
4 asparagus stalks, woody ends discarded and sliced into 1 ½” length.
¼ cup pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1½ cup “Complete” pancake mix
1 ¼ cup water
2 Tablespoons roasted red pepper, minced*
1 Tablespoon chives, snipped
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons spinach and artichoke flavored boursin cheese
2 Tablespoons diced red pepper
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon butter in a small skillet and add the mushrooms. Sauté until mushrooms are golden brown and tender. Add the garlic and thyme leaves and sauté until just fragrant. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool. If desired, cover and refrigerate the mushroom mixture overnight and proceed with the recipe in the morning.
Wipe the skillet and heat the remaining olive oil until nearly smoking. Add the sliced asparagus and sauté until slightly brown on the edges and tender-crisp (about 5 minutes). Season the asparagus with salt and pepper and set aside until ready to serve.
Gently warm the syrup in a small sauce pan over very low heat with the chopped rosemary.
Meanwhile, heat a griddle or electric griddle to 375 degrees. Mix the pancake mix and water until just combined. Fold in the mushroom mixture, red pepper, chives and mustard. Pour ¼ cup batter onto the griddle and cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Repeat with remaining batter until you have 6 pancakes.
Place a warm pancake on a plate. Spread with ½ Tablespoon boursin cheese, top with another pancake and spread with ½ Tablespoon boursin cheese. Top the stack with a thirds pancake. Surround the stack with the asparagus, drizzle with the rosemary syrup, garnish with diced red pepper and chives. Makes 2 servings.
*If you are running short on time, feel free to used roasted red peppers from a jar to cut back on breakfast prep on a hectic morning.
Melissa Elsmo is an Oak Park mom, wife and chef/foodie. She speaks regularly about reclaiming the family dinner hour with nutritious meals. Check out her food blog at www.outofmelskitchen.blogspot.com.
