Today for breakfast we made blueberry pancakes using Stoneridge Orchards Dried Blueberries and Bisquick. We didn’t need to use Bisquick, as King Arthur flour, baking soda, and baking powder work equally well for making pancakes and are essentially the same as Bisquick.

The beauty of using the Stoneridge Orchards Dried Blueberries is that they keep fresh so long and are available year round. Fresh blueberries are only available in season, and are packed in sizes that in general are too large to just make pancakes with. You need a plan when you buy them because they are expensive, and will only keep so long. Dried blueberries on the other hand have a shelf life of several months which give you an opportunity to use them in any variety of ways.

We followed the directions on the Bisquick package for mixing the pancakes and added about 1/2 a cup of dried blueberries to the mixed batter. We then let the batter sit for a minute while we heated our old cast iron griddle and coated it with a fresh coat of canola oil. We test the see if the griddle is warm enough, and we dropped water on the griddle to make sure it dances across the surface. If the water doesn’t dance, the griddle needs more heat. If the water simply boils away the griddle is too hot. Once we get the temperature correct, we lower the heat a bit, keep an eye on how the pancakes are cooking and adjust the heat accordingly.

There is no magic to cooking great pancakes. Simply dip a ladle into the batter, and pour onto the griddle. Pour the batter on the griddle slowly, as it takes a little time for the batter to spread and if too much is poured on the pancakes will spread too wide. We like our pancakes to be about 4 or 5 inches in diameter. Once the batter is on the griddle, cook the pancakes until the top is bubbly all over; then turn them over and cook another minute or two until the bottom is brown. If the color of the pancakes isn’t dark enough for your taste when the pancakes are turned over, cook them a little longer and wait for larger bubbles to form before turning the next pancake. On the other hand, if the bottom of the pancake is cooked too much, don’t wait so long to turn the next pancake. It doesn’t take long to get into the swing of things when it comes to cooking pancakes. The picture to the right shows the pancake at the top of this article right before we turned it over. Because it can take a few minutes to cook a pile of pancakes 2 at a time, we place our cooked pancakes on a warmed plate, and set in a warm oven [about 100° F] until we have enough pancakes made to serve.

One of our favorite ways to eat pancakes is to cook an egg over-easy so that the white is cooked but the yolk isn’t quite set. We then place the over-easy egg in between the pancakes. We top the pancake with a dap of whipped butter, and pour warmed pure Maple Syrup over the top. As we eat the pancakes, we’ll break the yolk, and use the pancakes to sop it up. The taste of the egg, pancake, syrup and butter combined is delightful.

Today we continue our theme of different foods we cook with Old Bay Seasoning. This time it’s a favorite of ours that we call Railroad Rice. We have no idea why we call it Railroad Rice, or who came up with the name but it’s stuck. This breakfast dish is a meal in itself, and is one of a few recipes we make for breakfast that has a substantial amount of green vegetables in it. Railroad Rice can also served as a luncheon dish.

We make Railroad Rice with authentic Basmati Rice from the Himalayas. While there are good quality American grown basmati rices, we feel that there is something to the real thing so we stick to original Basmati rice from India. If you’ve never had Basmati rice, then you’re really missing out on a delightfully light and flavorful rice. At Spice Place we sell Basmati in 15 pound bags, so you might want to try out Basmati in a 8oz store package first before investing in our large value package.

Recipe for Railroad Rice
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 cup cooked Basmati rice
• 2 to 3 slices chopped ‘turkey bacon’ or sliced ham
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 – 3 eggs
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup grated Cheddar cheese

1. Prepare the chopped vegetables. The pieces should be at most about 1/2 inch wide.
2. Add the canola oil to a large skillet. Heat over medium heat, and add the chopped vegetables. Cook the vegetables over medium heat, turning often, until they are just beginning to soften.
3. Add the turkey bacon or ham to pan.
4. Add the cooked Basmati rice^*, and stir. Cook the Basmati rice – vegetable mixture for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until heated thorough.
5. Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning over the rice mix, then add the eggs to the pan, and stir in well. Continue to cook, turning often until eggs are cooked.
6. Remove from heat, and place on serving dishes. Top with the shredded Cheddar cheese immediately, and serve.

^*This recipe is better if you use day old Basmati rice that’s been refrigerated at least overnight.

We mentioned Old Bay Hash Browns in our last entry. It’s an easy to make breakfast side dish and is flavored by our favorite spice blend, Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay is a staple at our dinner table and we use it on lots of foods which we will continue to discuss here. While Old Bay is more usually associated with lunch and dinner dishes, it’s well suited for breakfast too. Our Old Bay Hash Brown Potatoes recipe will add something new to your breakfast fare.

Recipe for Old Bay Hash Brown Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 2 – 3 medium potatoes
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
• 3 tbsp chopped onion

1. Wash and peel the potatoes
2. Slice the potatoes in half lengthwise, then place the flat side down on the cutting board. Slice each half lengthwise about 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Cut again crosswise, 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. If you can’t cook the potatoes immediately, place the diced potatoes in a pan and cover with water to prevent them from turning brown.
3. Lightly oil a 9 or 12 inch skillet with the canola oil. Place over medium – low heat and then add the potatoes. Cover the pan, and reduce heat to low.
4. Allow the potatoes to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn, and replace cover. Turn every 2 – 3 minutes until just starting to brown. It’s important to cook the potatoes in a covered pan so that they cook through.
5. Add the chopped onion to the potatoes, stir and turn. Cook uncovered turning frequently until the onions are translucent. Make sure the pan isn’t covered or the moisture from the onions will soften the potatoes.
6. Sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning to taste.