Waffles with Peaches and Pecan Praline Sauce

Image 1 Comment May 8, 2019 Tangie Holifield

Let me tell you about this dish…..With just one full bite off the fork, you will have thought that you have died and gone to waffle heaven with a taste of the South in your Mouth! It’s a perfect dish to serve for brunch during the month of May, as we continue carrying on a Kentucky theme.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Pecan Praline Sauce:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3 ripe peaches, halved, pitted and sliced

For the Waffles:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup whole milk
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons pure cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Nonstick spray or melted unsalted butter, for waffle iron
Confectioners’ sugar, for garnish
Sprigs fresh mint, for garnish

Directions:
For the sauce: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the light brown sugar, butter and salt. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in the cream and cook for an additional minute, continuing to whisk. Remove from heat and stir in the pecans and peaches. Keep warm over a double boiler.

For the waffles: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cardamom and in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, sour cream, butter, cane sugar, vanilla and eggs in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat a waffle iron and lightly spray with nonstick spray or brush with butter. Add about 1/2 cup of the batter per waffle. Close the lid and wait until the steam has stopped emerging from the cracks of the iron, about 4 minutes.

Serve the waffles with the toasted pecan praline sauce, dust with confectioner’s sugar and garnish with a sprig of mint.

Louisville’s Legendary Hot Brown

Image May 5, 2019 Tangie Holifield

With so much to boast about —award-winning dining; breathtaking turn-of-the-century architecture; attentive, caring service—some may wonder: “Why the Hot Brown” was created at The Brown Hotel? Briefly here is history behind this now legendary dish.

In the 1920’s, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. By the wee hours of the morning, guests would grow weary of dancing and make their way to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Sensing their desire for something more glamorous than traditional ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests’ palates. His unique dish? An open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. The Hot Brown was born!

Available in The Brown Hotel restaurants, bar and through in-room dining, the Hot Brown continues to exemplify our unending dedication to serving their guests. Such culinary prowess and commitment, of course, doesn’t go unnoticed. The Hot Brown—a Louisville tradition with worldwide appeal—has been featured in Southern Living, The Los Angeles Times, NBC’s Today Show, ABC News with Diane Sawyer, Travel Channel’s Man v. Food, and The Wall Street Journal, and is a regular entry in many of the world’s finest cookbooks.

The Legendary Hot Brown

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, plus extra for garnish
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
14 ounces sliced roasted turkey breast, slice thick
4 slices of Texas toast, with crusts trimmed
4 slices of bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
Ground smoked paprika, for garnish
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:
In a two-quart saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined to form a thick paste or roux. Continue to cook roux for 2 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk heavy cream into the roux and cook over medium heat until the cream begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino-Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with 7 ounces of sliccd turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and two toast points and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast. Pour half of the sauce over the dish, completely covering it. Sprinkle with additional cheese. Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove and cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and serve immediately.

Mr. Crumb Stuffing Waffles with Fried Eggs

Image March 17, 2019 Tangie Holifield

Photo Credit: Umami Girl, 2019.

For a change of pace this St. Patrick’s Day, take a chance and try these savory waffles with cheddar made with Mr. Crumb Sage and Onion Stuffing™ . This dish works equally well for breakfast, brunch or dinner. Top with a fried egg and a dollop of sour cream and serve with a side of bacon and grilled tomatoes for a truly excellent meal.

Adapted from
Mr. Crumb
February, 2019

Serves 6

Ingredients:
For the waffles:
Two 8-ounce (225g) tubs of Mr. Crumb Sage and Onion Stuffing™
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 ounces (50g) Kerry Gold Dubliner Irish Cheddar Cheese™
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Vegetable cooking spray

For the Eggs:
Large knob of butter
6 large eggs
Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

For Serving:
Cooked bacon, fried mushrooms, grilled tomatoes or sautéed spinach

Directions:
Preheat a waffle iron to a medium setting.

Place the stuffing in a large bowl, gently breaking up any large lumps. Add the egg and stir to combine, making sure that all of the stuffing is evenly moistened.

Stir in the cheese and add parsley, thyme and salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the stuffing mix into six equal portions and shape each one into a patty about 1-inch thick.

Using vegetable spray, lightly grease the waffle iron. Add the patty to the waffle iron and cook for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining patties.

Heat a large cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Add the butter. When the butter has melted and the skillet is hot, fry the eggs until cooked to your liking.

To serve, place a waffled on a plate and top with an egg and season with salt and black pepper. Serve with crispy bacon, fried mushrooms grilled tomatoes or sautéed spinach, if desired.

Enjoy!

Cook’s Notes:
Mr. Crumb Gourmet Stuffing is a product of Ireland and is cooked by hand in small batches by sautéing onions, herbs and spices in pure Irish Butter (made with milk from grass fed cows) before mixing in fresh breadcrumb. The product is available in the United States at Safeway and Albertson Supermarkets.