Breakfast

As a child, I remember waking up to the smells and sounds of breakfast being cooked. It didn't matter what happened the day before. Waking up to my mother's breakfast was my automatic reset button for a new day.

Breakfast is important not only for your body but for your mind as well. Whether you're sitting down with maple syrup drizzled warm cinnamon pancakes, sausage, and fluffy scrambled eggs or you've got just enough time to get a green smoothie from the local juice bar, it starts your day, provides you with energy, and makes you happy.

That happiness leads to a smile and a good morning to someone you don't even know, which in turn leads them to do the same to someone else. So, you see, breakfast is also great for your soul.

Eating Breakfast to Win

Eating a nutritious breakfast helps you kick-start your metabolism. By starting your day with lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats, you'll be energized and less likely to reach for comfort snacks later in the day.

Caribbean Salmon Croquettes with Cilantro Aioli

For Croquettes

2 cans of pink salmon, drained
½ cup red onion, minced
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 tablespoons fresh, chopped cilantro
¼ cup red bell pepper, diced small
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
½ cup asiago cheese
¾ cup gluten free panko
bread crumbs
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup of canola or vegetable oil
For Cilantro Aioli
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup avocado mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper

Cilantro Aioli

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender, and mix until well incorporated.

2. Adjust seasonings, and serve.

Croquettes

1. In a large bowl, gently break apart the salmon.

2. Add the remainder of the ingredients except the oil.

3. To test flavor of salmon mixture: Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and carefully add a tablespoon of the salmon mixture shaped into a patty. Since the mix has raw egg in it, you can't taste it beforehand. This gives you a chance to test the flavor before you make the rest of your croquettes.

4. Cook until browned. Use a fish spatula to carefully turn and brown the other side.

5. Drain on paper towel, taste and adjust seasoning.

6. Form the rest of the mixture into patties, and resume the cooking process.

7. Serve immediately with cilantro aioli.

Crab and Mushroom Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium shallot
8 ounces velvet pioppini mushrooms (any other mushroom will work just as well)
¼ cup smoked, sun-dried tomatoes
½ cup lump crabmeat
1 avocado, diced
12 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup shredded asiago cheese, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a nonstick ovenproof skillet over medium heat.

3. Add shallots, and stir until softened.

4. Add mushrooms and stir often until softened and all liquid has been released.

5. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream and ½ cup cheese.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

7. Add crab, avocado and tomatoes to the skillet.

8. Increase the heat to medium high, and add remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet.

9. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms, and shake to make sure the eggs are evenly distributed.

10. Cook without stirring, until it's set. This should take about five minutes.

11. Sprinkle remaining ¼ cup cheese over eggs, and transfer skillet to oven.

12. Bake frittata until golden brown and center is set.

Spicy Lobster and Sweet Potato Grits

For Lobster

1 tablespoon grape seed oil
4 ounces turkey andouille sausage, sliced
1 ½ teaspoons Creole seasoning
2 medium lobster tails, split and meat completely removed and chopped from one tail
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 medium shallot, minced
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon celery, minced
1 ½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup fire-roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

For Grits

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup onions, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup uncooked yellow grits
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1 sweet potato, roasted and mashed
½ cup smoked Gouda cheese

Lobster

1. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat, and brown sausage turning frequently to ensure even cooking.

2. Remove sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon, and drain on a paper-towel lined baking pan.

3. Pour out all but ½ tablespoon of oil from the pan, and return to the stove over medium heat.

4. Raise the temperature of the pan to medium-high heat, and add lobster to the pan.

5. Cook lobster just enough so that it begins to brown.

6. Remove lobster from the pan, place in a bowl and reserve.

7. Return the pan to the stove, and reduce the heat to medium.

8. Add butter to the pan.

9. Once the butter starts to foam, add in the shallots, garlic, celery and red pepper flakes.

10. Stir often until the mixture is slightly softened.

11. Add fire-roasted tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce.

12. Stir until tomatoes begin to release their juices. This normally takes about five minutes.

13. Add reserved lobster and sausage to the pan, and cook until lobster is warmed through.

14. Add fresh time, and adjust seasonings.

Method for Grits

1. Melt one tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepot over medium heat.

2. Add onions, and stir often until onions soften.

3. Pour in broth and bring to a boil over high heat. 4. Once broth reaches a rolling boil, pour in the grits. Whisk the grits as you pour them in to prevent lumps.

5. Add in cinnamon, Creole seasoning and nutmeg.

6. Stir the grits until the mixture comes back up to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.

7. Place a lid on top, and let simmer.

8. Combine the mashed sweet potato and cream in a medium bowl, and mix into a puree.

9. After the grits have cooked, remove the lid and stir in the sweet potato mixture until well blended.

10. Finish by adding the butter and smoked Gouda.

11. Taste and adjust seasonings. Spoon over the lobster, and serve hot.

Crab and Vegetable Scramble Avocado Toast

6 large eggs
1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream
¼ cup white cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ small red onion, minced
½ red bell pepper small, diced
6 asparagus, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked
for shells
1 teaspoon cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 large slices country-style bread, toasted (any type of bread will
work just fine)
3 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled
and sliced
Sriracha

1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, cream, salt, pepper and cheese, and set to the side.

2. In a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, melt butter.

3. Add vegetables and sauté until slightly softened.

4. Add crab to vegetables.

5. Pour in egg mixture and season with salt, pepper and cumin.

6. Occasionally scrape bottom of skillet with a heatproof spatula to form large, soft curds. Then cook until desired firmness is achieved.

Set aside.

7. Place two slices of toast on each plate.

8. Place slices of avocado on each slice of bread, then top with the eggs.

9. Drizzle Sriracha, and serve immediately.

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toast

4 pieces country-style bread, toasted (any type of bread will work just fine)
2 small avocados, peeled, pitted
1 small lemon, juiced
½ small red onion, minced
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
8 ounces smoked salmon
1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
¼ cup microgreens
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon olive oil

1. Place avocado in a medium bowl, and smash with the back of a fork until fairly smooth.

2. Stir in lemon juice, onion, ½ tablespoon dill, and season with salt and pepper.

3. In a separate bowl, combine chives, microgreens, zest, ½ tablespoon dill and olive oil.

4. Gently stir to incorporate, and season with salt and pepper.

5. Spread avocado onto each slice, and top each with two ounces of smoked salmon.

6. Finish by topping toast with microgreen salad. Serve immediately.

Collard Green and Mushroom Toast with Eggplant Puree

For Toast

2 cups wild mushrooms (Any combination will work, but I'm a fan of velvet pioppini, brown clamshell and forest nameko.)
3 garlic cloves, sliced thin
¼ medium red onion, sliced thin
2 teaspoons grape seed oil
2 cups collard greens, large stems removed and leaves torn
1 tablespoon fig balsamic vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Country-style bread, toasted (any type of bread will work just fine)

For Eggplant Puree

2 medium eggplants
8 cloves garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Eggplant

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Split the eggplants lengthwise.

3. Using a paring knife create two slits in each eggplant half. You should have eight slits in all.

4. Place 1 clove of garlic in each slit.

5. Coat the white flesh of all the eggplants with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

6. Place each half of eggplant on a baking sheet, cut side down.

7. Bake until the flesh is soft and the skin has no resistance when poked with a knife.

8. Remove from oven and allow to cool until you can handle them.

9. Scrape the flesh away from the skin into a blender or food processor, making sure all the garlic is included.

10. Season eggplant with paprika, salt and pepper.

11. Blend until smooth and creamy.

12. Adjust seasoning, and reserve until ready to be used.

Toast

1. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, garlic and onions in grape seed oil until browned and most of the moisture is removed from the mushrooms.

2. Add greens, and cook until wilted.

3. Season mixture with vinegar, salt and pepper, and remove from the heat.

4. Spread eggplant puree onto toasted bread.

5. Top eggplant puree with spoon mushroom mixture, and serve immediately.

Collard Green Ham and Smoked Gouda Strata

3 cups collard greens, large stems removed and leaves chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 cups whole wheat country bread,
cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups smoked Gouda cheese
1 cup diced ham
8 large eggs
3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter a 9-by-12-inch baking dish.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and sauté the onion, peppers and garlic until soft.

4. Add the collard greens, Creole seasoning and pepper.

5. Cook until the greens are wilted then remove from heat.

6. Spread half the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.

7. Top with half the collard green mixture.

8. Sprinkle with half the ham and half the cheese.

9. Repeat this process ending with cheese.

10. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, mustard, curry, Creole seasoning and thyme until well incorporated.

11. Pour the custard evenly over the strata, and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

12. Remove the strata from the fridge, and let it come to room temperature.

13. Bake the strata uncovered until golden brown and cooked through.

14. Cut into squares, and serve from the same baking dish with sliced green onions for garnish.

Pear Dutch Baby with Blackberry St. Germain Syrup

For Dutch Baby

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ripe pears, cored and
sliced ¼ inch thick
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
½ cup white, whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

For Blackberry Syrup

4 cups blackberries
¾ cup maple syrup
¼ cup water
¼ St. Germain (elderflower liquor)

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Lemon wedges, for serving

Dutch Baby

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt two tablespoons butter.

3. Add the pears, four tablespoons maple syrup and ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and cook until the pears are caramelized and tender. Remove from the heat, and reserve in the pan.

4. Place two tablespoons of butter in a 10-inch, cast-iron skillet and place in the oven until the butter is melted and the skillet is very hot.

5. In a blender, mix together the eggs, almond milk, whole-wheat flour, the remaining two tablespoons of maple syrup, the remaining ½ teaspoon of the cinnamon, vanilla, salt and nutmeg until smooth.

6. Pour batter into a medium bowl. Using a slotted spoon, remove half of the caramelized pears, and fold them into the batter.

7. Carefully pour the batter into the pre-heated skillet, and place it in the oven.

8. Bake until the edges of the pancake are golden brown and have puffed up.

9. Once the Dutch baby is removed from the oven, top with the remaining caramelized pears, and dust with powdered sugar.

Blackberry Syrup

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, sugar, water and St. Germain.

2. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

3. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until blackberries are soft.

4. Pour syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing gently on the blackberries and then discarding solids.

5. Serve syrup warm over the Dutch baby.

Cheddar and Chive Cornbread Waffles with Curry Fried Chicken

For Waffles

1 ½ cups coarse cornmeal
¾ cup white, whole-wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
½ cup grated, smoked cheddar
¼ cup chives, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups buttermilk
½ tablespoon hot sauce
2 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

For Chicken
2 pounds chicken wings (drumsticks or thighs are okay, but I'm a wing man)
1 ½ tablespoons Creole seasoning
2 ½ tablespoons curry powder
1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 large eggs
¼ cup buttermilk
2 cups all-purpose flour (regular all-purpose flour is my go-to for frying chicken)
½ tablespoon curry powder
½ tablespoon dried thyme
Canola oil for frying

For Corn Relish
5 ears of sweet yellow corn,
kernels sliced off the cob
1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 large orange bell pepper, finely chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup sugar
½ teaspoon ground dry mustard
2 teaspoons Kosher salt

Chicken

1. In a small bowl, combine Creole seasoning, curry, thyme and black pepper.

2. Season wings with the spice mixture.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and buttermilk together.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and ½ tablespoon of Creole seasoning, curry and thyme.

5. Dredge the chicken in the egg and buttermilk mixture then dredge in the flour.

6. Shake off any excess flour. Place the coated pieces aside on a wire rack, and repeat with the remaining chicken.

7. Fill a fryer with oil, and heat to 350 degrees.

8. Fry the chicken wings until they are crispy, begin to float and juices run clear. This usually takes about 10 minutes.

Relish

1. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil, continuously stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Reduce the heat to medium, and simmer uncovered until the vegetables are tender.

3. Remove relish from the heat, and let fully cool before use.

Waffles

1. Preheat waffle iron.

2. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, one tablespoon Creole seasoning, paprika, garlic powder, cheddar and chives.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, honey, hot sauce and melted butter.

4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and stir in the buttermilk mixture until just combined.

5. Brush both sides of your waffle iron with butter, and add 1/3 cup of the batter into the center of your iron. Close and cook until nicely browned.

6. Top waffles with curry fried chicken, corn relish and maple syrup.

Sweet Potato Waffles with Caramelized Bananas

For Waffles

3 cups white, whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups buttermilk
¼ cup maple syrup
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon bourbon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed, baked sweet potatoes
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 medium bananas, chopped

For Bananas
3 firm, ripe bananas
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons spiced rum
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Waffles

1. Pre-heat your waffle iron.