Brunch For Your Valentine

Chef Carrie Levin from the Good Enough to Eat restaurant in New York City shared a few recipes from her cookbook, "The Good Enough to Eat Breakfast Cookbook," on The Saturday Early Show a couple of years ago.

Cherry-Coconut Muffins
(Makes 12 Muffins)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted after measuring)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cherries, sliced
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1/2 cup, or 1 stick) soft butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sweetened coconut shreds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease the top of your muffin pan with some butter. Put the muffin liners into the muffin pan.
   
2. Separate the eggs. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Toss the cherries with the lemon juice in a bowl. Beat the vanilla with the egg yolks in your mixing cup.
   
3. In the food processor cream the sugar and butter until white. Next, pulse the egg yolks and vanilla mixture.
   
4. Whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold a soft peak.
   
5. Add half of the dry mix to the processor and pulse about three times to blend.
6. Now pour in the buttermilk and pulse. Put the rest of the dry mix in and pulse again. Remember to scrape down the sides of the processor after each additional-pulse sequence—and never add anything to the processor while it is pulsing.
   
7. Remove the batter from the processor with your spatula into a large bowl.
8. Fold the coconut and cherries into the batter. Lastly, fold in the egg whites in a horizontal figure-eight pattern, turning the bowl three or four times while you're doing it.
   
9. Pour the batter into the muffin cups, filling them up to the edge of the liners.
10. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pan after 15 minutes. Test to see if they're done with a fork—clean, dry tines mean "done."
    
11. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before trying to lift them out of the pan.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablepoons wheat germ (optional)
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole or 2 percent milk
6 tablespoons melted butter (not clarified, reserve 1 tablespoon to brush on waffle iron)
1 cup blanched sliced almonds
10 to 12 large ripe strawberries, sliced lengthwise about 1/8-inch thick

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
   
2. Using a fork, cut the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a large bowl (6-quart is ideal). Beat the eggs and milk together using your fork or a whisk and pour into the dry ingredients. Mix together with the fork until there are no large lumps, but as with pancakes, don't overmix! Cut in 5 tablespoons of the butter last.
   
3. Distribute 1/2 cup of the almonds over a dry cookie sheet and toast in the oven for about 5 minutes, tossing them in between. Remove from the oven when they get golden brown.
   
4. Preheat the waffle iron, and when it tells you it's ready, brush some butter over the grids. Making sure you've still got the iron's "go" signal, spoon on about 3 tablespoons of the batter and distribute a level (or slightly shallow) tablespoon of the UNtoasted almonds over the surface. Close the iron. Take note that the strawberries are not cooked into the waffles!
   
5. When the iron tells you the waffle is done, pull the waffle out and serve with equal amounts of toasted almonds and sliced strawberries on top. Don't forget the maple syrup!

Ingredients:
Pinch black pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons butter (for mushrooms)
3 to 4 medium button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced 1/4 inch thick
Pinch salt
2 teaspoons clarified butter (for omelet)
3 eggs
1/4 cup coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1. In an omelet pan, bring the pepper, red pepper flakes, and the 2 teaspoons of regular butter to bubbling over a high heat. Add the mushroom slices and let them cook for 1 minute. You'll see the juice coming out of the mushrooms. Press them down at this stage with a spatula or spoon. As the mushrooms cook, scrape the browning from the pan to incorporate its flavor into the mushrooms. Add salt. It will take about 4 minutes for all the water to evaporate and for the mushrooms to get well browned. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl and wipe your pan to remove anything that might have stuck to the surface.
   
2. Reheat the pan with the 2 teaspoons of clarified butter.
   
3. Beat the eggs, and when ready, test the heat of the buttered pan with a dribble of egg. If it coagulates immediately and does not stick, return the mushrooms to the pan and then pour in the eggs. Cook the eggs to the desired doneness by pulling them with a fork and tilting the pan. A moment or so before de-panning, sprinkle the Parmesan over the eggs, being careful not to let any get on the surface of the pan.
   
4. Slide the eggs from the pan onto a warmed plate and sprinkle them with some fnely chopped parsley. Then you might add a slice of orange or a strawberry, a side of bacon or sausage, and some buttermilk biscuits.