Breakfast Strudel

A delicious, out-of-the-ordinary breakfast entree.

While puff pastry is found most often in desserts, its buttery flakiness is also a perfect companion to eggs, ham, and shredded potatoes.

Vitamin C in the orange juice serves as a natural preservative for the color of the eggs. 

You can assemble the strudel the night before and pop it into the oven the following morning.

Don't be afraid of "braiding" the pastry.  The pastry puffs during baking, covering most assembly imperfections.

You know what they say:  all roads lead to Rome, and all good recipes begin with...

Buttah. 

 Toss in a cup of shredded potatoes. 

Saute for 7-8 minutes.

 Add diced red bell peppers and onions.

Then toss in some chopped ham, if you so desire.

(I diced up some smoked ham lunch meat.)

Pour in eggs and chopped parsley that have been whisked together.

 And scramble.

Remove from heat

and mix in some softened cream cheese.

Gaze out the window at a beautiful winter morning.

And at the joys of your heart gathered around your table...

Now, sprinkle some flour on a surface

and lay out the thawed puff pastry dough.

Roll it out to about 12 x 10 inches.

Cut off the corners on one edge...

and notch the other edge as shown above.

(It rather looks like a harmless arrowhead...)

 

Cut strips at a 45 degree angle.

(I like to use a ruler because I am terrible at things that require consistency and evenness).

Do the same on the other side.

And put the egg mixture down the center.

Fold the flaps up at both ends,

(kind of like diapering a sweet baby's bottom...)

And then "braid" the strips across the filling

(just alternate sides).

Make an egg wash and brush it over the pastry.

Then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden.

Breakfast Strudel

(makes 2 strudels)

1 box puff pastry dough (I use Pepperidge Farm), thawed 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup shredded potatoes (thawed)

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 cup diced smoked ham (lunch meat works too!)

9 eggs, divided

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley (substitute one tablespoon of dried parsley if you don't have fresh)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons Parmesan, shredded

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and saute 7 to 8 minutes.  Stir in peppers and onion; saute 3-5 minutes.  Then add ham and stir well.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs.  Remove two tablespoons of the eggs to a small bowl and refrigerate.  Add chopped parsley and salt.  Whisk eggs, parsley and salt together well.  Pour eggs into the pan with the other ingredients and scramble just until set.  Season with pepper as desired.  Remove from heat and stir in orange juice and cream cheese.  Mix until blended. 

Unfold a thawed pastry sheet on a work surface that's been lightly dusted with flour.  Roll pastry to 12 x 10", then transfer to a piece of parchment paper cut to fit a baking sheet.  Trim pastry (see photo instructions above), fill with half the egg mixture, and braid, alternating strips over the egg mixture.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Repeat assembly with remaining pastry and egg filling.  Transfer parchment paper and strudels to baking sheets. 

Combine the set-aside whisked egg and mix it with the water.  Brush egg wash over the top of the strudels and sprinkle with cheese.  (At this point, strudels may be wrapped in plastic and chilled overnight.)  Bake strudels for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.  Let cool 5 minutes before slicing.

Adapted from http://www.cuisineathome.com/ (the magazine)