Celebrate Fall with APPLES!
Tis the season for apples! One of our favorite fruits at The Original Pancake House Denver, apples are harvested every year from
late August through early October. We love apples so much we feature them in several of our breakfast dishes – the Apple Belgian Waffle, our Potato Pancakes with sour cream and cinnamon apple sauce, and of course the incredible Apple Pancake! To celebrate the apple harvest, we wanted to share a few fun facts about this quintessential American fruit.
- More than 2,500 varieties of apples are grown in the United States, but worldwide there are more than 7,500 varieties of apples. The crabapple is the only variety native to the U.S.
- Apples contain no fat, sodium or cholesterol and are a good source of fiber. The study of apples is known as pomology.
- The pilgrims planted the first apple orchards at the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In colonial times, apples were called “winter banana” or “melt-in-the-mouth.” Today apples are grown in all 50 states.
- The top apple producers around the world are China, United States, Turkey, Poland and Italy. Apples account for 50%of international deciduous fruit tree production. Worldwide, more than 44 million metric tons of apples are harvested each year.
- Apple trees take four to five years to produce their first fruit. Each fruit requires energy from 50 leaves to grow and ripen.
- Apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they are refrigerated.
- Apple varieties range in size from a little larger than a cherry to as large as a grapefruit. The largest apple ever picked weighed 3 pounds. Apples come in all shades of yellow, green and red.
- Apples harvested from an average tree can fill 20 boxes that weigh 42 pounds each. A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds. A bushel of apples weighs about 42 pounds.
- Apples are a member of the rose family.
- It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider and about 2 pounds of apples to fill one apple pie.
And, because we all know “an apple a day keeps the doctor away,” here is a great breakfast recipe featuring the mighty apple!
Morning Glory Muffins
Hearty, healthy breakfast muffins
Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ cups carrots, grated
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup flaked coconut
- ½ cup raw apple, peeled and diced
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in another bowl.
- Add the flour mixture to liquid ingredients, and stir until moistened. Gently fold in remaining ingredients. Pour into well-greased muffin tins, about two-thirds full.
- Bake 20-25 minutes, until light golden on the edges and tops.
And for days when you have plenty of time and want to treat yourself to the best breakfast in Denver, be sure to stop by either our Cherry Hills or Denver Tech Center restaurants and enjoy one of our famous Apple Pancakes!
Fluffy Foamy Omelette Recipe
At The Original Pancake Denver, we take our breakfast recipes very seriously. One of our favorite breakfast menu items is the omelette. Light and fluffy, filled with a favorite topping, omelettes are always a crowd pleaser! There are many methods to omelette making, and most home chefs have a favorite easy omelette recipe.
The Original Pancake House Omelette Recipe
Here are a few tips for creating the perfect omelette at home with this fluffy omelette recipe.
1. To start, make sure your eggs are whipped until they are light and even a bit frothy. Some chefs recommend adding one tablespoon of
water to make sure the egg mixture is extra light. For a solid meal, we usually use three eggs.
2. Choose the appropriate sized pan. A 7-8” non-stick frying pan is perfect for a three-egg omelette.
3. Warm your pan over medium heat. Add fat to the pan to ensure your omelette never sticks. This step is very important; if you skimp on the fat you will create an omelette disaster! Butter, oil, bacon fat or a combination of any of these three will work. In general, you want to use at least a tablespoon to ensure your omelette does not stick. Tilt your pan in all directions to make sure the fat evenly coats the pan.
4. Turn your pan down to low heat. All omelette connoisseurs agree that the best omelettes are cooked low and slow! No one enjoys brown or burned eggs. Add your eggs to the pan and sprinkle your favorite toppings over the top.
5. This next step is one of great debate. Once the eggs are in the pan, some chefs recommend lightly stirring the eggs and pulling them away from the sides to ensure evenly cooked eggs. Others recommend you do not touch the eggs once they are in the pan; instead place a lid over top and let the omelette cook covered on very low heat for 5-8 minutes. We recommend experimenting with both to see which works best for you.
6. Once the omelette has finished cooking, fold in half or in thirds and ENJOY!
Though we can’t share all of our omelette trade secrets, we encourage you to find and perfect your favorite technique. This breakfast (or lunch!) dish is certainly an art and patience will garner great rewards! If you are looking for more ideas, check out these easy spring dinner recipes.