Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

8 buttermilk biscuits
8 - 12 oz pork sausage
3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 cups beef broth, divided
salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, crumble the sausage and cook over medium high heat until browned. Chop at the sausage with a wooden spoon to break it into small pieces. Do not drain fat. Lower the heat. Stir in the flour; cook, stirring, until fluffy.

Mix 1/2 cup of beef broth into the buttermilk. Slowly stir into sausage and flour mixture, making sure to combine everything thoroughly. Add up to 1 1/2 cups more beef broth to achieve the gravy consistency you like. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4 servings

Cranberry-Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

STREUSEL:
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp flour

COFFEE CAKE:
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups flour
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries, rehydrated and squeezed dry

1. To make streusel: Combine butter, sugar, and flour in chilled bowl. Using a pastry blender, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture is consistency of fine, moist bread crumbs. Cover and refrigerate until cake is ready to go in the oven.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

3. Place sour cream in small bowl and mix baking soda and salt into it. Stir to blend and set aside.

4. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until fluffy. Sift flour and baking powder over the top and mix in, then beat in sour cream mixture. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips. Scoop batter into baking pan and smooth surface. Scatter streusel mixture evenly over the top, breaking up larger pieces.

5. Bake 40 - 45 minutes, or until the cake passes the toothpick test. Serve wram or at room temperature.

10 servings

from Williams-Sonoma Breakfast

Scandinavian Muesli

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup rye flakes or what flakes
1/3 cup coarsely chopped almonds
2 tbsp flaked coconut
1/2 cup raisins
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of cinnamon
1/4 cup flaxseeds, ground

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread oats and rye or wheat flakes on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Stir in almonds and coconut; bake until oats are fragrant, about 8 minutes. Turn off oven. Stir in raisins.

2. Microwave honey for 10 seconds in glass measuring cup. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon; drizzle over muesli and stir to coat. Return muesli to turned-off warm oven and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Stir in flaxseeds.

8 servings, about 1/2 cup each

Per serving: 196 calories; 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat; 2 g monounsaturated fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbs; 6 g protein; 5 g fiber; 6 mg sodium; 209 mg potassium.

from EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook