Ah, Savory Breakfast...How I Love You...

My love of all things breakie...or at least in the savory sense...has been tugging at my blogging heartstrings...

Simply put...I adore eggs...so breakfast is basically my favorite meal of the day. When I am abroad, and in a country that does the sweet breakfast...I have issues.

I recall desperately ordering an Egg McMuffin in Florence, Italy...because I needed a break from the rolls and Nutella...although the fact that I could always find apricot preserves over there kept me sort of jazzed.

I heart the big British breakfast the most (no big surprise there). Eggs, beans, sausage, chips...sometimes bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes...or haggis! (I'm speakimg of Scotland, of course ;) Sometimes it's all of the above! Sigh...

Here's a photo of me enjoying one of these fabulous plates of food on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh:



Yes...I take the time to make breakfast before I leave for work every day...it's not always as elaborate as the following photos, but it really doesn't take much time. I realize that for most people these would most likely be a weekend breakfast...either way...they're yummy :)


My favorite is eggs with hummus and then a little salad of tomatoes and fresh basil (tossed with salt, pepper, olive oil and red wine vinegar). My wonderful friend Kim turned me on to the salad idea...thanks Kim!



And sometimes...when I have more time, or leftovers, my home fries replace the hummus. This particular day, I cooked russet potatoes with rosemary, sage, garlic, salt, pepper, and red onions:



Another morning I finished up some leftovers...quinoa with sweet potato puree, garlic, black beans and curry paste:



No matter who the egg's savory guest star is...it's a yummy way to start the day...add a nice cup of tea or coffee....and be still my early morning heart.

Kale and Panchetta Soup

This is one of my favorites...so tasty...I wish I had some to eat right now (especially since I'm battling a wee cold). It's a wonderfully comforting dish in the cold weather, so I thought I should post it before Spring hits...I'm getting it in just under the wire, I think!

Isn't she Beautiful?


I took about 1/2 pound delicious panchetta and browned it in a large pot with some garlic...and then added a carton of organic chicken stock, a small bunch of kale (in pieces) and a couple handfuls of dry whole wheat spirals...then let it simmer until the pasta was done. I seasoned with garlic salt, crushed red pepper flakes, onion powder and pepper. You can add what ever you think might be tasty!


And a little Parmesan put it right over the top....




MMMMMM.....

Boozy Date and Cranberry Bars...

I had some dried dates and cranberries that had seen better days...they were a little too dry. I wanted to use them in a bar recipe (I hate waste) so I needed to re-hydrate them...

I could have used water or juice...but where's the fun in that?

Instead, I soaked the chopped dates in apricot brandy and the cranberries in triple sec for hours (until the fruit had absorbed the alcohol).






1 cup chopped, dried dates (soaked in apricot brandy or brandy of your choice)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (soaked in Triple Sec...or any orange flavored liquor)
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, and grease 9x9 pan...

Put flour, salt and baking powder in large bowl and mix thoroughly...add date/cranberry/walnut mixture.

In a smaller bowl beat together sugar and eggs...then add vanilla and oil beat well.

Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Spread into pan and bake until golden brown (about 25-30 minutes). Cut into bars. Makes around 24.

Muppet Leftovers...

I turned the party leftovers into new culinary creations for the week...and they were delicious!

The spicy veggie pizza topping turned into a sort of ratatouille...with red quinoa:


I chopped 1 eggplant and simmered with some garlic, canola oil (I was out of olive...), and onion powder:


Then, I remembered that I had a zucchini...so I sliced and added it...with a little butter for flavor...


Then added in the leftover pizza topping...


...and the Quinoa...



For the Ale Hamburger topping...I mixed it with some wild rice:





And for the left over ricotta cheese...I found a lovely recipe on Fresh Direct:

1 1-pound box penne 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 cup fresh ricotta 1/3 cup roughly chopped mixed fresh herbs (such as chervil, tarragon, and flat-leaf parsley) Zest of 1 lemon, grated 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserving 1/3 cup of the water, drain the pasta, then return it to the pot. In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, ricotta, and pasta water until a rich, creamy sauce forms. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta. Add the herbs, zest, salt, and pepper and toss.


I accidentally over-salted...so be careful!

Food for Thought

I had a different blog planned for today....all still Muppet related (sort of)...but I'll post that later...

This morning I came into the city for a Dr's appointment and when I got there...the Dr. was still on vacation. Hmmmm.

Well...no use getting angry, though I was understandably a little put out...so I took the time to walk to work (from 56th street...where I interned as a college student...and then down past TV Guide's old 'hood at 48th...and then onto our new home). All the while I was wondering what the reason for this extra time was...would I randomly run into someone I hadn't seen in a long time and I was meant to reconnect with?

I took the time to stop for a fruit shake near Radio City Music Hall and my old office. I used to only go to this specific fruit-shake vendor because I liked the couple who worked there....and they were still there! I haven't been in over a year...and I wasn't necessarily a regular when I did...but they always smiled really brightly at me when I came by...and today was no different! The man's face lit up when he saw me...and I had doubted he'd remember me. It was so nice; instantly cheered me up.

I had left the Dr's office wondering why I hadn't been notified ahead of time to her absence so I could have slept later....and I got my answer in those few moments while I waited for my large Mambo Shake with wheat grass. We are all so much more connected than you'd think...

:)

Tea With Oscar...

This week is all about the Muppets. :)

The day after my party, I enjoyed a quiet tea with Oscar:






I did feel bad eating such a beautiful creation...until that first bite, anyway :)

Simply Delicious...

Anatomy of a Muppet Party...

Saturday I held my third annual Muppet Party.

I had the idea (3 years ago) to get some friends together for an adult kid's party...where we would eat food we loved as kids (but in a healthier form), have some drinks, watch The Muppet Show, and maybe play some games...basically be silly and childlike for an evening.

Reflecting on my parties over the past years, I realize how far I've come with relaxing while entertaining...I used to get pretty stressed out.

The most important thing to remember? These are you friends, and all is well.

Be yourself in every aspect of planning...meaning, have fun yourself and all else will fall deliciously into place! Create a party you would want to attend...

I started the day by getting up and having a leisurely breakfast and waiting for my fresh direct order (freshdirect.com). Ordering groceries cuts down on my stress (whether I'm throwing a party or not)...it's fabulous! Oh, and paper cups and plates get a huge thumbs up from me too. I'm not a big supporter of plastic, but I had some leftover plastic utensils that also came in super handy.


After a little cleaning and putting away the groceries, I pre-chopped veggies, grated cheese, and made pizza dough for later. I even had time (or rather, made time) to do a little yoga and reiki before I hopped in the shower!



My Beautiful pizza dough:



The Menu (this year was by far my favorite):

*Ale Cheeseburger Pizza

*Spicy Veggie Pizza

*Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

*Black Chocolate Stout Ice Cream


Menu Items supplied by friends:

*PB & J appetizers




*Bailey's Chocolate cake



*The AWESOME Muppet Cupcakes pictured at the beginning of this blog, supplied by my über talented Cousin, Elana (Sweet E's Bakery)

Beverages consisted of copious amounts of Red Wine, Grape Vodka (smelled like bubble gum!) Prosecco, and Scottish Ale ;)


Friends started arriving around 7 (except for Elana who had come to hang out earlier :) and the party got under way! The mac and cheese was done and I started assembling the cheeseburger pizza...when my veggie friend Kim arrived, I was assembling the veggie pizza, put it in the oven...and then, BAM! "Disaster Struck!!"


The spicy veggie pizza was too top heavy and it slid backwards and off the pizza stone...ending up on the back wall and floor of my oven! I quietly shrieked a slow motion "OH NO" as I saw it go. But I wasn't going to give up that easily...I pulled the racks out and salvaged what I could of my creation...it might have looked a mess, but it sure was tasty.

Remember the motto?

All is well.

And all was more than well...it was Muppet-tastic....

We watched some old clips of the Muppets on the Ed Sullivan Show and The Muppets Take Manhatten...all the while fabulous silliness and friendship abounded...



XOXO


And to finish it all up, I did goodie bags in the form of a packed lunch. This included a tiny PB &J and cup of mac and cheese with a sprinkle of M&Ms....








And now, the recipes:

For the pizza toppings I used one large onion, 1 can of Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 can Muir glen tomato paste...split in half (for the two pizzas)...I browned the onion and then:

Veggie Pizza:



1 small zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped broccoli
Handful Fennel Seeds
A Sprinkle of crushed red pepper, Chili Powder, sea salt, Worcestershire pepper blend (to taste)
Shredded cheese blend (I used Organic Valley Italian Blend)

Spread on pizza (you can make your own crust or buy frozen), top with bake for 15 minutes @ 400 degrees.

Ale Cheeseburger Pizza:



1 pound antibiotic free ground beef
1/2 Cup Ale (I used Bellhaven Scottish Ale...and then drank the rest :)
1 Teaspoon organic Worcestershire sauce
Season to taste with salt, Worcestershire pepper, Chipotle Tabasco
Shredded Sharp Cheddar (Organic Valley Raw Cheddar)

Brown the beef with the onions and then add all other ingredients...let simmer and then assemble pizza and bake just like above.

Put all ingredients in pan and simmer



I used a Martha Stewart recipe (and used canned squash and vegetable stock) for the amazing:

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
(click title for recipe)




and last, but certainly not least:

Black Chocolate Stout Ice Cream


1 pint heavy cream
1 tin sweetened condensed milk
12 tablespoons chocolate stout (I used Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout)

Make sure all ingredients are well chilled.

Whip cream with mixer until it stands up in peaks...then fold in condensed milk and stout. Pour into a container and put in freezer. No ice cream maker needed! Serve right from freezer...it will melt rather quickly.