D' Diner Breakfast

Two posts in one week?! Must have a rush of creativity this week :)

Last night, I ordered in take-out which included a mound of deliciously creamy mashed local potatoes. As usual, I only ate about 1/3 of them since the ribs that came with them were the reason I ordered this particular meal in the first place.

I woke up this morning thinking about those mashed potatoes. What to do with them? Heat them up in the microwave and eat them as is? Make them into patties and fry them in a pan? It's only 8am, maybe breakfast is more appropriate.

Chef D's Diner Breakfast

2 slices center cut bacon, cut into about 1" pieces
about 1 Cup leftover mashed potatoes
1 large, fresh egg
shredded cheese (cheddar blend)
salt and pepper to taste

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Add the bacon to a cold, dry, non-stick skillet. Cook bacon on medium high heat, moving around occasionally until crisp.

Remove bacon with a slotted spoon or tongs and let drain on a paper towel.

Turn the heat way down to low. Add mashed potatoes to the drippings left behind from cooking the bacon. Stir gently to break up any clumps. Note: I knew there was plenty of butter in these potatoes so I didn't feel the need to add any more fat than was already in there from the bacon, but I did add a splash of fat-free milk to help break up the clumps and bring it back to creamy.

Add salt and pepper to the potatoes and continue stirring.

When heated through, transfer potatoes to a plate and top with shredded cheese and drained bacon.

In the same pan with the heat on medium, cook egg to your liking. In my case, it was over-easy (cook about 2-3 minutes on each side, taking care not to break the yolk.)

Serve egg on top of potato/bacon/cheese mixture. Sprinkle a little extra salt and/or pepper if desired.

Enjoy with your favorite coffee and orange juice.

Blueberry Lavender Crisp

As the name of this blog implies, I love lavender and I love to cook. Occasionally, I like to combine the two - I’ve used it in chicken dishes, paired it with lemon in desserts and even with dark chocolate to make Truffles.

Now that we’re approaching the end of summer and the abundance of good, fresh produce is going to dwindle, I’ve been thinking more about the combination of the sweet late season fruit and the mildly flowery aroma of lavender. Peaches and plums would both work with the flower, as would blueberries.

It just so happens I was going to a dinner party and was asked to make a “healthy” dessert. Perfect opportunity for me to play and take this thought process into reality. Here’s the result:

Blueberry Lavender Crisp

2 Pints fresh blueberries
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbs sugar (optional, I did not use the sugar for this since the blueberries were already so sweet but occasionally it's necessary)
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3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup all purpose flour
1/4 Cup light brown sugar
1 tsp lavender sugar*
zest of 1 lemon (using a microplane grater, gently remove the bright yellow part only)
1/4 tsp salt
4 Tbs cold butter, cut into small cubes

Preheat oven to 350°F

Coat 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray

Gently toss blueberries with lemon juice and sugar (if using) and place in prepared baking dish

In a large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, lemon zest, lavender sugar and salt. Using a pastry cutter or a fork, cut in cold butter until mixture resembles a course meal.

Sprinkle over the top of the blueberries and bake for 35-40 minutes until topping is golden brown and blueberries are bubbling but have not burst.

Serve for dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or for brunch with some vanilla yogurt or a splash of cream.

* Lavender Sugar: In a spice grinder or small food processor, combine equal parts Culinary lavender leaves and granulated sugar. Process until a fine powder.

Smokey Bacon and Cheddar Johnnycake

The other day, I was cleaning out my pantry and found a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix. It’s probably been there since around Thanksgiving when I make a corn-bread based stuffing (Chestnut and Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing). Every year, I make the cornbread base the day before Thanksgiving to give it time to thoroughly dry out before making the stuffing. And each year, I have to hide the base because little fingers come around pulling off little pieces to where I wind up with not enough of the base!

That got me to thinking, what if I make an actual cornbread with a similar technique to the stuffing base and just leave it at that stage? What if I add some extra flavor to it? Would it be good on its own?

This morning I began experimenting and I must say, the experiment has been a success. With what I had in the house, this is what the result was:

Smokey Bacon and Cheddar Johnnycake
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix
1 large egg
¾ cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 slices of thick center-cut bacon, browned and crumbled
~ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
~ 1 tsp dried thyme
~ 1 Tbs chili powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Spray non-stick cooking spray in an 8x8 baking dish.
Put cornbread mix in a bowl. Add thyme and chili powder.
Add egg and chicken stock. Stir until combined.
Fold in bacon and cheese.
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes, until brown on top.

This is tasty on its own, or would be a great accompaniment to eggs or chili.
Enjoy!

For the Love of Food

It should come as no surprise in these tough economic times why the Comfort Food movement has been taking off. For many, food is so closely tied in with their memories it can become difficult to distinguish if it’s the memory you love or the food itself.

Do you have any foods you think of as "comfort food?" In my travels, I've seen just about everything be considered a Comfort Food: meatloaf, jellied fish, pancakes... but in all cases, a great comfort food experience encompasses all of the senses. Not just the act of eating.

Maybe when you were a kid, Mom would bake chocolate chip cookies after a particularly bad day. It’s not just the chocolate chip cookie you remember but the whole experience: The smell of the sugar caramelizing, the sounds of dishes clanking, watching the cookies spread and puff through the glass door on the oven, taking a cookie off the rack that’s probably just a bit too hot for your little fingers to touch but you can’t wait any longer to bite into the ooey gooey chocolaty goodness. And in that moment, you’re not thinking about the kid who was mean to you on the bus or the teacher who caught you passing notes in class. Just for that moment, you feel is how special you must be to have someone that loves you enough to do what she can to make you feel better.

Maybe for you it’s not cookies. Maybe it’s Grandma’s hot chocolate after playing in the snow. Or eating Aunt Linda’s crunchy fried chicken with your entire, loud family outside on the picnic table surrounded by freshly cut grass and blooming flowers.

Now that we’re grown, sometimes we have to take our comfort into our own hands. I was recently having a rough day. Just the typical woes: work getting you down, money troubles, the health of loved ones. I needed a pick-me-up in a big way. I needed to engage my senses. Here’s what I did:

Quick Marinara Sauce

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

1 big clove garlic, minced

1 large shallot, finely diced

¼ cup dry white wine

Hefty pinch dried Basil

Half that pinch of dried Oregano and dried Thyme

I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like cutting up the tomatoes so I pulled out the food processor and gave them a whirl. Then,

* Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in an enamel coated cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat.

* Add shallot and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, stir and cook until you can smell the garlic.

* Add white wine and bring to a bubble. Add dried herbs and let wine cook for 1-2 minutes.

* Add pureed tomatoes and stir.

* Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

** Use right away as spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, the base for a meat sauce, lasagna, for chicken parmesan or freeze it in (labeled!) zipper baggies for another day.

The house smelled fantastic and my mood lifted. Like getting a much needed hug.

Keep in mind the next time your child, brother, girlfriend, husband or friend is in need. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Taking a few extra moments to cater to someone’s senses is a great way to show them you care.

Salad Splendor

Who says salads have to be boring? Today's lunch included:

Fresh Baby Spinach with Crispy Lardons, Poached Egg drizzled with a Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette.

Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
Finely diced shallot
Fresh lemon juice
Dijon mustard
Honey
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

The egg is poached enough to hold its shape but with a soft center. The Lardons (in this case, good old fashioned bacon) are crispy. The dressing is tangy and the spinach, rich.

Not bad for a dreary Sunday!