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

---

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)
--
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.