Breakfast Hash With Bok Choy Flowers

We all know by now that I'm somewhat known for "throwing things together" to make a meal. This morning's breakfast was no exception. Except that it was exceptional.

For some reason when I woke up this morning I decided to roast that half of a bag of mini Yukon Gold potatoes. Simply quartered them, tossed them with some olive oil, salt and pepper and put them in a pre-heated 375ºF oven for about 25 minutes. By then I was hungry so I started digging around.

Last week at the farmer's market, I bought something called Bok Choy Flowers. They're picked when the bok choy plants hit the flowering stage. The stems are more tender than traditionally known bok choy and the edible flowers are sweet and quite pretty in any dish.

I'd used some of the stalks in a fried rice earlier in the week but forgot about the rest of them, as is obvious by this photo. I knew if I didn't use them now, I'd let them go to waste. So, I began layering flavors...




1 small clove garlic, minced
1 stalk Bok Choy Flowers, chopped
2 large pieces of jarred Kimchi, chopped
Handful of roasted potatoes

2 pieces cooked bacon (leftover, in the fridge), crumbled
1 egg (last one from last week's farmer's market dozen)

In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add bok choy flowers, stirring occasionally until wilted.  Add in chopped Kimchi, potatoes and crumbled bacon. Season with salt and pepper.

Making a hole in the center of the mixture, gently crack the egg into the center. cooking until whites are set and yolk is as firm as you'd like, flipping once.

Carefully, transfer hash to a large plate, taking care not to break the yolk like I did. Once I stopped cursing at myself for breaking the yolk, I realized it was the best thing to do. It sure wasn't pretty but the runny yolk coated the potatoes and vegetables, making it silky and rich. I was so thrown off by the broken yolk that I forgot to take a photo of the finished product!

The combination of sweet and tender bok choy flowers, the spicy crunch of the Kimchi, the smokey bacon and the silky egg created a wonderfully balanced and delicious breakfast.

Yum!

Scrounge Dinner - Roasted Broccoli, Beans, Bacon and an Over-Easy Egg

Sometimes my scrounge dinners come from "I don't have anything to make for dinner." And sometimes I realize I have something in my fridge or pantry that is fast approaching its expiration date and needs to be used. This dinner began as the later. 

I had a bunch of broccoli that I'd nearly forgotten about. It wasn't exactly at its peak of freshness and the only answer was to roast the heck out of it. So I cut it up,  tossed it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted at 375°F for about 30 minutes until crispy. 

Now... what to do with it? Bacon! (Bacon is always an answer). I pulled out one of my pre-portioned packages of bacon from my freezer (another post for another day), sliced them up browned them. 

Drained and rinsed a can of Cannellini Beans and tossed them with the bacon and roasted broccoli. 

It seemed like it was missing something so I topped it with an over-easy egg, some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and some black pepper. The yolk from the egg coated the beans/broccoli/bacon mixture and made it silky and delicious. 

This could be great for any meal!

Enjoy! 

Lavender Lemonade

After a rough night up late with my sick dog, I decided I needed a little cooking therapy. Nothing quite soothes me the way lavender does, as is obvious by my blog name, right?

Friends and family have known for years about my passion for lavender and they often give me some as gifts. What’s great is there are so many sources for culinary lavender now and each one has its own unique flavor. Here’s a sampling of the packing you might see.

 
It’s a beautiful spring day here in Arkansas and I’d recently given my lavender lemonade recipe to a friend so the choice became obvious. 

2 ½ cups water

1 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs dried culinary lavender flowers

1½ - 2 ½ cups cold water (depending on how strong you like your lemonade and how fast your ice cubes will melt – I used 1½ today)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice*

Ice cubes

* an average size lemon, especially this time of year will yield just under ¼ cup of juice. Sometimes it takes only 4 lemons to get to 1 cup of juice and sometimes you need up to 8. Today it took 6.

In a saucepan, bring water and sugar just to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and add lavender. Stir.

Cover and let stand for 1 hour.

Strain lavender syrup through a mesh strainer, discarding lavender flowers.

Stir in lemon juice and cold water.

Serve over ice.

This makes about 4-6 servings but is easily doubled.
Enjoy!

(I’m a little distracted today and accidentally threw the lavender in before the water boiled. No harm, no foul. It was just as delicious. Even us “professionals” make mistakes, too)

Oops! It all worked out.

Mini Whoopie Pies

Living in a new city and state means meeting lots of new people. On my first real dinner party at a friend’s house, I offered to bring dessert.  Knowing my new friend lived in New England for years, I opted for an old favorite, Whoopie Pies. I also knew her 4 year old would be there and long ago I determined that sweet treats are more often eaten if made in smaller sizes, especially for little ones. So… the Mini Whoopie Pies.

I learned something when I made these. Apparently, what I know as Fluff – that gooey marshmallow stuff that you put on peanut butter sandwiches (Fluffernutter), is only known as Fluff on the east coast. The rest of the country calls it Marshmallow Crème. It’s the same thing, just called something else. Oh, and the rest of the country doesn’t know of Fluffernutter sandwiches. How sad!

Cakes:

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder (if you have Dutch process, us it. I had plain old Hershey’s cocoa powder and it worked splendidly)

1¼ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp Kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken well

1 tsp good vanilla extract

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light packed brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup powdered sugar (or to taste)

2 cups marshmallow fluff (or crème!)

1 tsp good vanilla extract

Cakes:

Preheat oven to 350˚F

Whisk or sift together the flour, coca powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Stir buttermilk and vanilla in a measuring cup (you have to measure the buttermilk anyway, why dirty another bowl?!)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and brown sugar with the paddle attachment, at medium high speed (3 or 4) until pale and fluffy. (Should take about 3 minutes). You can use a hand mixer, too, but it’ll take a little longer.

Add egg and beat until combined, about another minute. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. 

Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk, another 1/3 of the flour mixture and then the remaining buttermilk mixture and then the remaining flour mixture. You can stop the motor as you add in each addition so you don’t make a mess. Make sure the stand or hand mixture is on low for these steps or you will be covered in flour and cocoa powder. Beat until the mixture is smooth. It should be a light and airy batter – not thick.

Spoon 1 Tbs mound of batter onto baking sheets covered in either buttered parchment paper or silicone mats (Silpat), spacing the mounds about 2" apart. 

Bake about 10 minutes, switching positions halfway through, until the mounds are puffy and spring back when touched lightly.

Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

You should get about 40 cookies, if you don’t nibble on the batter. 

Filling:

Using the cleaned out bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the softened butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow fluff (crème) and vanilla with the (cleaned) paddle attachment until it’s smooth and shiny.

Tip: Measuring the fluff is the hardest part because it’s so sticky. Spray the inside of a 1 cup dry measure (or 2 cup if you actually have one of those!) before filling it with the fluff. This will prevent it from becoming a sticky mess.

Assembly:

Using a small offset spatula or piping bag, spread a thick layer of filling on the flat side of one cookie. Then gently press another cookie on top of the filling to make a sandwich. 

Store in between sheets of wax paper for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Scrounge Dinner - Stuffed Hash Browns

On a recent Friday night, I found myself just home from traveling all week and in the midst of a strict Gluten-Free trial run and had "no food" in the house.  As we know, that's when I tend to shine...

I knew I couldn't fall back on any of my quick pasta creations thanks to the GF trial so it was time to scrounge.

I cooked up a few slices of bacon in a non-stick pan. When thoroughly crispy, I pulled the bacon out of the pan and drained it on a few paper towels.

Added about 2 cups of frozen shredded potatoes (Gluten-free!) to the pan with the bacon drippings and started cooking over medium-high heat.  (A number of companies make prepared frozen shredded potatoes now. Mine happened to be from Trader Joe's.)

While those were starting to cook, I beat one whole egg and mixed in some Parmesan cheese (about 3 Tbs), very similar to what I'd do for Spaghetti Carbonara. I wasn't looking to scramble the eggs but make them act as a binder for the potatoes. I poured the egg over the potatoes and continued to cook.

I'd pushed the potatoes all towards the middle so it was looking like one big panake.

After a few minutes, I was able to flip the whole thing but in about 3 sections.

I squirted a healthy amount of Sriracha sauce on top of the potato/egg mixture (Sriracha is a type of hot sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. You could use Tobasco or any other favorite hot sauce)

I flipped the potato "pancake" one more time, crumbled the bacon on top and covered the top with shredded cheese (I used a mixture of cheddar, monterey jack and mozzarella) I found a cover from a pot large enough to over the "pancake" and continued to cook covered until the cheese melted.

Slid the entire thing on a plate and ate it too fast to remember to take a picture. If I'd had some sour cream or Greek yogurt and a few scallions, it would have been a perfect version of a stuffed potato skin. That's certainly what it tasted like! So they became Stuffed Hash Browns. YUM!

"Cream" of Broccoli Soup

This recipe has been floating around for the last few years, mainly in email and text messages. It should be on here for all to find.  Really easy, quick and delicious:

“Cream” of Broccoli soup

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water (you can use 3 cups stock - I ran out!)
6 cups broccoli florets
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed well and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp herbes de provence
salt/pepper to taste
handful (~1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese


Combine chicken stock, water, garlic, cayenne, onion powder, dried thyme and herbes de provence in a medium stockpot.

Bring to a boil.

Add broccoli, cover and cook for about 8 minutes, until broccoli is tender.

Add cannellini beans, salt and pepper and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes until heated through.

Using an Immersion blender or regular blender*, carefully puree the bean/broccoli mixture.

Return puree to pot, taste to adjust seasoning. Add in shredded cheese and stir over low heat until heated through and cheese is melted.

* Note: If using a regular blender, USE CAUTION when blending hot liquids. Puree in batches, never filling more than ½ way and be sure to cover the lid with a kitchen towel (just in case).

**serving suggestion: top with bacon bits, prosciutto or browned pancetta.

Visions of Prosciutto Dancing in My Head

Dreaming about food again! This time it was part food shopping, part eating and part cooking.

In the dream, I went to visit some friends (real) who own a gourmet Italian market (not real). After the tour, where I learned those amazing Gigante beans (used in Antipasta) actually came in a can (I learned this years ago, not sure why this came back to the surface now), it was time for lunch.  The phrase "kid in a candy store" could not have been more accurate.

Burrata Cheese

Deciding a sandwich was in order, we began with fresh Ciabatta rolls and added some imported Prosciutto and Burrata cheese. If you've never had Burrata, it's like an incredibly creamy Mozzarella. It has two layers to it - the outer layer being more like a traditional fresh Mozzarella and the center being a combination of Mozzarella curds and cream. It's an odd choice for a sandwich - almost like making meatballs out of Kobe beef. Why would you take a meat that's so tender and grind it up to make it tougher?? And yet somehow it works. The same happened with the Burrata in my dream.

The next question was what sort of 'dressing' should I put on it? The obvious choice would have been a pesto but I wasn't looking for obvious. The dream shifted to me being in the kitchen, food processor in front of me.

The creation became a spread made from Italian anchovy fillets, garlic, capers, a little Parmesan cheese, olive oil and lemon juice. My mouth waters now just thinking about this! In the light of day I'm afraid this spread may be a touch salty with the already salty Prosciutto but I think if I add something like Arugula or other peppery green to the sandwich, it will help the balance.

Sadly, I don't remember getting to eat the creation in the dream but this is one I will most definitely be making while awake. 

Enjoy!

Healthy and Hearty In a Hurry

When the first chill of Autumn arrives, many of us have visions of slow-cookers and hearty stews dancing in our heads. And yes, these are definitely needed in my arsenal for cold-weather days. However, what do you do when you want something warm and comforting but it’s Wednesday night and you don’t get home from the office until 8:00pm?

How about Braised Kale with Prosciutto and White Beans in less than 15 minutes? Yes, it IS possible!

1 Tbs Olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

16 oz Kale (I had a bag of pre-cut/washed Kale. Look in your produce aisle)

1 (15 oz) can tomato puree (could use diced, whole, or stewed – whatever you have)

1 (15 oz) can Cannellini beans (kidney, small white or even black beans could work!), rinsed thoroughly

2 slices prosciutto, diced

Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Kale and tomatoes. Stir to coat. Cover, reduce heat to simmer for about 7 minutes. Stir in rinsed beans, replace lid and simmer for an additional 3 minutes or until Kale is wilted. Stir in prosciutto and serve.

This could have been an even heartier one-pot meal by starting the dish by sautéing onions, garlic and browning 2 chicken sausage links (cut into ½ inch pieces) before adding the kale, tomatoes and beans. If omitting Prosciutto, add salt and pepper to taste when adding the beans.

Enjoy!

Ring Around the Yolk

Recently, my friend’s 6-year old daughter was at my house. She was hungry so I served her an egg salad sandwich I’d made earlier that morning. As she’s scarfing it down she declares, “I like hard-boiled eggs but I don’t like the gray part.”

“Gray part?” I ask, puzzled and a little bit horrified.

“Yeah,” she said, “there’s the yellow part, the gray part* and the white part.”

“Honey, hard-boiled eggs should not have a gray part. Who is making these for you?”

Of course she refused to answer that question. While her mom, a dear friend of mine, is a great cook (I’m still hoping she was not the one making the eggs although I don’t think I ever flat out asked her) I thought it would be helpful to give a little tutorial on a fool-proof way to make hard-boiled eggs.

*Note: A gray or sometimes greenish-brown ring around the yolk is a sure fire indication that your eggs have been overcooked.

It used to be that eggs were eggs were eggs. But now there are so many different kinds! Brown, white, organic, free-range, cage-free… each yolk will have a slightly different color and flavor.  Which you choose is completely a subjective thing – my only tip here is that when cooking a recipe that calls for eggs, unless it says otherwise, when it calls for “2 eggs” they’re talking about Large eggs. Not X-Large or Jumbo. 

Now, onto the hard-boiling… This technique works for anywhere from 1-12 eggs.

- Gently place eggs at the bottom of a medium saucepan

- Fill with cool water until eggs are just covered

- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat (this could take 10-12 minutes, depending on your stove output). You may cover the pot while waiting for the water to come to a boil as it can speed up the process but note that it makes it a bit more challenging to notice when the water begins to boil

- Once you see the water just come to a boil, remove the pot from the heat, cover the pot and let sit for exactly 14 minutes

- Carefully transfer eggs from the pot to a colander and discard the water from the pot

- Run eggs (in colander) under cold water until the egg feels cool when you wrap your hand around it (2-4 minutes)

- Whether you’re going to eat the eggs immediately or store them, a tip is to peel them as soon as they’re cool. It’s MUCH easier to get the shell off

- Remember to rinse the peeled eggs to ensure there’s no rogue shell clinging

- Store what you’re not using right away in a lidded container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

This will give you a perfectly hard-boiled egg with only yellow and white. No gray ring!

Some ideas for hard-boiled eggs:

* Egg salad: the possibilities here are numerous from simple mayo, salt and pepper to smoked tea soaked egg salad to dill, capers and mustard

* Deviled eggs: basically taking the yolks, making any of the egg salads above and spooning the mashed yolks back into the halved whites

* Cut them up and include them in green salads for added protein

* Eat them plain with a sprinkling of any kind of salt – eggs are a great canvas for playing here. I often use smoked salt or lavender salt (see photo above)

Enjoy!

Scallop-ed Edges

I’m a shellfish freak. We’ve seen evidence to that love from an earlier post…er… Love Haiku to Softshell Crab here on this blog.

One of the most underrated and underused mollusks is the Scallop. Whether you pronounce it with the New England “skahhlop” (rhymes with ‘Fall) or the New York long-a’d “skaalop” (rhymes with ‘Al’), I strongly recommend you indulge in what I like to call Nature’s Candy.

Scallops come in two basic varieties: Sea Scallop are the larger variety which can get up to 8” in diameter and when shelled can resemble a marshmallow like you’d use for S’mores. They’re sweet, tender and very mild in flavor. Bay Scallops are the smaller version, about half the size of a Sea Scallop, more in line with a mini-marshmallow. In my opinion, the Bay Scallops, which can be hard to find fresh, are worth the hunt. These little nuggets can add the perfect balance of texture, sweetness and delicate flavor to any dish or simply be a star on their own.

Yesterday, I was perusing the fish counter at my local Fairway Market trying to decide what to make for dinner. I skim the beautiful Wild Salmon, Swordfish Steaks and crab legs but nothing was floating my boat… until I saw the Bay Scallops. At $9.99/lb, I found a winner.

Since I was just cooking for myself, I asked for a quarter to a third of a pound (Side note: When ordering anything from a counter, please be kind to the person working – saying “4oz” will drive them crazy. They only know the weight based on the scale in front of them. 0.25 is a quarter pound – 4oz might possibly make them sneeze on your food. Also, if you ask for a third of a pound and it comes out 0.37lb, don’t freak out. While they may have developed a good feel for how much something weighs, they’re not magicians. I’ll save more of this rant for another day). When the scale said 0.27, I said “perfect!” Quick calculations showed that I just paid about $2.70 for an amazing treat. Once again, who says good food has to be expensive??

Already with a few lemons in my cart, and thinking about what I had in the house, I was already formulating a plan of attack for dinner…

 

Lemony Angel Hair Pasta with Bay Scallops

Serves 1 (can easily be doubled or more)

• A Quarter size bunch of Angel Hair pasta, reserving ¼ cup of pasta water
• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
• ¼ lb Bay Scallops, rinsed with cold water
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1 Tbs butter
• 2 Tbs olive oil, divided

- Put a pot of water on the stove to boil for the pasta.

- Meanwhile, place flour with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a plastic zippered baggie and add the scallops. Close the baggie and gently shake the bag, coating the scallops.

- In a large non-stick skillet heat 1 Tbs oil over medium heat and add breadcrumbs, tossing until lightly toasted. Transfer to a plate.

- When the water has come to a boil add a generous pinch of salt and the pasta to the pot. The pasta I had took 3 minutes so I knew how much time I had to cook the scallops.

- Add remaining 1 Tbs oil and butter to the same pan that had the breadcrumbs and heat over medium heat. Add garlic and scallops – don’t be afraid if you see foam. That’s a combination of the butter and flour doing its work. Gently move the scallops around the pan, turning for about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and wine and turn the heat down to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper. From the time you added the garlic and scallops, the whole dish should take about 3 minutes.

- Drain the pasta, reserving about ¼ cup of pasta water. Add drained pasta to the pain with the scallops and gently toss. Add some of the pasta water if the mixture becomes too thick.

- Transfer mixture to a large bowl or plate and top with toasted breadcrumbs.

I happened to have a flat-leaf parsley plant in my kitchen so at the last moment I snipped a few leaves and added them for a bit of freshness and color.

Remember, while I’m a huge fan of experimenting with seafood and mollusks, be sure you trust your supplier.

Enjoy!

Goodbye to an Old Friend

When most kids go off to college, they're sent off with cases of Ramen noodles and jars of peanut butter. When I went off to school, my most prized possession was a brand new, shiny, fancy Screwpull(r) corkscrew.  This simple little tool got me through more triumphs, heartbreak, tears and joyful moments than most of my closest friends and family.

After 20 years and hundreds and hundreds of bottles, my dear friend has had its fill.  It takes with it a little piece of my heart.

So long, old friend. Thanks for the memories.

My (Self-Assigned) Tortilla Challenge

Living alone, I often find I’m wasting bread and other baked goods. I can never seem to finish the loaf or package before it goes bad. This week I bought a package of Whole Wheat Tortillas and was determined to have fun with it and finish every last one. I succeeded! Here are my favorite uses from this week...

You'll notice in each of these favorites, I used a product differently from its original intended use. Think outside the box! For example: just because a product says, "dip" doesn't mean it can't be used as a spread.

In addition, I used or reused ingredients that were on hand. After hosting a BBQ over the weekend, here are the ingredients I had:

* 10-inch (Medium) Whole Wheat Tortillas
* Trader Joe's Fancy Shredded Lite Mexican Blend: Light Sharp Cheddar, Lite Monterey Jack, Lite Asadero and Lite Queso Blanco.) Any shredded cheese works!
* Greens: raw Spinach, steamed kale
* Trader Joe's Back Bean Dip, etc. (many grocery stores have a version of this)
* Leftover shredded chicken from pulled BBQ Chicken sandwiches made over the weekend (I'd left some of the chicken sauce-less)
* Grilled eggplant, leftover from the weekend
* Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
* Sundried tomatoes (dry, not in oil)
* Prepared Pesto

Quesadilla 

You can’t go wrong with a Quesadilla. The possibilities are endless! With a few minor variations of ingredients I had on hand, I actually made these several times during the week.

Version 1: 

I actually ate this for breakfast one day!

- Spread a thin layer of Black Bean Spread on the bottom of one Tortilla
- Place in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the Black Bean Spread
- Add a handful of raw spinach Let cook 2-3 minutes Carefully fold tortilla in half, to create a half-moon, taking care to avoid the shredded cheese from escaping
- Using the back of a spatula, gently press down to help the cheese stick to the tortilla and other ingredients.  - Transfer to a plate, let cool for 1 minute then cut in half.

Version 2: 

- Spread a thin layer of Black Bean Spread on one side of two Tortillas
- Place with the spread face up in a non-stick skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat Sprinkle cheese over the Black Bean Spread
- Add a generous handful of steamed kale
- Add about 1/4 cup of shredded chicken
- Add another layer of cheese and the other tortilla, this time with the black bean spread face down.
- Let cook 2-3 minutes
- Carefully place a large plate on top of the pan, turn upside down so the quesadilla is on the plate and carefully transfer the quesadilla back to the pan.
- Let cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
- Using a spatula, transfer to a plate, let cool for 1 minute then cut in quarters (I use a pizza cutter).

Grilled Veggie Wrap 

The rest of the package of spinach used in the Quesadillas was starting to wilt in the refrigerator so I steamed it to give it new life. Make sure to squeeze it dry over the sink before using

Spread some of the prepared pesto on the bottom of the tortilla. Layer eggplant, fresh mozzarella slices, sundried tomatoes and steamed spinach in the center of the tortilla, leaving space around the edges.
Fold up one end, then the sides and finally fold the top down.

Eat as is or cut in half on a diagonal.

I'm proud to say I not only finished the whole package that week but but also added some new regular meals to my arsenal.

Enjoy!

Cooking Dream! Decadent French Toast

It's been awhile since I've cooked in my sleep but last night was a special treat.

French Toast using pound cake with vanilla and cinnamon in the batter. As if that weren't decadent enough, it had a brown sugar caramelized pineapple topping.

Not exactly diet friendly but it was absolutely scrumptious, at least in my dream :)

Only possible drawback: I'm not sure how the pound cake would absorb the egg batter. It may be too dense. Certainly worth a try though!

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.

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!

Bliss Casserole - Vegetarian Cooking

It started slowly, a tingle in the back of my mind. For the last few weeks, I've been thinking about wanting to play with vegetarian dishes. Next thing I knew, this morning my creative juices were flowing like apple cider in October, and by the time the Giants game started, the internal brainstorm session was in full swing.

Black beans... black beans with something in the orange family... pumpkin? Butternut squash? Sweet potatoes. Ok, black beans and sweet potatoes with... Contrasting flavors and textures... spinach. What if they all go together? Like a casserole? Something on the bottom - has to be fresh.

The result? Something I'm calling Bliss Casserole. Why Bliss? Because I happened the flavors were heavenly and when before I could think of a better name, I saw an open bottle of Bliss Cabernet Sauvignon on the counter.

The presentation needs some work - Each layer needs to be set one at a time instead of all at once.

Layer 1 (bottom): Green Rice; long-grain rice with cilantro and lime zest
Layer 2: Black bean puree with a hint of jalapeno and onion
Layer 3: Wilted spinach with garlic and nutmeg
Layer 4: Mashed sweet potatoes with cinnamon, chipotle, lime juice and a touch of brown sugar

The key is to flavor each layer as if you would eat it on its own. Make sure each is seasoned to your liking with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetite.

Arroz con Pollo

Years ago while in culinary school, I had a chef-instructor who would always whip up a batch of her "Mexican Rice" while we worked in the kitchen. To me, it was a little bit of heaven after a challenging day slaving over a hot stove. Never having seen her make it, the memory of its flavors and textures stayed with me. I know she used a lot of whatever was laying around so some nights there would be chicken or various forms of pork in it so while different every time, somehow it remained constant in my memory. Still unable to replicate it, I'd almost given up. Until last night...

While this isn't a perfect replica, this version conjured the same comfort and deliciousness that Chef's dish provided. Which also proves that recipes are mere suggestions. If the overall dish is successful, who cares if you used only had a red pepper but no green? Trust me, noone will care.

Note: This recipe can easily be doubled and was created with what I had on hand - just make sure you use 1 part rice to 2 parts water.

Yield: 3-4 portions

Arroz con Pollo

½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
½ small yellow onion, diced
½ red bell pepper, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
½ cup dry white wine
¾ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground chipotle
½ cup long-grain rice
1 cup water
1/3 cup canned diced or chopped tomatoes
½ cup frozen corn
½ cup frozen peas
2 Tbs capers, drained and rinsed
¼ cup green olives, chopped
2 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a large, heavy pot (with a lid) and brown chicken on both sides, 2 min per side. Using tongs, remove chicken and set aside.

Add an additional 1 Tbs olive oil and add onion, garlic and both peppers and cook over medium-high heat until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Let the wine bubble until reduced.

Add rice and stir to coat with the olive oil and vegetables. Add in water, tomatoes, paprika, chipotles and reserve chicken and any accumulated juices.

Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Add in frozen corn and peas, cover and let cook an additional 5 minutes.

Stir in olives, capers and parsley and serve.