Early to Rise

My new digs in Chicago are fabulous!  Open, airy, and great light.

Especially at 6:30 in the morning.

So until I get new curtains, I have plenty of time in the a.m. to make a delicious breakfast!

What I have in the house:  eggs, bread left over from last night's impromptu dinner party, broccoli pesto, chili oil, parsley.

Sliced up that baguette, gave it a little drizzle of the chili oil. and toasted it in the oven at 400 for about 5 minutes.  Rub it with sliced garlic and give it a sprinkling of salt and parsley.  Top with Broccoli "Pesto" and a poached egg and you have breakfast, my friend!

Broccoli "Pesto"

I've been playing around with this recipe for a while.  Poaching the garlic and almonds with the broccoli takes away some of the bite and allows for easy mashing up.

1 head broccoli, florets and stem chopped
3 cloves garlic
3/4 cup almonds
1 cup basil leaves
3/4 cup olive oil
parmigiano to taste (although I often leave it out...astounding for this Midwesterner)
1 lemon, zest and juice.
salt 'n pepper

Bring a medium stock pot of heavily salted water to a boil.  Throw in broccoli, garlic, and almonds and blanch for about 2-3 minutes until the broccoli has turned bright green.  Drain without rinsing.  Transfer to a food processor.  Add basil, lemon zest and juice, and 1/4 cup olive oil (just to give things a little encouragement).  With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1/2 cup oil until the mixture is smooth.

Stir in cheese by hand and adjust seasonings.


This is great on bread, stirred into quinoa, or used as a sauce with pasta (thin it out with reserved cooking liquid of the pasta).

More Woes Of a Thee-A-Ter Widder

Once again, I find myself a thee-a-ter widder.

In fact, J is pretty much booked solid for the next three months.

So, as a dutiful househusband, who is attempting to turn over that proverbial new leaf, I am left to my own devices, and newfound love of twigs and berries, to create healthy and satisfying dishes for my director/playwright/actor man.

Here’s what I came up with for tonight.

Quinoa with Thyme and Tarragon Caramelized Onions, Spinach and Poached Egg

Quinoa is a fabulous, protein rich grain that is extremely filling.  The onions and the yolk make for a delicious sauce that will warm you up on a cold night! Make sure you keep that water swirling for a perfectly poached egg.

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

3 Tbl olive oil

4 sprigs thyme

2 small sprigs tarragon (plus more for garnish)

1 tsp tarragon vinegar

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp honey

4 cups baby spinach

1 clove garlic, minced

2 extra large eggs

2 cups cooked quinoa

salt and crushed red pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, heat 2 Tbl oil over low heat.  Add onions and season with a sprinkle of salt and crushed red pepper.  Make a bundle with the herbs and add to onions.  Cook over low heat for approximately 15 minutes until onions become transluscent, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.  Once the onions have begun to brown, deglaze pan with tarragon vinegar.  Cook for 2-3 minutes until vinegar has been fully incorporated.  Add honey and balsamic, and continue to cook until onions are a deep caramel color.  Remove bundle and set onions aside.

Fill a medium, deep-sided pan with 3 inches of water and a splash of white vinegar.  Bring to a simmer.  While the water is heating, heat the remaining 1 Tbl oil in a large sauté pan.

Here is where things are going to come together quickly.

Once the water simmers, gently swirl the water in one direction and add eggs, one at a time.  Keep the water swirling, and the egg whites will cover the yolks.  While the eggs cook, add garlic to the sauté pan and cook for about one minute.  Add spinach and wilt.  If you time it right, the spinach and eggs should be done at the same time (about 3 minutes).

Divide quinoa into two soup bowls or salad plates.  Layer spinach and onions.  Using a slotted spoon, remove eggs from water allowing excess water to drain off and plop those suckers on top.  Garnish with some sprigs of tarragon, salt, and red pepper.

A Warm Breakfast in 10 Minutes

I'm not the biggest fan of breakfast, but sometimes you just need a little love in the morning.

I warmed up my leftover polenta, sauteed some spinach with a little garlic and poached me an egg. 

Ten minutes.  Done.

What are your breakfast shortcuts?

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I am a practical person who has lived on a budget all of his life. Aside from the dining room table I bought for my 30th birthday, I tend to shy away from extravagant purchases or gigantic splurges.

Unless it comes to food.

Then I have no problem spending away. A $250 meal in Napa is completely justifiable...it's Michael Chiarello! $600 a month in groceries...I needed them.  Splurging on a whole salmon to make barbecue gravlax...?  Um, hello!  It was Tuesday...

So now I find myself soon to be without a regular paycheck.

But, mama still gotta eat good.

Necessity is the Mother of Invention (and Improvisation)!


Black Bean Cakes with Poached Egg and Avocado Cream

The egg makes for a delicious sauce. The avocado pushes it over the top!

This spicy little dish is perfect for brunch on a hot summer day and surprisingly easy to make! I'm sure you could be lah-dee-dah about it and soak your beans, but canned worked just fine.

Yields 6 cakes

2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup pepadew peppers, minced
1 Chipotle pepper, minced
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbl flour, plus 1/4 cup for dredging
2 Tbl cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
salt n' pepper

In a large bowl, mash up 2/3 of the beans using a potato masher.  Add remaining ingredients, including reserved beans, and stir to thoroughly combine ingredients. Roll up your sleeves, cuz it's gonna get messy.  Pat mixture into 6 cakes, approximately 3 inches in diameter.  Dredge each cake in flour.

Heat 2 Tbl olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook cakes for 7-10 minutes or until crisp enough to flip. Once flipped, cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Top each cake with Avocado Cream and a poached egg.

Avocado Cream

1 avocado
2 Tbl low fat Greek yogurt
Juice of one lime
pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt n' pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl or food processor until smooth.  Salt and pepper to taste.



Hints on Perfectly Poached Eggs

* Make sure you use a large enough pot
* Add at least 3 Tbl white vinegar to simmering water
* Stir the water in one direction before adding the eggs.  The swirl will allow the eggs to fold back onto themselves creating the perfect little package.

Ahhh...Saturday

I've had a hell of a week.

The beginning of the school year is always filled with challenges:  learning students' names and getting them excited about classes, meeting with parents and discovering their expectations for you and their kids,  getting your brain into "school mode," grading, emailing, fundraising, driving, teaching, smiling, working out, cooking, cleaning, ironing, and casting the fall show...which always gives me heartburn as I crush the dreams of aspiring young actors with the posting of a cast list.

I look forward to Saturday.

It's the one day when I drink coffee out of a coffee cup and not a travel mug.  I get to sleep past 6 a.m. I can sit on my butt and watch cooking shows or that America's Next Top Model marathon.  I can go to the gym.  Or not.  I can take a long walk with the pup.  And I can concoct culinary creations.

But sometimes, it's best to keep it simple...so I can take a nap.

Yummy.

Herb Baked Eggs

These eggs are so simple to make and are beyond tasty.  Feel free to mix it up with the herbs.  Rosemary, oregano, cilantro, whatever you have on hand.  Add some toasty bread and a simple salad and you've got a meal!

3 extra large eggs
1 Tbl butter
1 Tbl cream
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp parsley, chopped
1 tsp basil, chopped
1 tsp tarragon, chopped
1 green onion, green parts only, minced
a little parm
a little salt 'n pepper

Preheat oven to 450.  In an oven safe dish, place butter and cream and pop in the oven.

Crack eggs into a small bowl and set aside.  Combine herbs, onion, and garlic and set aside.  Once the butter and cream starts to bubble, remove from oven.  Immediately pour in eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle the herb mixture on top.  If'n you feel like it, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top.  Pop it back in the oven and cook for 5-7 minutes, until whites are firm yet the yolks are still runny.

If you have a little bit of the herb mixture left over, toss into a salad of fresh spinach and drizzle it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.