friday breakfast: open-faced omelet

As you read this, I am at the beach, spending the weekend with my family.  We were supposed to be in New York with Bollie, but she had a last-minute change in her work schedule, and instead, she will be joining us here later this weekend.  Because I knew breakfast this morning would be a green smoothie in the car, I planned ahead, took one for the team, and had an omelet for dinner on Wednesday.

Thats right, eggs for dinner.  This here post is about honesty.  I'm coming clean.

And no, I am not going to admit that the entire drive down I listened to One Direction and Justin Bieber (though, frankly, that isn't that far from the truth.)  In the spirit of honesty, I only made one conscious decision to break my Lenten promise, and that was a few beers (clearly not gluten-free) on St. Patrick's Day.  Sorry.  I justified it by convincing myself it was okay since St. Patrick was also Catholic, and my buddies were in desperate need of a fourth for a flip cup tournament, and dammit, I am a really good friend who never lets people down.  And it's not like I was eating bread or pasta.  Anddd, since we're being honest, there was also an unconscious slip-up later that night that stemmed from the fact I had too many beers and not enough food.  And I felt horrible about it when I was reminded the next day.  I'm sorry, dear readers.  There were several Hail Marys at church that night.

But other than that, I've had no bread, no cupcakes, no cereal, no sugar-laden condiments.  My diet has been cleaned up quite a bit.  I feel great - though I can't honestly say whether it's the lack of gluten, the lack of sugar, or both.  I will return to eating gluten, I'm sure, but I've now seen first hand that we probably do eat way too much sugar without even realizing it, and I am going to try to restrict my sugar intake going forward.  To be clear - I will choose to eat my sugar where it matters - in desserts.  None of that sugar in salad dressings or condiments or drinks or things like that.

But, I have made and eaten everything you've seen on this blog.  That is not a lie.  And of course, there's a lot that I eat that is not on the blog.  Recipe flops.  Oatmeal.  Tons of smoothies.  Lentils and rice.  Lots of roasted vegetables and salads.  And the lazy man's meal: eggs for dinner.  But, that's the reason why I don't do a play-by-play of everything that I eat.  For one, none of you care.  And two, nobody would read because it would be pretty boring.  And there would be a lot of eggs for dinner. 

This omelet was made open faced because, since we're being honest, I'm incapable of perfectly flipping an omelet in a skillet.  Eggs are the first thing I learned how to cook - and I still can't get it right.  So I do it the easy way.  I cook my omelet in a large skillet so the omelet is thin and cooks more quickly.  I cover the pan and let the egg set, and then invert the omelet (which is almost like an eggy crepe) onto a plate.  And then I cover with the omelet fillings - or in this case, toppings.  In this case, that was some sauteed spinach, leftover caramelized onions and asparagus from steak dinner, and some cherry tomatoes.  It's an easy, fast, and nutritious breakfast.  Of course, it also makes a decent dinner.

Finally, since I don't know when I will blog again, please be sure to subscribe via email or RSS.  That way you will automatically be updated when I come your way with new delicious recipes and silly anecdotes.

Oh, and hello from my happy place.

Open-faced omelet
Serves 1

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup milk or water
1 tablespoon chopped herbs (I used thyme and rosemary)
salt & pepper

1.  Beat together all ingredients.
2.  Heat 10-12 inch pan over medium high heat, lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
3.  Pour ingredients into pan and swirl pan, if necessary, so that the egg is evenly spread throughout.
4.  Let cook 30-60 seconds, reduce heat to medium, and cover.  After another one minute, check to see if egg is completely set.  If not, continue cooking until set.
5.  When egg is done, invert onto a plate by putting a plate face-down on top of the pan and flipping it over.
6.  Put "toppings" on top of egg. Pin It Now!

friday breakast: egg "muffins"

My friend Caroline sent me this recipe for personalized fritattas cooked in a muffin tin, and I decided to make them for a St. Patrick's Day brunch when she would be one of my guests.  I know the picture is kinda lame, but how cute are these things?  They come out of the oven looking exactly like a muffin, which is a great mind trick for someone craving a doughy, sugary, buttery muffin.  This recipe is very customizable, as well.  The original called for a broccoli and sausage filling, but since I love goat cheese, spinach, and mushrooms, I decided to make both.  This recipe was very fast and easy, and they look super impressive.

I like my eggs super runny and yolky, but if I make them well done - scrambled, in an omelet, or a fritatta - I like a lot of herbs and spices.  My favorite flavor-boosters for eggs are thyme, basil, chives, or crushed red pepper.  Personally, I thought these were a little on the bland side, so next time I make them, I will give them a healthy dose of flavor this way.  Overall, though, everyone else enjoyed them, so it is certainly a matter of personal preference.  We thought they were great served fresh out of the oven.  But, I will be the first to admit - they were totally disgusting served the next day.  One of the reviewers said that she put them in the freezer and then thawed them out in the morning as a breakfast to-go.  Well, she must have low standards.  The texture was off (it was awkwardly chewy), the saltiness was intensified, and they were almost a little liquidy.  So don't make extras - plan accordingly!


Egg "muffins"
Adapted from Snacking in the kitchen
Makes 12 muffins 


For the egg mixture:
8-10 eggs
1/4 cup milk or water
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
salt and pepper, to taste

For the filling (each variation makes six muffins):

variation one:
2 sausage links (about 6-8 ounces)
1 cup broccoli florets
grated parmesan cheese

variation two:
2 cups spinach
handful mushrooms, chopped
crumbled goat cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 375.
2.  In a microwave, steam the broccoli by placing a damp paper towel over a bowl of broccoli florets (just the floret, NO stem) and zapping for a minute or two.  Repeat same process with the spinach.
3.  If your sausage is uncooked, saute sausage in a saute pan.  If it is precooked and frozen, like mine, zap it in the microwave until finished.  Remove from the casing.
4.  Whisk eggs, milk/water, oil, and baking powder together, and season with salt and pepper.  (I'd suggest underseasoning slightly if you are adding a salty cheese, like parmesan.)  Start with just eight eggs, but halfway through your assembly, you may need to add more (mine were kind of small, so I did need to whisk in a couple more about halfway through.)
5.  Grease a muffin pan well with cooking spray and evenly distribute the sausage and broccoli mixture and/or the spinach mushroom mixture in each cup.  Sprinkle each with desired cheese.  Pour eggs over mixture into each muffin mold. 
6.  Bake in oven about 15-20 minutes, or until egg is set. Pin It Now!

friday breakfast: eggs in an onion "ring"

One of the fascinating things about being a young professional in our nation's capital is that you inevitably meet a diehard supporter of every cause imaginable.  There seems to be a representative for every 501(c)3 on earth in this town, and a social event/fundraiser/awareness campaign for each.  (Relax, people.  This is not a post about the Kony campaign.)  Want to provide books to children in Appalachia?  Come to this book drive happy hour in which every book you donate gets you a free beer!  Concerned with the rescue and rehabilitation of injured birds?  There's a open bar on Wednesday for that!  $20 for all you can drink!  (Side note: who does that on a weeknight?  I can't.)  Whether it's a shopping night, fashion show, powderpuff game, black-tie gala, or simply a drinking event disguised as a "fundraiser", there is always something going on for the philanthrobetches in our fair city.

Please do not misunderstand - I do not mean to mock charity.  At all.  I understand that there are causes which, though very obscure to me, are near and dear to the hearts of many.  That doesn't make them any less important.  So, I am a willing participant in these causes, mostly because I am always happy to support friends in endeavors that are important to them, even if it is something with which I am not particularly concerned.  Plus, it is a great way to meet people and be social.  And it also makes me feel slightly less guilty about going out during the week, when I am really better off parked on the sofa with a mug of tea in one hand and the remote control in the other. 

But if there's one cause that everyone can come together for - one thing that is important to most (non-sociopathic) people - it is sick children.  My friend Patti is in med school and is involved with an awesome charity to benefit kids with cancer.  If I can't shave my head for them, I can certainly have a couple of beverages like a responsible adult while plunking down a modest donation for their cause.  So last night, that is what I did.

Which, I promise, has something to do with today's breakfast.  As I was leaving the bar, I was overcome with the most amazing smell in all of Glover Park.  No, not Rocklands Barbeque, though that's a close second.  I'm talking about Z-Burger's onion rings.

Y'all.  I really like onion rings - I'd choose onion rings over french fries any day of the week.  I think I get this from my mom.  The smell of Z-Burger's onion rings are the yin to my yang whenever I'm walking by, and I swear the smell is even more intoxicating after midnight.  Luckily, they are just solidly mediocre, so I don't have to worry about a little late night rendezvous with the deep fryer.  And obviously, onion rings are battered in flour, so even if I wanted them, I would have to say no.

This morning when I woke up, I could have sworn I could still smell the onion rings.  Either the winds are very strong out of the southeast, or I am still FOMO over the onion rings.  So I had an idea.  I have seen some cool things recently about eggs cooked in rings of bacon.  But, I don't like bacon, and I don't eat meat on Fridays of Lent, anyway.  So how eggs in an onion "ring"?

This is so simple it doesn't need a recipe, so I'll just give you the method.  Slice an onion in half-inch segments and use the outer-most ring.  Spray a non-reactive* pan with cooking spray and place the onion in the pan over medium heat.  While it is sizzling away, turn on your broiler.  After about four minutes, flip the onion and see if it is sufficiently browned.  If it is not, turn it back over and let it cook some more.  If it is, crack an egg inside the onion ring, brown side up.  Season with salt and pepper.**  Let the egg cook for a minute or two before transferring to the broiler and broiling until set and you've reached desired doneness.  I think mine cooked about three minutes under the broiler, but next time I will let it cook a little less, as the yolk wasn't quite runny enough for me.  Remove from the oven and trim any egg from outside the "ring" by using a knife.

*Do not use non-stick in the oven.  The heat will ruin the coating.  Use cast iron or stainless steel instead.
**I also put some thyme on mine (because I love the combination of eggs and thyme), but you could also leave the herb out, maybe add some parmesan or goat cheese, or get crazy with spices.  The possibilities are endless! 

It may sound weird, but this was a really cool way to eat breakfast.  It would also make a really impressive option for a brunch buffet the next time you are entertaining, or even just an easy weekend breakfast.

Have a great weekend, all!  I am off to a Mexican fiesta tonight for my friend's birthday.  Thank goodness for corn tortillas, right?  ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Amanda! Pin It Now!

friday breakfast: bennys with a twist

In keeping with last year’s tradition, I am going to reserve Fridays for breakfast posts.  Since I have the privilege of working from home on Fridays, I like to make myself a big brunch midmorning, instead of my standard “weekday” breakfast.  I wake up early and make a big pot of tea while I check emails and begin prioritizing my tasks for the day.  My real breakfast comes a few hours after I wake up, when I make myself a brunch feast.    

I am not a huge fan of sweet, doughy breakfasts, much preferring something eggy and yolky.  My favorite brunch dish is any variation on an Eggs Benedict because I love a smooth, silky, just-slightly-lemony hollandaise.  I really don’t ever make Eggs Benny myself, though, because I am pretty sure if I knew what exactly went into the hollandaise sauce, I would get grossed out and never eat it again.  (Note:  I feel the same way about mayonnaise. I know it is really bad for you, but that is the extent to which I want to know.  Ignorance is bliss.)  So instead, I just resort to ordering Eggs Benedict when I go out to brunch.  Which, unfortunately for my cardiovascular system, is pretty much every weekend.  On the rare occasion I am conscious of the damage I'm doing to my arteries, I deviate from eggs and order an everything bagel and lox.  Because everyone knows that salmon is full of heart-healthy omega 3s.  The schmear of cream cheese is negligible.   

Anyway, the problem with Eggs Benedict during Lent is clearly the toasted English muffin.  Cue Portobello mushrooms.  Find a big Portobello cap and use it as your muffin, and the opportunities are endless.  You can add a bit of thyme and parmesan cheese to the shallow well, or try sautéing some spinach instead.  Top each cap with a poached egg, and cover it in some kind of sauce.  Since I wasn’t going to make hollandaise, I made a red pepper puree to spoon on top instead.  (Very easy - just take a couple strips of roasted bell pepper, salt and pepper, and just a couple drops of olive oil and pulse in a food processor or immersion blender until creamy.)  You could clearly skip this step if you wanted, but I wanted to at least feel like I was eating an Eggs Benedict, and the red color was a nice touch as well. 

If you don't know how to poach an egg, watch this video.  Isn't Alton Brown just so cute and geeky?  He really knows the science behind food and I always learn something when I watch him on TV.  For example, I had no idea that there was a "born on" date for eggs printed on the carton.  Did you?  (The only change I'd suggest to his method is cooking it less if you want runny yolks.  I cook mine closer to three and a half minutes.  I also don't use a thermometer - just bring the water to a boil first, then reduce down to a steady simmer and add your eggs.) 

 I hope everyone has a nice weekend!  My friend Brent is coming to DC for her birthday tomorrow and I cannot wait to see her.  Happy Birthday, Boo!

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friday breakfast: round 6

I had ambitious plans for breakfast this morning.  I wanted to make baked eggs in a biscuit cup - something that is all over the blogosphere right now.  You basically line a muffin tin with bread or a biscuit (and most recipes feature ham or bacon), crack an egg inside, and bake at 400 until egg is done.

But, you know what they say about the best laid plans. 

I spent last night battling with I-95 South and didn't get to Norfolk until midnight.  I slept in this morning, and now I'm off to the beach.  Mom had this beaut of a Southern breakfast ready for me when I woke - overeasy eggs with grits.

I'm off to the beach, have a great weekend and HAPPY EASTER!    Pin It Now!

friday breakfast: round 5

Eggs and tomato sauce, a slightly strange but delicious breakfast

I'm sorry this post is a little late this morning.  Last night I went down the street to a friend's birthday cookout, promising myself I'd be in bed by 11 ready to get up at 7 and work my tail off today.  I put a lot of things on my to-do list yesterday evening.  In order of priority, today's tasks were:

1.  Work work - not gonna go into detail because y'all don't wanna hear about that.  But there's a lot of it today.
2.  Cook and write today's Friday Breakfast post
3.  Housework - mainly cleaning the kitchen, which is disgusting right now.  Whitney and I are having dinner guests tonight, so this absolutely must get done.
3.  Grocery store - see above, must get done.  Unless my guests want to eat Tasty Bite lentils or eggs.
4.  Long run - it's 68 and sunny, sunny, SUNNY!  For pure utility, I almost put this last, but I think I need it for my sanity.
5.  Laundry - bane of my existence.

Well, you know what they say about the best laid plans.  I stayed out till 1 and slept till 7:30.  When I woke up, the only thing I wanted was coffee, so I just got straight to work.  I know you all were sad when, after spending the first thirty minutes of work reading and replying to emails, rearranging stacks of paper on your desks, and making the trip down to Starbucks, you return to your computer and see none of the following things: 

1.  the 40-day vegetarian (1) in your Google Reader
2.  my face on your Facebook newsfeed (by the way, the status messages will promptly cease when this blog goes kaput).
3.  a tinyurl from me on your twitter feed (unlike Facebook status updates, these will certainly not cease). 
4.  no breakfast post on www.the40dayvegetarian.blogspot.com  (although per the stats, it looks like very few people access my blog this way).

Can you tell I'm in an anal-retentive, list-making mood today?  Sincerest apologies.

But back to the matter at hand.  It's Friday....I'm working from home....FRIDAY BREAKFAST! I can't believe this is my fifth breakfast post!

Too bad the only thing I wanted this morning was coffee.  So I put on a very large pot of coffee, put in some laundry, and turned on my computer.  Alright, #1 and #5 in progress!  When my appetite finally came around, I really wanted some runny, over easy eggs, and a side of crispy toast to soak up all the goodness.  But I knew that I had to give you something interesting since I was late with the post today.  I don't have much in my fridge (see #3), but I do have a can of tomato paste leftover from that chickpea nightmare/dream come true (I still am going back and forth as to whether it was a success or failure), so I want to use that at some point before it goes bad.  (I absolutely despise wasting food, or letting it go bad and having to throw it out.)

I also felt a weird nostalgia for Spain this morning.  I get this every once in a while, and because I can't afford to buy an $800 plane ticket every time I feel the urge, I normally just look at old pictures from my time there and ressurect an email chain with my amigas Valencianas (+ Jason) full of references to Cacao Sampaka, botellons in Plaza de la Virgen, and our Valencian frenemy, a weird dude named Fade.  When I really miss Valencia, I make Spanish food.  Normally this is tortilla espanola or dates wrapped in jamon iberico.  I tried making paella once but it was so bad I almost cried.  (It was good, but nothing like what I had there.  Something in the water...)

My madre cooked the most delicious Spanish food, but sometimes she got lazy and we would have huevos for dinner, one way or another.  One of my favorite lazy meals was arroz a la cubana, a 15-minute dish of boiled white rice and an over easy egg (or two), topped with tomato sauce.  I know it sounds gross, but mixing it all up together is so. freaking. tasty.  The first time I ate it though, I gagged a little.  It was the weirdest mixture of flavors and textures.  But a few bites in, I discovered that it all really works together, and made up my mind to lick the plate clean, if necessary.  Like I've said before, don't knock it till ya try it (twice).

I could have subbed grits in for the rice to make it a morning-appropriate dish (yes, I know tons of people around the world eat rice for breakfast), but I just decided to leave it all out and dip a crusty piece of sourdough (thank you, Whitney) in on the side.  So it's really not arroz a la cubana, but I knew it would work because I remember seeing similar dishes here and here.  I made the tomato sauce from the tomato paste I had, but canned tomato/pasta sauce would work just fine.  (I made this sauce all by myself, and it was pretty good, but if anyone has any suggestions to making a great tomato sauce from tomato paste, please let me know!)  I ate the final product directly out of the cast iron skillet (Sorry Mom, I know you must be cringing.)

Arroz a la cubana-inspired Eggs in Tomato Sauce
Serves 1

One egg
olive oil
2 tablespoons onion, chopped finely
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (about one clove)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3-4 tablespoons water (1/4 cup or a little under)
1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon basil
salt and pepper, to taste

1.  Heat a bit of olive oil (just a teaspoon or two) in a small skillet over medium heat.  When hot, add the onion and garlic and salt and pepper.  Saute until onions are translucent.
2.  Add tomato paste, 3 tablespoons water, Italian seasoning, basil, and S&P, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up the paste.  Cut heat down to low.  Let simmer 7-10 minutes.  Adjust seasoning and add an additional tablespoon of water if necessary.
3.  Make a well in the sauce in the center of the pan.  The hole should be small, but large enough to fit an egg in.  This is done by pushing the sauce to the sides of the pan.  (The recipe doesn't make a whole lot of sauce, but it does make enough to cover the bottom of the pan.)
4.  Carefully crack an egg into the hole.  Turn heat up to medium-low, cover, and let cook a few minutes until egg has reached desired consistency.  (I cooked mine about 5 minutes, and it was still runny, but a little too done for me.)
5.  Eat it out of the skillet or transfer to a plate.

Have a good weekend, everybody.  Next week will be my last on the blog, and I'm not even sure if it's going to be a full week, as I'm going home on Thursday night and headed to the beach cottage, sans internet, early Friday.  Will keep y'all updated! Pin It Now!

friday breakfast: round 2

Asparagus and goat cheese frittata

Spring is the season for one of my favorite vegetables - asparagus.  I've learned the hard way that it's silly to pay $4.99/pound for the fat, flavorless spears in December, so I am always thrilled come March and April when the fresh, skinny variety becomes available for less than half that price.

Today's Friday breakfast special features my favorite green vegetable paired with my favorite breakfast food - eggs.  I already waxed poetic about eggs in my last breakfast post (even though I wasn't feeling them that day) - I just love them.  And frittatas are a great way to eat eggs - fast, super easy, and a great way to up your vegetable intake (just like salads!)

This morning's Friday breakfast was an asparagus and goat cheese frittata.  I've made countless other vegetarian frittatas, most all of them delicious.  Some of my favorites are spinach, artichoke, and goat cheese, tomato-basil, sundried tomato and mushroom, spinach and feta, and mexican cheese and bell pepper, but the permutations are endless.

The best way to make a frittata, in my opinion, is in a cast iron skillet.  I think eggs taste better when they are scrambled or fried on cast iron, and similarly, I think frittatas cook better when they are prepared in cast iron.  There's no one way to make a frittata, but there is a fool-proof one!  Give this method a try - it's easier than scrambled eggs! 


How to make a delicious one-serving frittata in 10 minutes:
1.  First, decide on your filling.  You can make an empty-your-fridge frittata, but I would stick with just two or three vegetables to start out.  This excludes garlic and onions, which are freebies if you would like to include them.  You may also pick a cheese, if desired.
2.  Chop the veggies so that they are similar sizes.  This will help them cook more uniformly.  Set aside.  Separately, crumble or shred the cheese and set aside.
3.  Generously coat your skillet with several sprays of Pam.  This will help the finished product slide out more easily.
4.  Saute the garlic and onions on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes, taking care not to brown the garlic.  You don't even need to use oil if you use an adequate amount of spray.  Add the rest of your veggies and continue to saute until the veggies are cooked through.  This will depend on the vegetable and the size, but a good rule is another 3-4 minutes. 
5.  Meanwhile, make your egg mixture in a cup or small bowl.  I usually use two eggs - maybe two whole eggs, or maybe one egg and one egg white.  Personally, I never eat just egg whites....but if that's what you like, go for it.  Consider adding an extra egg white, in that case.  Season eggs with salt, pepper, and other seasonings, if desired.  Add a splash of milk (or water), and whisk thoroughly with a fork or small whisk.
6.  When your vegetables are cooked through, pour the egg mixture directly over the vegetables.  Turn the heat down to medium and turn on your broiler.  Leave the skillet alone for 4-5 minutes while the frittata cooks.
7.  When the egg has begun to set (you can tell because the sides will look hard, not runny, and the eggs will still be uncooked on top), add your cheese.   
8.  Transfer to the oven and put right under the broiler.  Let it sit under the broiler for 2 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
9.  Remove from oven and invert onto a small plate.  The frittata should slide out with minimal shaking and wiggling, but if it doesn't, use a small, narrow spatula or knife to loosen the egg from the rim of the pan.  

IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you only have non-stick pans you will need to bake your frittata instead.  Most non-stick pans are oven-proof up to 450 degrees but they are not broiler-proof, as the high heat and proximity to the flame can damage the non-stick coating.  Follow steps 1-5, but after you pour the egg over top of the veggies, transfer to a preheated oven and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. 


Now that I've had breakfast, it's off to put in some laundry and get to work.  But first, random thought of the day.  Remember when Matt Bomer hosted the last hour of the Today Show (the irritating segment with Hoda & Kathie Lee) last week?  Unfortunately, he's been replaced, and this week's co-host will be none other than....

Kris Jenner. Who Matt Lauer just referred to as Kris Kardashian-Jenner.  Has she picked up her ex-husband's name again to ride the coattails of her daughters' success, or did Matt just want everyone to know that she was Kourt, Kim, and Khloe's mom (and thereby reinforce that America loves the famous sisters more than her current, has-been hubby)?  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Bruce.  He rules a wild roost.  And coming from a house of all girls, I can confidently say that any man who has to deal with that much estrogen deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. (Love ya, Dad. Thanks for being such a trooper.)  But Bruce has had a weeee bit too much plastic surgery, and I mean really, who do you prefer?

 

or....

That's what I thought.  (For the record, Bollie, Jamie, and I look like that when we have sister photo shoots too.)

Have a great weekend!! Pin It Now!