  My daughter stopped by yesterday; possibly to see me, but more likely to see the new puppy, Bisous. She opened the refrigerator door and said, "You need to go to the grocery store. There's nothing to eat". I haven't been baking or cooking much this week. My husband is visiting his father (and I've been busy with Bisous), but that gives me the opportunity to eat the kind of simple meals I love. My daughter may have thought there was nothing to eat in the house, but I have eggs, vegetables, and fruit. Perfect...  I eat a LOT of eggs, each and every day. During that horrible stretch of time when we were told to eat eggs sparingly because of cholesterol, I would continue to consume several a day. It didn't stop me. Lately, my morning breakfasts are two fried eggs with toast and smashed avocados. Dinners recently start with salads topped by poached eggs. Sometimes, the salad is followed by a savory tart of vegetables baked in an egg custard. Like I've always said... If something is topped with an egg, that something is better because of it.  I wish the frittata I made this morning for one person, would have been larger (for 4 possibly?). I devoured it quickly and right now I would really like some more. If I had bacon on hand, I probably would have tossed some of that to the mix, also.  Serves 1 person and can be easily increased • 1 yam, cut into small cubes • extra-virgin olive oil • sea salt and freshly ground pepper • 1/2 pear, cut into slices • 1 handful arugula • fresh ricotta (recipe HERE, or purchased) • 3 large eggs, lightly whisked 1. Preheat oven to 375˚F. Toss the cubed yam in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt. Spread onto a sheet pan and roast in the oven until softened and starting to caramelize. Remove from oven and reserve. 2. Drizzle some olive oil onto a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pear slices and cook, until they begin to soften and caramelize slightly. 3. Using an 8-inch skillet (for 1 serving), place over medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Add about 3/4 cup of the cubed yams. Stir briefly, then add the arugula. Toss over the heat until the arugula just starts to wilt. Turn the burner to low and pour the beaten eggs evenly over the top. Spoon generous dollops of the fresh ricotta over the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Place the pear slices on top and sprinkle with some more of the cubed yams. 4. Place the skillet on the middle rack of the 375˚ oven and bake until the eggs are just set, approximately 10 minutes. NOTE: If increasing the size of the frittata, additional baking time will be necessary. Remove from oven and serve hot or at room temperature. TAKE a LOOK:
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 Plan a lazy weekend brunch and make this Salmon and Potato Hash with Poached Eggs! Whenever I have some leftover salmon, I tend to use it in risotto, but this hash is now the new contender for that piece of fish. Every ingredient can be prepared ahead, making assembly, the morning of, very easy.  ... an adapted Food & Wine recipe • 1 pound small Yukon Gold potatoes • 4 slices of bacon • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 1 small red onion, finely chopped • 3/4 pound cooked, skinless salmon fillet, flaked • 2 tablespoons snipped chives • Salt and freshly ground pepper • 4 eggs 1. Place potatoes in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender. Drain and let cool briefly. Peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1/2-inch cubes. 2. Dice the bacon. In a large cast iron or nonstick skillet, cook the bacon until browned. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain. 3. Add the butter to the bacon fat in the skillet. (If not making hash immediately, save bacon fat or substitute olive oil when proceeding with recipe.) Over moderate heat add the onion and potatoes. Cook, stirring and gently mashing the potatoes occasionally, until the potatoes are beginning to brown in spots. Add the bacon, salmon, and chives and cook gently until the salmon is heated. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and cover to keep hash warm. 4. Meanwhile, bring a skillet or sauté pan full of water to a vigorous simmer (start heating the water while potatoes are browning). Crack eggs into individual bowls and add them to the simmering water. Poach the eggs until the whites are set, but the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. (Read how to make poached eggs ahead HERE.) 5. Divide salmon hash between 4 plates or bowls. With a slotted spoon, lift eggs from water, drain, and place on top of hash. Serve immediately. TAKE a LOOK:  I made Fresh Strawberry Scones for breakfast. We devoured them! Assembly was a bit of a challenge, but worth it. This scone pushes the limit on wet and sticky when mixing it up. Working the strawberries into the dough may test your patience. With the help of a dough scraper and an occasional dusting of my hands with flour, I eventually had two nice little disks on the baking sheet. I veered from the original recipe at the end. Instead of mixing up the brown sugar, flour, and butter topping, I brushed my scones with more sour cream and coated the tops with brown and coarse sugar. Also, the next time I make these, I will cut each disk into eight wedges instead of four. They will spread during baking and each of my scones ended up being pretty large. Regardless of how you do it, these are delicious!    adapted recipe from the Kitchn FOR THE SCONES • 3/4 cup sour cream • 1 large egg • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour • 1/4 cup sugar • 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt • 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed • 1 cup roughly chopped strawberries FOR THE TOPPING: THE WAY THE KITCHN DID IT... • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar • 3 Tablespoons salted butter, softened OR, DO AS I DID... • Instead of the topping, above, I brushed each disk of dough with sour cream, then sprinkled generously with brown and coarse sugar. • I always use a food processor to make my scones, but they can be mixed up in a bowl and the butter cut in by hand. 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk to combine the sour cream, egg, and vanilla extract. Set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the cubed butter and pulse until the butter is the size of small peas. Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the sour cream and mix gently to combine. 2. When almost all of the flour has been incorporated, turn the dough out onto a work surface. It's o.k. if there is still some loose flour. You can work it in while adding the strawberries. This is where I dusted my hands liberally with flour and used a dough scraper. Pat the dough into a triangle. Sprinkle half of the strawberries over the dough and using the dough scraper, or a metal spatula, fold the dough over onto itself and flatten again into a rectangle. Sprinkle the remaining strawberries over the top and repeat the folding process. Fold it once or twice more to work in the strawberries, being as gentle as possible. If any strawberries fall out, press them into the top. 3. Transfer the dough to a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Flatten the dough into one large disk about 1-inch thick, or divide the dough in half and make two smaller disks (this is where you will have to again use floured hands). Transfer the baking sheet to the refrigerator and chill for 1 hour (or cover and chill overnight). 4. A half hour before baking, heat the oven to 400°F. If you want to use the topping in the original recipe from the Kitchn, combine the flour and brown sugar, and then work in the butter using a fork until it becomes a smooth paste. Remove the scones from the refrigerator and sprinkle with the topping. If you want to do as I did, just brush the scones with sour cream and sprinkle generously with brown and coarse sugar. Using a pizza wheel, or a very sharp knife, slice each disk into 8 equal-size wedges. Separate the wedges as much as possible to avoid touching while baking. Bake scones for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. • Scones are best eaten the day they are made. TAKE a LOOK:  Enjoying a lazy Sunday morning with poached eggs and sweet bell peppers on our late morning menu. My husband just returned from visiting family in the southwest and the colors of our breakfast remind him of the sunsets in the national parks he hiked throughout. And I have to agree with him that anything this colorful has to be good for you!  |
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