30 Days of Real Meals- #5 Breakfast of Champions

We've been eating a lot more eggs since I've cut back on grains (not that you'd be able to tell that we've cut back since all my posts lately feature them!).  So, for breakfast I like to add a little flair to our plate by making crunchy salads.  I haven't gotten around to sprouting much these days, but luckily a vendor at the farmer's market sells lovely sunflower sprouts which we've really been enjoying lately.  Like this morning for instance, where I tossed them with (store bought) lacto-fermented turnips, carrot and avocado drizzled with a touch of umeboshi vinegar, flax, and olive oil.  Perfect next to a pair of our farm fresh eggs (thank goodness our young hens have begun to lay - it was hard to eat store bought eggs again).

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

Most commercially prepared mayonnaise is made with non-organic eggs and genetically modified organisms.  I did find an organic mayo from Spectrum, but I wasn't so impressed with their use of soya oil or with the price ($12-$13/jar!)  I always used to buy it until I realized how easy it was to make my own.

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE

3 organic eggs

1 1/4 tsp organic dry mustard powder

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup organic lemon juice

1 cup organic vegetable oil

1/2 cup e.v olive oil

1/4 cup organic flax seed oil

Method:  (Please note I have only made this in my Vita-Mix blender so I am not sure how it will turn out in your own blender.....it should be fine though).

     Place the eggs, mustard, salt and lemon juice in the blender.  Turn machine on low and slowly build it up to high.  While machine is running, slowly pour in oil in a thin, steady stream until you use it all up and the mixture thickens.  Stop machine and stir in any oil sitting on top.  Refrigerate up to 4 weeks.

PASTA FRITTATA

If you end up having leftover pasta from last night's meal, you can always make a pasta frittata.

PASTA FRITTATA

2 organic eggs, whisked

1 cup leftover garlicky angel hair pasta with kale and mizuna (or any leftover boiled pasta)

1 Tbsp organic salted butter

sea salt and peppper

romano cheese

Method:  Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Set your oven to broil and warm it up.  Melt the butter in the pan and the add the pasta, stirring to warm it through.  Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper and then add to pan, tilting it to distribute evenly.  Grate some of the romano cheese on top.  Broil about 3-4 minutes in oven until the egg is set.  Serve.

BIRTHDAY DINNER

My son is two years old today.  I didn't know I was making a special meal until we sat down and realized just how lovely it was.   It is such a joy preparing food for my family.  Happy Birthday Faegan, here's to many, many more delicious meals together!

BROILED HADDOCK with Mushrooms and Thyme

1 pound hook and line haddock fillets

1 pound organic mushrooms

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 tsp fresh thyme

1 Tbsp Tom's Spice (available from my Etsy Shop)

Method:  Preheat oven to 450*.  In a cast iron skillet, toss the mushrooms with half the olive oil, thyme, and 2 tsp of Tom's Spice.  Roast for about 10 minutes.

     Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the fish, season with the rest of Tom's Spice.  Pile the fish onto the mushrooms and roast for 10 minutes. 

 

HORSERADISH MASHED POTATOES

5 organic potatoes, peeled and cut into 4 pieces

sea salt and pepper

1/2 cup organic whole milk

3 Tbsp organic salted butter

1 heaping Tbsp natural horseradish (I like Bubbies)

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Bring potatoes to a boil.  Cook until very tender, drain and then add the remaining ingredients.  Mash until creamy.

SPINACH SALAD with Leftover Easter Eggs, Spring Sprouts and Walnuts

3/4 pound organic spinach

1/2 cup organic sprouts

1/2 cup organic raw walnuts

3 organic boiled eggs

3 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp organic Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

2 tsp local honey

sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:  Whisk the vinegar, mustard, olive oil and honey together in a bowl.  Drizzle over the salad.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Breakfast for Dinner

Had a wonderful jolt of inspiration this evening over breakfast for dinner tonight.  When my mother gets home she is going to be a regular contributor to this blog!  It is so brilliant because my mother is a phenomenal culinary artist.  Everything she makes not only tastes incredibly good, it looks like art (did I mention my mom is an artist?)  Anyway, so look forward to some amazing recipes by Ellen in the very near future.  

     Mom won't be here this weekend for our regular Sunday brunch extravaganza, so I decided we would have breakfast for dinner tonight.  This was the perfect time to try out a recipe I noticed while flipping through Martha's Everyday Food mag the other day called Skillet Potato Cake.  It is an amazingly crispy yummy potato dish that is a recipe definitely worth making again and again.  

     Ted Hutten at the Halifax Farmer's Market was working magic this winter while the rest of us hibernated.  He magically has spinach this early in the season, so I decided to use it to make a Spinach Mushroom Fritatta.  And no breakfast is complete without some Getaway Farms real bacon and sausage....

SKILLET POTATO CAKE (modified from MS Everyday Food)

2 pounds organic baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks

3 Tbsp organic butter

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

3 scallions or 1/2 organic onion and chives

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 425*.  Boil the potatoes in salted water for about 10 mins or until tender.  Drain.

     In a 10" cast iron skillet, heat the butter and oil over medium heat.  Stir in the potatoes, onions, 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/8 tsp pepper.  With the back of a large spoon, press the potatoes into the pan, crushing them slightly.

     Bake the potato cake until the edges are golden brown, about 20 mins.  Loosen the cake with a spatula if needed.  Cover the pan with a plate, flip over and remove from pan.

LOCAL SPINACH AND MUSHROOM FRITATTA

6 organic eggs

1/4 cup organic whole milk

8 organic mushrooms, sliced

1/2 organic onion, chopped

1/4 cup garlic chives, minced

2 Tbsp leftover bacon grease or olive oil and butter

sea salt and pepper

1 bag Ted Hutten's local spinach (around 4 cups fresh)

1/2 cup organic swiss cheese

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Heat the bacon fat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet and fry the mushrooms and onion/chives until golden brown.  Remove from heat.  At the same time place all the spinach in a covered pot over medium heat until the spinach wilts.  Drain in a colander, pressing out the excess water.  Chop the spinach.  Add spinach to the pan with mushrooms.

     In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and some sea salt and pepper.  Pour on top of the mushroom mix.  Top with grated cheese.  Place in oven for about 15 mins or until the egg has set and puffs up a bit.

Breakfast Wrap

My usual fried egg breakfast involves melting cheese on a fried egg and sandwiching it between two slices of whole wheat toast smeared with dijon mustard.  But I didn't feel like toast, and that was when I spied some leftover chapatis in the freezer.  Next thing you know, out came the salsa, sprouts, sauerkraut, cilantro and sprouts.  And it was good, very very good.

EGG WRAP with Tomato Salsa, Cilantro and Homemade Sauerkraut

1 organic whole wheat chapati, tortilla or flatbread

2 Tbsp organic salsa

1 organic egg

1 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1/4 cup organic cheese (I used swiss cuz that's what I had)

1 handful organic cilantro, ripped up

handful organic sprouts

1/4 cup organic cortido (seasoned sauerkraut, recipe follows)

Method:  Heat the chapati in a cast iron skillet, but only enough so that it is still malleable.  Fry the egg in the olive oil by cooking over medium heat in a cast iron skillet.  When you break the egg, be sure to break the yolks too.  Flip over after about 2-3 minutes, top with grated cheese and cook until the yolk is solid.  Spread the now warm chapati with the salsa, followed by the cortido.  Place egg in the centre, top it with the cilantro and sprouts.  Roll the wrap up, being sure to tuck in the sides too.

CORTIDO (from Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions)

1 large cabbage, cored and shredded

1 cup carrots, grated

2 medium onions, quartered lengthwise and very finely sliced

1 tablesoon dried oregano

1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon sea salt

4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)

1. In a large bowl mix cabbage with carrots, onions, oregano, red chile flakes, sea salt and whey.
2. Pound with a wooden pounder or a meat hammer for abou 10 minutes to release juices.
3. Place in 2 quart-sized, wide mouth mason jars and press down firmly with a pounder or meat hammer until juices come to the top of the cabbage. The top of the cabbage mixture should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jars.
4. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage

Brunch

What started out as Sunday brunch at my friend Becky's house one day a couple of months ago has turned into a loosely created brunch club.  It was our turn to host and I planned to make Eggs Benedict after delightedly discovering that PC now offers Organic Smoked Atlantic salmon.  

EGGS BENEDICT TWO WAYS - with Smoked Organic Salmon and Cured Pasture Raised Ham

6 organic eggs

6 homemade organic biscuits, cut into large rounds (http://prasada-eatingisdivine.blogspot.com/2009/09/best-biscuits-ever.html

6 pieces organic smoked salmon

6 pieces pasture raised ham

hollandaise sauce

organic salad greens, tossed in a light balsamic vinaigrette

sea salt and pepper

olive oil

HOLLANDAISE

2 organic egg yolks

2 Tbsp organic lemon juice

1/2 cup organic melted butter

2 Tbsp minced fresh organic dill

Method:  Make the hollandaise sauce by placing egg yolks and lemon juice in a blender.  With the motor running, add the melted butter very slowly.  Season with salt, pepper and the dill. Whisk in a tablespoon of water if it is too thick.

     Preheat the oven to 450*.  Grease a muffin tin and crack an egg into each spot, season with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes for runny eggs, 15 for hard cooked eggs.

     Meanwhile, toss the greens in some olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a dribble of maple syrup and salt and pepper.  Cut biscuits in half, top with some greens and on one half a piece of salmon, on the other a piece of ham.  When eggs are done, put one egg on each half, followed with a dribble of hollandaise.

SPICED HOME FRIES

8 organic potatoes, cubed

1/4 cup organic coconut or sunflower oil

1 1/2 tsp organic mustard seeds

1 Tbsp finely chopped organic garlic

3 Tbsp ground organic coriander

1 tsp organic turmeric

1 tsp ground organic paprika

1 tsp organic black pepper

3 tsp sea salt

2 pinches ground asafetida (hing)

2 tsp honey

Method:  In an asian steamer, steam the potatoes in water for 15 minutes, or until they are cooked but not mushy.  Place the potatoes in a large cast iron skillet and set aside.

     In a small skillet heat the oil and saute the mustard seeds until they  pop.  Turn off the heat, add the garlic and spices.  Saute on no heat for 1-2  minutes.  Preheat oven to 375*.  Add the honey and pour the spices over the potatoes, stirring.  Bake 15 minutes, turn the potatoes and bake another 10 minutes.  Adjust for saltiness.  Serve with eggs benedict.

So simple, So good

I have decided to teach myself how to sew!  I spent the afternoon working away on a simple apron while Scott played with Faegan, which was a real treat.  By the time it was dark and dinner time, I had nothing prepared and was feeling lazy and not in the mood to cook.  Luckily Scott took over and started roasting some squash and defrosting himself a steak.  Tonight was a fried egg night for me.  Fried eggs are my old standby when I want to keep things very simple in the kitchen. Growing up in a Greek family we always fried eggs in olive oil, a technique I endearingly call "Greek eggs".  Nowadays I cut back on the amount of oil, but in the village in Greece they use alot of olive oil when they fry eggs, and use a spoon to baste the oil on top of the egg as it cooks.  Basted eggs!   Anyway, when  you're hungry and tired, fry an egg, Greek style.

GREEK EGGS

2 organic eggs

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Pour in the olive oil, crack the eggs into the pan and season with salt and pepper.  Using part of the eggshell, break the yolk.  Cook the egg until it can be flipped.  Cook the other side for another minute or so.  This egg is great served with a hung of feta cheese on the side.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WEDGES 

1 organic butternut squash, cut in half, seeds removed and then cut into long wedges

e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper

granulated garlic

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  Drizzle olive oil over the squash and sprinkle generously with the salt, pepper and garlic.  Roast in oven for about 30-40 minutes or until tender.

STEAMED BROCCOLI with Umeboshi Vinegar

1/2 head organic broccoli, stems peeled

2-3 tsp umeboshi vinegar

Method:  Steam the broccoli just until tender.  Drain the water and then season with vinegar.

Pastry, Two Ways

Part of the challenge of living "in the country" is that we have limited access to food supplies. There is an Atlantic Superstore in Porter's Lake which is 10 minutes away, and they do offer some organic foods, but no organic meat.  So when we run out, we make do with what we have until I make my weekly trip into Halifax to restock.  That is why we place bulk orders with local organic farmers for beef, lamb and chicken.  We are in the process of organizing one of these orders at the moment, so until then, we buy in small quantities.  Today was one of those days where the only thing I could think of to make with what we had on hand was quiche. Which led to me making whole wheat pastry, tripling the recipe so I could make a pie too.

PASTRY DOUGH

1 3/4 cup organic unbleached pastry flour

1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

90 g (6 Tbsp) chilled organic unsalted butter

120 g (8 Tbsp) organic palm oil

8 Tbsp (120 ml) ice water

     Combine the flours and salt in a bowl.  Cut in the butter and palm oil until it resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle in the ice water and mix until the dough holds together.  Form into two balls and place in a covered dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

     Lightly flour your counter surface and then pat the dough out and flatten about 6".

     Roll out the dough to a size slightly larger than your pie plate.  Press the dough lightly into the plate.  Trim any excess dough, leaving just enough to slightly tuck under once we assemble the pie.  

    ** If you are using this pastry for a recipe that only requires a bottom crust, divide recipe in half and fold the overhanging pastry inwards, leaving a double crust along the side and a rounded edge on top.

QUICHE with Broccoli, Mushroom, Zucchini and Swiss 

1 cup chopped organic broccoli

1/2 cup organic mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup organic zucchini, sliced

1/2 cup organic onion, chopped

5 organic eggs

1/3 cup organic whole milk

1 cup organic Swiss cheese, grated

1 tbsp olive oil or organic butter

sea salt and pepper

1 pastry dough, uncooked in a pie plate

Preheat oven to 350*.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the oil.   Saute onion, broccoli, zucchini and mushroom for about 5 minutes or until soft.  In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs well until adding the milk and salt and pepper.

Fill the bottom of the pastry dough with the cheese.  Add the sauteed vegetable on top of the cheese.  Then pour in the egg mixture.  Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until the egg has set and the quiche is lightly browned.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 15 minutes to make.  

        

AUTUMN PEAR PIE with Crystallized Ginger

8 medium sized organic pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup

6 pieces crystallized ginger, diced

grated zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

double crust pastry

Method: Make the pastry and preheat oven to 325*.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into pie shell.  Gently place remaining dough circle on top of filling.  Roll edge of top crust gently under bottom crust and press edges to seal.  Pierce top crust decoratively in several place to allow steam to escape.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is beginning to brown.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 5 minutes, assembly takes 5 minutes.

We needed a little salad to go with the quiche so I decided to use up some leftover quinoa we had in the fridge.  Scott warned there may be frost tonight, so I went into the garden to harvest all the red tomatoes, green pepper, green onions and cucumbers so they wouldn't die in the cold.

QUINOA SALAD

3 cups organic quinoa

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup minced endive

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 parsley, minced

olive oil

umeboshi vinegar 

red wine vinegar

sea salt and pepper

Combine the vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, vinegars, salt and pepper.