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Egg on Toast -- Plus

Meal Monday

It's not always easy to come up with a nutritious, tasty breakfast. Duh. There's the cereal route; the very green juice route, the coffee and doughnut routine, etc. But as I was sitting in the dermatologist's waiting room the other day, flipping through Shape Magazine, I happened upon the exclusive three-month plan, "The Beach Body Diet." 

I ignored most of it and went immediately to the recipes. Mea culpa, I tore out the page and made this Breakfast Bruschetta the other day. It's good for breakfast, but we had it for lunch and it was delicious. The key, as always, is using the freshest and ripest ingredients (we had farmer's market eggs, fresh baked rye bread, a perfectly ripe avocado and rosemary from my backyard container herb garden).

Delicious and oh so good for you.

Breakfast Bruschetta

1. Toast whole grain sourdough or rye bread.

2. Spread each slice of bread with 1/2 mashed avocado, sprinkle with lemon juice and sea salt.

3. Top with a fried egg, fresh rosemary and ground pepper to taste.

A Surfeit of Carrots? Try this Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe

Meal Monday

I'm sure it never ever happens to anyone else, but occasionally (ahem!), I forget what I already have at home and buy it again at the supermarket. Hence, I found myself putting the second one-pound bag of carrots into the refrigerator last week and wondering what on earth I could do with a bumper crop of carrots.

I've never actually made carrot cake, but it's one of those things that is always surprisingly good when I do have it. I decided to find a recipe and came up with one in my son's school's fundraising cookbook from 2006. This recipe was contributed by Kassy White, who had three sons at the school, and although I've never met her, I applaud her.

I made cupcakes, but the baking time was the same as the recipe prescribes for three layer cakes. I ended up with too many cupcakes, but they were so good! The only drag is grating all the carrots, which I did by hand, but it's well worth the effort. 

And all that vitamin A is so nutritious, right?

Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups oil (canola works well)

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups grated carrots (I just grated the whole bag's worth)

 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and oil, then add eggs.

2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add to sugar/oil/egg mixture and mix well.

3. Add vanilla and grated carrots.

4. Pour batter into three greased (8 inch) layer cake pans, or two one-dozen cupcake or muffin tins either greased or lined with paper.

5. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool completely and then frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick butter

8 ounces cream cheese (any kind will work)

1 package or box (16 ounces) confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

 

1. Soften the butter and cream cheese, then beat together with an electric mixer.

2. Add confectioners' sugar, a bit at a time, then the vanilla, until frosting is of spreading consistency.

3. Frost the cake or cupcakes.

 

 

Summer Fruit -- the Simplest and Best Dessert

Meal Monday

I'm not sure I can get away with calling today's post a recipe. What it is really is a collection of ingredients. But I do think curators are an under appreciated bunch, and that includes gastronomic curators.

Hence, today's entry: a bountiful bowl of summer fruit. It's the easiest, most refreshing dessert and it does require a sophisticated palate and highly refined aesthetic, of course.

The other night I assembled a large bowl of fresh blueberries and cut-up nectarines, spritzed some fresh lemon juice over it and served it as dessert. If you really want to go crazy, serve a plate of cookies on the side. 

Fruit is my favorite way to end a meal on a hot night, because it's light and you don't leave the table feeling too full. The combination of the sweet berries, tart nectarines and a hint of lemon was perfect -- like a bowlful of summer.

Sylvie's Omelet -- Perfect Weekend Lunch

Meal Monday

My daughter is becoming increasingly capable in the kitchen and today, not quite a Sunday, but close enough, she asked to make an omelet for lunch for all four of us. It was delicious, made use of what we happened to have in the refrigerator, and very satisfying. Especially because she was the chef.

See what you think (variations encouraged):

Sylvie's Omelet

8 eggs

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

fresh ground pepper

splash of milk

3/4 cup diced cooked chicken, seasoned with thyme

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Whisk eggs, milk, seasoned salt and pepper until foamy

2. Warm a frying pan over medium low heat; add a pat of butter

3. Once butter is melted, pour egg mixture into pan and let set until mostly cooked -- about 6 - 8 minutes

4. Add chicken and tomatoes in center of egg mixture, sprinkle with cheese.

5. When omelet is mostly dry (cooked), fold in half and finish cooking.

6. Serve hot.

 

 

Paola's Tiramisu -- Brava!

Meal Monday

My friend Paola is an amazing cook. She is from Naples and manages to whip up Neapolitan specialities the way I make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. That is, she is dazzling in the kitchen. Last night, after a delicious meal that she served to 16 people (!), she offered this homemade tiramisu. She rattled this recipe off of the top of her head (with her daughter chiming in). There are raw eggs in here, so either live dangerously, or use a substitute, but make this!

Paola's Tiramisu

1 lb mascarpone, softened (room temperature)

5 egg yolks

1 egg white

scant cup of sugar

36 lady fingers

1 1/2 cups espresso (regular or decaf)

Sweetened cocoa powder

 

1. Cream egg yolks and sugar in an electric mixer

2. Add cheese and mix by hand until combined

3. Beat egg white until stiff and glossy

4. Fold in egg white to mixture

5. Dip lady fingers in the espresso 

6. Alternate layers of espresso'd lady fingers and mascarpone mix in pan until finished, mixture should be on top

7. Sprinkle with sweetened cocoa powder.