FOOD FOR YOUR HEART
Breakfast Egg Skillet and Bloody Mary
Some days just call for a spicy, ice cold Bloody Mary and a big hearty breakfast.
Today was that day.
The shining ingredient? Celery salt. Boy, do I love celery salt. I put it in both the skillet and the drink because I love it so much.
The egg skillet works perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The eggs keep me full and the vegetables burst with flavor. The entire dish takes about 10 minutes to make and requires little fuss.
The Bloody Mary, on the other hand, requires a bit more effort than the skillet, but is more than worth the time. The spices blend together perfectly, creating a salty drink that is almost a meal in itself.
Egg Skillet (serves 1-2)
-2 eggs
-5 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
-14 grape tomatoes, halved
-4 green onions, chopped
-2 cups fresh spinach
-1/2 avocado, cubed
-1 tsp celery salt
-red pepper flakes
-cracked pepper
-fresh fruit
Warm a large skillet pan on medium heat. Spray with a non-stick spray and add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms have cooked for about 1 minute, crack the eggs into the skillet. Then add the tomatoes, green onions, and spinach. Sprinkle everything with celery salt, red pepper flakes, and fresh cracked pepper. Place a lid on the skillet to allow the tops of the eggs to cook. When the eggs are slightly white on top, take the pan off the heat and add the cubed avocado. Serve hot and enjoy with your favorite fresh fruit.
Bloody Mary (2 servings)
-2 cups cold tomato juice
-juice from 1/2 lemon
-1/2 Tablespoon horseradish
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon curry powder
-1 teaspoon sweet paprika
-1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/8 teaspoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon celery salt, plus more for the rim of the glass
-1/4 to 1/2 cup cold vodka (depending on your own preference)
-dill pickle spears for garnish
-olives for garnish
-lemon slices for garnish
-celery stalks for garnish
-ice cubes, if desired
In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients, minus the vodka. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 25 minutes. When mixture is chilled, mix the vodka into the pitcher. Run a slice of lemon around the rim of your serving glass and dip the glass into a dish of celery salt. Fill glass with ice, if desired, and pour the mixture into the glass. Garnish with pickle, celery, lemon, and olives.
I love when restaurants get super creative with their Bloody Mary garnishes, so get creative with yours!
Labels:
avocado,
Bloody Mary,
breakfast,
brunch,
celery,
drink,
eggs,
fruit,
green onion,
lemon,
olives,
skillet,
spinach,
tomato,
tomato juice
Lemon, Coconut, and Lavender Tarts
While the month of April has mainly consisted of torrential downpours, flooded sidewalks, and even a touch of snow (ugh!), this past weekend was a lovely and sunny exception. I finally had the chance to step out of my galoshes, slip into some walking shoes, and explore spring in Chicago. First stop: The Spice House, where I was completely taken by a little bag of lavender buds. As you can see, those tiny purple flowers were the inspiration for my latest baking endeavor. I also purchased some lavender-vanilla sugar, which is good on pretty much EVERYTHING! Seriously, I sprinkled some on my pancakes this morning and it took them from an average 7 to about a 10/10. If you ever get the chance to go to a Spice House, do it! Though I must warn you, walking into the shop is an assault on the senses. After about twenty-five minutes of perusing the spice shelves, I was in need of some fresh, non-fragrant air. :)
Here are some pretty flowers for you!
Edamame Dumplings
Guess what? Spring is on its way! (I literally smiled when I typed out that sentence.)
Birds are chirping in the mornings, the sun stays in the sky a tiny bit longer each afternoon, and that large mound of snow by the bus stop has melted down to a small mass of blackened ice and cinders.
March is always an exciting time of year -- new projects, new plans, new wardrobe, and let's not forget about those lovely tax returns. Soon everything will be budding and green and sunny and happy. Okay, maybe those are just my high hopes, but I certainly have a good feeling about this year. I can hardly wait until I don't have to wear socks or tights anymore.
March is always an exciting time of year -- new projects, new plans, new wardrobe, and let's not forget about those lovely tax returns. Soon everything will be budding and green and sunny and happy. Okay, maybe those are just my high hopes, but I certainly have a good feeling about this year. I can hardly wait until I don't have to wear socks or tights anymore.
Labels:
dinner,
dumplings,
edamame,
lemongrass,
microgreens,
sesame seeds,
soy sauce,
vegetable broth
Sunshine and Bakes
St. Lucia has taken my heart.
It's true.
Each morning the island greeted me with roosters calling back and forth across the hills. As the early sunbeams dried the dew from the grass, I would roll myself out of bed, splash some water on my face, and walk up the path to the main building to take in the overwhelming beauty of this gorgeous little island.
My precious days in St. Lucia were mainly spent building houses, visiting nursing homes for the poor, and working at elementary schools, among other activities. While the working days were tough at times, seeing the joy on the faces of the people there made every moment meaningful for me.
One of the perks of visiting an island in the Caribbean is all the delicious fruit available. We often had fresh guava, starfruit, grapefruit, mangoes, and bananas lying around for us to eat. For breakfast I would usually eat oatmeal, fruit, cereal, toast, or eggs.
Besides all of the fresh fruit, some of my favorite treats in St. Lucia are called bakes. Bakes are essentially a type of fried bread and can be paired with sweet or savory items. Some people ate them with cheese and summer sausage, while others ate theirs with cinnamon and sugar. This year, I took a little cooking lesson from my friend Noella, who took the time to make bakes for our entire group. After the dough was made, we broke pieces off, rolled them into balls, flattened them into circles slightly larger than the size of our palms, and fried them for a few minutes on each side--until golden brown.
When I got home from St. Lucia, I was determined to replicate Noella's bakes because they are just SO delicious! ***Warning: bakes are addictive and not at all good for you, but you must try them. :)
Make sure you use canola or vegetable oil...olive oil is too heavy for frying foods. Also, make sure the oil is nice and hot. I let mine warm up on medium-high before placing the dough rounds in the oil.
When they are finished, they should be puffy in the middle and golden brown. Let the bakes cool on some paper towels before enjoying. Oh, and here's a small hint: bakes + nutella = heaven.
Labels:
bakes,
bread,
fried bread,
fruit,
grapefruit,
guava,
mango,
St. Lucia,
starfruit
Apple and Brie Sandwich with Caramelized Onion
In all seriousness (or as serious as we can get about lunch) this sandwich completely satiated my appetite, and kept me pleasantly filled all afternoon. I've listed the ingredients below if you are interested!
On a side note, I will be taking a little blogging hiatus for a few weeks while I travel to St. Lucia to work with the Good News Project, Inc. (Check them out on Facebook too!) Not to worry though, you will get the chance to hear about some of my adventures when I return.
Thanks for reading, loves :)
Labels:
apple,
arugula,
brie,
caramelized onion,
cucumber,
fig butter,
lunch,
sandwich
Waffles with Fruit
Every once in a while my stomach craves a hearty, delicious waffle. Unfortunately, I have high standards for waffles...standards that my cooking skills cannot meet. You see, once upon a time I traveled to Brussels, Belgium with a friend of mine. Without knowing much about the city, we traveled to the city center (like every good tourist in Europe does) and decided to pop into a cozy little restaurant for a waffle. I know, I know, it sounds cliché--a Belgian waffle in Belgium. I'm okay with being cliché though because it was the *BEST* waffle I have ever had. Every waffle I will ever eat will be compared to this waffle. Luckily, I was able to dig up a photo to share. I also found another picture that I think you might all like, but I've placed it at a more discreet location at the bottom of this post.
Labels:
apple,
blood orange,
breakfast,
fruit,
kiwi,
pear,
pineapple,
pomegranate,
waffle
Chocolate Cake Indulgence
My roommates and I decided to celebrate the special birthday occasion with a delicious roasted root vegetable and gnocchi dinner paired with some champagne while watching the Golden Globes. Yes, we are awesome. Tack some chocolate cake on the end and I call it a dang good night.
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