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!

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. :)

In my mind, lavender is meant to be one of those subtle spices. I currently have a jar of lavender honey and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread -- the hint of lavender compliments the sweetness of the honey without being too overpowering. With my tarts, I was aiming for a similar taste. I wanted to let the lemon and coconut shine, with hints of lavender floating around and gently surprising the taste buds. Maybe I put too much thought into that. Oh well...

Here are some pretty flowers for you!

You know what? I've noted something recently... When one area of my life gets crazy busy, all of the other parts are like "I want in on the crazy too!" and then, before I know it, I am running all over the place, overbooking my schedule, forgetting about appointments, and acting like a complete maniac. Anyway, what I really want to say is that I'm hoping these tasty little tarts will make up for my lack of posts lately.

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.

In order to urge spring to move a little faster, I made a fresh dish of edamame dumplings from my favorite Sprouted Kitchen cookbook (by the way, if you don't have this book, you need buy it immediately). These dumplings require a good amount of prep time, but they are absolutely delicious and taste healthy and fresh. Plus, who doesn't love dumplings and soy sauce??

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.

Apple and Brie Sandwich with Caramelized Onion

Let's talk lunch. I am a big fan of lunch. Mainly because I get to tear myself away from my desk (even if it is just to walk to the kitchen and back) and focus on my one, true love: food. Lately though, I've been a little too obsessed with this one particular sandwich place near my building called Hannah's Bretzel. The sandwiches there rock my world. Not only do they use healthy and delicious ingredients, but almost everything there is organic and much of it comes from local farms. Neat! If you live in Chicago and have not been to this restaurant, I strongly urge you to go there next time you are craving a sandwich. I promise you'll dig it.

The sandwich in this photo is my own personal take on my favorite sandwich at Hannah's Bretzel. I started the sandwich by spreading some fig butter on a fresh whole grain baguette. I then layered the bread with thin apple slices, English cucumbers, slices of brie, caramelized onions, and arugula. The sweetness from the fig butter, apple, and onions mixes with the peppery arugula and cool cucumber to make a ridiculously satisfying sandwich. Now that I think of it, avocado would have been a nice addition to this creation. Maybe next time!

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 :)

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.

Chocolate Cake Indulgence

Say hello to my most recent creation! To celebrate a friend's birthday, I broke out my new Sticky Fingers cookbook and baked a classic chocolate cake. Oh, and it was vegan, which makes me jump for joy on the inside because the taste and texture were spot on. This cake beats any store-bought boxed cake mix, hands down, and was worth every ounce of effort it took to make. **One side note here: I am fully aware that a vegan cake ≠ a healthy cake. If I wanted a healthy cake, I would have made it with beets or something. I just like the fact that making a dessert so utterly delectable doesn't require any animals.

I had a little difficulty with this cake... not because the instructions weren't clear enough, but because I broke one of my own cooking rules: read the entire recipe and cooking instructions beforehand. I am writing this in the hopes that I will actually remember it next time I decide to take on such a large baking endeavor. You see, in order for this cake to work, there is a certain chemical reaction that takes place when the apple cider vinegar is poured into the batter (which contains baking soda), after which, the batter must be promptly poured into the pans and placed in the oven. My cake still turned out light and fluffy, thanks to some quick assistance from my roomie, but I just want to remind everyone to read the instructions before picking up any measuring cups.




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.

Mango Mint Lassi

Is anyone else out there sick of winter foods? Are you looking for a little sunshine in your day? If you answered yes to one or both of those questions, then you must try this Mango Mint Lassi recipe. It comes from the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook and tastes like spring in a cup on a cold winter day. The mango-yogurt-orange juice combination creates a light texture (not quite as thick as a smoothie) and the mint provides such a refreshing taste and scent. 

Now, I bet you are thinking what I thought the first time I saw this recipe: what the heck is a lassi? Originating from the Punjab regions of India and Pakistan, the lassi is a yogurt-based drink that can be sweet or savory. For more info, just look on Wikipedia, or you could try the recipe for yourself. 

This particular lassi is the perfect way to begin your day, or it could be used to restore your energy post-workout. Either way, I assure you that you will not be disappointed. I literally had to tell myself not to gulp too much at once. 

Poached Egg with Red Quinoa and Microgreens

I have some good news, everybody. I learned how to successfully poach an egg! Huzzah! You probably think it's ridiculous that I am so excited, but I don't care. Learning how to cook doesn't always mean following a recipe or instructions, and it certainly doesn't always mean getting it right on the first try. Learning from my mistakes has taught me many lessons in the kitchen (and outside the kitchen, I suppose).

On my first attempt, the water temperature was too hot which caused the egg to cook too quickly. The whites didn't stick together and the yolk was fully cooked by the time I pulled it out. My second try was much better. After reading some tips from Smitten Kitchen I decided to use a smaller pan (for one egg a big pot is way too much room), I also added a splash of vinegar to the water, and turned the heat down so that the water was forming bubbles on the bottom of the pan. When pouring the egg into the pan, I made sure to create a mini whirlpool so that the whites wrapped around the yolk. See on the far right how my egg looks blurry? It's spinning! Cook the egg for three and a half minutes to create a runny yolk and four minutes for a non-runny yolk.

Quinoa Collard Wraps

Hello, friends. I feel like I haven't posted in ages, though it's only been a week and a half. Maybe because the new year has come and I feel like I have a fresh start again. The new year always invigorates me and makes me feel like I can conquer the world (or at the very least, conquer some bad habits). One of my resolutions this year is an ongoing resolution I made in 2012: no more frozen/boxed dinners. I originally made this resolution to inspire myself to cook more meals and eat healthier foods. Not only are frozen meals usually loaded with sodium, but they never fill me up! I find myself gazing longingly at the refrigerator an hour after dinner, wishing that Lean Cuisines made bigger portions. Making myself cook my own food has significantly increased my creativity in the kitchen, and makes me feel great from the inside out.

After a tough morning at yoga (I knew all those holiday goodies would take their revenge), I came home and made myself a quinoa collard wrap. I found the recipe in the Sprouted Kitchen cookbook by Sara and Hugh Forte--the one I received as a Christmas gift. Nothing feels better than re-charging my body with wholesome foods and this recipe caught my eye immediately. Now, I must tell you, these wraps took some dedication. I thought I would just come home and whip some ingredients together and call it a day, but they demanded effort. First of all, there were a lot of ingredients. Second, my fingers kept getting stained red from the beets, so I was continuously stopping to wash my hands. Despite the amount of time it took to prepare the wraps, I do not regret making them. In fact, they were so tasty and healthy that I will probably make myself another one for tomorrow's lunch. 

Chai-Spiced Pear and Walnut Muffins

I came home to celebrate Christmas with two thoughts on my mind: pears and chai. I wanted to bake something that would taste sweet while still being somewhat wholesome (since I knew that I would be eating too many holiday treats this week anyway) for Christmas Eve morning. With so many tantalizing baked goods being passed around during the holiday season, I was overwhelmed by what I wanted to make: cookies? cake? bread? cupcakes? scones? Instead of carefully planning my recipe ahead of time, I just started dumping dry ingredients into one bowl and wet ingredients into another (under normal circumstances, this would turn into one big baking fiasco). By the time everything was mixed together, I realized that I had made the perfect dough for muffins...mini muffins to be exact.

Although I had made and taste-tested these little bites of goodness the night before, they were perfect on the morning of Christmas Eve. I knew I didn't want a heavy breakfast, so I had two (okay, maybe three) of these mini muffins so that I wouldn't be famished before my family's Christmas dinner that afternoon.

I started the muffin-making process by adding three peeled and diced pears to a sauce pan, adding about 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and cooking the mixture on medium heat for about 25-30 minutes. My goal was to make a pear sauce (think applesauce) to act as moisture in the muffins, while also adding that subtle pear flavor. After cooking the pears until they were very soft, I transferred them to a bowl and mashed the chunks with a fork. If the mixture appears too dry while cooking, feel free to add a half of a cup of water to the pan. The pears will become a slightly golden color, but should not brown.

Power Smoothie

With the sunshine disappearing earlier every day, I have been feeling the need for a little energy boost. No, I'm not talking caffeine...I'm talking fruit, people.

In an attempt to stave off the winter blues before they even start, I made myself a nutritious (and delicious!) power smoothie. Nothing says energy like the combination of raspberries, mango, orange, banana, and fresh ginger.

The trick to making a smoothie with the right consistency lies in the ratio of frozen fruits to regular-temperature fruits. Master that little secret and you will make tasty smoothies no matter what the ingredients.

Ingredients (makes about 2 servings):
1 banana
1 orange
juice from half a lime
3/4 cup frozen mango chunks
1 handful frozen raspberries
1 inch fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened coconut milk)

Directions:
Plop ingredients into a blender, combine until smooth. ¡Fácil!

Grapefruit Morning

Breathe in. Breathe out. Ahhhhhhh...it's Friday morning and I have the day off of work. I slept in, practiced some yoga, and prepared broiled grapefruit for breakfast.

Did you know that the grapefruit is actually a hybrid fruit? According to On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen, the grapefruit "originated as a hybrid of the sweet orange and pummelo in the Caribbean in the 18th century" (McGee 376). I had no idea! Maybe it's just me, but I've always frowned upon "hybrid" fruits (like the grapple--looks like an apple, tastes like a grape) because they seem so unnatural. As it turns out, lots of fruits were once hybrids. Maybe I will have to give the grapple another try...but not today.

In college, my roommates and I used to steal grapefruits from the cafeteria. We would carefully peel the membrane from each segment and eat them as a snack just plain. Some people do not like the bitter taste of grapefruits, and I'll admit, the flavor does take some getting used to. I happen to love grapefruits, but had never broiled one before until this morning.

I am going to throw out a word of caution about grapefruits...they are packed full of vitamin C and antioxidants, but if you pile mounds of sugar on top of them, the citrus fruit ceases to be healthy. If you find the fruit too bitter for your tasting, add tiny bits of agave nectar or honey to curb the bite.

To make broiled grapefruit, set the oven to broil. Then cut a grapefruit horizontally and use a knife to slice around each segment. Slicing the fruit before cooking will make eating it all that much easier. Then sprinkle 1/4 of a teaspoon of nutmeg, and about a 1 teaspoon of minced ginger onto the grapefruit halves. Broil for 5-8 minutes and enjoy. :) Adding cinnamon, honey, agave nectar, or a dollop of plain Greek yogurt would be delicious as well. 

I don't know if this citation is necessary, but the English major inside of me couldn't wait to write it:

McGee, Harold. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. New York: Scribner, 2004. Print.

Winter Sweets and a Holiday Soirée

  

When my lovely roommates and I decided to throw a little holiday soirée, I was delighted that we chose the first of December as our date. December is one of those months that flies by in a flash -- one minute I am making a list of gifts to purchase for my family, and the next I have a sparkly tiara on my head ringing in the new year. By hosting our party on the first, we now have several weeks to relax and take in all the joys this month has to offer.

With the aid of this recipe I was able to craft some gorgeous (and delicious, even if I do say so myself) speculoos button cookies. I found the metallic-colored decorative pearls and gold sugar sprinkles at a Michael's, for those of you wondering.

 

I would recommend making the dough a few days ahead of time, since it needs to be frozen anyway. These cookies were small, lightly spiced, and surprisingly chewy (not crunchy at all!). In my mind, crackers are crunchy and cookies should be soft...but that's just my personal taste.

Along with the cookies, I whipped together some vegan truffles (yay, vegan!) made of dates, crushed hazelnuts, coconut, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and a touch of espresso.

The recipe I used was based on these Choco-Almond Truffles. I substituted hazelnuts for the almonds and added espresso because...well, because I just dig espresso. After combining all the ingredients, I formed the truffles and rolled them in finely chopped hazelnuts, shaved coconut, and cocoa powder. 

Flatbread Pizza

Having several days of vacation calls for some serious sisterly bonding. My sister, Betsy, and I decided to combine our culinary skills (and appetites) to prepare some kick-ass flatbread pizzas.

The pizza on the left contains butternut squash, red onion, garlic, jalapeño, and arugula topped with Gorgonzola cheese. The other pizza is made of pineapple, red onion, sweet peppers, garlic, jalapeño, and mozzarella cheese. Can we say pizza perfection?

   

My sister made the pizza dough using this recipe a couple hours ahead of time to allow the dough to rise. We only used half of the dough, which made two small pizzas--enough food for about three people. We suggest rolling the dough nice and thin--otherwise the term "flatbread" no longer applies. By the way, do you like our makeshift rolling pin? Who says an empty bottle of wine has to be thrown away? Reduce, REUSE, recycle. Love it.

While Betsy was busy rolling the dough, I chopped, sliced, and minced the vegetables and fruit. I rarely cook with jalapeño peppers, but learned (from my lovely sis) that the heat from the peppers comes mainly from the membrane surrounding the seeds. When I minced the peppers, I removed all the seeds and most of the membrane. The minced jalapeño gave both pizzas the perfect amount of heat and helped bring out the flavors of the other vegetables--star ingredient!

                         

Cranberry Orange Relish with Mint

With one of the biggest food holidays right around the corner (literally, it's tomorrow) I decided to break out a recipe I've had my eye on for over a month.

I absolutely adore Bon Appétit magazine, so when November's issue came to my door complete with lavish holiday recipes, I could hardly contain my excitement. Upon seeing the gorgeous photos of the cranberry-orange relish with mint I immediately flagged the page and made a mental note to keep that recipe in mind for Thanksgiving.

So here we are...

Cranberries! Not to be confused with The Cranberries -- that rad '90s band.

Craisins are about the closest I've ever come to cooking with real cranberries. Sad, I know, but hopefully this recipe will make up for my deliberate avoidance of the tart little berries. 

Want to know something neat? This recipe, although it takes more time than I anticipated, requires no actual cooking. All ingredients are chopped, minced, sliced, diced, and combined all without heating up the stove. Also, this fresh relish can be added to just about any Thanksgiving dish--mashed potatoes, stuffing, salads, roasted vegetables--you name it.

Cozy Cooking

Cooking for one person can be difficult sometimes. I mean, yes, there are some benefits to preparing food for just myself. For instance, if a recipe flops, or I just feel like eating cereal all day, or if I eat the same dinner 5 nights in a row because I make too much, no one is forced to suffer but me. Unfortunately, though, I tend to encounter many problems cooking for just myself-- the main issue being my inability to cook just 1-2 serving meals. I never think to look at the servings, so I end up with enough food for lunch and dinner all week (talk about a boring food life).

In an attempt to counter my issue, I like to reassess my fridge situation every day or two and see which foods can be combined with others.

Enter: chard, leek, and butternut squash.

As you can remember, a few days ago I made a dish that required leek, butternut squash, and chard, among other ingredients. Today, I was able to successfully re-purpose these ingredients to make an entirely new dish. I do this constantly. You may call it creative, but I call it smart. There is no use in wasting perfectly tasty vegetables simply due to a lack of culinary imagination! Look up some new recipes, or create your own.

The entire plate was cozy and comforting. Beginning at the top and moving clockwise, you are looking at goat cheese, caramelized butternut squash, sauteed garlic, leek, and chard, couscous with dried cranberries, and freshly cubed avocado. This dish is loaded with nutrients and completely satiated my appetite.