Fall Flavored Brunch

I love this time of year and the flavors I associate with it are some of my favorites; think about Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, and the scents that go along with those meals. In the fall, apples are a big theme for me, as well as combining sweet and savory sensations so here's just one of many apple inspired breakfasts I make: Sweet and spicy sweet potatoes (cooked in olive oil and cider vinegar that creates a warm vinaigrette absorbed by the potatoes), turkey sausage patties with apple butter, and "green" cheesy eggs.

Ingredients:

sweet potato, cubed

1 Tbs. olive oil (regular vegetable oil would be fine)

water

2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar (sweet and tangy, it's perfect!)

red pepper flakes

sea salt

eggs (as usual, I used my Garden Vegetable Egg Beaters)

spinach (either fresh or frozen, I used frozen and defrosted it before ringing out excess moisture)

goat cheese, crumbled

chives, chopped

turkey sausage patties (do you really want me to go into how to make your own sausage? take the easy way out and just buy some)

apple butter (yum! a nice apple and cranberry relish would be good here too)

Think like a diner and start with what takes the longest to cook, the potatoes. To make these, toss the potatoes and olive oil into a large skillet in one even layer. Add just enough water to come half way up the potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water has just about evaporated, turn down the heat to medium and add the apple cider vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Continue to cook until all of the moisture has evaporated (all that yummy tanginess will absorb into the potatoes) and then allow the potatoes to crisp in the remaining olive oil.

Meanwhile, in a small pan over medium heat, cook the turkey sausage patties for 3-5 minutes each side (depending on thickness). Once cooked through, remove patties and use the same pan to prepare the eggs. (What can I say? I hate having 39 pans to wash after I'm done cooking. Besides, turkey sausage has such a minuscule amount of fat that it leaves behind, it's the perfect amount to add flavor to eggs.) Over low heat, combine the eggs and spinach, stirring occasionally, until cooked to desired texture. Remove from the heat and stir in the goat cheese and chives.

If you've timed this just right, the potatoes are ready to come out of the pan the same time that the eggs are done. Move everything to a big plate, top the sausage patties with a spoonful of apple butter, and serve with a big cup of cinnamon flavored coffee.

Enjoy!

Quick Chocolate Fondue

Why in the world would you want to rush a chocolate fondue?! Ok, I admit it: I had a serious craving for chocolate last night and decided to throw together a fast personal-size version of the popular dinner party dessert of chocolate fondue. This version was simply served with tart apple slices and juicy grapes, but any kind of fruit is fabulous when dipped in chocolate!

Ingredients:

4 oz. dark chocolate, broken/diced (I used 4 squares of Ghiradelli dark chocolate)  *dairy free chocolate for my vegan friends

1 Tbs. soy milk (classically, you use cream or whole milk but I can live without the pesky lactose and really, soy milk works just as well)

scant pinch of cinnamon

granny smith apple, sliced (the tartness pairs beautifully with dark chocolate)

red seedless grapes

In a small microwave safe bowl, stir together the broken chocolate and soy milk. Microwave on high for 30 seconds until the chocolate just starts to melt. Remove from the microwave and stir, allowing the residual heat to melt the rest of the chocolate and combine with the soy milk until silky smooth. Serve with fresh fruit (strawberries and bananas are my other fondue favorites) or chunks of pound cake. Feel free to share the fruit with the dog... just make sure to keep the chocolate to yourself!

Enjoy!

Chicken & Rice

An extra long work week and lack of sufficient time in the kitchen led to too many delivered meals at work and subsequently, a tired stomach. (I blame the frequent fast food meals on my co-workers for talking me into ordering with them... oh glorious french fries! Well, there was also my desire to make sure that certain friends were actually eating instead of watching their wallets, but that wasn't the main reason I caved to the lure of fried food. But too much fried food and sugar just makes me feel sick, regardless of how good it tastes.) Anyway, by Saturday night, all I could think about was eating something easy on the stomach, like the bland diet we recommend at work for patients with GI upset; namely, chicken and rice. Knowing me, I couldn't just leave it at just plain chicken and rice, so here's last night's Greek-inspired version of chicken and rice...

Ingredients:

brown rice, cooked (I had this left over from when I made soup earlier in the week)

olive oil

chicken breast, cooked and diced (again, I can't overstate the convenience of pre-cooked chicken breast strips straight from the package!)

spinach (fresh or frozen works equally as well)

oregano

pepper

feta, crumbled

Simply enough, saute the chicken and spinach in the olive oil over medium heat until the spinach has wilted and the chicken heats through. Stir in the oregano and pepper before adding the brown rice to reheat. Stir in the feta and serve.

Enjoy!

Phyllo Fruit Cups

Looking for something a little different for dessert? These phyllo cups can be served with any number of sweet or savory fillings and are incredibly easy to make, nor are they as unhealthy as they could be with a few of Elle’s tweaks. Seriously, you need to serve these at your next dinner party… you’ll get rave reviews and everybody will think you’re a gourmet chef! Coming from me, a non-baker, when I tell you how easy this was you’ll be a fan of phyllo forever.


Ingredients:

whole wheat phyllo dough, defrosted in the fridge for 30 minutes (depends on how many cups you want to make, but I used a 1 packet and got 12 cups out of it)
butter flavored cooking spray (usually when working with phyllo dough, each layer is brushed with melted butter… using the spray is quicker, easier, and contributes considerably fewer calories and fat)
mixed berries (I had strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries in the freezer)
peaches, diced (again, I always have a bag in the freezer)
1 packet of Splenda (you could also use honey, but I like Splenda for helping berries to macerate

splash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
pinch of cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ok, so you need to work quickly with phyllo dough because it dries out very easily and it needs to be kept cold. Unroll the phyllo out on the counter and spray every other layer with the cooking spray before cutting it into 6 squares. Each square is then divided in half (layer-wise) so that you have 12 equal squares of prepared phyllo. Using an ungreased muffin tin, fill each slot with one of the phyllo squares, carefully creating a cup with the dough. Bake the phyllo cups at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until slightly puffed and golden brown around the edges.

Meanwhile, in separate bowls, prepare the fillings: For the mixed berries, defrost them in the microwave for one minute before stirring in the Splenda, vanilla extract, and a scant pinch of salt. Set aside to allow the fruit to macerate. For the peaches, defrost for 45 seconds before tossing with the cinnamon and another scant pinch of salt. You can add a bit of Splenda if necessary, but frozen peaches are usually sweet enough on their own. Once the phyllo cups have cooled enough to handle, fill each cup with the fruit topping of choice and serve right away while the pastry is still warm and crisp.

Enjoy!

(Addendum: After the first night I made these and snapped this pic, I had several cups left over that I stored in a Ziploc bag in the fridge. Just tonight, I reheated a couple of the phyllo cups in the oven and this time I crumbled a square of Ghiradelli dark chocolate into each one to melt before filling the warmed cup with diced fresh strawberries. Divine!)

Really Enjoy!

Hangover Carbonara

Not that I overindulge on a regular basis, but every once in a while I tip back a few too many and like everyone else, suffer the consequences the next day. Last night, I was challenged by a pitcher of margaritas and had to show it who was boss. So when I was finally able to pry my eyes open this morning, I realized that I was in desperate need of something to soak up the rest of the alcohol swimming in my system… this particular dish is a pretty good stand alone meal to serve for dinner (especially when you have an unexpected dinner guest), but it’s fantastic for a hangover breakfast, especially when served with a side of strong hot coffee and a handful of ibuprofen.


Ingredients:

turkey bacon, diced
olive oil (I use some oil because the turkey bacon is so lean)
shallot, diced (you can use a regular onion and garlic here, but I wanted to keep the knife work to a minimum)
pasta, cooked al dente (I had some leftover penne in the fridge, but any pasta shape would work… you can also start from scratch and cook the pasta while the sauce is coming together, but with a hangover pounding my head I wanted something fast and easy)
1 egg, beaten (I used my regular Egg Beaters)
splash of heavy cream or milk (I’m not going to lie, all I had was some soy milk on hand and it worked in a pinch but wasn’t my first choice)
Parmesan cheese (the stuff from the green can works just as well, if not better, than fresh grated in this dish)
coarse ground black pepper

(*When fighting the effects of a hangover, drink as much water as possible while in the kitchen gathering food… I think I drank like 4 glasses in the short amount of time it took me to throw this dish together and brew a pot of coffee.)

In a large sauté pan, toss the turkey bacon with the olive oil over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes before adding the shallot. Cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the shallot is softened and the bacon is starting to crisp. Toss in the cooked pasta and stir to combine. (If your brain is actually functioning and not just running on autopilot, you might want to add some frozen green peas to the pan as well at this point.) Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, mix together the beaten egg or Egg Beaters, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Turn off the heat before stirring the egg mixture into the pasta. The residual heat from the pan and the hot pasta will cook the egg mixture without scrambling it. If you’re like me and don’t remove the pan from the heat soon enough, it will be a little too hot and start to scramble the egg, but whatever. It still tastes just as good with little bits of scrambled egg in the otherwise creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. Finish with another sprinkle of Parmesan and black pepper.

Enjoy! (quietly, please)

Simple Supper

Maybe this is better described as a super simple supper because it really doesn't get any easier than toast. For those nights when you're late getting home from work and feel so brain dead you fear setting the kitchen on fire if you turn on the stove, my suggestion for a quick fix, no-brainer meal is to stick with the basic toast smeared with your topping(s) of choice. Tonight, I went with some nice tangy goat cheese and paired it with an apple. Doesn't get any easier than that, and I didn't have to risk burning down the house.

Ingredients:

bread (I used my favorite whole grain kind with the nuts/seeds/oats etc baked in)

goat cheese (any kind of spreadable topping is acceptable)

apple, sliced (I think this was a Fuji apple, but any piece of fruit will do)

Toast the bread, hopefully without needing a fire extinguisher or the fire department. Smear on your topping of choice. If you fear using a knife, just eat your fruit whole.

Enjoy!

Turkey Vegetable Rice Soup

Clichés are cliché for a reason, and in this case, soup for the sick is the premise I’m working off of; the sick being me and the soup being my quick Turkey, Veg and Rice soup. Not feeling well and not wanting to go anywhere (as evidenced by the fact that I called out of work the last 2 days), I was able to pull this soup together using several of my panty staples. For once, I actually wasn’t in the mood for chicken noodle (my usual sick food standby) and I lucked out in finding some turkey breast cutlets in the freezer instead of my ever ready chicken breasts. So, next time you’re feeling under the weather, give this one a try…


Ingredients:

1 qt. chicken stock + ½ qt. vegetable stock (I needed a total of 6 cups of liquid and this is what I had on hand today though of course you could always use water)
2 bay leaves (what soup doesn’t have this in it?)
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. celery seed (normally I would start my soup with the classic mirepoix but I didn’t feel like chopping a pile of vegs)
1 lb. of turkey breast cutlets, diced into bite-sized pieces (you could always use chicken here instead)
2 Tbs. flour (you can always omit this part, but I like the slightly thicker texture this gives the soup)
2” strip of Parmesan rind (I like to save/freeze the rinds of Parmesan once the cheese is gone because it adds this amazing salty depth of flavor to soups)
1 bag of mixed or soup veg (always on hand in my freezer, this bag contained green beans, peas, carrots, corn, and lima beans)
8 sun dried tomatoes, diced (I like to use these instead of regular tomatoes because they add a sweet bite to the soup without being overpowering)
2 cups brown rice, slightly undercooked*
salt and pepper to taste
*In a medium sauce pan, bring to a boil 1 cup of brown rice (NOT the quick cooking kind!) and a little less than 2 cups (normally I use just over 2 cups for brown rice not being used in soup) of water or stock. Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover pot and walk away for 45 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID!!! For perfect brown rice, let it simmer (covered) for 45 minutes then turn the heat off and leave the lid in place for another 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Trust me, it turns out perfect every time so long as you don’t open the lid.

Meanwhile, in a large soup pot over high heat, bring the stock to a boil and add in all the dried spices before dropping the heat to medium. Toss the turkey and flour together before adding it to the stock, stirring frequently, and allow to simmer, poaching the turkey, for 10 minutes before adding the Parmesan rind, frozen veg and sun dried tomatoes. Raise the heat to high and bring back to a boil, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the soup thickens slightly. Add in the brown rice and simmer for another 10-15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Spicy Hot Chocolate

Now, we all know I regularly pay homage to the coffee gods, but sometimes even I crave the warm comfort of a big mug of hot chocolate instead of the heady, aromatic buzz of coffee. This afternoon is one of those times (stupid sore throat and stuffy head), so I thought I’d jazz up a plain packet of sugar-free hot chocolate into something with a little more oomph. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve also been known to go all out in my quest for the ultimate in hot chocolate goodness, making it from scratch on the stove top, but today just isn’t one of those days; I just wanted something hot and soothing to sip on before I go back to bed for a bit.


Ingredients:

12 oz. water
1 packet sugar-free hot chocolate (come on, you had to know this was coming!)
1 tsp. instant espresso powder (I still like some buzz in my warm beverages, and any kind of coffee makes chocolate taste deeper… more chocolatey)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
splash of creamer (any kind in the fridge will do)

Super easy instructions: Combine all the dry ingredients in your favorite mug. Pour recently boiled water into the mug. Stir until everything is dissolved into the water. Finish with a splash of your favorite coffee creamer or milk, and a sprinkle of cinnamon and cayenne on top.

Enjoy!

Egg McElle Sandwich

Ok, I admit it: I love to stop at McDonald's for breakfast. Considering that their breakfast offerings aren't really the healthiest options and that I either (a) don't have time to stop before work when I'm scheduled for the early shift (6-2), or (b) I'm still sleeping and they're no longer serving breakfast when I work the late shift (2-close), I don't eat there very often. So to satisfy those cravings, I have created my own versions of some of McD's breakfast favorites. Today's version is my answer to the classic Egg McMuffin... with a few tweaks.

Ingredients:

1 egg, fried (I suppose you could scramble or poach an egg, but I just went with the classic fried)

2 slices of Canadian bacon

2 slices of bread (I always have whole grain bread on hand... the kind with lots of nuts/seeds/oats etc. baked right in)

goat cheese (the kind that comes in a log is easier to spread on toast than the usual crumbles I have in the fridge, but you can use any cheese you like)

So keeping it close to the classic version, I had originally considered adding spinach and sun dried tomatoes this morning but in the end, decided to leave off all the frills (but you can add whatever floats your boat). I won't tell you how to fry an egg because I can only assume that if you're reading this, than you have at least some basic skills in the kitchen. I will say that I fried my egg in a small amount of Smart Balance and that I broke the yolk so I could have a bit of yolk with each bite. Meanwhile, I toasted 2 slices of my favorite whole grain bread and in the last moments before the egg was done cooking, I tossed the Canadian bacon into the pan to heat through. To assemble the sandwich: piece of toast, Canadian bacon, fried egg, top with second piece of toast that has been smeared with creamy goat cheese. Serve with iced coffee, and it's the perfect "fast food" before heading out the door.

Enjoy!

After Work/Midnight Snack

Since I've started working more nights (2-close) at FHVH, my sleeping and eating habits have changed. Now, on a typical day, I get up around 8am to take care of my furry kids and while the dog is outside, I'll eat a cup of yogurt or a piece of fruit so I can take my morning meds. We all go back to bed until 11:30am and then I'll finally fix something more substantial for breakfast like an omelet. My dinner break at work usually falls around 5:30pm or 6pm and I'll eat the lovely meal I packed (tonight it was a chicken/veggie dish, a piece of string cheese, and an apple). Well, by the time I get home for the night I'm still wide awake and hungry so I'll fix something light and easy. Tonight's offering is one of my all time favorites and one of the easiest dishes to put together: A bowl of cereal.

Ingredients:

Kashi Go-Lean Crunch (my preferred cereal choice)

frozen blueberries (I always have bags of fruit in the freezer and blueberries are my favorite!)

soy milk (good source of protein without the pesky lactose)

Ok, so everyone knows how to pour cereal into a bowl and add milk. It's not rocket science. But I like to start with my frozen blueberries, toss in some cereal (and really, the blueberries are the star of my snack, not the cereal), then add the soy milk. I love how the milk stays ice cold from the first bite to the last, all because of the frozen berries. Simple, I know, but it really doesn't get much better for me.

Enjoy!