Brunch Inspiration from the Evergreen State

This turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes I have ever created, and also a special long-distance dedication to my friend whom I lovingly call Dr. Bob. He recently went to brunch at a restaurant called Luna in Spokane and had a dish similar to this and shared the idea with me. My version is Butternut Squash and Parmesan Polenta Topped with Local Curried Winter Squash Sausage from Mace Chasm Farm, Sautéed Baby Bella Mushrooms and Sweet Onions, and Poached Eggs. And I made the polenta and the poached eggs in my magic pot! ALL THE YUM!!

IP Butternut Squash and Parmesan Polenta with Sautéed Sausage, Mushrooms, and Onions and Poached Eggs

2 cups frozen cubed butternut squash

4 1/2 cups water

1 bay leaf

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup instant polenta

1 cup shredded Parmesan

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 lb. sausage (I used a curried winter squash variety), casings removed

1 large sweet onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lb. sliced Baby Bella mushrooms

1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

pinch of red pepper flakes

seasoned salt and black pepper, to taste

4-8 eggs (to be poached)

Add the squash, water, bay leaf, salt, and black pepper to the IP liner. Cook on manual for five minutes, release immediately, remove the bay leaf, and puree in the pot with an immersion blender. Add the butter, switch the pot to high saute and bring to a boil. Whisking constantly, add the polenta gradually, then turn off the pot. Keep whisking until the polenta thickens and starts to come away from the sides of the liner. Whisk in the Parmesan. Set aside.

To a large skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the sausage, breaking it up as you go, until browned. Remove the sausage from the skillet, and add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Cook the onions, garlic, and mushrooms with the rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes until the vegetables are tender and starting to color. Season to taste with seasoned salt and black pepper. Add the reserved sausage to the mushroom and onion mixture. 

Divide the reserved polenta into four portions and top each with a quarter of the sausage, mushroom, and onion mixture, and one or two poached eggs. (I poached my eggs in the IP for two minutes on steam with an instant release.)

Nooks & Crannies Bagels

RUN--do not walk--to your nearest grocery establishment and acquire these freaky bagel/English muffin hybrids! They are so light and fluffy and crispy when toasted--they are the muffins the angels in heaven would eat!

And they make the best brunch EVAH! Behold: Toasted Nooks and Crannies Bagel with Mayo, Avocado Mashed with Lemon and Garlic, Baked Ham and Cheese Omelette, and a Drizzle of Sriracha

Golden Globes' Goodness!

I'm obsessed with movies and movie award shows, so I made golden foods for tonight's Golden Globes telecast: Turkey thighs glazed with honey and my new favorite Green Mountain Mustard (Clove Encounter with Garlic and Oregano), buttery, scampi-style egg noodles, and this lovely spinach salad, which is an homage to one my dear friend Rob often makes.

My version has beautiful local spinach, slivered shallots (Rob does not use these), spiced pepitas (Rob uses cashews), mushrooms and garlic sautéed in butter and white wine (or Vermouth, if you have it), crumbles of Castello Blue (Rob prefers goat cheese), finished with a drizzle of balsamic (I used maple balsamic) and garnished with hard-cooked eggs (and those golden yolks--also my addition to Rob's "recipe"). SO YUMMY! This makes a lovely side dish, but it would also be perfect for a lunch, or as a hearty and savory vegetarian entree.

Accidentally Eating Healthily BEFORE January

Cyd was hungry, but as usual, she couldn't be bothered to go out into the kitchen and actually cook something. So I saw this recipe from Bon Appétit for Chile and Olive Oil Fried Eggs with Avocado and Sprouts scrolling past in my Facebook news feed, and thought, PERFECT--quick, healthy, and looks yummy! Of course, I didn't have any sprouts on hand, so I threw on some fresh spinach from a local farm, Rehoboth Homestead, and I used goat cheese in place of feta. Still, it was DELISH, and so good for you!

Chile-and-Olive-Oil-Fried Eggs with Avocado and Sprouts

(Source: adapted from Bon Appetit, January 2015)

Servings: 2

1 cup sprouts (such as sunflower, radish, or alfalfa)
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large eggs
crushed red pepper flakes
2 sprouted grain tortillas or flatbreads
hot sauce (for serving)
1 ounce feta
avocado slices and lime wedges (for serving)

Toss sprouts with lime juice in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. When oil is hot, crack both eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Oil should be bubbling around eggs from the start. Cook, rotating skillet occasionally, until whites are golden brown and crisp at the edges and set around the yolk (which should be runny), about two minutes. Add red pepper flakes to oil and remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, heat tortillas over a gas burner until just warmed and slightly charred in spots (or warm in the oven or a toaster oven).

Mound sprouts on tortillas and top with fried eggs. Spoon chile oil from skillet around and drizzle with hot sauce. Crumble feta over, and serve with avocado slices, lime wedges, and more hot sauce.

CLCA Day 8: If it's not Scottish, it's CRRRRRAAAAPPPPP!

"Cyd's Low-Carb Adventure," Day 8
Breakfast: Scotch Eggs--pictured
Lunch: Tuna and Chickpea Salad
Dinner: Spaghetti Squash with Slow Cooker Bolognese--pictured

Carb count: 71 grams

Everyone eating Paleo/Primal or just trying to reduce carbs knows the value of including eggs in your diet. The problem is that my roommate gets up before 5am, is at work before 7, and she's not ready for breakfast until after she's been at work for a couple of hours. So an omelette with lots of veggies would be a perfect choice for breakfast, but it doesn't travel or hold up very well.

So I had to try to figure out a more portable egg solution, preferably one that didn't have to be reheated once she is ready to eat breakfast. The solution: SCOTCH EGGS! Traditionally, Scotch eggs are wrapped in ground meat, rolled in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried. But it works just fine to skip the breadcrumbs and bake them instead.

Scotch Eggs:
I used half a pound each of ground beef and sausage mixed with a scant tablespoon of Cajun seasoning for six hard-cooked (and peeled) eggs. Divide the meat mixture into six parts (about 1/3 cup), then form a patty in your hand, pressing a divot in the middle. Place an egg there, and then use both of your hands to gently cover the whole egg and even out the thickness of the meat coating. Place on a rack sprayed with nonstick cooking spray set on top of a lined sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until browned all over. Then cool, pop two each into a baggie and store in the fridge for breakfast or lunch the next day. They are delicious hot or cold!

In addition to eating a lot of eggs, another mainstay of a Paleo/Primal/Low Carb diet is swapping out pasta with vegetable "noodles." For dinner tonight, I steamed a spaghetti squash in the microwave. But another option is to cut a zucchini into very thin ribbons (with a sharp knife, a julienne peeler, or a spiralizer) to make "zoodles." You can eat them raw or saute for a few minutes until they have a softer, "noodlier" texture. Whether spaghetti squash or zoodles, dump enough of a tasty sauce like this on top of it, and you won't even miss real pasta...well, not as much anyway. ;-)

Slow Cooker Bolognese

1/2 lb. Italian sausage
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 cup sauteed peppers, onions, mushrooms (I already had these left over in the fridge)
1 cup sweet potato salad with bacon (optional--I had this left over in the fridge and threw it in the mix)
1/4 cup smoky bacon ends (or regular bacon), chopped
2 large carrots, grated
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup red wine
1 small can tomato paste
1 large can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons dried Italian herbs
1 teaspoon black pepper
good pinch of red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon beef, vegetable, or mushroom "Better Than Bouillion"

Brown the sausage, ground beef, and onion until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Add to the crock pot, along with the sauteed peppers, onions, and mushrooms and the sweet potato salad (obviously, the leftovers are optional). 

Fry the bacon until crisp, then strain and remove the pieces. Add those to the crock pot. In the remaining bacon fat, saute the carrots, celery, and garlic for a few minutes until tender. Deglaze the pan with red wine. Scrape this veggie mixture into the crock pot. Also add the romato paste, crushed tomatoes, Italian herbs, black pepper, red pepper flakes, balsamic vinegar, and bouillion. Stir everything to combine.

Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or high for 3-4. 

The Best Gift is Time Spent with Friends

Once a person heads into middle age, it seems to more and more difficult to buy gifts for one's friends. They don't need anything, and anything they want, they just buy for themselves before their birthdays or other gift-giving holidays roll around. So more often than not, my local friends and I tend to give each other experiences in lieu of material goods. And this year, my friends, Lee Ann and June, outdid themselves!







In December, they asked me and another friend, Vicky, out to lunch and then presented us with these MAGNIFIQUE baskets filled with lots of goodies from Quebec: Maple leaf cookies and cookies with the Chateau Frontenac embossed in chocolate, Dark Chocolate Raspberry Whippets (like Canadian Mallowmars), and even a can of yellow pea soup (it's traditional--don't ask). But the best thing in the basket was a handmade coupon for dinner and a play in Montreal!

So yesterday, we finally took ourselves north to see The Book of Bob at The Centaur (the staging was inventive, but the play was just so-so), and then we had dinner afterwards at a nice wine bar in Old Montreal called Modavie. Everything we had was tasty, but the salad that June ordered looked especially scrumptious. The menu said it was made with frisee (which is why I didn't order it--I'm not a fan of bitter, spiky greens), but it came with mixed greens, lardons (crispy fried pork bits), and a softly poached egg on top. It looked incredible, and I thought, "Why can't I make this for myself at home?"

So...I did. I used smoky bacon ends from Oscar's Smokehouse, and though I admit, my freeform egg poaching skills are pathetic, a drizzle of Caesar vinaigrette covers a multitude of unsightly eggy sins. DECADENT and DELISH!

Super Bowl XLVIII

HAPPY SUPER BOWL DAY! Or, as I prefer to think of it, Happy Expensive Commercials and Bruno Mars Concert Day! As my friends and longtime readers know, I loathe football, but I struck a deal with my roommate that she would go to the Sing-Along Frozen movie with me (tee hee), and I would prepare a junk food feast for the big game. Here was my menu:

Devilled Egg Footballs
Muffaletta Sliders
Festive Favourite Layered Dip
Asian-Style Wings
Beefy Enchilada Dip

Make your favorite devilled eggs, then use green onions or chives to make the "football" laces. Cute, huh? (Thank you, Pinterest!)

I bought little football-shaped potato rolls, spread each side with (prepared) olive salad, then filled the sammies with spicy cappicola, mortadella, Genoa salami, and provolone.

My friend near Quebec City, Isabelle, shared this recipe with me, saying she gets raves about it every time she takes it to a party. And I get that--it's YUMMY and so pretty! It would also be perfect for a Christmas potluck with the red and green.

Festive Favourite Layered Dip
(Source: adapted from Kraft Canada)

1 tub (250g) Philadelphia Cream Cheese Spread

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup Miracle Whip Original Spread

1 cup salsa

2 cups Kraft Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 green pepper, finely chopped (I used a jalapeno instead)

2 green onions, chopped (I doubled this)

Mix first three ingredients until well blended; spread onto plate or shallow dish. Top with layers of all remaining ingredients. Serve with crackers or sturdy tortilla or corn chips.

Asian-Style Wings

Mix together in a large bowl:

1 cup flour 
1 teaspoon granulated garlic 
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toss 20-24 chicken wings in the flour mixture to coat. Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until crispy and brown.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, blend the following ingredients:
1/2 cup apricot pepper jelly (or plum jam/jelly)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

squirt of sriracha, to taste

When the chicken wings are baked, add them to a crock pot set on low, pour the sauce over, then fold gently to combine. Leave the wings to keep warm in the slow cooker during your party!

Beefy Enchilada Dip

(Source: adapted from Add a Pinch)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red enchilada sauce
2 cups grated Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

sour cream
tortilla chips

Brown ground beef in a large skillet. Drain. Add in onion and garlic and cook until tender, about three minutes. Stir in enchilada sauce and top with grated cheese. Cover and allow cheese to melt, about three more minutes.

Top with sour cream and serve with tortilla chips.

Ender's Game Brunch

The most recent selection that my book club read was the sci-fi classic, Ender's Game. And we planned it so that we could finish reading it just in time for the major motion picture release. Before attending the movie matinee, we met at our host's house (my friend, Janice), for a wonderful book and space-themed brunch. Here are a few pics for your enjoyment...

This is the tablescape, complete with a space mobile dangling from the chandelier! (I was assigned to bring a quiche, pictured on the lower right, closest to the camera.)













There was a birthday cake for Ender (tee hee). And can you just see the packet of freeze-dried astronaut ice cream next to it? (It was gawd-awful, but amusing as table decor.)

And brunch was served on cafeteria-style trays, just like in battle school. Ha!

Pictured clockwise from the top left: Breakfast potatoes, strata with potatoes and red peppers, cornbread casserole with sausage, apples and maple syrup, the quiche I made with Cajun turkey, Swiss chard, onion, and three cheeses, and a ham and cheese croissant from some fancy bakery in Syracuse, I believe. There was also a lovely fruit salad for "dessert" (not pictured).


As for my contribution to the affair, I didn't make anything space-themed or even related to the book. It was brunch, and Janice wanted to serve quiche, but she was going to be out of town until the day of the party. So I volunteered to make one. I chose the following recipe from my favorite pie guru, Ken Haedrich, but I substituted some Cajun turkey from the deli, because that's what I had on hand. I will definitely try it with the sausage next time. Obviously, this is a dish that can--and should--be adapted in many ways.

Swiss Chard and Smoked Turkey Sausage Quiche
(Source: adapted from The Pie Academy)

Basic pie dough, refrigerated (I cheated and used a refrigerator roll-out crust)

Filling:

1/2 to 3/4 pound Swiss chard, stems removed

8 ounces smoked turkey sausage (or diced Cajun-spiced turkey from the deli)

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups half-and-half or light cream

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (such as Tabasco)

1/2 cup each of 2 or 3 cheeses, including Swiss, Fontina, or Feta plus Parmesan

On a sheet of lightly floured wax paper, roll the pastry into a 13" circle. Invert the pastry over a 9 1/2" - 10" quiche pan or tart pan, center, and peel off the paper. Gently tuck the pastry into the pan, without stretching it, then pinch the edge into an upstanding rim. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes while you preheat the oven to 400°. Tear off a 16" long sheet of aluminum foil and press it into the firmed shell so it fits like a glove. To prevent the pie shell from puffing as it bakes, fill the foil about 3/4 full with dried beans, banking them up the sides. Bake on the center oven rack for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°. Remove the shell from the oven, then carefully lift out the foil and beans. Using a fork, poke the bottom pastry 6 or 7 times; the holes will keep the pastry from puffing. Put the shell back in the oven and bake another 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on a rack. (Plug the holes with dabs of cream cheese, or put shavings of cheese over the holes and let it melt there, so the filling doesn't run out.)

Reset the oven to 375°. Rinse the chard, remove the ribs (and discard), then coarsely chop the leaves (you don't have to dry them) and set aside. Dice about a quarter of the sausage; set aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet or saute pan and stir in the onion. Saute over medium heat for five minutes, then stir in only the diced sausage and garlic. Saute another two minutes, stirring, then add the chard. Cover and saute/steam for five to eight minutes, stirring often, until the chard is soft and cooked down. Remove from the heat and leave uncovered. While that cools, slice the remaining turkey sauce into 1/4"-thick rounds. Set aside. Whisk the eggs in a medium-size bowl until evenly blended. Whisk in the half-and-half, mustard, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Set aside.

To assemble the quiche, sprinkle one of the cheeses over the bottom of the tart shell (but save the Parmesan for the top.) Using a large fork - which will give you good control - place half of the chard here and there in the shell. Add half of the sausage. If you're using three cheeses, sprinkle on another one now; otherwise wait. Slowly ladle about half of the custard over the filling. Repeat with the remaining chard, sausage, and custard. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake the quiche on the center oven rack for about 40 minutes, until the top is light golden brown and the filling is somewhat puffy. Transfer to a rack and cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes ten or more servings.

Think you don't like spaghetti squash? THINK AGAIN!

On Pinterest awhile back, I saw a picture of a quiche with a "crust" made of spaghetti squash. I think it was a gluten-free or Paleo/Whole 30 recipe, but I just thought it looked yummy. So I picked up a lovely squash at the farmer's market, and then made up my own "recipe" which I will now describe.

So, you cut a smaller spaghetti squash in half and scrape the guts out. Drizzle with EVOO (or coconut oil or whatever you Whole30/Paleo people like to do), sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes until tender. Use a fork to separate the strings. Add a pat of butter and a couple of tablespoons of shredded parmesan and set aside to cool. (Clarify the butter and skip the cheese for Paleo.) Then press evenly into a pie dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Brown 1/2 pound of sausage with one large chopped onion. (If I had had some around, I would have thrown some mushrooms into the mix.) Drain off the fat. Now I added some quartered roasted potatoes and sliced carrots that I had left over from dinner last night. Use what you have and like in your quiche. Asparagus might be nice...and low carb. Or use roasted sweet potatoes instead of the deadly white kind. Season with a couple of pinches of salt, pepper to taste, granulated garlic and ground celery (about 1/2 teaspoon each), and about a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs. Let this mixture cool a bit as well.

Whisk together six eggs and a half cup of milk (I suppose the Whole30 crowd could skip the milk), then add the cooled meat and veggie mixture, a half cup of grated Swiss cheese (I like Emmenthal best--but no cheese of any kind for the Paleos), and stir to combine. Pour into your squash crust and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until set.

I think even those who think they don't like spaghetti squash this would enjoy this!