Savory Ham & Cheese Dutch Baby

Weekends are for brunch! Whether you hit a downtown hot spot with a kickass bloody mary bar (I'm looking at YOU, Meat & Potatoes!) or stay in your pj's and keep it casual at home, brunch should be a hell of a lot more special than your typical weekday green smoothie, bowl of cereal or a protein bar. Weekend brunch is a time to celebrate making it through the week!

The luxury of time is the key ingredient in any brunch recipe. Homemade brunch goodies (including a home version of a damned good Bloody Mary, Mimosa or even a cool weather Irish Coffee, of course) are best made at your leisure while reading the morning newspaper, sipping a hot cup of coffee, and discussing the previous evening's escapades with a friend, spouse or even (depending of the level of hijinks) co-conspirator. 

So put your feet up on the coffee table, turn on CBS Sunday Morning, sharpen your pencil to tackle the crossword puzzle, all while enjoying a relaxing and special brunch that tastes just like you got up, got dressed, got out and fought the crowd at the Bloody Mary Bar. Your new fave brunch may just be the one you make at home....in your pj's.

Savory Ham & Cheese Dutch Baby - for 2

NOTE:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees before starting batter and filling.

When your oven comes up to temp, put a dry cast iron skillet into the oven to heat while you make the pancake batter and filling.

(This recipe uses a 7-8" cast iron skillet for a 2-serving recipe. To serve 4, double the recipe and use a 9-10" cast iron skillet. Increase the baking time by at least 10 minutes - check frequently.)

Pancake:

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C all pupose flour  (I use gluten free flour (Jules or Tom Sawyer) to make this GF)
• 1/2 C milk
• 1 T honey (I used Bee's Knees Hot Honey for just a little kick)
• 2 T butter - for the cast iron skillet

Put all the above (except the butter - that's for the cast iron skillet) into the bowl of your electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment (if you have one) beat for 5 full minutes, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Set aside.

Filling:

• 1 egg
• 1/4 C half & half
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/4 C diced ham - and a little extra for the top
• 1/4 C diced smoked gouda (or other cheese of choice)
• 2 T finely diced onion that's been sauteed in a bit of butter until soft

Prepare the onions and let cool.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, half & half, and seasonings together until well combined. Add the ham, cheese and onions - mix well. Set aside.

Assembly:

Open the oven and put the 2 T of butter into the hot cast iron skillet. Close the oven and wait for the butter to melt. Carefully swirl the butter to completely coat the bottom of the skillet. 

Pour the batter into the skillet and bake approximately 20 minutes or until set and fully cooked. Remove from oven and let cool 2-3 minutes. 

Pour the filling mixture into the center of the Dutch Baby, top with a little extra diced ham, and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes until set. Remove, cut and serve.

Triple Dilled Potato Salad...and Changes

Change is inevitable. Back at the beginning of the year, change was on my mind...only natural as the calendar flips to a new year, a new time, hopes for a new beginning. All change should be so kind, not all changes are.

In a post at the start of the year, I shared my husband's struggle with heart surgery, our wait for a heart transplant and our hopes and dreams for a beautiful 2014. Together with our daughters and grandchildren, we rode the highs and lows of that entire life-changing experience, finally with a successful(!) heart transplant on Mother's Day. 

A beautiful new heart in a beautiful man who wanted nothing more than to enjoy again the simple pleasures of home and independence. And he achieved just that. 

Mark grew stronger, was able to drive not just his car, but his treasured tractor (he DID have t-shirt that said, "The Lawn Ranger!). We grilled and smoked and even bought a new charcoal grill for the neighborhood get-together we were planning to thank our wonderful neighbors for all their help over 7 long months.

We got out and about and socialized with friends and family all around Pittsburgh and looked forward to ditching that 2-hour travel restriction and really getting back on the road again...Michigan to see the kids and grandkids, Maryland and the ocean, the bay and our beloved Baltimore and further still to South Carolina and long-missed family.

Then changes came 'round again. Suddenly. Quickly Mark was back in the hospital. Immunosuppressant drugs are both a miracle and a curse, the latter when infection strikes and no way to battle against it. A man who fought so bravely over so many months with such determination and an amazingly positive outlook, was felled in just a few hours.

And here I am again talking about change. And heartbreak and hope. Change, good or bad is inevitable. Change is just another part of life and life goes on, differently, but on. With sweet memories.

Triple Dilled Potato Salad

I made this variation on my standard potato salad for Mark just a couple of weeks ago. He loved it so much he asked for it again when our potato-salad-loving grandson came to visit from Michigan. Matt really likde it, too! 

• 2 1/2 pounds Russet potatoes, cooked in their jackets, peeled, cut into medium dice
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled, cut into small dice - save one for garnish 
• 1 large celery stalk, cut into small dice
• 1/2 medium onion, cut into small dice
• 1 C Vlasic Zesty Dill Spears, cut into small dice (or use your favorite dills with a nice zip to them)
• 1 T Jane's Crazy Salt
• 1/2 t dill seed
• 1/2 t celery seed
• 2 T brown mustard
• 3/4 C mayo (Hellman's, of course)
• 1 t sugar
• 1/4 C dill pickle juice from the jar - or more to taste
• 1/4 C fresh dill fronds, minced - plus extra for garnish

In a large bowl, gently mix potatoes, eggs, Jane's Crazy Salt (Yes, you can use another seasoned salt, but why? Jane's is the best!), veggies and seeds.

Mix well the mustard, mayo, sugar & juice and pour over the potato mixture. Sprinkle the fresh dill over the top and gently fold the dressing into the potato salad. 

Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with a sliced egg and dill fronds. Cover & refrigerate until serving time.

Texas Eggs In Poblanos

If you really use your imagination...and kind of squint your eyes a bit...do you see the resemblance of a poblano half to the state of (yeeeeehawwwww) Texas? Me too! Do real Texans make eggs this way? I really have no clue, but why not?! It makes a great name for a brunch dish that comes in a Texas-shaped edible container anyway.

Spicy chorizo, smooth and creamy avocado, sharp cheddar, sultry cilantro and some other TexMex regular customers all gathered 'round the kitchen this morning for quite the satisfying brunch. It didn't take a lot of Sunday morning effort, either. In fact, you could cut the peppers, grate the cheese and fry up the chorizo the night before. From there, it's a snap. 

While the eggs are baking, it even gives you lots of time to make a nice pitcher of Bloody Maria's or even a Michelada. I'm sure that's what they'd serve up with Texas eggs in Texas anyway. Saddle up for brunch, pardner!

Texas Eggs in Poblanos

Serves 1

• 1 poblano pepper, (choose a nice big round one instead of a flat one - holds the egg) cut in half lengthwise, seeds and ribs removed
• 2 eggs
• 1 link Mexican chorizo, fried and crumbled
• 1/2 C or so of grated sharp cheddar
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 avocado, sliced and dipped in lime juice
• 2 small tomatoes, chopped
• 1 T chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish
• 2 T sweet onion, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• green Tabasco

Set the oven to 400 degrees.

Place the pepper halves into a shallow casserole dish and break an egg into each half. Bake approximately 20 minutes or until the egg is set the way you like it.

While the eggs are baking, make the fresh salsa. Combine tomatoes, onion, cilantro and salt to taste. Add a dash (or MORE) of Green Tabasco (I LOVE this stuff!) and spoon onto a serving plate. 

When the eggs are done, nestle them into the salsa, surround them with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, the cooked chorizo and garnish with more cilantro and lots of green Tabasco or even a little salsa verde.

This presentation is lovely...but right after the pic, I mixed everything up and piled it on top of the peppers. Maybe not as pretty, but easier eating! And that's what counts.

NOTE: Of course you can double, triple, quadruple the recipe to serve as many as you need!

Jalapeno Cheese Grits and Sunnyside Eggs

This recipe and breakfast is all YOUR fault, Mr. Blanton! You can't go telling and tantalizing folks with the wonders of your Jalapeno Cheese Grits withOUT giving us the recipe. So I went ahead and came up with my own version which, I'm sure, isn't as wondrous as your own, but still damned good...I AM being humble here.

Although I didn't use instant grits - they've never crossed my doorstep and never will - this is a relatively quick and easy recipe. The most difficult thing was stirring to make them smooth and creamy. 

I cheated and used shredded cheese, though. If you're a purist, go ahead and shred the cheese yourself if you have nothing better to do in the morning than run the simultaneous risk of shredding your knuckles. (This is especially a dangerous move if you tackle the shredding chore pre-coffee!)

The colors of green and red hot sauces and the essential Bloody Mary accompaniment tells me this dish is perfect for a casual, Southern-inspired Christmas morning. HO HO HO, y'all!

Served with the perfect side...a Bloody Mary!

  Jalapeno Cheese Grits and Sunnyside Eggs

 

• 3 tablespoons butter, plus 2 more to finish the dish
• 1/2 large jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
• 1 cup yellow grits, coarse ground is my fave (wish this Yankee had access to some authentically legendary Southern grits)
• 2 cups chicken broth, I like unsalted to control the saltiness...especially when using cheese in grits
• 1 cup heavy cream, or half and half
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, I used a Mexican blend cheese with cheddar, colby and hot pepper jack cheeses
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, the GREEN variety - plus additional to garnish
• Tabasco sauce, the CHIPOTLE variety to garnish

• some pretty, sunnyside up fried eggs

Melt 3 T of the butter in the bottom of a deep saucepan - a deep one helps keep the bubbling grits from decorating your stovetop! 

Add the diced jalapeno and cook a minute or 2 to soften. Add the broth and the cream and bring to a boil. Slowly add the grits in a steady stream continuously whisking like mad. Use a long handled whisk to prevent being hit by the bubbling grits as they cook. Boil and stir for about a minute, then lower heat to medium low and continue whisking until they are thick and silky...maybe 15-20 minutes. Be patient, the stirring is worth it. Seriously.
 
Stir in the rest of the butter and incorporate completely. Add the cheese and 1 1/2 T. of the GREEN Tabasco; stir in thoroughly. Taste and add salt to taste, if needed.
 
Set the grits aside, fry up eggs - I like mine with a runny yolk to make the grits even better than they already are! Spoon the grits into a shallow bowl, set the sunnyside up eggs on top, add a few dollops of green Tabasco and a few of chipotle Tabasco and serve!
 
P.S. I'd enjoy these for dinner in a heartbeat!


NOTE: Mr. Blanton (Greg) is a kick-ass cook and BBQ genius from Georgia. And a good friend to boot.

Eastern Shore Crab Lump & Fried Green Tomato Benedict

What do you get when you take classic Southern Fried Green Tomatoes and combine them with beautiful, sweet, white lump crab from the Eastern Shore of Maryland? Just one of the most delicious brunch dishes ever to grace a morning plate, that's what!

Instead of a plain old boring English muffin for the base of Eggs Benedict, how about a nice big slab of green tomato, simply crusted with cornmeal, seasoned and fried crisp? Top that with a gently poached egg (complete with a lovely runny yolk), grace that with spoonsful of thick, yellow, lemony hollandaise and finally crown it with giant Maryland blue crab lumps?! Did I hear a chorus of enthusiastic yeses?! I thought I might.

Somehow this combo Deep South and Maryland Eastern shore inspiration came together for the best brunch dish I've ever made. I just wish I could send you all samples to taste to inspire to to MAKE THIS for someone you love. Yourself even!

There are a few steps to get this on the table, but each step is simple...even the hollandaise is an easy blender version that needs no cooking. The crab lumps? Just pick them from the plastic tub and put as many as you wish on the top of the finished dish...again, no cooking. The fried green tomatoes are a simple version and poached eggs are a snap. If you're poached egg-challenged, feel free to use a fried egg - I won't tell.


Oh. One more thing. be SURE to serve a great Bloody Mary alongside...is there any better brunch combination? Really.

What goes better with brunch than a doggone good Bloody Mary? Nothing!

Eastern Shore Crab Lump & 

Fried Green Tomato Benedict

• 2 large green tomatoes, sliced into thick slabs
• cornmeal, enough to dredge the tomatoes
• Jane's Crazy Salt
• canola oil, or use BACON FAT...my personal fave! - enough to skim the bottom of the skillet & more for the 2nd batch

• 2 large eggs, poached how you like them - I like mine runny!

• 1/2 cup hollandaise sauce (see recipe below)

• 1 cup Maryland blue crab, (or VA, LA or TX...just make sure it's REAL American crab and fresh in the plastic tubs, not pasteurized in cans (even if it's on ice and it's canned, it is NOT fresh crab!), nice BIG lumps! (Here in Pittsburgh, you can find FRESH, real blue crab right at Penn Avenue Fish Company on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. I'm a HUGE fan!)

These were simply too pretty not to share...made me think of watermelon!

Prepare hollandaise: This is the easy blender hollandaise...if it gets too thick, thin it with more lemon juice until it's the consistency you like. 

• 3 egg yolks
• pinch Kosher salt
• pinch cayenne
• 1 T. heavy cream
• 2 sticks melted butter
• juice of 1 lemon, more if you need it

In the jar of your blender, combine the yolks, Kosher salt, cayenne and heavy cream and buzz on high until well blended. While the blender is running, add the butter and finally the lemon juice. If it's too thick, add more lemon juice. That's it...easy!
 
Tomatoes: Heat canola oil in a big cast iron skillet - enough to skim the bottom. In the meantime, pour the cornmeal onto a paper plate and dredge the tomato slices on both sides. Season one side liberally with Jane's Crazy Salt.

When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes to the skillet. Brown on one side then turn them over and season the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and do the next batch. Set aside.
 
To plate: set a big fried green tomato slice on a plate, top with the poached egg, slather with hollandaise, top with crab lumps and enjoy!

P. S. You may have noticed only two of the fried green tomatoes were used for the eggs benedict, but I made lots more. Why? So you have extra fried green tomatoes to snack on! Yum.

Crab Deviled Eggs, Baltimore Style

It is required that when one returns from the Maryland shore, one bring home pounds of pure, sweet, fresh, picked-by-hand, snow white and succulent Maryland blue crabmeat. At least it's required when that "one" is me. No trip to Maryland is ever complete without bringing home the bounty of the sea...or the bay.
 
When visiting Annapolis or Baltimore, the bay in question is the Chesapeake. When visiting Ocean City, the bay being referred to is the Assawoman Bay...and yes, there is also the Big Assawoman Bay AND the Little Assawoman Bay. It's an Indian name. Really!
 
There is a HUGE difference in the quality of fresh crab and the canned, pasteurized variety! ONLY real, honest to God Maryland or Virginia blue crab that is hand-picked, fresh-packed and NEVER pasteurized is what you want. 

If it comes in a can, it isn't fresh, if it comes in a plastic container with a snap-on lid and says Maryland or Virginia crab, that's what you're looking for. 

But be careful! Sometimes you'll find the phrase, "Packed in Maryland" and elsewhere it says it's from Indonesia or China or Vietnam. That's the pasteurized stuff in the can that tries to make you think it's Maryland crab. Packed in Maryland? How do they preserve it over all that distance? Eek! Okay...I'll get off my American blue crab is superior to any other crab soapbox now.
 
Now that I've brought the good stuff home, do I ever have plans for the crabmeat! Specifically, deviled eggs. CRAB deviled eggs! These are a recreation of a dish I delighted in many (many) years ago when Uncle Harry treated me, my sister, Mom & Dad and my grandmother to a fancy dinner in downtown Baltimore. 

An hors doeuvres cart came by each table at the restaurant offering all variety of tiny bites before dinner...all you wanted. The cart, laden with little treasures of crab, cheese, lobster, shrimp, meats, fruits and vegetables in all sorts of preparations, circled the room and wound its way among the tables all through dinner.
 
Being a big deviled egg fan, that's what I chose - it was fancy, of course. Instead of sliced horizontally, it stood on end with a zigzag cut across the top and heaps of creamy egg filling with CRAB! Wow. Crab deviled eggs instantly became my favorite deviled egg ever! And that was the very last time I got to experience one. Until Sunday.
 
My presentation wasn't as fancy - I didn't stand them on end or zigzag the tops - but they were everything I remembered. Smooth, creamy, just a little crunch of celery, spicy with Old Bay and sweet with REAL Maryland crabmeat...crowned with a fat lump of backfin crab and dusted with just a touch more of Old Bay. Heaven.
 
Here's the recipe. Oh, and Iris? I WILL be making these for YOU!

 Crab Deviled Eggs, Baltimore Style

• 7 eggs, hardboiled,cooled, shelled, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning, plus extra to dust the tops of the deviled eggs
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, Colmans!
• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise, Hellmans!
• 2 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup Maryland backfin crab, remove any shell and/or cartiledge - In addition, set aside the largest crab lumps from the top of the container to garnish each deviled egg

Carefully remove the yolks from each cooled hardboiled egg half to a small bowl. When all the cooked yolks are in the bowl, mash them very well with a fork until finely crumbled. Sprinkle the mashed yolks with Old Bay, celery and dry mustard. Mix the Worcestershire and mayo together then pour over the egg yolks and seasonings. Mix very well - add more mayo if it seems too thick or more Old Bay if it doesn't seem to have enough spice.
 
Once the egg mixture is ready, GENTLY fold in 1/2 cup of crab and mix completely without breaking up the crab too much. You don't want the big lumps for this anyway. The reserved big lumps will be the garnish for each egg half once the whites are filled.
 
Mound the egg crab mixture into the centers of each white, dividing evenly. Garnish with a nice big crab lump and dust with Old Bay. Place each deviled egg half into a deviled egg tray that hold 12 deviled eggs. But there are 2 extra! Put the nicest ones in the dish and the other two are YOURS! Reward time!


NOTE: Notice I used only 1/2 a cup from the container? The rest of the pound - 3/4 pound - went to make the Maryland Corn Jalapeno Crab Imperial I posted yesterday. I made the MOST of that pound of crabmeat!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Stuck with with a basket of brightly colored hardboiled eggs the Easter bunny left behind? Egg salad on the dinner menu AGAIN?! How does something just a little different, but still familiar, sound to have those eggs eaten up in a hurry? Sort of a deviled-egg-meets-guacamole appetizer with just a little flair is what I have in mind.

What inspired this dish? A lone avocado sitting in the molcajete didn't quite make it into the last batch of guac. No way I was going to let it go to waste when it was just at the "use it or lose it" stage. The soft creaminess of the beautifully ripe avocado kept "egging" me on to try something new.

Hmmmm...that nearly egg-shaped avocado would mash up with hardboiled yolks into an even smoother, creamier filling than normal. And what would go better with avocado  than jalapenos? Nada. 

Hmmmm (again)...the traditional mustard used in deviled eggs might overpower delicate avocado, what else might lend a savory, umami accent? The answer sat right on the kitchen countertop. Truffle salt! Just that easily a new recipe was born. And made. And tasted. And approved!

Not wanting to depend on my opinion alone, the pickled jalapeño-garnished cuties were packed up for an evening with friends at my favorite cocktail establishment (Acacia!) for testing. Eggs were sampled by friends and bar staff both. The result? Smiles and thumbs up all around! Here's the recipe to get the same happy outcome from your very own taste testers!

Avocado Deviled Eggs with Truffle

Serves 6

• 6 eggs, hardboiled, cooled, shells removed, sliced in half lengthwise, yolks removed into small bowl and set aside; egg white halves set aside on a plate
• 1 avocado, nicely soft and ripe
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 jalapeno chile pepper, seeds and veins removed, VERY finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon truffle salt (if you can't find truffle salt, try using smoked salt - see below for where to find truffle salt)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, or more if needed for consistency
• pickled jalapenos slices, cut into pieces

In a small bowl, mash reserved hardboiled yolks with a fork until fine. Add avocado and lemon juice and mash again with a fork until the avocado and yolks are well mixed. Add the jalapeno, Tabasco, Worchestershire sauce, truffle salt and mayo. If the mixture is too stiff, add mayo a little at a time until piping consistency.
 
Using a zip top sandwich or quart bag, spoon the mixture into the bag being sure to load it into one corner. When the bag is 3/4 of the way full, squeeze out the air and zip the top securely. Snip off a corner of the bag large enough to pipe the mixture into the center of the egg white easily.

Pipe the egg/avocado mixture evenly into the hollows of the whites. Decorate the tops with small pieces of pickled jalapeno to garnish.

Await your OWN smiles and thumbs ups!

NOTE: Truffle salt (I HIGHLY recommend using it...not just for this recipe, but for fried eggs, popcorn, rice...anything to give your finished dish that extra something special) can be ordered at Gourmet Delights online. I use them regularly!

Chorizo, Poblano & Smoked Gouda Breakfast Strata

Merry Christmas!  

Here's a quick little post for today's quick and easy breakfast casserole. We put together a strata last night to just pop into the oven this morning...no fuss whatsover on this busy and bustling morning.   

Of course, we added a Christmas-y red Bloody Mary to start off the day right.  Cheers!
   

Chorizo, Poblano & Smoked Gouda Breakfast Strata

• 2 chorizo links, removed from casing, crumbled and fried.  Drain and set aside.
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted or grilled until blackened all over, popped into a plastic container immediately.  Let sit for at least 10 minutes.  Rub off the blackened peel, remove seeds and cut into 1/4" dice. Reserve 2 T. for garnish.
• 2 large poblano peppers, roast as above & pop into the same plastic container.  After removing skin & seeds, sliver.  Reserve several slivers for garnish.
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels, Toast in a little olive oil in a very hot skillet until beginning to brown.  Remove.
• 7 ounces gouda cheese, be sure it's SMOKED gouda.  Shred.
• 8 slices white bread, gluten-free to make this GF (I used Whole Foods Light White) or a good French bread or challah if you're not dealing with GF issues

• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 4 tablespoons butter, plus extra to grease casserole dish

• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish

Beat the eggs and milk together.
 
In a buttered 2 1/2 quart oval shallow casserole dish (or equivalent), layer half the bread, half the mixed poblanos and red pepper, half the corn and 2/3 of the smoked gouda. Add the rest of the bread, the peppers, the corn, the last of the smoked gouda and top with the crumbled chorizo.
 
Pour the egg mixture evenly and slowly over the top.  Cover with saran wrap or if you have a lid for the dish, use that - I did.  (Love that CorningWare French White baking stuff!) Refrigerate overnight.
 
The next morning, set oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the casserole for an hour or until the casserole is puffed, browned and beautiful.  Top with the shredded cheddar, bake another 10 minutes and remove.  Let stand for 15-20 minutes before serving.  Garnish with the reserved red and poblano peppers.  Serve!
 
This is easy to cut in half.  Use half of everything and make it in a 1 1/2 quart oval shallow casserole dish.  This is the smaller of the set of 2 CorningWare French White set.  The 2 1/2 quart size is the larger of the 2. 

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

After the craziness of two big nights under the fancy white tents at Savor Pittsburgh and judging all those fantastic dishes, our Sunday morning was a lazy one.  Whew!  What a non-stop few days!  Come this morning, Mark and I need a break - if only for a few quiet hours.

I'd like to say we just kind of lounged around and relaxed, sipped Bloody Marys and noshed on this beautiful brunch dish, but the relaxing occurred AFTER the cooking...then it was really well-deserved!  Had we thought ahead, the crema and chili salt could have been done the night before and would have made this morning's prep much easier.  

Still, it was worth it! Duck fat sweet potato chips dusted with chili salt, crowned with avocado cubes cuddled oh so tenderly into softly scrambled eggs (with a little jalapeno kick!) and drizzled with cilantro lime crema were just the way to chill.  

Sounds strictly like a brunch dish? Ha!  It will make killer leftovers for breakfast tomorrow!  

 

Chili Dusted Duck Fat Sweet Potato Chips 

with Avocado Scrambled Eggs

• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder

• 4 ounces sour cream, or use Fage Greek yogurt - 0% fat is what I used
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce, the GREEN kind!
• Kosher salt, to taste

• duck fat
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 avocado, cubed
• 1/4 medium jalapeno, cut into 1/2" strips and then across into slivers
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Chili Salt:  Combine and set aside.
 
Crema: Combine and set aside.
 
Chips:  In a medium pot, heat 3" worth of duck fat to 375 degrees.  While the fat is heating (watch carefully!), using a vegetable peeler (I like my nice swivel blade one that's about 3-4" wide), cut thin sliced of the peeled sweet potato and let them sit until the fat is hot enough.  When the fat is at temp, fry the sliced potatoes several at a time - maybe 12 or so - until they nearly stop bubbling.  Remove with a spider or slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.  They won't seem crisp, but will crisp up in seconds once they're out of the oil. Don't let them brown or they will be overdone.  When they're all done, keep them warm in the oven.
 
Eggs:  Melt the butter in a skillet.  In a bowl, scramble the eggs, water, jalapeno and salt with a whisk.  Pour the eggs into the skillet and gently move them with a spoon until they start to set a little.  At that point, add the avocado cubes and continue until the eggs are just how you like them.  I like mine slightly wet and not overcooked.
 
Assembly:  Mound the chips on a serving plate, sprinkle with the chile salt, mound the eggs in the center and drizzle with the crema.  Garnish if you wish.
 
NOTE TO SELF:  Make the chile salt and the crema the night before to make Sunday morning just a little more relaxing.  


By the way...my report on BOTH nights of Savor Pittsburgh is coming up in a day or two.  Stay tuned!

Eggs & Garlic Spinach in Portobellos with Harissa Cream

A vegetarian brunch dish?  From me?  Quelle surprise!  Yeah, I know...there's that pile of bacon nestled alongside...focus only on the meat-free portobello in front of it.  You didn't expect me to go cold turkey, did you?!

Why use a ramekin for baked eggs in spinach when Mother Nature (and the mushroom caves of Pennsylvania) have provided such an edible and delicious little casserole dish?  And it's such a pretty little container! 

The bonus is those great big mushrooms are filling, satisfying and low in calories, too.  In fact, if you wanted to use egg beaters instead of a whole egg?  Go ahead!  Enjoy an even healthier version of this dish!  Okay, there's heavy cream in the sauce....no big deal....it's just there to lighten up the spice of the harissa.  If you want to use half & half to lighten that up a bit, fine by me!  You know I'm flexible!

Eggs & Garlic Spinach in Portobellos with Harissa Cream

Serves 2

• 2 portobello mushroom, remove stem and clean out all the gills 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, just to coat the pan 
• 3/4 bag spinach, chopped
• 1/2 small onion, diced small
• 1 clove garlic, minced - 2 or 3 cloves if you like your spinach good and garlicky!  (I do!)
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons harissa, store bought
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350.  Oil the bottom of a small, shallow casserole dish - just big enough to hold the mushrooms.
 

In a skillet, heat the oil and saute the onion & garlic until translucent.  Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts.  Season with salt & pepper, remove from heat.
 

Mound the spinach mixture evenly between both mushrooms.  With a spoon, press the spinach into the curve of the mushroom sides making a nest for the egg and letting it peek prettily around all the edges.  Break an egg into each of the mushrooms.
 

Put the filled mushrooms into the casserole dish and put about 1/2" of water into the bottom of the dish - be careful not to get any water into the mushrooms.
 

Bake until the eggs are set and how you like them, checking occasionally.  (The time will vary depending upon how cold the mushrooms are - cold mushrooms means a longer baking time.)
 

While the eggs are baking, mix the harissa & cream until nicely incorporated.
 

Remove mushrooms from oven and plate.  Drizzle the harissa cream over and around the eggs.  Gives a beautiful color contrast and a nice little zip!

 

Brunch Burger with BACON Marmalade!

Bacon marmalade?  The menu at Jerome Bettis Grill 36 said “Bacon Marmalade!!”  And it comes with a breakfast burger topped with mozzarella and an egg?  Yes, please!  Probably (if I were being accurate instead reporting what grabbed my eye and gravitated my entire head towards the Burger Section), it was a burger that came with the bacon marmalade, not the other way around. 

The order went in.  While I waited, I enjoyed quite a magnificent Bloody Mary…just to pass the time until brunch came, of course, and for no other reason. (wink)

And then that beautiful platter appeared.  A gorgeous sunnyside up egg perched prettily atop an oozing mozzarella coverlet atop a beautifully done medium burger.  The “atops” stopped there for me although it should have been open-face on a bun.  Gluten issue again.  Really, though, it didn’t need the bun. 

And the bacon marmalade?  The entire reason I ordered the burger?  There it was in its own little cup waiting to be dipped into or slathered over the burger.  All aquiver, I spooned into it.  Sweet, salty, smoky, orange-y and slightly tart exploded all at once.  Angels sang.  A momentary out-of-body experience may have occurred.  It. Was. Heavenly.  The Bus KNOWS how to build a burger!

I began to plan how I would do it at home.  Bacon marmalade?  I’m sure it was jarred orange marmalade with finely processed crisp bacon and some other ingredients.  A snap to duplicate, really. 

The burger was a burger.  Could I make it a better brunch dish?  More breakfast-ish instead of lunch-ish?  Well, sure.  Instead of a beef burger, I went the breakfast sausage route, but made it just a little milder and a little lower in fat and calories by mixing sage sausage and ground chicken in equal parts.  To echo the orange of the bacon marmalade, I added the zest and juice of an orange, a healthy amount of freshly ground black pepper and a little onion. 

How was the finished dish?  Mark and I like it better than the original…and that’s saying something!  Hey, Bus, how about I make YOU a breakfast burger one of these days?!  And a Bloody Mary.  Just to pass the time while you’re waiting for the burger, of course. 

  Brunch Burger with BACON Marmalade!

Makes 4

• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 3 strips bacon, thick sliced, cooked crisp, chopped up finely in the food processor
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 1/2 pound sausage meat, sage kind
• 1/2 pound ground chicken
• 1 orange, zested first and then juiced
• 1/2 medium onion, very finely minced
• freshly ground black pepper, lots

• 2 English muffins, toasted (gluten-free muffins to make this GF)
• 4 slices provolone cheese
• 4 eggs, fried sunnyside up or how you like them best

Marmalade:  Melt the orange marmalade in a small pot.  When smooth, add the rest of the ingredients and let come to room temp.  Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
 

Burgers:  Let the sausage and the ground chicken come almost to room temperature before starting this...it makes them easier to mix together thoroughly.  In a large bowl, mix the sausage & chicken well.  Add the orange zest and juice, the onion and the black pepper and mix well again.  Form into 4 patties.
 

Heat a skillet and add a little butter.  Fry the patties on both sides, cooking through completely.  You don't want any raw chicken or sausage in the middle!
 

Assembly:  Put an English muffin half on a plate.  Top with the burger, a slice of cheese, a fried egg and drizzle bacon marmalade over the top of everything. 
 

Enjoy!

Hash Brown & Sweet Italian Sausage Breakfast Pizza

The grandkids are here!  That means we're on the go and catching meals on the fly...Science Center and SportsWorks on Saturday, Pirate's game on Sunday (we won!) and hiking McConnell's Mills around the cliffs and crevasses, towering trees and (carefully) along the rapids of the river today.  

If nothing else, we've needed a substantial breakfast to fuel all the activity...and one the kids would eat and enjoy.  What do kids like?  Pizza!  Breakfast pizza it was.  The egg in the picture?  That was only on one of the pizzas....yeah, the kids wouldn't touch a runny fried egg.  The other concession to picky kids was using sweet Italian sausage instead of hot.  Whatever makes them happy...that's what a grandparent's job is, isn't it?  The smiles and hugs are worth every bit of the spoiling!  

Hash Brown & Sweet Italian Sausage Breakfast Pizza

• 1 package hash browns, frozen, the shredded kind - 30 oz. size, thawed
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• 1/2 pound Italian sausage links, sweet or hot, cooked & sliced diagonally
• 1/2 package shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 slices provolone cheese, cut in half, I like the snoked provolone
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
• 4 eggs, fried (optional)

Mix the thawed hash brown, parm & olive oil thoroughly.  Pat out and press down firmly onto a 13" round pizza pan that has been sprayed with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper & spray with olive oil.  (I really like my Misto oil sprayer - you can control the quality of the oil you use!)  One other note, this potatoes may seem like too much for one pan - it isn't.  They cook down a LOT!
 

Pre heat the oven to 425.  Bake the crust until browned and crisp on the bottom - about 30 minutes more or less depending on your oven.  Remove the crust, heat the broiler and finish the crust under the broiler being careful just to brown it, not burn it.  Remove and set the oven to 425 again.
 

Sprinkle the mozz evenly over the crust, evenly place the provolone around the pizza in spokes, top with the sausage slices, scatter the tomato and finally the basil. 
 

Bake at 425 until the cheese is melted. 
 

If you like eggs on your breakfast pizza - and I do - you can break them directly onto the pizza and bake them or you can fry them how you like them and put them on when the pizza is done.

Now go spoil those grandkids!