Quick trips: Pittsburgh

I used Pittsburgh as my home base last week for a couple of university appearances, and I will preface this post with the truth: you could spend a lot more time in Pitt doing a lot more super cool things. But here's a little something to get you started while you're buying your opera tickets and looking up all your favorite galleries.

Lawrenceville neighborhood:
Coca Cafe has to-die-for egg sandwiches with kimchi, excellent coffee, and a chill, funky vibe just a few blocks off the Allegheny River. Afterwards, talk a short hilly stroll to enjoy the Art Deco architecture of Arsenal Middle School and the grandiose Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, which kind of transports you back to Victorian Europe. Pints on Penn makes for a break across the street from 19th Century composer Stephen Foster's home, too.

 

Crafton neighborhood:
Authentic family-style Italian-American food is pretty easy to come by in Pittsburgh, but I loved Sarafino's for its raucous close-knit atmosphere, perfectly dressed pasta (the red clam sauce was delish), and a soaked almond creme cake which puts all other cakes to shame. They don't serve alcohol, so make like the locals and come prepared with your own bottle or two (or in one case, a martini shaker and various bottles of brightly-colored liquors). Big Daddy's Donuts is good, too, but be forewarned, they're not actually open 24/7 as some websites might say. They are super fresh.

Some other cools stuff to see:
Andy Warhol Museum
Heinz History Center, with a display of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood
Nationality Rooms at University of Pittsburgh, honoring the various origins of Pittsburgh's melting pot

a breakfast sandwich in casserole form

Now you know I like a good, fatty brunch at least as well as I like drinking the night before...this may be the best way to kick off what may be an otherwise sketchy year.  The first time I tried it, I had 2/3 of several bagels that my cat had gnawed on before remembering he prefers meat, and I didn't want to waste the parts of each bagel that had not been tainted with cat spit.  In the process I realized that it very much reminded me of a gooey, cheese breakfast sandwich. Bonus: make it the night before and all you've got to do is sit around and wait in the morning while it cooks.  

Breakfast Sandwich Casserole

Serves 6-8

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing


8 large eggs


2 cups milk


2 teaspoons grainy mustard

6 kalamata olives, chopped

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 pound day-old everything bagels (3 large), cut into 1-inch pieces 

1 small bunch of kale or other cooking green, stemmed and chopped 



½  pint cherry tomatoes, quartered


1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons minced rosemary


2 scallions, thinly sliced


8 ounces  shredded cheese of your choice

Lightly grease a 2-quart oval baking pan. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, mustard, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in the bagel pieces and let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until tender and wilted, about 7 minutes. If you had bits of leftover vegetables in the fridge, you could cook those here, too. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, garlic, rosemary and cook until the tomatoes start to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

Fold the vegetables and shredded cheeses into the bagel mixture, then transfer to the prepared baking pan. You could cook this now, or you could cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to cook in the morning.

Preheat the oven to 375°. Cover the baking pan with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for 35 minutes more, or until the top is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (cooking times will be longer if you pull this directly out of the fridge before baking). Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Melvin, who made this meal possible with his
fine bagel-hunting skills. 

12 Days of holiday Inspiration, the non-Pinterest edition

I keep getting this post popping up on my Pinterest page as something I might like: "12 Days of DIY Craft and Decor Ideas". Have any of you seen this?  It has some pretty serious bullshit on there, like making your own printable board games, templates for letters to Santa, and holiday pet photos. Given that my pins are dominated by abstract art, photos of cats falling into things or misusing furniture, and graphic tees with swear words on them, I really don't know what the Pinterest bot was thinking. But OK, challenge accepted.  I have come up with my own 12 days of blah blah blah, but I think mine are way easier to maintain. You know what? We're all busy.  Let's be overachievers and get it done in six.

1. Have some people over for wine and snacks.  Roast some packaged gnocchi for the snack.
2. Plan your wintry dream vacation for after the holidays.
3. Make some big batches of soup and freeze or can for later.
4. Get some eggnog (the pumpkin spice of December) and make some drinks!
5. Infuse some vodka and get rid of that chemical-flavored shit in your cupboard (also a great gift idea for your alcoholic friends).
6. Make this insanely good orzo casserole for brunch, with or without friends.

 You can drink on the rest of the days until Christmas. 

Weekend links for NoCo

Why is it always so much easier to remember how awesome your life is in the summer? Oh right, because it is more awesome in the summer. 

Best Brunch Spots

Door 222, Loveland (opens at 11:30am)

Lucile's, Fort Collins

Rise!, Fort Collins

Snooze, Fort Collins

Sugar House, Eaton

Best Breweries

1933 Brewing, Fort Collins

Coopersmith's, Fort Collins

Loveland Ale Works, Loveland

Verboten Brewing, Loveland

Weldwerks, Greeley

Outdoor Fun

Boyd Lake State Park, Loveland

Gateway Natural Area, Fort Collins

Horsetooth Reservoir and Mountain Park, Fort Collins

Poudre River Corridor, Greeley, Windsor, and Fort Collins

Windsor Lake, Windsor

Skillet ( or roasted) Potatoes with Mushrooms and Kale

When I was a kid, my dad sometimes fried potatoes and onions in a big skillet for dinner when he got home before my mom.  I don't know what we had with them, but it was probably a a big hunk of meat.  This recipe starts from that tradition, but adds two vegetables my dad would never eat (sorry, Dad), as well as some Old Bay, because that stuff is delicious on potatoes.  This would still be tasty with a big hunk of meat, but you could just as easily make it a meal for two with a side salad. Bonus: leftovers can be laid out on a single layer baking sheet, sprinkled with feta or the cheese of your choice, and broiled on high for 5 minutes (see below), serving as a perfect bed for a fried egg for brunch. 

Skillet Potatoes with Mushrooms and Kale

Serves 4 as a side

1 tablespoon olive oil

3-4 large russet potatoes, thinly sliced and rounds cut in half

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

2 cups washed, chopped kale, tightly packed

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

(To roast instead, combine all ingredients in a large bowl, pour out in a single layer on baking sheets, and roast in the oven at 425⁰F 20-25 minutes, stirring every ten minutes or so.)

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, cook the potatoes until golden on both sides. Remove potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate and lower heat to medium. Cook the onions and mushrooms until soft a watery, about 5 minutes, then add the kale and cook until bright green and wilted, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, potatoes, and Old Bay.  Taste for salt and pepper and serve piping hot. 

Mediterranean Green Beans and Orzo with bonus leftover casserole

What a way to enjoy the green beans from your garden (or local farmer's market)! This dish can be made with no meat, or you can replace the chicken I use with tofu, shrimp, chunked cod, etc. And the casserole is a great way to revive leftovers, suitable for brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Scroll to the end for my 30-second tzatziki, which I think is appropriate with either preparation, as well as most other savory foods.

Mediterranean Green Beans and Orzo

Serves 6-8, or see alternative leftover casserole, below

2 teaspoons olive oil
½ yellow onion, diced
1 chicken breast, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks (optional; leave out our replace with protein of your choice)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-2 inch pieces
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, with juice
¼ cup red wine
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh mint, chopped
½ cup crumbled feta
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the orzo:
1 lb. orzo
1 small garlic clove, minced
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Bring a well-salted pot of water to boil; cook orzo al dente according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat.  When it shimmers, add the onion and chicken, along with a sprinkle of salt, and sauté until onion is translucent and chicken is mostly cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Toss in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the green beans, tomatoes, red wine, teaspoon salt, and fresh and dried herbs.  Stir to incorporate, cover, and lower to simmer.  Cook until green beans are crisp-tender, about 20 minutes.  Season with more salt if desired and pepper.

Drain the orzo and stir in the garlic, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, and salt and red pepper.  Fold the crumbled feta into the green beans just before serving.  Serve with 30-second tzatziki* and lemon wedges. Perhaps it will look something like this:

BONUS LEFTOVER BRUNCH CASSEROLE

Mix leftover green beans and orzo together in a large bowl. Grease a baking dish and preheat the oven to 375°F.

In a small bowl whisk together 1 egg, ¼ teaspoon prepared mustard, and 1 tablespoon milk (dairy or alternative), along with salt and pepper to taste; do one of these egg mixtures for each cup of leftover green beans and orzo (so, three cups of combined leftovers=3 eggs, ¾ teaspoon mustard, 3 tablespoons milk…).  Stir the egg mixture into the bowl of leftovers and combine well. Spread evenly into the baking dish and bake in the oven until egg is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

OPTIONAL: When the dish is done, remove from oven and sprinkle evenly with a thin layer of shredded mozzarella.  Broil on high about five minutes, or until browned on top.

Serve with a simple side salad of fresh greens, slivered almonds, blackberries, and sliced fresh apricots dressed with seasoned rice vinegar and salt and pepper, like so:

*30-second tzatziki

1 cup Greek or other thick, whole-fat plain yogurt
1 small garlic clove
½ teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoons peeled, diced cucumber
Black pepper to taste

Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle and crush into a paste.  In a small serving bowl, combine all ingredients, including garlic paste.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt or a dash of lemon juice if desired.

A month of brunches: week 5

For my last installment of Brunch Month, I return to Thug Kitchen's excellent recipes, because they often have a bit of a brunchy, Southern twang to them, and because they are delicious.

I've always liked the idea of biscuits and gravy, but whenever I order them, the waitress brings me some crazy warmed Elmer's glue with deer turds in it, all smothering a pale-looking hockey puck.  Have you had this experience too? Enter Thug Kitchen's Lentil Gravy and Biscuits, which go perfectly with a simple side of vinegar-laced greens.

I used the Lentil Gravy directly from their book/blog, here. However, I didn't want to have to wash my blender because I am lazy, so I just mashed them up a little bit with a hand masher in the pan for a chunkier version:

I also added a teaspoon of liquid smoke, because it is nice.





The whole wheat biscuits we made are similar to those in the Thug Kitchen Cookbook, but with some adaptations.  Here's what my husband did:

Whole Wheat Biscuits

Makes about 8

1 cup dairy or non-dairy milk + more if needed
1/2 tsp  apple cider vinegar
1 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup solid, refined coconut oil

In small glass, stir together 1 cup  milk and vinegar.

In medium bowl, sift together two flours, baking powder, sugar and salt. Crumble oil into flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, using your fingers to break up pieces so they’re just bigger than a pea. Make a well in center; pour in milk mixture. Stir just until shaggy dough is formed. (Don’t overmix or you’ll have tough biscuits.) If mixture is too dry to stick together, add a tablespoon or two of milk.

Turn out dough onto floured surface. Pat into rough rectangle that’s about 8 inches by 5 inches (20 cm by 12.5 cm) and about 1-1/2 inches (4 cm) thick.

Using open end of a glass or a round biscuit cutter, cut out biscuits (you should have about 8).

Bake biscuits on parchment-lined baking sheet in preheated 425 F oven until bottoms are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool 1 minute.

And finally, the greens.  Keep it simple.

Vinegary Greens

Serves 8 as a side

coconut, grapeseed, or olive oil

8 cups finely chopped kale, collards, or mustard greens

1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup other thinly sliced vegetables (carrots, zucchini, radishes, mushrooms...)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

salt and cayenne pepper to taste

In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and chopped vegetables (not greens) and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the greens (in batches, if necessary) and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted and bright green.  Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.  Season with salt and cayenne and serve.

A month of brunches: week 4

This hash can serve as a complete meal, or it can be supplemented by eggs or a meat of your choice.  You can chop it all up in a food processor and make patties out of it or keep it chunky, and you can fry it up in a pan or roast it in the oven.  So, there's plenty of time to make Bloody Marys and visit with your guests.  Oh, and it also keeps and reheats well.  But don't use Chef Mike--he'll just make it all soggy.

Sweet Potato Hash

Serves 4

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

8 oz. white mushrooms, thickly sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
2-3 cups of spinach or kale
1 medium apple, diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1 handful of walnuts or pecans
Salt and freshly ground pepper (to taste)

hot sauce for serving

Heat a dry, large skillet over medium-high heat and toast the nuts, stirring constantly until they are brown and fragrant.  Set aside.

Lower heat to medium, wipe out the skillet, add the oil, and return to the burner. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften.  Add the sweet potatoes and mushrooms, season with salt, and cook until potato softens, about 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, greens, apple, and cinnamon and cook until greens are wilted and apple is soft. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the toasted nuts.  Serve warm with organic eggs, chicken, sausage, nitrate-free bacon, or another source of protein if desired..

A month of brunches: week 3

I love quiche, but it doesn't always stay with me for very long.  This crustless version is amped up with plenty of protein from the quinoa (and all that cheese!), and is just as good at room temperature as a not-sad desk lunch on Monday.  You can also bake this magical mixture in muffin cups for an easy finger food at parties or a freezer-friendly breakfast on-the-go. 

Crustless Quinoa and Greens Quiche

Serves 6

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch Kale or mustard greens, stems removed and cut into ribbons
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
3 ounces cream cheese, cubed
4 eggs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9" pie dish with butter. Rinse the quinoa. Combine the quinoa and water in a pan. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and then reduce to a simmer. This will take about twenty minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, start to caramelize the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large saute on medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onions. Slowly cook until the onions are soft and browned.

Remove the onions from the pan, and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the kale or mustard greens into the hot onion pan. On medium heat, cook until wilted and bright green, about two minutes.

Add the greens, quinoa, garlic, cream cheese and cheddar to the mixing bowl. Stir the ingredients so that they are pretty much evenly distributed (it's OK to have some little clumps of cream cheese here and there).

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and mustard with a dash of salt. Pour over the quinoa mixture. Stir until the egg clings to the greens. Add more salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture in the prepared pie dish. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the pie has started to pull away from the edge of the baking dish. 

A month of brunches: week 2

Brunch doesn't have to involve eggs (though you could throw in some mini quiches to round out this meal in a more breakfast-worthy way for those who disagree).  But it should be kept simple, and reasonably fast if possible, so that you aren't already wiped out for the day by the time you sit down to eat. Serve this with a mixed green salad and some sweet potato biscuits sprinkled with a little cheese, and you've got yourself a great plan for Saturday. 

Leftovers from this salmon dish are fantastic served cold the next day. And I don't need to tell you to serve mimosas with this dish, do I?!

Asian-marinated Oven Salmon

Serves 4-6

Marinade:
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 pounds salmon
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Make the marinade: in a small bowl, whisk together honey, garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, and Sriracha.

Season the fish with salt and black pepper. Place salmon onto the prepared baking sheet and fold up all 4 sides of the foil. Spoon the marinade over the salmon. Fold the sides of the foil over the salmon, covering completely and sealing the packet closed.

Bake in oven until cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. Then unwrap and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.

Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds.

A month of brunches: week 1

What's more luxurious than forcing yourself to shove aside all your weekend work, pour yourself a beermosa, and pig out on fatty, salty fried things as a treat just for getting out of bed in the morning?  That's right, nothing.  And when it's warm enough outside to sit on the patio listening to the neighbor kids fight while you munch your potatoes, that's even better (at least, it is if you live in the Rocky Mountains or the Midwest, where patio time is very limited each year). This month, I am celebrating my laziness, my desire to eat nonstop, and this beautiful spring weather with Saturday brunches, and I'm inviting you to join me.

Week 1: Testing Thug Kitchen's Baked Okra and Potato Hash


Here's the original recipe on Google Books. I didn't change too much here, but I did swap out the paprika in the original recipe for 1/2 teaspoon of Old Bay and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika for dusting the potatoes. I also served it with additional lemon wedges on the side, because I still wanted more sour.

The roasting directions, including times given and ratios of veggies to oil, worked perfectly for me. Hey look, there they are up above. I also used frozen okra, which I thawed first and then chopped as per recipe directions.  It doesn't clearly state this, but the recipe reads like you're supposed to be using fresh okra. However, I live in Colorado, so forget that.  The frozen worked just fine.


I also added a fried egg on top, because otherwise this would just be a side to nothing.  I thought it was delicious.  Serve with various hot sauces, coffee, beer, and orange juice.  Liberally.

Getting Lowdown for breakfast

A couple of weekends ago, I had a trip planned to Denver on a Sunday to enjoy brunch and a concert.  I knew it was a risk, as Denverites like their brunches almost as much as New Orleansians, but I decided to pop in to City O City, a hipster vegetarian place with an amazing breakfast menu and the quirky slogan, "breakfast all day". It was packed and there was an hour wait.  No, I said, I am too hungry for that shit.  So we wandered (well, drove) over to Lowdown, and I had the best tacos of my life.  I'm not exaggerating.  The beers were also fantastic--the grapefruity IPA, the toasty, chocolaty rye porter...I don't think I'll ever go anywhere else for brunch in Denver.  The tacos, by the way, charmingly called "Soooo I'll Call You... (yes, the brunch items all have snarky, youthful titles implying that the diner is a sexpot who is always hung over on the weekends), are pictured below:

I ate one of them before I took the picture because I was so excited when I saw them. But I cannot just go down to Denver willy-nilly and eat tacos and drink beer whenever I want!, so I have also painstakingly recreated the deliciousness, which is actually quite easy to do, below. (Seriously, though, go to Lowdown.  The Cuban was really good, too.)

Best Breakfast Tacos Ever
(copied from Lowdown’s Soooo I’ll Call You...)

Serves 4

Warm flour tortillas
1 pound chorizo without casings
½ pound bacon
8 eggs
½ cup milk
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the pico de gallo:
Four plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
¼ small red onion, finely chopped
¼ packed cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Lime wedges, crumbled queso fresco, and crema* for serving


Combine the eggs, milk, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl.  Whisk thoroughly and set aside.

In a large frying pan, cook the bacon until crisp over medium-low heat.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.  When cool enough, crumble into small(ish) pieces.

Pour out the grease and increase to medium heat.  Add the chorizo, chopping into fine pieces with a wooden spoon as you cook.  When chorizo is thoroughly cooked,  move to one side in the pan and add the egg mixture to the other side.  Working quickly and tilting the pan to keep eggs separate from chorizo, scramble the eggs, getting them a little bit dry.  Mix the eggs and chorizo together and add the crumbled bacon.

To assemble, place some egg and meat filling in the center of a warm tortilla, top with pico and cheese, drizzle crema on top, and squeeze some lime over the top.


* crema can be faked with sour cream or plain yogurt and a little milk added to make it runny like a sauce. 

My version at home. 

The easiest brunch-worthy meal during the week!

Now, I know it's time to get back to work; enough with the holiday revelry!  We've got important stuff to do and we are very, very busy people!  But if you eat this little meal for lunch, I promise you there will be just a tiny moment of brunchy happiness in your heart between nasty emails you have to send this afternoon.

The potato patties are most practical if you already have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge. If you don't you'll need to plan ahead: boil and mash however many potatoes you think you'll need, throwing in a little seasoning and butter or olive oil without letting them get too soupy. Refrigerate from overnight to one week, and then proceed with the following instructions...

Egg and Potato Stacks with Avocado Bearnaise

very cold mashed potatoes (1 large potato will yield four pancakes)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour per potato
eggs (1 per person)
butter for frying
salt and pepper to taste

for the bearnaise (enough for 6-8 patties, but it will keep in the fridge up to a week):

1/2 ripe medium avocado, peeled and chopped

1/3 cup hot water
2 white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 small garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon or dried herbes de Provence
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

To make the sauce: Place all ingredients in food processor and pulse until smooth.  (Can be gently reheated in the microwave if you have leftovers.) Set aside.

In a medium skillet, heat about a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.  Combine the cold potato and the flour and mix thoroughly.  Shape into patties about 4 inches in diameter and cook in the melted butter, allowing to get nicely browned on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover or keep in a warm (200F) oven. Add another teaspoon or so of butter to the skillet and fry the eggs to your liking.  Salt and pepper everything until you're happy. 

To serve, place one potato patty on a plate, top with one egg, and drizzle some sauce over the whole mess.  

Brunchy biscuits and clever links

'Tis the season for long, slow brunches with friends and family.  I love making things that can be prepped ahead (see links below), and I especially love these cream cheese biscuits fresh from the oven (though they also freeze and reheat perfectly well). Plan ahead to make the most of your holiday laziness this weekend!

Cream Cheese + Chive Biscuits

Makes about 25 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly chopped chives
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into piece
1/2 cup cream cheese
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt and chives, stirring well to coat. Using your hands, add the butter and mix until coarse crumbles form. Add in the cream cheese and combine with a wooden spoon it until there are a few larger chunks of cream cheese and it's worked into the flour.

Add the buttermilk and stir until it is just combined. Over mixing will yield a less fluffy biscuit. Add some flour to your work space and place the dough on top. I sprinkle some additional flour on top of the dough, then use my hands and pat it into a circle that is about one inch thick. Take a biscuit cutter or the (clean) lid to Mason jar and cut the biscuits into rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden. These are best served warm when the cream cheese is still soft.

Goes well with some brilliant ideas from around the web:

This Roasted Vegetable Queso Frittata on Buzzfeed, of all places!

Kalyn's Kitchen's Spinach and Mozzarella Egg Bake

These whimsical Eggs in a bacon cup from The Midnight Baker

A perfect soft-boiled egg

I also recommend a good, thorough browse through this lovely collection of brunch cocktails from Delish.


HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!!!

Wild Rice Crustless Quiche

Is it too late to make suggestions for your leftover wild rice?  Because this brunch-dinner-anytime recipe is definitely a keeper.  Really, any leftover rice will work well here, but since I still had wild rice in the freezer from my Thanksgiving feast, that's what ended up in the bottom of this simple crustless quiche for brunch last week.  Sub any veggies you like, as well. 

Wild Rice Crustless Quiche

Serves 6

4 slices bacon
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 oz. white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary (or a mixture)
1 heaping cup cooked wild rice (or wild rice mix)
6 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup shredded cheese of your choice ( prefer smoked cheddar)

Heat the oven to 325 °F. Prepare a 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towels and reserve about 1 teaspoon of the grease.  Crumble bacon when cool enough to touch and set aside.

While bacon cooks, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, mustard, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl and whish thoroughly.

Place the skillet back on the burner and increase the heat to medium.  Cook the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in the bacon grease until onion is soft, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh herbs and wild rice.

Spread the rice mixture evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the egg mixture over the top and place in the oven to cook for 20 minutes.  Then, sprinkle the bacon and cheese evenly over the top and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the quiche is firm and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Is it time for brunch yet?

Ugh, what a week.  It's been hot, I vacuumed, I flossed every night...damnit, I deserve a treat!  Brunch food is always so decadent to me because, well, I don't usually get to sit around stuffing my fat face for hours and drinking, despite my best efforts.  But, combine the most basic baking ingredients known to mankind with fresh fruit currently available in my back yard, and I certainly have reason to stage a brunch.  So what if it's Friday?  Close enough.

Roasted Blueberry and Rhubarb Crepes with Honey and Butter

Serves 2

Filling:
1 cup diced rhubarb
1 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Batter:
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter, melted

Toppings:
honey
butter
greek yogurt
whipping cream
ice cream

Preheat oven to 400˚. In a bowl, toss together blueberries, rhubarb, honey, and cinnamon. Place on parchment and roast until soft, 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and lightly mash.

Whisk together flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth. Heat 8″ skillet and lightly grease with butter. Place a scant 1/4 cup of batter in pan. Tilt the pan so that the batter covers the entire pan and cook for about 30 seconds. Flip and cook for another 15 seconds. Place done crepes on a piece of parchment paper (be sure not to fully stack crepes.)

To serve, smear roasted fruit mixture in crepes and serve with favorite toppings from above list.

Recipe review: Custardy baked orzo with spinach, bacon, and feta

Hells to the yes!  Why would you NOT make this recipe?  Published in Food and Wine a few months back, this contribution from reality cooking show brat Mike Isabella is presented as good brunch food. I think it works well any time of day, and yes, it is also still beautiful without the bacon, for my lacto-ovo friends.

I haven't made much in the way of modification here, because I think this recipe is just about perfect.

Mike Isabella's Custardy Baked Orzo with Spinach, Bacon, and Feta

Serves 6

1. Salt
2. 1 cup orzo
3. 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4. 1 small yellow onion, chopped
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 8 ounces frozen spinach, thawed and drained
7. 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
8. Freshly ground pepper
9. 4 large eggs
10. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
11. 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
12. 1/2 cup milk
13. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl.
14. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned, 8 minutes. Add the onions and cook until tender, 8 minutes. Add the leek mixture to the orzo, leaving 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the contents of the skillet, the lemon juice, and the drained spinach to the orzo, fold in the feta and season with salt and pepper.
15. In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the yogurt and milk, season with pepper and stir into the orzo. Scrape the mixture into an oiled 12-by-8-inch baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe review: Smitten Kitchen's Pumpkin Muffins

The recipe Smitten Kitchen published on her website, which is already adapted from one that was previously published in Gourmet Magazine, is a hot mess of asterisks noting her errors and changed ideas about ingredients.  But what I ended up deciding to do, based on this recipe, is pretty tasty and maintains a nice level of pumpkin flavor-to-sweetness (though I had to figure out how much sugar she was actually asking for).  SK really should redo this recipe so that it's less a catalogue of her mistakes and more a clear set of directions, but in the meantime, here's what I came up with.

Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's adaptation from Gourmet Magazine

Makes 12 muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin. 

Combine all wet ingredients in a mixing bowl: oil, eggs, pumpkin, and sugar.  Add all

remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.  Pour into muffin cups and bake 30 minutes

or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. 

Shepherd's Pie gets a makeover

I love Shepherd’s Pie, from the rich stew underneath to the crusty, golden brown mashed potatoes on top.  It’s a staple in British and Irish pubs, and it was a special treat we would occasionally eat at home growing up.  I equate it with cold winter nights, adventures abroad (in which I learned that many of my family's staple meals were merely rip-offs from the motherland), and the massive tangle that is Midwest-Irish-British-whatever-the-hell culture. But it’s filled with stuff I don’t eat much anymore: cheap cuts of meat, butter, loads of white potatoes… The trick is keep what’s best about the pie--the rich, hearty flavors and that fantastic crust on top--without creating a heart attack on a plate.  Easy.

Shepherd’s Pie, Made Over

Topping:
1 small head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 russet potato, peeled and chopped
2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
¼ cup plain yogurt
4 oz. grated cheddar cheese (optional)
Salt and black pepper to taste

In a large pot of salty water, boil the cauliflower, potato, and parsnips until soft.  Drain and mash by hand with the garlic, yogurt, and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in cheddar cheese.  This step can be done the day before and refrigerated or can occur while you make the filling.

Filling:
Olive oil
4 oz. dried shitake mushrooms, hydrated, drained of excess water, and chopped
½ cup broccoli florets and stems, chopped
1 small yellow onion, diced
½ green bell pepper, diced
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon minced chives
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pinch salt, and the smoked paprika and sauté until tender.  Stir in the broccoli, mushrooms, pepper, tomato paste, and red wine, lower to medium low heat, and cover.  Allow to stew about 10 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in chives and salt and pepper to taste.


Grease a a large pie pan or medium-sized casserole dish with a bit of olive oil.  Pour in the vegetable stew and smooth out so it’s even.  Spread the potato mixture on top, gently smoothing like a thick layer of icing over the stew.  If the potatoes are cold, cook uncovered in the oven for 20 minutes at 400°F before broiling; if everything is hot, place under the broiler and cook about 10 minutes, or until potato mixture gets browned.


Please, for the love of god, have this with a porter or stout while shouting over cheesy 80s punk music from the U.K.

Super easy egg casserole

Dedicated readers of this blog know that I love brunch, and I will never tire of new egg recipes to serve said purpose.  This one has so many great features--it's got loads of eggs, is a great way to use leftover stale bread, and you can put it together the night before (actually, you should), then just pull it out of the refrigerator and pop it straight into the oven in the morning...or afternoon.  The final product is so much more than just egg, cheese, and bread--it melds together into a surprisingly creamy, custardy kind of pudding with varied chunks of vegetables.

As with many of my favorite recipes,this is easy to put together and you can make many substitutions--use whatever cheese, bread, or vegetables you like.  Throw in some meat if you want (maybe cook it first, or use leftovers).  This is not a delicate operation, so experiment to your heart's content.

Heavenly Egg Casserole

Serves 8

5 cups bread, cut into bite-sized pieces
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups vegetables of your choice, chopped into bite-sized pieces (broccoli, cauliflower, peas, carrots...)
1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup kalamata olives
12 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cups milk
1 cup grated cheese(s)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (or whatever mixture of herbs you like)
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

The day before building: spread out the cut-up baguette to dry and get stale on a cutting board.  Or, dry it out on a low temperature (try 250 F for 20 minutes) in the oven.

The night before eating: Heat a little olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until it begins to soften, about 8 minutes.  Add the vegetables, if they are raw, until they begin to soften.  Turn off heat and stir in garlic and salt to taste.

In a large whisk together, combine the eggs, milk, mustard, oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and more black pepper to taste. Stir in cooled vegetables and cheese.

Grease a 9 X 13 inch dish and lay the stale bread cubes in the bottom.  Pour the egg mixture over the top.  Cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight or for at least 8 hours.  When ready to cook, uncover and bake in the oven at 350 F for 75 minutes or until lightly browned on top.