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Some people adore Saturday/Sunday breakfasts; I am not one of those people. On weekends I prefer to sleep in late, 10- 11am late. (Friday and Saturday are generally late-nighters.) If I have to wake up early, I am useless in the kitchen. My imagination is sluggish around that time so I reach for simple foods, if anything at all. Skipping breakfast is a terrible thing, I know, roll your eyes all you want, I happen to have different priorities than others. If at best, I serve a mean bowl of milk and cereal and for the lucky ones an omelet, toast and coffee. I am much better at creating dishes for lunch and dinner, probably because I have creativity, variety, and versatility on my side.
Saturday was a hectic day. Other culinary students and I volunteered for a pig roast at Makers Mark that day. We met in downtown for American Culinary Federation meeting at 8am (!), drove 4 hours (really it’s supposed to take us 2 1/2 hours but our bus driver got lost) and prepped food for the pig roast for 400+ attendees. We all had a fabulous time, obviously since food and whiskey were involved. We arrived home much later than expected, 3am (!)
The next morning I woke up to a hungry husband and an upset stomach of my own. I remembered one of Ina’s herbed baked eggs recipe. At the time of watching the show I thought if making breakfast food in the morning means breaking couple eggs, adding them to a gratin dish with heated milk or cream and butter with herbs, I can handle it. Thanks Ina for convincing me of the baked eggs' simplicity and lack of need of imagination in the morning. As you can see from the name change, I followed her recipe loosely.
Thyme Baked Eggs
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
6 large eggs
3 tablespoons milk, divided
2 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the broiler for few minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
Crack 6 eggs carefully in a 3 separate bowls, 2 per bowl. In another bowl, combine fresh thyme and parmesan and set aside. Using 1/2 tablespoon of butter, grease the three gratin/flan dishes. Divide 1 tablespoon of milk amongst three dishes and add 1/2 tbsp of butter to each dish. Place the three dishes on a baking sheet and under the broiler for couple minutes, until the liquid is bubbly. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, pour (two) cracked eggs to each dish, add equal parts of the thyme and parmesan mixture to all three, sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Carefully place the baking sheet under the broiler for 4- 6 minutes, until the egg whites set. Do not over broil otherwise the eggs will burn; eggs continue to cook after removing the dishes from the oven.
The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven. Allow to set before serving.
Toast with Avocado
2 slices of bread
1 avocado, sliced
sea salt
While the eggs are in the oven, cut avocado lengthwise. Rotate two halves to detach from each other. Remove the seed with a knife. Make slits in each half of the avocado for long slices. Scoop out the flesh with a large spoon.
After the eggs are done, toast wheat bread in the broiler for 30 seconds.
Spread sliced avocado on toasted bread, sprinkle with sea salt and serve with baked eggs.
Changes to the recipe. I used milk to make my baked eggs because I did not have cream on hand. Although it tasted good, I plan to make it again with cream. I am sure with the 40% fat in cream, it’ll give the eggs a rich taste. Let me know if you try it with cream before I do. And next time I’ll also add garlic because everything is much better with it.
Because Thyme was the predominant flavor in this dish, I am submitting my recipe for Thyme Baked Eggs to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Jai and Bee over at jugalbandi.
And on a much serious note, Thyme is slowly but surely gaining momentum in my favorite herb list; however Cilantro isn’t going to give in easily so it’ll be a tough fight.
For the past year, really 6 months, I have been eating oats in the morning. I attempt to eat it daily but haven’t surpassed the once a week threshold. When oats are cooked with water or milk they look gooey, taste bland and have a pretty crappy after taste. Sometimes it’s so painful I close my eyes and pinch my nose and finish the bowl at work (forcefully). It’s a ritual; I am sure coworkers wonder if I am making myself eat dirt. Even though bad looks and taste are generally grounds for strike out in my book, I won’t eliminate oats because they have an abundance of nutrients and offer health benefits for the body.
After reading Molly’s post about homemade granola, I wanted to make a batch for our household. Granola is the basic all-encompassing health food that can be eaten in place of morning cereal or afternoon snack. It consists mostly of oats, dried fruits and nuts. Oats come in multiple forms: groats, rolled and instant. For people short on time, instant suffice but I personally prefer rolled oats, also known as old fashioned oats. Granola is almost always made with rolled oats. When I read homemade, I quickly jumped on the band wagon.
I searched high and low for a good recipe and found one I liked. Most recipes called for either sunflower seeds, shredded coconut or both. I never have sunflower seeds in my pantry so decided against adding those. I wanted to add coconut but didn't because the husband threatened to not eat the granola if it had coconut. And that's when I almost hit him with a wooden spoon. I used the Slashfood recipe as a guide, cut their recipe in half and combined ideas from various sources to make my own. Don’t be surprised.
Granola (Adapted mostly from Slashfood)
1 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1/8 cup toasted wheat germ
1 tbsp Flax seed
1/4 cup dried fruit, I used dates
1/8 cup cooking oil
1/4 cup honey
Heat oven to 300F degrees. Toast almonds in a heavy sheet pan for 6 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the oats, sesame seeds, wheat germ, and flax seeds. Add toasted almonds. If you have a 1/8 measuring cup, use it to measure oil-I didn’t so I used a 1/4 cup and poured oil until it was half full. It’s important to add oil first because it keeps honey from sticking to the cup. Measure honey and add to the bowl with oats (twice if you’re using a 1/8 cup). Mix everything well enough so the oats and grains have a coating of oil and honey. Pour the mixture in a heavy sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes with a wooden spoon. Stir everything half way through the cooking process. When finished baking, add dates (or dried fruit of your liking) and combine. It is important to stir gently when it’s warm to avoid breaking the mixture and large clumps.
So you ask, why isn’t there a picture of this fabulous granola? There isn’t a picture because I did not stir half way through the baking as clearly stated in the recipe. And if that wasn't enough I read the temperature 300F as 400F. damn those numbers screwing with my head. When turning on the oven, I cranked up the heat to 400F so when it was done we had few burnt pieces. Fortunately it wasn’t all burnt so I rescued everything else. This goes back to my earlier point about being a professional baker. Not happening.
Regardless of my own stupidity, the granola was scrumptious the next morning. It wasn’t too sweet and just a little scorched. Even with a slight burnt taste, we finished it in a week. This weekend I’ll make another (bigger) batch with the oven on at 300F.
I must say I am happy to have found a recipe that will replace my disturbing oat-eating morning routine. I am a permanent convert.
My team asked about my birthday lunch and the only restaurant I wanted to try was Nada. It opened in late 2007 and has been on everyone’s charts since opening day. From my knowledge Nada took Bella’s place. A coworker called to make reservations for 10 and before she hung up she was told we would get a private room for the birthday party. A private room for me? oooooh, that’s exciting.
On Friday, I was so excited to go to lunch I almost didn’t get any work done. Yes I am that bad when it comes to food. The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of town so street parking’s hard to find; if you find a spot, you’re lucky. We parked in one of the underground garages which set us back 7 dollars for 1.5 hours. Not bad.
After being greeted, we were told our party would sit upstairs in the back room. We walked up the funky, curvy stairs and headed to the private room. As we walked pass long and curvy red couches I was in awe of Nada’s contemporary chic interior. It plays up the bright color theme with reds, yellows and oranges. For a Mexican restaurant, they’ve transformed the space to resemble a hot spot for hip happy hour goers and diners.
The lunch menu is limited compared to the dinner menu, obviously, and consists mostly of tacos and sandwiches. I got Mahi Mahi tacos and my companions ordered grilled chicken tacos or Nada sliders. If any of you are familiar with White Castle, you know sliders are infamous with the fast-food joint. I won’t disgust you with the origins of the name. Tacos are served with a side of beans and rice and sliders are served with sweet potato fries. I read reviews about the Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese so I ordered an extra side along with rice and beans. Gluttonous, I know.
My Mahi Mahi tacos had bright flavors. The fish was dipped in a batter, fried and stuffed in flour tortillas between guacamole and pico de gallo. With a sprinkling of lime juice the tacos came alive. As a lover of Mexican food, I would have preferred corn tortillas for my tacos as opposed to the flour tortillas. I am glad I ordered a side of macaroni and cheese. The top was crunchy from the broiler and the pasta was not overcooked. Additionally, the cheese and jalapenos added a spicy creamy kick to the traditional favorite. I didn’t care for the rice and beans because they weren’t flavored properly. There wasn’t enough of anything- cumin, coriander, chili powder or salt. Others that got sliders raved about the meat, they said it was tender and juicy. I stole couple sweet potato fries, for good reason. They were flavorful, not overcooked or greasy which is easy to do with shoestring fries. After stuffing ourselves, dessert wasn't an option for anyone.
Our server did an excellent job serving and staying on top of everything, especially with the 10 of us. And we're a colorful bunch. We were all a little surprised with the bill; we thought the portions were small for the price. However, combination of good food, service, food presentation and ambiance give Nada a prominent place in the mix. If you’re in search of an upscale modern Mexican restaurant, Nada fits the bill. I certainly plan to go back for happy hour, a formal sit down dinner, or even the macaroni and cheese. While it is a great restaurant to visit once in a while, I prefer the holes in the wall, mostly Spanish speaking joints that serve authentic food- the no frills spots that satisfy my Mexican food fix, inexpensively.
Sundays are either eventful when I am cooking up a storm or lethargic as I am glued to the TV or web surfing. Yesterday was a busy Sunday. I started the day with my breakfast of champions, homemade granola (recipe coming soon) and milk, revised my shopping list and headed out on a shopping spree. I started at Trader Joe’s, which was busy but still manageable. Sometimes it's so crammed I get fed up and leave half way into my grocery shopping. I used to love going in there to browse and I am sad they found my little gem. Damn the TJ’s PR people! After getting most things, I headed to another grocer. There I bought pineapple, avocado, Cape Cod chips (the kettle cooked kind)- for Tuna Noodle casserole, carrots and soba noodles.
An odd combination of things, right? I used Soba and carrots for dinner that night. I love carbohydrates and when they come in a form of Japanese noodles, I love them even more. I usually make soba noodles one way, stir fried with vegetables, the only way I like them. When I recently visited a friend, she served soba noodles in a soup; it was gingery and tasty. After that meal I decided I like the noodles as a main dish, with vegetables better than in a soup.
Last night’s dinner was quick and simple. Protein can be added for a heartier version.
Soba Noodles with your favorite vegetables and protein, optional
6 ounce dried Soba Noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Rice wine, Mirin
1 tsp Sesame oil
Red chili flakes
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
6 ounce fresh spinach or 4 ounce frozen spinach, defrosted
Sesame seeds, toasted
Cook noodles according to package directions. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add noodles and let the water come to rolling boil. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn down heat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Reserve some cooked noodle liquid, drain and rinse with cold water.
While waiting for water to boil, sauté onions in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes in a medium pan, until onions have a brownish color on them. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 – 60 seconds. (If using, this is the time to add extra-firm tofu or chicken breast. For chicken, add to the pan, and add enough broth to cover half of the chicken in liquid. Cover and cook until chicken is almost done.) Add soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and spinach to the pan and mix. Finally, add cooked noodles and stir everything together. If it’s too dry, add the reserved liquid. Season with toasted sesame seeds and serve warm. Contrary to popular belief, soba noodles can be served warm.
Other vegetables that make a great apperance in this dish are eggplant, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, and broccoli.
I recently had a birthday that I was ecstatic about. I celebrated multiple times because it was a milestone year. (And you'll hear about all the festivities in upcoming posts.) The first celebration was for March babies at work. After much deliberation we agreed to head to Courtyard Café on Main Street in Over the Rhine. This is one of those places that I didn’t know about until recently. Courtyard on the Main, as some like to call it, has been mentioned more often than I can remember as a great place to grab lunch or drinks, by coworkers and even a fellow blogger, Veggie Option.
It is a low key bar and a casual place for lunch. They have high tables, booths and bar seating for patrons. On the day we went, it wasn’t too busy. There were couple booths taken and few bar patrons watching a Xavier game. Our server brought us waters and asked for our drink order; I stuck to the usual, water, no ice with lemon. There are variety of options for food which include wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wraps. One coworker raved about their wings so after a quick glance at the menu, we all agreed to share a basket of wings. And instead of garlic or hot and spicy sauce, we ordered the sweet barbeque sauce. unfortunately. One person doesn’t like garlic or can't tolerate hot food. what? While it was entertaining to chat and gossip, we were all starving when the food arrived, 30- 40 minutes after we placed our order. At one point a coworker jokingly wondered out loud if the cook went to a farm to buy the chicken, plucked the feathers, cut the meat and then fried the wings. After we got the wings and potato wedges, we were all happy campers. Both the wings with the sweet barbeque sauce, and fries tasted delicious. The wings had a crispy outer layer and the meat was moist. The wedges were golden brown, crispy on the outside and done well on the inside. Most importantly, the food tasted as if it was freshly prepared before serving as opposed to being reheated. My coworker’s speculation of the cook going to the farm for a fresh chicken might be true. The server even brought multiple blue cheeses for individual dipping, a nice thought.
During lunch, the atmosphere is relaxed and the noise level is low. Our server was a mid thirties hippie guy that provided good service. I was a little disappointed in the slow food service but I believe it could be one isolated incident. (I don’t mind restaurants that take time to prepare food, it shows the cook and company are cooking from scratch. It’s the short lunch hour limitation that makes it difficult to enjoy slow food.) I liked both the food and service so much so that I plan to return for a meal, maybe even a glass of beer. Next time I’ll venture into the wraps and sandwich part of the menu.
Thyme Baked Eggs
