Homemade Eggs Benedict

February 25, 2012 by

Now that my boyfriend learned how to make hollandaise sauce for Valentine’s Day, this was inevitable. Quick — word association: You hear “hollandaise,” you think _________. Yes, Eggs Benedict.

It meant a quick trip to Nature’s Bin for milk and English muffins. Only one option for each: fat-free skim milk straight from the farm, and organic whole-wheat muffins with flaxseed. A little more expensive than I like to get, but knowing I’m not polluting my body is worth the extra dollars.

Here’s the lineup, from bottom up: English muffins, organic spinach, Black Label bacon, sliced avocados, sliced roma tomatoes, all topped off with poached eggs (free range brown, of course) and drizzled with whole-wheat hollandaise. Served with bowls of mixed fruit (strawberries, blueberries and grapes) and organic green tea.

How’s that for an easy, healthy start to the day? As soon as my boyfriend posted this picture on his Facebook, a friend commented that they’d pay $12 for this at a restaurant.

So, who wants reservations at B&B Cafe?

Filed Under: breakfast recipes, Food Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The BLT Gains a Few Letters

November 11, 2011 by
I could have caved for lunch today and gone with the gang to A&J’s Diner for a burger. Instead, I headed home to my own kitchen and concocted something with a few more colors and few less calories. Behold, the BLT’s dressed-up cousin, the BACTCPM:

That’s bacon, avocado, cheese, tomato, cilantro, parsley and mayo on wheat toast. And it was delicious — which just goes to show that recipes are to cooking as road signs are to driving. They’re just suggestions.

BLT — says who? First of all, you need a vowel in there for it to make any sense. That bare-boned, three-ingredient acronym is just begging for some Avocado. I kicked the L out entirely because I didn’t have any. No lettuce? No worries; find something else green and throw it on. Enter cilantro and parsley, which I keep fresh on hand to satisfy my boyfriend’s every tea-brewing need.

The next time we made these sandwiches, we swapped out the M for an H, spreading on a healthier alternative of hummus in place of mayo. That makes this sandwich a vegetarian’s dream — because, let’s face it, I know you’re not salivating over fruit; you’re dreaming about the temptations of bacon on top of your daily greens.

Filed Under: dinner recipes, Food Tagged With: , , ,

Margherita Pizza

September 1, 2011 by
Looks yummy, doesn’t it? Well, it was – and even more so because I had no part in the making of this pizza, other than grilling the chicken and being at the grocery store while the other ingredients were purchased. Sure, there’s a certain satisfaction that comes from making your own meals; but the only thing better is when someone makes it for you.
Believe me, the hype around this dish had been building up for months as my boyfriend kept telling me about his specialty margherita pizza. Finally, last Sunday – appropriately, after we saw “30 Minutes Less” about a pizza delivery guy who gets kidnapped, strapped to a bomb and forced to rob a bank (true story, although the real thing wasn’t as funny as Danny McBride and Nick Swardson in monkey suits) – we decided to make our own. Pizza, that is, not a plot to rob a bank.
I was feeling guilty for being away from my book writing for the duration of the movie, so he took over in the kitchen while I got back to work on the laptop. He even stirred up the cupcakes I ambitiously agreed to bring into work for birthdays the next day – but he told me not to tell anyone that because he wants to maintain his reputation as a cook, not a baker.
As long as he keeps making me pizzas, he can call himself whatever he wants.
Filed Under: dinner recipes, Food, pizza recipes Tagged With: ,

Scallops & Tomatoes

September 11, 2009 by
This similar scallop recipe from Epicurious was my inspiration for simplified scallops and tomatoes.
scallops and cherry tomatoes recipe

Photo by Maren Caruso for epicurious

Fresh Domestic Scallops + Tomatoes Recipe:
1/2 cup scallops – rinse, pat dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes – washed and halved
1/4 cup red onions – chopped
olive oil
lemon juice
garlic salt, ground pepper, cayenne pepper

To thaw frozen scallops, give them a bath of cold water, changing often. Warm a couple teaspoons of olive oil in skillet at medium-high heat. Add scallops. Saute until they begin to brown, then remove to plate and cover. Add a little more oil and onions to skillet. Cook one minute, add tomatoes. Cook several minutes and add scallops back into skillet with about a teaspoon lemon juice.

Would be great served over angel hair pasta.

Filed Under: dinner recipes, Food, seafood recipes Tagged With: ,

Peach Caprese

September 10, 2009 by

With my bountiful tomato harvest, I need to expand my palate beyond the basic Caprese.

Feeling a little fruity, I came up with this Peace Caprese (or “Capreachy”) Salad:
1/2 peach, peeled and cubed
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
3-4 mini balls of fresh mozzarella, halved
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
garlic salt and fresh ground pepper

Toss ingredients together.

Filed Under: dinner recipes, Food, salad recipes Tagged With: ,