Weekend Copycat Brunch: Breakfast Poutine

I owe a great deal of my home cooking inspiration to social media. Take for instance, the post from Milwaukee's Goodkind restaurant I ran across last weekend on Instagram.

💥 HELLO BREAKFAST POUTINE. French Fries | Trippe Sausage Gravy | Arugula | Goat Cheese Curds | Egg. GET INTO IT. 💥@goodkindbayview #goodmorning #brunch #summer #eatwelldrinkwell

A photo posted by goodkind (@goodkindbayview) on Jul 12, 2015 at 8:59am PDT

My first instinct was: "Whoa. I’ve got to get there and eat THAT."  

But, a quick look in my wallet told me that staying home was the more prudent thing to do (after all, it’s not like I would stop with poutine; I’d have to get one of their great brunch cocktails and then…)

I’ve made an occasional habit of recreating restaurant dishes at home. And I’ve had pretty good luck with both the artichoke a la mode pizza from Pizza Man (I was suffering from withdrawalwhen the original restaurant burned down) and the Stendler burrito from Comet Cafe (which is the best way -- ever -- to use up leftover corned beef).

Most recently, I replicated the salted honey pie from Honepie Cafe -- mainly because they don’t put it on their menu half as often as I’d like (OMG, so good).

So, I looked around my kitchen to see what ingredients I had on hand... [Keep Reading]

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Savory Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Bread

Patisseries in France have been making savory egg breads for ages, offering them up to eager patrons to take with them on weekend picnics on the countryside.

I don't know about you -- and maybe it's my winter doldrums talking -- but I love the idea of packing up a chunk of savory quick bread, some fruit, a book, and a bottle of wine and heading off to the park for an afternoon of lazing about.

But, since a field trip to the park isn't exactly practical for Wisconsin in February, the next best thing is to make this bread and serve it up as a no-fuss breakfast.

You might have to give up the green grass and the warm sun for a cup of hot coffee and a seat on the couch, but you'll enjoy the flavors in this bread just as much.

Eggs give this bread a rich yellow color, while sweet red peppers , smoky bacon, and Cheddar cheese give it all the flavors of a delicious breakfast omelet.

It’s perfect for breakfast, brunch, or as a hearty afternoon snack. Bake it up in muffin tins for individual breads that make the perfect take-along breakfast for busy mornings.

Savory Bacon & Cheese Breakfast Bread
Note: This recipe can be easily doubled.

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Year-old Leeks Make Awesome Breakfast Sandwiches

As I was sitting down this afternoon to contemplate what delicious thing to blog next, it occurred to me that I never told you about a delicious brunch sandwich we threw together almost a month ago.

It was a fairly lovely weekend, weather-wise, so we decided to spend some time prepping the vegetable gardens for summer planting... pulling weeds, working the soil a bit, and spreading out whatever compost our bins had produced over the course of fall/winter.  But, it was also time, I decided, to pull the leeks!

For the second year in a row, I'd overwintered a couple dozen Bandit Leeks -- a cold hardy variety which produces nice thick stalks with a pleasantly sweet, mild flavor.  I love winter-hardy vegetables like the bandit leek for their ability to give me backyard-fresh produce so early in the season -- a true gift, especially after a long, hard Wisconsin winter.  And it seems a bit of a miracle to me, at times, that these lovely tender spring leeks are the product of an entire YEAR of growth.

These pictures are from our crop last year (this year's leeks were eaten down a bit by hungry bunnies, so they weren't quite as photogenic):

You'll note that these 2010 leeks have very long green tops.  Well, I learned my lesson and buried this year's crops of leeks quite a bit deeper this year, so we had longer, more impressive white stalks in our 2011 harvest.  But, even these short, nobby stalks were quite tasty -- and  a welcome spring treat.

After marveling at the way they survived even the brutality of this year's winter (during which we received record amounts of snow, and plenty of cold), I pulled a few of this year's leeks fairly early in the morning. Since it was just before breakfast, I washed them, sliced them into thin strips, and allowed them to sweat slowly in some sweet cream butter with a bit of freshly clipped tarragon (which was just starting to green up out in the herb garden).  When the leeks were meltingly tender, I added a few whipped eggs, cooking them up into a soft scramble.

We had leftover rolls from some Cuban sandwiches we'd made the evening before, as well as some Virginia ham. So, along with a bit of Swiss cheese, everything came together to create a lovely, flavorful spring sandwich.  You can just imagine the sweet, slightly oniony flavor of the leeks pairing just perfectly with the salty ham... and dancing gracefully on your tongue with the subtlest hint of cool, tender, anisey tarragon.

It was the sort of sandwich that would be perfect eaten right out on the patio as the sun was rising on a cool spring morning.  Can't you just feel the dew between your toes as you sip your coffee and take in all the vibrant green hues -- the grass, the budding trees -- along with the scent of the late blooming tulips and early blooming lilacs?

To me, this is the perfect kind of food.  It's the sort of dish that makes the most of that perfect moment in a given season. In this case, it's  lovely convergence of winter greeting spring, dormancy springing to life, and hunger meeting the ultimate in satiation.



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Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at DEVOUR Milwaukee, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Breakfast for Dinner: Green Chilaquiles with Eggs

I've never been a big fan of the "breakfast for dinner" concept.  I know that other people get a huge kick out of eating a big plate of pancakes at 6pm.  But, not me.  I prefer my pancakes at 10 a.m., accompanied by a glass of orange juice and a strong cup of coffee.

But, I’m not completely unreasonable.  In fact, there are certain “breakfast-like” foods that I can be persuaded to eat in the afternoon and evening.

I can be coaxed, for example, into hauling out my trusty blue pyrex pie plate to whip up a quick and delicious vegetable quiche for dinner every now and again (that's quite a bit like eggs & toast, isn't it?).  And I've also been known to get a craving for latkes (probably close enough to pancakes) in the late afternoon on certain occasions.

And then there are chilaquiles... ah, how I love my chilaquiles.

Interestingly, chilaquiles claim to fame is often their magical ability to ease the symptoms of a hangover.  As the story goes, the eggs, which contain good quality protein, supposedly help restore the body’s strength.   And the spicy chiles in the sauce apparently possess a natural pain reliever, providing relief from the tell-tale headache left behind after an evening of excess.

But, I don’t need to have a hang-over to crave this dish. In fact, I will gladly scarf down a bowl of chilaquiles for breakfast, lunch, or dinner without hesitation.

Give me a bag of slightly dry corn tortillas… or a half-eaten bag of nice, thick-cut corn chips…  Then show me the rich stores of homemade roasted tomatillo sauce that I have languishing in the freezer downstairs… and I’m yours.

Chilaquiles are one of the easiest (and most delicious) dishes known to man.  The word chilaquiles is derived from a Nahuatl word meaning "in a salsa of chiles.” And the concept is really that simple.

They don’t require a recipe at all if you have a bit of salsa, tomatillo sauce, or mole on hand. Just heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. When hot add a cup or two of the sauce and cook for a minute or two, giving it a good stir.  When the sauce is heated, add a few handfuls of tortilla chips and toss to coat. Serve over refried beans or top with a fried egg or a bit of leftover pulled chicken. A garnish of cilantro, sour cream, and/or cotija cheese is also nice.

So, pull that tomatillo sauce out of the freezer and enjoy these chilaquiles -- for breakfast, brunch, OR dinner.

Quick Roasted Tomatillo Sauce


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Want more? Read Lo's latest ruminations at FOODCrush, her Milwaukee Magazine blog.

Chakchouka: Vegetable Ragout with Eggs

We're not vegetarians, but (as you've probably already noticed) we're big fans of vegetable-based fare.  Part of the reason is that we simply love veggies of all kinds.  But, we also love the challenge of coming up with recipes for whatever is freshest and best at the farmer's market.

We both came from solidly carnivorous households where meals were comprised of a protein, a vegetable, and some sort of starch. But, in the years since we've been married, our diets have changed considerably.  These days you'd be just as likely to find us mowing down on a plateful of roasted root vegetables, a slice of crusty bread and a glass of wine as you would a medium rare steak with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach.  And, if it weren't for Peef's obsession with all things bacon, some people would probably suggest that we've moved even closer to the vegetarian side of things in the past few years.

I'm always surprised when someone comments that they find vegetarian food to be "boring" or "flavorless". On the contrary, I've discovered that the more vegetarian food I eat and prepare, the more appreciation I develop for the intricacies of flavor that can be created (*gasp*) without the addition of meat.  And this recipe is no exception.

Chakchouka is a Berber word, which means simply "vegetable ragout". The dish, which is also called Ojja in Tunisia, is traditionally made with a combination of paprika, onions, peppers, and tomatoes and seasoned with harissa.  It's usually served topped with eggs that have been poached in the juices from the vegetable mixture.  However, it can also be served with fried eggs -- or without any eggs at all.

This recipe is a version I developed after visiting Tunisia (read more about my love for North Africa here).  It utilizes the traditional harissa paste (which is quite spicy -- so it should be adjusted to your liking) and peppers. However, I've taken the liberty to use fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked paprika -- both items that impart a pleasantly sweet and smoky quality to the dish.

I love making this at the end of our Wisconsin growing season -- when we have plenty of fresh red and green peppers to choose from. It's delicious made with a combination of sweet bell peppers, wax peppers, and poblano peppers. But, any peppers you have on hand will do.  It also works wonderfully with previously frozen peppers or fire-roasted peppers, though you'll want to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Spicy. Smoky. And infinitely complex, chakchouka makes an incredibly delicious breakfast, served alongside a crusty loaf of French bread. However, it also makes a delightful light lunch scooped into warm pitas.  And, quite frankly, if you're determined to be carnivorous about it, chopped Spanish chorizo makes an excellent addition to the tomato & pepper mixture.


RECIPE: Chackchouka


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Using and Preserving Summer Herbs: Herby Baked Eggs

And now for a bit of herbalicious conversation from Rebecca over at CakeWalk...

I was really excited when I heard that Burp! was doing a Summer Herb Series, and even more flattered that they asked me to write something about one of my favorite herby things.  I like to garden in the broadest sense of the word.  I may not find the time to tend to as large a garden as I'd like, but no matter what, I always plant many types of herbs.  They seem to take to whatever conditions I subject them to, they seem to thrive on a bit of neglect, and the reward for such little effort is astounding.  Summer herbs are one of lifes most affordable luxuries, and I think one of my favorite ways to enjoy them is by using different combinations in baked eggs.

I first saw the original recipe when Ina Garten made it on Barefoot Contessa.  Ina is rather famous for her Hamptons-ish lifestyle, and her gardens that are regularly featured on her show and in her cookbooks are truly worthy of envy.  In fact, I used to love watching her show just to see glimpses of her hedges of rosemary!  I guess I like to imagine myself able to have an enormous garden, and maybe even a private gardener to make it all thrive... weed-free and well designed, like I can never seem to manage myself.

To bake her eggs, she used her beautiful Apilco gratin dishes, and  a mixture of different herbs with Parmesan cheese and baked the eggs under a broiler.  It was such an easy thing, and yet seemed so sophisticated - at least to me:  a home cook as far from Ina's Hamptons living as she is to say the Kendall Corn and Beer Bust (...yes, that is an actual event in rural Kendall, WI, and yes, I have attended.)

The greatest thing about this recipe is that it is so adaptable in summer.  To make it in the winter, you would need to find small amounts of several types of herbs.  Not only that, but it allows for several egg eaters to dine at once, allowing a hostess to eat with her guest(s), which is always a good thing.

My only oven to table dishes aren't as elegant as Ina's, but really you only need something that is oven safe not to crack under high heat.  I have some shallow, porcelain dishes that I like to use, and have even cooked up to 4 eggs at once (to serve 2 of us) in one of my 6 inch square ones.  Ina's original recipe calls for 3 eggs per person, but I rarely break the 2 egg limit myself.  I also like to load up on the herbs, and use a bit more than she calls for.  After all, fresh herb season is fleeting, and I like to indulge where I can.

You can easily adapt the herbs to the varieties that you have growing, or that you prefer.  I let my parsley go to seed, and decided to chop up some of the bolted fronds after tasting their "parsley-ness".  I think a Mexican version would be good, using cilantro, oregano (or Mexican oregano if you have it) and using cotija cheese instead of parmesan.  I may try this soon myself, since I grew a new Mexican herb this summer that I never tried before: papalo.  I'd bet it would be really good with eggs.

Knowing, and agreeing, with Peef and Lo's commitment to local and organic ingredients, I used a Parmesan cheese made in Wisconsin, rendering this dish 100% from our state.  Country Connection makes a variety of cheese that is a bit softer than it's imported cousin, but still has the trace of granulated saline bite that I love about Parmesan.  It's easy to find locally at Outpost, and I've been enjoying it in all sorts of things.

I use the recipe amounts per ramekin, but you can use more or less to your tastes.  You can also bake the dish for less time if you prefer runnier egg yolks.  I let mine get pretty well done this time, and part of the yolks were cooked hard, part were runny.  Exactly what I was aiming for!

Herby Baked Eggs (adapted from Ina Garten)
1 serving

• 2 eggs
• 1/4 t. garlic, minced
• 1/4 t. thyme, minced (I used lemon thyme)
• 1/4 t. rosemary, minced
• 1 T. minced parsley
• 1 T. grated Parmesan cheese (Country Connection, available at Outpost)
• 1 T. half and half (Crystal Ball Farms, also available at Outpost), I eyeball this, just a splash in the bottom of the ramekin.
• 1 T. butter
• salt
• pepper

Preheat broiler to high for 5 minutes and place oven rack 6 inches below the heat.

Combine garlic, herbs, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, and set aside.  Crack eggs into another waiting cup or small dish.  (Ina notes that it is important to have everything ready to go before you begin to cook.)

Put the gratin or ramekin you are using as a baking dish on a sheet pan.  Add butter and cream to ramekin and place under the broiler until butter melts and gets bubbly, about 3 minutes.  Remove from oven, and quickly and carefully add the eggs.  Sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, and put back under the broiler.  Bake for 5-6 minutes until eggs are cooked to your preference.  Watch carefully towards the end of the time so that they don't brown too much.  The eggs will also continue to cook for a minute or so after you remove them from the oven.

Serve with bread or toast, I used the Lahey Bacon Bread, which made this just about perfect as far as breakfasts go - not that it wouldn't make a perfectly delectable lunch or dinner as well.

It's difficult to know where to start describing the wonder that is CakeWalk, the brain child of my own personal friend, Rebecca Gagnon. She started her Milwaukee area food blog in 2009 -- and hasn't looked back. Whether she's baking up incredible breads as part of her Lahey Project or cooking up Vegan delights, she manages to bring plenty of wisdom and whimsy to everything she's cooking up in the kitchen.  Rebecca claims she has no idea where CakeWalk is heading. But, what I do know is that I'm eager to follow wherever she leads! 

This guest post is part of our Summer 2010 Herb Series: Using and Preserving Herbs. Stay tuned every Friday for more hints, tips, and tricks on how to use summer's bounty!


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Gifts and Bread and Delightfully Runny Eggs

The past week has been filled with myriad gifts.  And they've all been wonderfully unexpected -- and positively delightful:

• a handful of delicious Girl Scout cookies (stay tuned to hear all about these on Thursday)
• a spectacular dinner at Meritage
• a Glorious grilled cheese event filled with delicious food and new friends
• a loaf of bread

That last one was a particular doozy.  We were the lucky recipients of one of those fantastic looking loaves of  Cook's Illustrated Multi-grain Sandwich Bread that Rebecca from Cakewalk made this week.

To be honest, I've been drooling all over myself ever since she brought a loaf of Lahey bread over to our house for Soup Night (seriously -- it was one of the best loaves of homemade bread I've ever had in my life -- and Peef just about inhaled the leftovers).  So, I was pretty excited when she dropped that hefty paper bags into my hand as we were pulling out of her driveway.  I just knew this loaf of humble bread would be the beginning of something wonderful.

And it really was.
We got up fairly early on Saturday. It was an ordinary day (barring the nasty pinched nerve I seemed to have developed in the muscles surrounding my left shoulder blade).  But, the sun was shining, and we had no place to be but home.  I'd been craving an egg sandwich all week, so I was delighted to remember that loaf of bread, which was sitting on the counter.

Just this side of 2 minutes later, we had bacon grease sizzling in our cast iron frying pan... and eggs dropping out of their shells into gently sputtering pools. Next thing I knew, Peef had four slices of that delicious bread slathered with mayonnaise (and one with mustard -- since that's how HE rolls)... and the eggs were done.

It's interesting how, after eleven years of marriage, I still ask Peef how he wants his eggs cooked for egg sandwiches.  He always answers exactly the same -- "runny."  What he means is that he'd like them over-easy -- cooked just enough that the whites aren't "snotty."

Sometimes it's difficult to get four eggs perfectly cooked -- so we often end up with a combination of kindof-right, mostly-right, and perfectly-cooked eggs.  But, not today. Today was a special day.  I slid the eggs out of the pan onto the bread, and Peef placed the final slices on top.

The slightest bit of pressure sent the yolk from one of the eggs exploding down the side of one of the sandwiches -- into a gloriously orange puddle of deliciousness.

We bit into our sandwiches.  The tender crust yielded just perfectly, and we chomped through it into the impeccably cooked egg.

We both smiled.
Sometimes the best gifts come in the most unexpected packages.

So, while we're on the topic, how do you like YOUR egg sammich?


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