Duck Eggs for Breakfast, again

This is another of keith's favorite things I make.  I think I created it based on what I had available in the fridge one morning, but the result was great.  I had some leftover Rosemary Sourdough bread from dinner the night before, and this worked perfectly as the base for this breakfast.  And while the photo really doesn't show you much, there's so much flavor going on here!  And while this COULD be made with chicken eggs - I think they might break prematurely under the weight of the swiss cheese - so be warned!

Duck Egg Stack (assuming 2 stacks each for 2 people)
8 duck eggs
4 thick slices bread
4 slices ham
8 slices swiss cheese
Ricotta cheese
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Butter

Lightly toast the bread - this is easy under the broiler as long as you remember it's down there!  :)  Once toasted, slather some ricotta cheese over each slice of bread.  Drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Layer the ham on top of each slice of bread.

In a pan, heat up some butter and cook the duck eggs sunny side up (sprinkle them with a little salt & pepper).  Just to make sure the top is firm enough to hold the cheese, I also throw them under the broiler for just a few minutes to firm them up.  Slide 2 eggs on top of the ham on each stack.  Gently lay 2 slices of swiss cheese - one over each egg.  Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the cheese melts.

Kumquats

Ever tried them?  If not, you should.  They're completely edible (skin included - just watch out for the little seeds), and they make a fantastic addition to cocktails in lieu of lemon or lime.  Just cut them in half, pick out what seeds you can, squeeze each half into your cocktail or shaker and then drop the whole thing into the glass (and eat them as you drink).

Birthday Cupcake

I saw this at Whole Foods and knew it would be a welcome surprise for keith.  He could eat sweet things from sunup to sundown - so unlike me.  :)  But it was also a cute little start to his birthday weekend.

Chicken Rolls

Where have I been?  Isn't it funny how life gets in the way of things - like a blog?  :)  I have some catching up to do, so bear with me.  This is going to be a post-tastic day!

Last weekend (specifically on Sunday, May 8) we celebrated my loving husband's 31st birthday!  In order to celebrate him all weekend long, I focused on something I'm good at - food.  Specifically, food that I know he loves.  So I started with Chicken Rolls on Friday night.  I made these the first time a couple of years ago - they're a little work intensive (just the beating your chicken breasts into submission part), but really delicious.  I think the original recipe was one I found from Giada DeLaurentis - however mine has evolved since then.

I usually avoid heat in a dish because keith isn't a fan.  I am, however, and frequently sprinkle some red pepper flakes over my dish to finish it.  In this case I decided a touch of heat would be good - and I judged it perfectly.  I only used 3/4 of a dried red pepper - how did I know that was the perfect balance for me and my husband?  :)

And if you make this - trust me, pounding the chicken is fun (pun always intended).  Just make sure to sandwich the breasts (again with a sexual-sounding reference?) between layers of wax paper to avoid chicken splatter.  And nothing flattens a chicken breast like my huge (wait for it...) rolling pin.  :)

Chicken Rolls
4 Chicken breasts, flattened to about 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick
Asiago cheese, cut into long, thick slices
Fresh Sage leaves (2 per breast, plus enough to make 1 Tbl. chopped)
1 Onion (I used a Vidalia sweet), chopped
2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
1 tsp fresh Thyme, chopped
1 dried red Pepper, chopped (I only used 3/4 of one)
1 28oz. can crushed Tomatoes
1 tsp. Tomato paste
Whiskey or Bourbon (I used Scotch - worked okay, but Whiskey would have been better)

Supplies:  Kitchen twine, or toothpicks

Season each flattened breast with salt & pepper on both sides.  Lay 2 sage leaves across one side, place a thick slice of Asiago on top and roll the breast, wrapping the sage & cheese in the middle.  Use either kitchen twine or toothpicks to secure each end of the roll (just make sure the rolled breasts can make contact with a hot pan on all sides).  Make sure all rolls are complete before the next step.

In a large pan, heat up 2 counts of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Place the rolls into the pan and let them brown.  This should take 2-3 minutes for the top & bottom, maybe a little less for each side.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Take the pan away from the flame of the stove and pour in a splash of Whiskey (if you have an electric stove, you can omit this - it imparts a bit of flavor, but it isn't necessary), bring back to the flame and ignite the liquor.  Let the flames die off on their own, stir around the liquid to release any bits of chicken that have stuck to the pan.  If necessary, add a bit more olive oil.  Throw in the onion and garlic and a pinch of salt.  Cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions start becoming soft.  Add the thyme, sage, red pepper and tomato paste.  Cook for 2-3 minutes to combine the flavors.  Add the crushed tomatoes and some more salt, and bring to a bubble.

Lower the heat to medium, and place the chicken rolls into the tomato mixture - push them down into the sauce.  Cover and cook for 9 minutes.  Turn the rolls, then cover and cook again for 9 minutes.  Remove the chicken rolls and slice (removing the twine/toothpicks as well).  Spoon the tomato sauce into a pasta bowl, and lay the sliced rolls on top.  Serve with some great crusty bread in order to get all of that sauce into your mouth easily!  :)

Roasted Chicken & Saffron Rice

Last night I was craving something simple and tasty.  Nothing is simpler than roasting chicken and using a rice cooker.  :)  I cheated and bought a whole chicken that was already cut up (but I have been practicing my knife skills, and while I'm not crazy fast at separating a chicken, I'm getting very good at it).  And I did nothing more than spread some olive oil over each piece, and then sprinkle with salt & pepper - simple, right?  And delicious!

For the rice, there were a few more steps.  I got some simple (there's that word again...theme for dinner) long-grain white rice, and put a cup of it in the rice cooker.  My cooker is based on 1 cup rice, 2 cups liquid.  I boiled some water (about 1 1/2 cups) and then poured the hot water into a glass with about a full teaspoon of saffron.  [Fun note - saffron is more expensive than gold by weight.]  I let the saffron seep for about 10 minutes - this flavors and colors the water.  Then I poured the entire glass, saffron & all, into the rice cooker with the rice and then topped it off (up to 2 cups) with regular water.  The lid went on, and the button got pushed.  Easy.  For some additional color, flavor & texture, I sauteed one chopped sweet onion, and one chopped red pepper with a little salt.  When they were softened, and the rice was done, I mixed it all together in a bowl with a little more salt.  So simple. 

Can't resist this last photo - my best buddy Max is always nearby when I'm cooking.  And yes, he gets to sample...how can I resist this face?

Slow-Cooked Southwestern Pulled Brisket

My "official" birthday dinner was my husband's famous slow-cooked brisket.  He's made this (at my request) a number of times.  However the first was out of necessity - he was going to be at work all day and wanted something that could cook all day in the crock pot, and then be ready for me when I got home from work.  This meal brings me so much pleasure - it's warm, comforting, delicious, savory and there is such a wonderful array of texture in the mix of meat, onions and arugula. I unfortunately only snapped one photo - to be honest I seriously was so focused on the food I nearly forgot to do even that.  :)  But it was a fantastic birthday dinner.  And I'm happy to report that I convinced keith to make it for his parents next Friday when they come for a visit as well (so I get to have it AGAIN!).


Here's the recipe, direct from my husband:

Pickled Onions
1/2 cup red wine vinegar 

1/2 cup cold water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2 to 3 really good shots hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 red onion, sliced into very thin rings

In a small bowl, combine red wine vinegar with 1/2 cup of cold tap water. Stir in salt, the sugar and the hot sauce. Add the sliced onions and let sit for at least one hour. [Do ahead: i often make these the night before to save time; they were even better pickled overnight.]

Slow-cooked southwestern pulled brisket

[Serves 4, says the recipe; you can stretch it a bit further if you go taco-style with fixings]

3 pounds beef brisket
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups water
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with their juices
1 to 2 whole canned chipotle chiles en adobo [Read: 1 or 2 from a can, not one or two cans]
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup molasses

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, to taste. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat just until beginning to smoke. Add the meat and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the meat to the slow cooker; leave the skillet on the heat.

Add garlic, onion, chili powder, coriander, and cumin to drippings in the skillet and stir until fragrant, about one minute. Add vinegar and boil until it’s almost gone (and seriously, get your head out of the way of the steam; inhaling vinegar is no fun!), scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in water and pour the mixture over the brisket. Crush the tomatoes through your fingers into the slow cooker; add the tomato juices, chipotles, bay leaves, and molasses. 

Cover the cooker, set it on LOW, and cook the brisket until it pulls apart easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 hours.  Leave the meat in the slow cooker and use two forks to pull it apart and stir it evenly into the sauce; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove and discard bay leaves. 

Serve on a soft tortilla shell, topped with the pickled red-onions and some fresh arugula for texture.

A Hearty Breakfast

Another birthday gift from my hubby was an assortment of homemade jams from the amazing ladies at Beth's Farm Kitchen.  A succulent Blood Orange preserve, a fantastic garlic & rosemary jam, and - my absolute favorite - a hot red pepper jam.  As soon as I opened it I knew I needed to make a breakfast for this jam.  It's spicy and delicious!!

The first time I had a spicy pepper jam was back in 2001 when I was working on The Columbia Queen - a glamorous riverboat that cruised both the Columbia and Snake rivers each week.  On Sunday's we would stop in Astoria, Oregon - a quaint little town at the mouth of the Columbia River (where the movie Goonies was filmed, by the way).  Most Sunday's I would venture out with the passengers to Cannon Beach, a cute artistic community full of galleries and fun places to eat.  But occasionally I would stick around in Astoria, and my first stop would be this cute, tiny diner near the waterfront.  They served the most amazing Salmon Hash, and had an assortment of homemade jams on each table - including a spicy red pepper jam that I could not get enough of.  All of this came flooding back to me when I opened the jam that my husband bought me.  It's amazing how much memory is tied to taste.  And it's fantastic that my husband knows me well enough to know that I would absolutely appreciate a spicy jam.  :)

So on to the breakfast - the only thing I knew I needed was a big loaf of fresh bread as a vehicle for the jam (thick slices, lightly toasted).  I also got some great loose turkey sausage at the farmers market (spicy for me - mild for keith), and to cool down the meal, some beautiful duck eggs sunny side up.  Great breakfast - spicy jam on the bread, spicy sausage, and perfect eggs.  There's still lots of jam left - and since my husband will never eat any of it, it's all for ME!!

Lamb Chops

For my birthday last week, my loving husband got me a new pan.  It's fantastic - and quite attractive to the eye.  :)  And to christen the pan, I decided to sear some lovely lamb chops.  I love the flavor of lamb, so I didn't do much to them - just sprinkled with salt, pepper and some Herb de Provence.  I seared them hard & hot in my gorgeous pan until brown on both sides, and then finished them in a hot hot hot oven (see a common theme with me and meat?).  I served them with some slightly sweet mashed yams (I added mace and a touch of ground cloves).