Time to put our New Year's resolutions into action and take a few inches our waistlines by eating healthier. The easiest way I have found to eat healthier is to increase my vegetable intake; not a total diet change that is difficult to maintain but a small step towards eating better. Let's take a traditional American breakfast of eggs, fried potatoes and sausage then add vegetables to make breakfast more healthy. The vegetables can vary based on what looks good at the market but there is something special how the tastes of onion, sweet red and poblano peppers go together. I prefer the taste of the poblanos to regular green pepper and they add some subtle heat that I love. I can add a little browned sausage to bring everything together into one savory dish or leave it out if I want to go meatless. This is a perfect recipe to experiment with, adding whatever you want to satisfy your own individual taste. The vegetables are cooked first then added to your eggs and potatoes with fresh herbs. Experiment also with the size of the cut of the vegetables until you find your preference. I personally like a medium dice for the eggs and a larger dice for the potatoes but you can also do one size and use a single skillet then divide the vegetables between your egg and the potatoes.

Ultimate Home Fries

Ingredients

3 large Red Bliss potatoes
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
One day ahead, quarter 3 large Red Bliss potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until desired doneness. Drain, cool and refrigerate overnight. This will cook and let the starches gell using the same method that gives french fries their fluffy interior with a crisp exterior.

Dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped parsley. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Optional – Deep fry the potatoes and toss with the sausage, onion and pepper mixture and finally the parsley.



Pepper and Onion Breakfast Scramble

Ingredients

6 large eggs 
 ½ stick butter
 2 tbsp. olive oil
 ½ pound sausage meat
 3 cloves garlic
 1 large onion diced
 1 red pepper diced
 1 poblano pepper diced
 3-5 sprigs Italian Parsley or other fresh herbs chopped
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Heat a no stick skillet to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the garlic and sausage; break the sausage up and let brown. When the sausage begins to brown add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm.

Clean the skillet and return to the heat and add the remaining butter. Beat the eggs in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and begin to pull the egg mixture with a spatula from the sides of the pan to the center. As the egg starts to set add some of the fresh herbs and when almost done fold in the vegetable mixture and take off the heat. The eggs will continue to cook so plan for a little carry over cooking. Serve immediately sprinkling more fresh herbs over the top. Serves 4.

Growing up in Canada fries were almost always offered with brown gravy and in Quebec they go one step further; lovely fresh squeaky cheese curds! Initially I was a sceptic, gravy and cheese together. Certainly not an everyday type of food, and wouldn't the gravy make the fries all soggy? Surprisingly, it all fits together; hot home made crispy fries, squeaky cheese curds covered with a tasty brown gravy. It truly is the perfect accompaniment for a tourtierre quiche or as  pictured here, a authentic French Canadian Tourtierre. You can cut the potatoes any way you wish. I prefer a short stubby fry.

Ingredients

 2-3 russet potatoes

 Fresh cheese curds

 1/2 red onion

 brown gravy

 butter

 salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions

 Wash, peel and slice the potatoes to desired size and shape. Rinse under running cold water and store in cold water until needed.

Slice the onions into ribbons and add to a preheated pan on medium heat with a pat of butter. Season with salt and continue to cook until softened and sweet. Add the gravy and stir checking the seasoning. Keep hot until needed.

Drain and dry the potatoes and add to a deep pot or deep fryer of cold oil. Start heating the oil slowly to 375 degrees. This is a new method I'm trying out called the cold start method and is reputed to create French fries that are lower in calories and is practically fool-proof. Drain the potatoes on paper towels and keep warm until needed.

To assemble, put the potatoes on a warm plate and sprinkle with cheese curds. Serve immediately with individual cups or creamers of the hot gravy and let each person pour the gravy over the fries to maximize the crispy-ness of the potatoes as they will get soggy fast. Enjoy this treat from Canada.

One of the things I looked forward to each year when I was living in Canada was Christmas Eve. Before heading to church for Christmas eve service we sometimes had the fortunate pleasure of eating tourtiere, a French Canadian meat pie. My sister married into a French Canadian family and her mother in law always had tourtiere for the season. Made with a mixture of pork and beef, potatoes and spices the aroma always reminds me of family and friends during the Christmas season right till New Years. There are as many recipes as there are families, lovingly passed down to each new generation and I have my own recipe that I will share with all of you. But I also want to introduce something new and different, a breakfast layered meat pie and quiche. I developed this as a way to combine two great dishes into one unforgettable hybrid. When I first attempted this dish the quiche flowed into the meat creating just a meat quiche. Time for a solution and not backing down I melted a thin layer of cheese on top of the meat to create a barrier. I now could add a quiche Lorraine layer that remained separate making something truely unique and saving calories as a unexpected bonus. Of course you can just make the meat pie without the quiche half; just cover it with a pastry lid. Serve with poutine homefries (Coming soon).

Ingredients
 
 1 pound pork freshly ground
 1 pound beef freshly ground
 2 russet potatoes cooked and riced
 2 stalks finely diced celery
 1 medium onion finely diced
 2 tbsp. butter
 1 tsp. cinnamon
  large pinch ground cloves
 1 tsp. savory
 1 clove garlic finely chopped
 1/4 cup water

 2 cups grated Swiss cheese
 12 slices bacon cooked and chopped
 12 eggs
 1/2 cup milk or cream
 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence
 salt and pepper
 2 deep dish pie crust home made or store bought

Directions

Prepare the pie crusts (See below)

To get the best results I recommend grinding your own meat if you are able. Cut into 1 inch cubes and mix the pork and beef together when grinding. It will help if you partially freeze the meat first before grinding.

Boil or steam 2 medium russet potatoes in their skin until a knife easily pierces to the center of the potato. Peal and mash or if you have a ricer; cut in half and put into the ricer cut side down and rice. The skin will be left behind and can be easily discarded. Reserve until needed.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet on medium heat melt the butter and add the garlic, celery and onion. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften then add the ground pork and beef and continue to cook until all pink is gone. Add the spices and water and mix to combine. Fold in the potatoes and cool until needed.

Blind bake the pie crusts until just starting to brown. If you have not done this before, don't worry; we just prick the bottom of the crust with a fork about 12 times, cover with some parchment paper, add dry beans to let the crust keep it's shape and put into the oven.

Brush the pie crust with a little beaten egg to help keep it from getting soggy. Split half the meat potato mixture to each pie crust and smooth down. It should come about half way up. Sprinkle a thin layer of grated cheese to cover the meat mixture and melt in the oven for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the milk or cream and the Herbes de Provence, season with salt and pepper. Add to the pie crusts then add the bacon and cheese. Cook until the egg is fully set covering the exposed crust with foil to protect it from browning too much. Let cool for thirty minutes before serving. Makes two quiches. I sometimes make extra meat and potato mixture and make true Tourtières covering the meat pie with a pastry crust brushed with egg wash. Remember there is twelve days of Christmas and I always try to make some extra. They freeze well, for a great future meal!

There is a great recipe for pie crusts at the Smitten Kitchen. Follow this Link.

One of the most important aspects of Inspiration are ingredients; especially when an ingredient is in season and at its peak. Pick up and smell a tomato when it is ripe and at its peak or almost any other seasonal ingredient and let the fragrance, appearance and taste give you inspiration. Currently here on the coast it is Dungeness crab season and my neighbor gave me some of his extras. My initial thought was to make crab cakes and then inspiration led me to create a benedict that showcases the northwest. The base has to be that great northwest bread, sourdough; then a great lump crab cake, a poached egg and some sort of a sauce. To make things simple I decided to make a simple sauce, mayo, lemon juice and avocado; both that go great with crab.

Ingredients

 1 pound fresh cooked lump Dungeness Crab meat
 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
 ½ teaspoon cranberry mustard (or substitute Dijon)
 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
 1 large egg
 ½ cup mayonnaise
 2 Tbsp. butter

 ½ cup mayonnaise
 ½ lemon
 1 ripe avocado

 4 large eggs

 4 slices sourdough bread

Directions

 Mix the wet ingredients together then gently fold in the crab then the bread crumbs. Divide into four equal portions and form into cakes. I like to use a ring mold. Melt the butter in a medium heat skillet and fry until crispy on one side, then gently flip and brown the second side. Keep warm.

Mix ½ cup of mayonnaise with the juice of ½ lemon then mash in one half of a ripe avocado. Whip until smooth. Poach the eggs until the desired doneness and reserve warm.

Toast the bread and butter. Place the bread on a plate and add a crab cake on top. Place a poached egg on top, season with salt and pepper and top with the avocado mayonnaise mixture. Repeat for the three remaining benedict and serve immediately. Serves four.

I have had a few people ask me for recipes that are both simple and easy so I decided to post this; a recipe I have been making for over 20 years. It is so simple that almost anyone can make it with leftover turkey and gravy, a onion and your favorite curry spice. All you need is some rice, noodles, a slice of toast or if you want some leftover stuffing to pour the curry over. Serve this over toast with a fried egg on top to make a great brunch dish. This is a great recipe to get the kids to help with.

Ingredients:

 1 large onion

 1 ½ -  2 cups cooked turkey

 2 cups turkey gravy

 2 - 4 Tbsp. curry powder (to your taste)

 1 Tbsp. butter

 4 pieces toast

 4 fried eggs

 Extras: chopped toasted almonds and craisins

 Optional: rice, noodles or stuffing for serving instead of toast

Directions:

 1. Dice the turkey and the onion. Heat the gravy and reserve.
 
 2. Heat a non-stick skillet on medium add the butter to coat the bottom of the pan. Sauté the onion until translucent.

 3. Add the turkey, stir and let warm through.

 4. Add the gravy and stir to combine.  Mix in the curry powder and taste. Add more if you like it stronger. Correct seasoning with salt and pepper. Optionally you can stir in some chopped toasted almonds (I prefer Marcona style almonds) and some craisins for sweetness. Fry the eggs to your preferred doneness.

 5. Serve over toast, rice, noodles or stuffing. Top with fried egg. Serves 4.

I love to create new and innovative benedicts; using something interesting for the base followed by a complementary piece of meat or vegetable, topped with a lovely poached egg and a sauce to tie everything together. Using Thanksgiving as my inspiration, I thought to use leftover dressing for the base, pressing it into a ring mold and browning it in sauté pan. Next I think a nice piece of turkey would be perfect next level. We could use a circle cutter to make it look a bit more professional or leave the pieces as is for a more rustic presentation. Then the prerequisite poached egg done to your favorite doneness; I like mine with the white firm and a runny yolk. For the sauce, I could use turkey gravy or if cranberries are your thing, top with cranberry sauce. Maybe next year I will work on a cranberry-hollandaise sauce to bring something new to the traditional. This benedict is the perfect brunch dish for your Thanksgiving weekend and is so easy to make.

Option: To work properly your stuffing should be moist and be able to be compacted into the form. If you don't want to make this dish with leftover stuffing why not use the Stuffin Muffin recipe and use a egg ring instead of a muffin pan to create a form similar to an English muffin. You just have to trim off the top to make it flat.

Ingredients

 2 slices of turkey

 2 cups of moist turkey stuffing or dressing

 2 poached eggs 

 turkey gravy or cranberry sauce

 butter


Directions

 1. Using greased round egg molds, divide stuffing and press to fill. Heat a skillet on medium heat, add butter and the stuffing in the molds. Brown on one side, unmold and brown on second side. Reserve until needed.


2. Using a circle cutter the same size as the egg mold, cut the turkey slices into rounds or if you prefer a more rustic look use a slice. Warm and place on the stuffing rounds.

3. Poach two eggs and add on top of turkey

4. Finish with warmed gravy or cranberry sauce. (you could also add the cranberry sauce to hollandaise for a fancier offering)

Daylight is getting shorter, the weather is getting cooler and football rules the airwaves so it must closer to Thanksgiving day. One great thing about being a Canadian in the United States is that I get to celebrate two separate Thanksgivings, November 28, 2013 in the US and October 14, 2013 in Canada. Talk about leftover turkey! All kidding aside, how do you take inspiration and make a special breakfast that does Thanksgiving proud. Each year I look forward to my favorite dish; stuffing made with celery and onions, bread and spices plus something extra like sausage or diced turkey. My inspiration is to recreate that same great taste in a savory muffin, my "Stuffin' Muffin." I wanted the muffin to be moist and savory with a hint of sweetness. I encourage you to use this as a starting point and make it your own and then envision your own savory muffins.

Note: I searched for the name "stuffin' muffins" and found others had made something similar (even Rachael Ray has one!) usually using bread crumbs or pre-packaged stuffing mixes. I think that using seasoned bread crumbs would be a great idea if used as a crisp topping. I believe my version is unique, adding turkey gravy to add additional moisture (and for taste);  creating an unique dish. I believe you could substitute chicken or turkey broth to save some calories.

Ingredients:

 3 tbsp. butter

 1 medium to large onion

 2 or 3 stalks celery

 Optional: 1 or 2 large precooked turkey or pork sausage patty

 2 tsp. poultry seasoning

 1 cup turkey gravy plus extra for serving

 1 tsp. thyme leaves

 1 tsp. ground sage

 Salt and pepper for seasoning

 2 cups all-purpose flour

 1 ½ tsp. baking powder

 1 tsp. salt

 3-5 tbsp. sugar

 1 Large Egg

 ½ cup milk

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F.
 
Finely dice the onion, celery and if you choose to use, the sausage. Heat a skillet on medium heat and add butter. Sauté the onion, celery and sausage seasoned with salt and pepper until the onion and celery are soft. Add the poultry seasoning, thyme and sage and sauté for  two minutes more, then add the gravy and stir to combine. Taste and correct the seasoning, take off the heat and allow to cool until warm.
 
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in to a large bowl. Beat the egg, sugar and the milk in another bowl and gently mix into the dry ingredients. As making any other muffin I want not to over work the mixture. Mix in the onion and celery mixture.
 
Grease some muffin tins and spoon the mixture into the muffin tins ¾ full. Bake in a 400° F oven until done (about 20 minutes) or until the tops are brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve hot with extra gravy.  Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins.

And now for something completely different - Ever since Monty Python showed up on the airwaves in the late sixties, I have been a devoted fan. The silly skits still make me smile and laugh. When ever two or more devoted fans come together, you will almost always hear songs or skits recited from memory. Any one for a quick run through of the lumberjack song? For the first time that I know of; a breakfast dish inspired by and dedicated to the lads of Monty Python. What’s next, dead parrot hash, killer rabbit stew or strawberry tart with not too much rat in it? This has to be definitive proof that inspiration can come from anywhere - "Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink, Say no more!" This is simply spam done three ways. We start with scrambled eggs with minced spam, accompanied with spam and potato hash covered with a country spam gravy. I recommend that you use the low sodium spam which still has a considerable amount of salt. Everyone sing, "spam spam spam spam, spam spam spam spam, wonderful spam!"

Ingredients

Eggs with minced Spam

 ½ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 4 eggs plus 2 extra yolks

 1 Tbsp. finely chopped chives

 2 Tbsp. milk or half and half

 1 Tbsp. butter

 salt and pepper for seasoning

Spam Gravy

¼ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 1 small white onion or 2 shallots finely diced

 2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

 1 tsp. dijon mustard

 1 Tbsp. chicken base

  4 sprigs thyme



 pinch red pepper flakes

 hot sauce to taste

 salt and pepper for seasoning

Spam Hash

 2 Medium Red Potatoes

¼ can of Spam (or use reduced salt Spam)

 1 - 2 cloves garlic

 1 small white onion

 ½ small green or poblano pepper

 ½ small red pepper

 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh herbs - parsley, oregano, rosemary and chives (or your favorite mix)

 salt and pepper for seasoning

 ¼ cup olive oil plus 2 Tbsp. butter

Directions

Spam Gravy

Heat a sauce pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 Tbsp. butter and the finely diced Spam and finely diced onions or shallots, season with pepper and cook until the Spam is browned. Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and continue to cook for a minute. Whisk in the flour and stir until fully mixed. This is in fact a roux. Stir until the raw flour begins to smell nutty which should only take a minute or two. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk. Increase the heat to medium high continuing to stir until the mixture begins to boil, then reduce the heat to low. Add the dijon mustard, hot sauce  and the chicken base (I like to use "Better then bullion"). Now is the time to check seasoning, and to add the hot sauce to achieve the heat you want. Pick out any thyme stems and keep warm until needed.

Spam Hash

Peel and dice the potatoes into 3/8 inch cubes and soak in ice water bath. Dice the Spam, onions and peppers to the same size and reserve. Drain and dry the potatoes with a kitchen towel or paper towel. Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat and add ½ of the butter. When the butter starts to sputter, add the oil and then the potatoes. Cook slowly letting each side of the potato brown before flipping. While the potato browns heat a skillet on medium heat and when hot add the remaining butter. When the butter starts to sizzle add the garlic and sauté until fragrant then add the onion and peppers and season with salt. Cook until the onions start to brown and reserve warm. When the potatoes are almost brown and crispy, add the Spam and continue to cook until both the potatoes and spam are browned and crispy. Add the onion and pepper mixture and toss to combine. Taste, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped herbs. Toss to mix and remove from the heat. Serve  immediately.

Eggs with minced Spam

Crack the eggs
and extra yolk into a small bowl and add the half and half or milk
and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs with a fork until they are a
solid color. Do not over-beat to keep the eggs tender. Heat a 10
inch skillet on medium high heat so that when you add 2 Tbsp. of the
butter, it sizzles but does not brown too quickly. Swirl it around the pan
to cover the bottom. Add finely diced Spam and fry until lightly browned. Add
the beaten eggs to the skillet and let heat for 20 to 30 seconds. Using the
spatula gently push the egg mixture from the edge to the middle of the pan.
Continue over the entire surface of the skillet until egg curds start to
form. Reduce the heat to medium low, and start gently folding over the
curds. If you want extra creamy eggs; while the mixture is still runny add small
pieces of butter continuing to fold the mixture over to make the eggs
extra creamy. Pull the eggs off the heat when almost done, stir in chopped
chives and let the residual heat finish cooking the eggs. Serve
immediately. Serves 2.

Hints - I like to use the 25% salt reduced spam to cut back on the salt and taste as I go to ensure the salt doesn't get out of control. Don't skip the fresh herbs, they are my favorite part. If you want to add additional vegetables, go for it; in fact if you want to add a Hawaiian touch you could try a little pineapple in the hash. Try substituting olive oil for the butter to save a few calories and for the vegetarian, substitute mushrooms or a meat replacement product for the Spam.

When I reviewed Deb Perlman's book "The Smitten Kitchen", I was totally enamored with her recipe for mushroom bourguignon. Since my wife and I are trying to eat less meat and more fruits and vegetables, I am always looking for great vegetarian ideas. This morning I ventured to our local farmers market and found some fresh wild porcini mushrooms and bought them not knowing how I was going to use them. When I was driving home I started thinking about cooking something Italian and I remembered Deb's mushroom dish. I thought mushroom stew, then I thought Italian and then cacciatore, the traditional Italian chicken stew came to mind. This is a great example of both inspiration and substitution. There are other versions out there but here is mine made with fresh porcini mushrooms.

Ingredients

 2 to 3 pound fresh porcini mushrooms about 5 large

 1 pound cremini mushrooms

 1 medium red onion

 3-4 Cloves of garlic sliced

 2 carrots

 2 stalks celery

 1 red pepper

 1 pint cherry tomatoes

 8 large roma tomatoes skinned

 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

 1 pinch red pepper flakes

 1 Tbsp. dried basil

  1 Tsp. porcini powder

 1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasoning

 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese plus some rind if you have it

 1 cup white wine

 1 cup vegetable broth

 splash of sherry or white balsamic vinegar

 fresh herbs - basil, thyme, rosemary, parsley and oregano (one or more)

 extra virgin olive oil

 salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

 In a large pot boil some water with some salt. Core the roma tomatoes and cut an "X" in the other end. Place in the boiling water for 30 seconds to loose the skin then remove to an ice water bath. Skin and coarsely chop and reserve until needed. Put the cherry tomatoes in a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with olive oil and kosher salt. Roast in 400 degree oven until darkened and let cool until needed.

Clean and prepare the veggies and coarsely chop. Heat a large skillet to medium high heat and add two Tbsp. olive oil. Chop the mushrooms into large bite-sized pieces and add to the pan. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until slightly softened, about 5 minutes then reserve until needed. Add more oil to the pan and add the onions and garlic, season and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the celery, carrots and peppers, re-season and sauté until they start to soften then deglaze with the wine. Cook for 5 minutes and reserve. Clean the pan, reheat and add some more oil then add the roasted cherry tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and sauté for a minute or two, then add the rest of the tomatoes and cook until they start to release some liquid. Add the dried herbs, then add in the reserved onion mixture. Stir to combine then add the mushroom and the fresh herbs. Top with the vegetable broth and bake in a 275 degree oven for at least an hour. Turn the heat down and let the flavors mingle while you prepare some pasta. When the pasta is ready, add a splash of sherry vinegar and grate some parmesan cheese over the top and serve over pasta. Let any leftovers cool and refrigerate. It tastes even better the second day.

Flavor boosters - I use a few tricks to boost the flavor, first roast the cherry tomatoes to add a sweet element. Second, I add tomato paste and let it brown a bit. Third, I always keep some porcini powder (ground dried porcini) around and save the parmesan rinds to add to any stew and last, a splash of sweet vinegar adds a brightness and extra sweetness.

Here I am on a bright late summer afternoon, sitting at a courtyard table taking in the sights and sounds of Little Italy in San Diego.  The food has been inspiring, eating out breakfast, lunch and dinner while my lovely wife spends time commuting back and forth from a medical conference. I recently had some networking cards printed and have been passing them out to anyone who shows an interest in cooking. I was talking to one of the local restaurants and they seem quite interested in my Bacon Cannoli so I started thinking about other breakfast dishes with an Italian theme. I needed to go no farther then translate my chicken parmesan sandwich I had for lunch and reinvent it for breakfast. I looked at the menu and there was no hash dish so why not make a chicken parmesan hash. The rest is simple; take a brined chicken breast and dice it into cubes then bread the cubes and fry until golden. I previously roasted some red potatoes and let them cool. While I cooked the chicken breast, I started sautéing the potatoes in one pan and some vegetables in the other. When the potatoes were crispy add the veggies and let the flavors merge, then add the chicken, grate some parmesan cheese and drizzle with a little marinara to complete the flavor palette. This is a great example on how to take a bunch of themes; here Little Italy, breakfast and a chicken parmesan, and come up with a dish to fit all three. I just can't wait to get back to my kitchen and work out all the details. Until then here is a photo taken later that night and a preliminary recipe.

I can't wait to get back home and try this out (and add some pictures). I dedicate this to my new friends at Trattoria Fantastica in Little Italy in San Diego. Buon Appetito!

Well I finally made it home and tried out the idea for my Chicken Parmesan Hash making relatively very few changes. I added some sugar and acid to my marinara sauce (my wife's idea) which really perked the flavors up. I decided to use two chicken breasts (both sides of the same bird)

Ingredients:

 4 medium to large red potatoes

 2 chicken breasts boned and skinned (brined overnight if you have the time)

 1 large onion large dice

 1 small red pepper large dice

 1/2  small zucchini  large dice

 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

 3-4 sprigs fresh parsley

 5-6 basil leaves rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)

 6-8 Tbsp. cooking oil

 Salt and Pepper to taste

 3-4 Tbsp. marinara sauce (add sugar if needed and a little white balsamic vinegar)

 Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Standard breading station

 1-2 cups seasoned AP flour (add a little salt and pepper)

 1-2 cups milk mixed with 3 beaten eggs

 1-2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (I used panko with Italian seasoning)

Directions:

One day ahead, halve four red potatoes, sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated 350 degree oven until a fork is easily inserted with little resistance. Cool and refrigerate overnight. If you are brining our chicken overnight or even the same day, add one tablespoon of both salt and sugar to a zip-lock bag with about 2 cups of water. Add the chicken breast and if you dare a couple of dashes of your favorite hot sauce, then close the bag and place in a shallow dish in your refrigerator.

In three small shallow dishes, add the flour to the first and season with salt and pepper. Beat the eggs in the second with the of milk. Add seasoned bread crumbs to the third. Cut the chicken breast lengthwise into half, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Dry off the chicken cubes with paper towels then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg and milk then into the bread crumbs. Let rest on a wire rack for about a half an hour. Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a medium skillet, then fry the chicken in the oil in batches, turning until golden brown on all sides. Reserve warm until needed. Clean then reheat the skillet to medium heat and add 2 tbsp. oil heating until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, zucchini, thyme and red peppers, season and cook until the onions are just starting to brown (about 10 minutes). Remove any thyme stems and transfer to a bowl and reserve.

Dice the potato into 1/2 inch dice. Add 2-3 tbsp. of the oil to the pan on medium heat and heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes and toss to coat in the oil. If the mixture is dry add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is to let the potatoes brown and crisp slowly turning only when brown on the bottom. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the reserved chicken tossing to combine. Add the reserved vegetable mixture, more thyme and chopped parsley; toss and remove from the heat. Sprinkle with a little marinara sauce and garnish with the basil. Grate some fresh Parmesan cheese over the top and serve immediately. 

Although I have been concentrating on breakfast and brunch dishes, I like to digress a little and talk about appetizers. I was talking to the owner of one of our local Mexican restaurants and the conversation turned to the food that could be served for groups. We discussed the possibility of serving Mexican style tapas and I said I would work on coming up with some ideas for some small appetizers. With my recent discussion of form, some of my ideas did not fit into changing shapes but scaling down regular dishes into an appetizer handheld form. I am adding to Form the subgroup scale, which would be defined as keeping the same shape but increasing or decreasing the size. For example, I might serve chicken wings instead of a whole piece of chicken or scale down a chimichanga to a bite sized version. After some thought I made a preliminary list of possible appetizers.

Chicken Wings  -

   1. Chipolte Honey Lime – chipolte, honey and lime juice with lime zest

   2. Mole – mole sauce slightly diluted with chicken broth

   3. Sweet Prickly Pear – prickly pear, lime sweetened with sugar 
 
Mini Tostadas – refried bean, guacamole, lettuce, cheese

 Mini Chimichangas – Shredded pork,beef or chicken, onions and shredded cabbage in egg roll skins

 Small stuffed Peppers – piquillo peppers stufed with chorizo and cheese, a play on a chile rellano

 Mexican Bruschetta – small rounds of grilled bread, topped with pico de gallo

 Lettuce cups – filled with ceviche

 Open face mini tamale – small circle of fried masa with pork  topping with salsa verde

 Mexican rice balls – mexican spiced risotto cooled, stuffed with cheese, formed into balls, breaded and deep  fried

Shrimp and spiced polenta skewer – spiced shrimp and chile dusted polenta squares

My first attempt was to tackle the chicken wings and I decided to combine the chipolte honey lime with the sweet prickly pear because I felt after tasting the prickly pear, it needed a little spice to balance the sweet citrus taste. I normally like to prepare everything from scratch but due to time constraints I used a bottled mole sauce from my local Mexican market and added some embelishments to achieve the taste i wanted. I promise to add my mole recipe later for another dish.

Chicken Wings

3 to 4 pounds chicken wings

brine - 1 quart water, 2 Tbsp. salt, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. favorite hot sauce

1/2 cup corn starch

olive oil

1 tsp. each salt and pepper

 Cut off the chicken wing tip (reserve for stock) and separate at the joint into 2 pieces. Prepare the brine and brine overnight. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Drain well and dry the wings with paper towels, dust with the corn starch shaking off any extra. Season with the salt and pepper and place on a rack on a baking sheet. Brush with the olive oil and cook until browned on the top (about 15 to 20 minutes), turn over and brush with more olive oil and return to the oven until browned on the second side (10 to 15 minutes). Reserve warm until ready to sauce.

Prickly Pear  Honey Chile Sauce

Four or five prickly pear fruits

1/4 cup honey

Four or five limes

1 Tbsp. light chili pepper powder

1 Tbsp. chipotle chili pepper powder
 
1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp. Salt

Cut off the tops and bottoms of each of the fruits and cut the rind or skin off. Cut into medium pieces and put into a blender. Zest the limes and reserve. Juice the limes and add to the blender. Add the honey water and salt to the blender and blend into a puree. Strain into a sauce pan and reduce a third. The mixture should just start to thicken. Add the chile powders to your taste. Reserve warm until the wings are ready. When the wings are ready, add the sauce to a metal bowl then the wings and toss to coat then serve.


Mole Wing Sauce

1/2 Cup of your favorite mole sauce

1/2 Cup chicken broth

Dark chocolate (at least 70 percent) to taste

Cinnamon to taste

Hot Sauce to taste

Prepare the mole sauce as directed then add to a sauce pan. Thin with the chicken broth, taste and add chocolate, cinnamon and hot sauce to taste. Reserve warm until the wings are ready. When the wings are ready, add the sauce to a metal bowl then the wings and toss to coat then serve.

 

I am always looking for great ways to save some calories without sacrificing taste. Changing the form of a BLT enables me to cut down on the bread and increase the lettuce with a dramatic decrease of calories and I know there are a lot of people out there that want to lose some weight. I'd wish I could say that I was sitting in a restaurant eating a lettuce wrap when inspiration struck but to be honest I was just looking for a low-calorie option for breakfast. When I thought about a breakfast salad everything fell into place; the tomatoes and lettuce the stars and give the bacon and bread a supporting role. All I have to do is wrap everything in the lettuce leaf and I have the same elements in a different yet familiar form, reinforcing the premise that inspiration is based on exposure to multiple ideas and just bringing it all together in an unique way.

Ingredients:

 4 pounds fresh firm  tomatoes
 1 head iceberg or butter lettuce
 10 pieces thick sliced bacon
 3-4 slices of thin sliced dense bread
 10 fresh basil leaves
 3 tbsp. olive oil
 Salt and Pepper to taste
 Optional: Sliced avocado

 Equipment:

 Sheet Pans
 Silpat silicone baking sheet or parchment paper
 Stockpot
 Ice-bath
 Sauté pan

Preheat oven to 350° F. Dice the bread into small cubes, drizzle with olive oil, season  with salt and pepper and spread out in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Bake until brown and crispy and reserve.
 
Bring a stock pot of water to boil and prepare an ice-bath. Core out the stem end of the tomatoes with a paring knife and cut a small X in the opposite end. Blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds to loosen the skins then transfer to the ice-bath to cool down. Remove the skins, de-seed and dice into ¼ inch pieces. Reserve.
 
Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Cut the bacon into ⅓ inch pieces and sauté until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to dry. Reserve.
 
 Roll up the basil leaves length-wise and finely cut into fine ribbons (chiffonade). Core the lettuce and cut lengthwise in half, remove the outer leaves and discard. Separate the lettuce into individual leaves and reserve. In a bowl mix the tomatoes, bacon and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve add the tomato mixture on top of the lettuce leaf, sprinkle with croutons and roll. If you like you can slice some avocado and add to the wrap.
 
  Serves 4 to 6.

My wife Susan loves her morning oatmeal and sometimes will enjoy it with a poached egg on top that when broken melts into the oatmeal giving it a lovely richness. Using my egg ring molds, I started experimenting first with toasting rounds of oatmeal and adding a poached egg on top. Then inspiration struck, why not make an indentation for the egg and cover it with a lid of oatmeal. Simply altering the form into a cylinder adds a interesting presentation and breaking into the egg inside yields a golden surprise. Toasting the oatmeal in the pan creates a wonderful contrast of textures adding an interesting crunchy element. I can also brulee the sugar with a torch on the top to add more texture and some sweetness or just serve with some maple syrup. Add some berries for a garnish. This dish is only possible if the oatmeal is stiff enough; if the oatmeal is too moist it will not hold its shape when unmolded. This is a great example how form can create a whole new dish that is fun and different.

Note: I had some suggestions saying the egg could be replaced with diced fruit, yogurt, jam or whatever you can think of to make it your own!

 Ingredients:

 3/4 Cup Steel-cut precooked Oatmeal (1/2 Cup for base,1/4 Cup for lid)

 1 Medium Egg

 1 Tbsp. of your favorite Shredded cheese

 Butter

 Salt and pepper for seasoning

 Maple Syrup

 Optional - Berries for garnish

 Equipment:

 2 Egg Rings

 ½ Cup metal measuring cup

 Preheat a ten inch non-stick pan on medium heat Butter both egg rings and put in pan and add small pat of butter in each ring.

 Place 1/2 cup of oatmeal in first ring and using measuring cup press down to create an indentation with sides. We want a big enough indentation to allow the egg to fit.

 Add remaining oatmeal (1/4 cup) to other ring and tamp down with measuring cup to create a flat disk.

 Add a small amount of grated cheese onto the oatmeal. Cook for ten minutes.

 Break an egg into the indentation and season with salt and pepper. Add a small amount grated cheese to top.

 Add to the pan a small amount of water (3-4 tablespoons) and cover with lid and cook for 3 minutes or until egg is desired doneness. Depending on the size of the egg, 3 minutes for a soft center to 5 minutes for a hard yolk.

 To assemble unmold each side and invert side without egg onto side with egg to make a cylinder and plate. Top with brown sugar, maple syrup or your favorite fruit.

Here we are and it is fast approaching July 4th. Fire up the grills and stock up on hot dogs and hamburgers. What is more American than a hot dog? I met the owner of a hot dog stand at my local farmers market and said I would develop a bacon relish recipe that set his stand apart and help bring people back. I wanted to make something salty, sweet, spicy, and just the right amount of sourness, so everything is balanced. This recipe is the end result and is an amazing topping for your next hot dog but save some for breakfast; it goes great just on toast!
Ingredients:

 1 pound thick cut lean bacon
 1 large red pepper
 1 large poblano pepper
 1 large sweet onion
 ½ cup brown sugar
 ¼ cup sweet pickle juice or white balsamic vinegar
 ¼ cup water to deglaze pan
 2 to 4 tbsp. ketchup
 red pepper flakes to desired spiciness (start with a pinch and taste)
 Salt and pepper for seasoning

Roast the red and poblano peppers over the flame on your stove or under the broiler in your oven. Turn often to char the skin and put in a paper bag to steam 5 minutes. Remove the skin, dice and reserve.
 
Cook half of the bacon on a parchment covered sheet pan in a 400° F oven until brown and crispy. Crumble into small pieces and reserve.
 
Finely dice the onion and rest of the bacon, season with salt and sauté on medium heat in butter until brown. Deglaze the pan with the water and turn the heat down to low. Add the rest of the bacon, roasted peppers, brown sugar, ketchup, red pepper flakes and mix. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt and pepper. Continue tasting, adding just enough pickle juice or white balsamic vinegar until it tastes balanced. Refrigerate until needed. Makes about a cup and a half. If you like it a little looser, add a little of your favorite liquid (I like a little dark beer) and stir.

I have a couple of announcements; first, I'm going to concentrate on a breakfast and brunch theme to better explain translation and second; I'm working on a book showcasing these concepts within the framework of breakfast. More on that later. Continuing on the Translation subset of substitution, I was reading Fuchsia Dunlop's new cookbook, "Every Grain of Rice - Simple Chinese Home Cooking" with the idea of adapting a Chinese home-style dish for breakfast. I found a recipe for stir-fried eggs with tomato and thought this would be the perfect recipe to show that substitution could be used to enhance a dish. The recipe is basic, perfect for the novice home cook; season and stir-fry the eggs first, then the tomatoes and then combine them together thickening with potato starch if needed. I wanted to add additional flavor to the dish, so I added fresh basil which always goes with tomatoes (Thai basil would even be better) and some five spice powder to enhance the anise notes and to reinforce the Asian theme. I know that I'm not actually making a true substitution, but adding something. The point is to use translation as an avenue to explore exciting new creations to become a more creative chef.

Ingredients:

 4 - 5 large eggs
 4 - 5 firm Campari tomatoes (or another simular small vine ripened tomato)
 4 - 6 basil leaves rolled and cut into thin ribbons (chiffonade)
 1 pinch five spice powder
 1 pinch sugar
 2 - 4 Tbsp. cooking oil
 slurry of potato starch and water (optional for thickening)
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a wok and add half the oil. Beat the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and scramble the eggs until just barely done. Remove and reserve. Roll the basil leaves into a cigar shape and with a very sharp knife finely slice into thin ribbons. Slice the tomatoes in half then each half into three wedges. Clean and dry the wok, then heat it on high and add the rest of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, season with the sugar, salt and pepper to taste and stir-fry until they are hot and fragrant. Add the basil, five spice powder and the eggs back to the wok and stir-fry until mixed together. If the mixture is runny add the potato starch slurry and mix until thickened. Serve immediately to feed two.

A great Benedict deserves a great side dish. If you remember the scraps from the Southern Style Benedict from my last post; they can be diced, breaded and lightly fried to create chicken fried steak bites. Thus, our scraps from one dish can be used as inspiration to create another great dish. I remember having sweet potato fries with chicken fried steak so why not take two uniquely Southern tastes and combine them to create a hash. Dice some red bell pepper, vibrant green poblano chiles and some Vidalia sweet onion to create a colorful counterpoint to  our Southern Style Benedict.

Ingredients:

 2 medium to large sweet  potatoes
 remaining meat from Southern Benedict (½ inch dice)
 ½ cup milk
 1 egg
 ½ large onion diced
 1 small red pepper diced
 1 small poblano chile diced
 2 sprigs fresh thyme
 2 sprigs fresh parsley
 2-4 Tbsp. cooking oil
 Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

One day ahead, quarter two sweet potatoes and put in a pot of cold salted water. Bring the water to a boil and cook until a fork is easily inserted with little resistance. Cool and refrigerate overnight.

In two small shallow dishes, add the flour to one and beat an egg in the other. Season the steak with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg then dredge in the flour again. Let rest on a wire rack. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, then fry in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Reserve warm until needed.

Heat a skillet to medium heat and add half of the oil, heating until it shimmers. Add the diced onion, poblano and red peppers, season and cook until the onions are just starting to brown (about 10 minutes). Transfer to a bowl and reserve. Remove the thyme leaves and finely chop with the parsley.

Remove the skin from the potatoes and dice to desired size. Add the rest of the oil to the pan on medium heat and heat until the oil is hot. Add the potatoes tossing to coat in the oil. If the mixture is dry add some more oil. Season with salt and pepper. The secret is to let the potatoes brown and crisp slowly turning only when brown on the bottom. When the potatoes are brown and crispy, add the reserved chicken fried steak tossing to combine. Add the reserved vegetable mixture, thyme and chopped parsley; toss and remove from the heat. Serve immediately.

Earlier this month was Mother's Day and I fixed traditional Eggs Benedict for our monthly church breakfast. I love poached eggs and when you serve them on a crispy English muffin with grilled Canadian bacon covered with rich hollandaise sauce, there is a special dish. I want to add an example showcasing the first Translation technique, substitution. I have seen variations on Southern Benedicts at various restaurants, but here is my version. Examining the purely Southern theme, the English muffin can be replaced with a airy southern style biscuit (see Basics for recipe) and continuing with the theme, biscuits traditionally go with a country white milk gravy along with the prerequisite country fried steak. I prefer a more refined presentation so I like to use a circle cutter a little bit bigger then the one I use for biscuits to cut out perfect circles for my chicken fried steak. After breading and frying they will shrink a little and match the size of the biscuits. I can dice the rest of the meat, bread it and use it to make a complementary home fry side.

Southern Style Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

 2 biscuits split in half. (See Basics)
 4 poached eggs (See Basics)
 Chicken Fried Steak (See Below)
 Country Style Spicy Gravy (See Below)
 
Instructions:

 Split the biscuits in half and place on plate. Top with chicken fried steak, then a poached egg. Ladle gravy over top and serve immediately. Serves four with one egg each or two hungry people with two eggs each. The remaining beef can be used to make  a special home fries dish.
 
Chicken Fried Steak

Ingredients:

 1 pound beef (bottom round)
 1 Cup all purpose flour
 1 large egg
 3 Tbsp. canola oil
 Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

 Tenderize beef using a jacard or pounding with a meat tenderizer to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Using a ring cutter, cut a circular piece of steak slightly bigger than the diameter of the biscuit being used. The remainder can be used in an other application. In two small shallow dishes, add the flour to one and beat an egg in the other. Season both sides with salt and pepper then dredge in the flour fist, shaking off any excess. Next dip in the beaten egg then dredge in the flour again. Let rest on a wire rack. Heat the oil in a medium skillet, then fry each piece in the oil until golden brown on both sides. Reserve warm until needed. 

Country Style Spicy Gravy

 Ingredients:

 2 pounds good quality pork sausage
 1 large sweet onion finely diced
 1 cup all purpose flour
 1 tsp. dried thyme or 4 sprigs fresh thyme
 1 pinch red pepper flakes
 Hot sauce to taste
 2 cups whole milk
 Salt and pepper to taste

 Instructions:

 Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. When the pan is hot, skin and break up the sausage into small pieces, season with salt and cook until brown and most of the fat has rendered out into the pan. Remove the sausage and reserve retaining the fat in the pan. Add the onions and cook until they become translucent. Add the thyme and red pepper flakes and continue to cook until the onions just start to brown. Whisk in the flour and stir until fully mixed. This is in fact a roux. I need to continue to stir until the raw flour taste is gone which should take a minute. Continue to whisk and slowly add the milk. I now will increase the heat to medium high, stirring frequently, then when the mixture begins to boil I reduce the heat to low. Now is the time to season with salt and pepper to taste, and to add the hot sauce to achieve the heat you want. Keep warm until needed.

I have always had an analytical mind so it should be no surprise that I have tried to summarize elements of the chef’s creative process into something quantitative and visual. I call this work in process, Translation. Translation is a series of ways a chef can change a dish, divided into categories. For example, the first category is substitution which is further sub-divided into ingredient, flavor and flavor profile sub groups. Ingredient substitution is often used when a key ingredient is not available, or if there is a dietary concern such as an allergy or perhaps a food preference. Flavor substitution is one of the most common tools in a creative cook’s arsenal. Changing a major flavor is often used to give a sauce a different direction. Next, we could turn things around and substitute a entirely new flavor profile. This works very well in fusion cooking where we change a traditional flavor profile and substitute a profile identified with another well-known cuisine.

   Another category Translation is used to change a dish is texture. We can take a dish and use techniques to change the textural element, taking it in a completly different direction. A well known example is the kettle cooked potato chip, where the crunch of a chip is enhanced. Another example is the molten lava cake. Foams and gels are another sub-category where texture are used to modify food. Add a gelling agent to flavored liquid can create aspic or jello. We can create spheres surrounding a liquid center using sodium alginate. Another more familiar example is whipping air into egg whites producing a foam which can folded into other ingredients to create souffles or even an angel food cake.
 
One of the most interesting and sometimes confusing Translation categories is deconstruction which simply is a process where a dish is taken apart or dismantled into components and presented in a manner where the individual parts are eaten together to produce the original taste or experience. By breaking the dish into separate pieces, allows the chef to be able to modify each piece individually where it wasn't possible before. This opens up the individual facets of the dish to be interpreted by the chef.