De Ma Cuisine

brunch Archive

Friday

19

February 2016

0

COMMENTS

Savory Crêpes

Written by , Posted in Beans, Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Fruit, Herbs, Leftovers, Legumes, Lunch, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Poultry, Quick and Easy, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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Right now my thoughts are flipping between crêpes and the onion rings I ate right before I made the crêpes. Of both, I couldn’t wait to eat more. But, let’s talk about the crêpes today (those onion rings can wait until next week). When I was a kid, mom made crêpes every once in a while. If she made them for supper, we usually had to eat a savory crêpe or two before we were allowed to eat one covered with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or honey. I may have turned my nose up at it then, but now I see the merit in the savory crêpe.

Crêpes are what I’d imagine would result if a tortilla and a pancake had a baby. A delicious baby… This is getting weird… They’re light, soft, and a bit crispy around the edges. They’re great with butter and maple syrup, of course, but also the perfect vessel for some savory goodies.

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I like the idea of a multifaceted filling. It starts with a purée. I had some pumpkin in the freezer that I reheated and seasoned with salt and cayenne. Simple. You could also try cauliflower, sweet potato, or beets.

I topped the purée with some sautéed broccoli rabe, peas, and radishes. You might substitute with roasted or raw garlic, broccoli, any greens that you have on hand, apples, cabbage, summer or winter squash, carrots, or even white beans. If you have some fresh herbs on hand, things like basil, thyme, rosemary, or mint would be great. Just use whatever herbs would go well with the veggies that you’re using.

If you wanted to add a little more protein, throw in some leftover shredded chicken or chopped up crispy tofu.

And then, to top it all, I like a spoonful of plain or Greek yogurt, some walnuts, parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon. You might substitute with silken tofu or coconut milk, browned butter or cream, ricotta or cream cheese.

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If you’ve got any left, they will make the perfect dessert (Nutella crêpes anyone?!), or can be reheated the next day for a quick and easy breakfast. You could do simple, just maple syrup, or maybe top them with some ricotta, cottage cheese, or silken tofu, and some chopped apples sprinkled with cinnamon and a squeeze of lemon. Two meals, one dish.

Happy Eating!

Savory Crêpes

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 4

Serving Size: 2 crêpes

Savory Crêpes

Ingredients

  • 1 C purée (any: winter squash, cauliflower, sweet potato, beet)
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 C any mix ins: broccoli rabe, peas, roasted or raw garlic, kale, radishes, apples, cabbage, white beans, summer squash, carrots; chopped if warranted
  • 1 C any proteins (optional): cooked chicken, crispy tofu
  • 1 t to 1 T any: thyme, rosemary, basil, mint; chopped
  • to taste salt
  • 8 crêpes
  • 1 C any toppings: ricotta, cream cheese, yogurt, silken tofu, parmesan cheese, browned butter, cream, coconut milk, walnuts, almonds, lemon zest; chopped if warranted
  • lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  1. (Prepare crêpe batter if it needs to sit for an hour in the fridge.)
  2. Make your purée (roast or steam veggies, blend, season with salt and, if desired, cayenne).
  3. Heat skillet, add olive oil. Sauté mix ins until tender (about 10 minutes, depending on the veggies) over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add things like greens and garlic near the end. Re-heat protein, if using. Add to mix ins. Add herbs. Taste for seasoning.
  4. While mix ins are cooking, prepare your crêpes (keep them warm in a 200F oven on a baking sheet).
  5. To assemble, spoon some purée down the center of the crêpes. Top with mix ins. Roll up (the easiest way to do this is to hook a fork inside the edge of the crêpe and roll it in on itself). Serve with a squeeze of lemon.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/savory-crepes/

Wednesday

17

February 2016

0

COMMENTS

Creamy Dreamy Scrambled Eggs

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Eggs, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Low Carb, Lunch, Main Dishes, Quick and Easy, Sides, Vegetarian

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Eggs are a staple in our home. We can easily go through a dozen eggs in a week, just at mealtimes. My favorite way to enjoy them is fried in olive oil. They’re amazing atop an Egg and Cheese Sandwich, with an over-medium yolk dripping onto some lentils, or just on their own with a side of toasted and buttered homemade sourdough.

But sometimes, I just want them scrambled.

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I learned a while ago that the best way to cook perfect scrambled eggs is over low heat. Low and slow. That being said, it’s still a quick and easy meal that always satisfies.

These aren’t the scrambled eggs that you’ll see at a buffet. Cold, coagulated, overcooked, tough, and tinged with grey.

No.

I’m talking about velvety, creamy, warm deliciousness. I like to cook the eggs until they’re just barely set. You can cook them longer if you want. (Obviously.) Since I use a cast iron pan for my eggs the residual heat will keep cooking them for a while after I turn the burner off. I don’t want overcooked tough eggs, so this is key. I’m going for just a step beyond custard on a fork.

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It’s simple. A good skillet, a glug of oil, and low heat. I like to whisk the eggs up with a splash of water. Some prefer milk or cream. That’s cool too. Mom used water, so that’s what I do. After that all it takes is a little bit of standing by the stove, daydreaming, sliding the spatula across the pan from time to time.

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Toast some good bread that you can slather with butter and jam, and figure out if it’s a just eggs day, or if you want something else. Grated cheese melting overtop is always a good idea, a side of crispy bacon always wins, fresh herbs are divine. Usually though, all I need is a little bit of salt.

Happy Eating!

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Creamy Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • splash water
  • 1 t olive oil
  • to taste salt

Instructions

  1. Whisk the eggs and water together.
  2. Heat a skillet over low. Add olive oil. Pour in the eggs. Gently stir eggs with a metal spatula as they begin to set, pushing out from the middle, pulling in from the outside. Cook low and slow, stirring often. When they're almost set remove from heat and let them stand in the skillet for 1 minute. Season with salt.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/creamy-dreamy-scrambled-eggs/

Monday

18

January 2016

0

COMMENTS

Orange You Glad it’s Green Smoothie

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Drinks, Fruit, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Quick and Easy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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When I need a quick meal, smoothies are a great option. Sometimes I make them with peanut butter, chocolate chips, and banana. That’s one of my favorites. But, I also really love a good fruit and veggie smoothie. Sweet, but not too, and packed with nutrients.

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For a wintery smoothie, I opted for orange+pear+persimmon+greens. I just used what I hand on hand. At other times I may use apple instead of the pear, or in the warmer months, stone fruit and berries. The constant is the greens. I like to use mild ones like kale, spinach, or chard, and they just kinda disappear in the fruity goodness.

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I wanted to use the orange peel as a cup. We don’t have a dishwasher, so any dishes I generate get washed by hand. The less dishes the better. I used a grapefruit knife to get the segments out, but a sharp paring knife would do just as well. I cut a tiny bit off the bottom of the orange so it would sit flat too. Don’t want any rolling oranges when there’s a smoothie inside!

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I like my smoothies to be super thick and pretty cold. So I usually add some frozen banana. Unfrozen would work well too. The riper they are, the sweeter the smoothie.

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This can be a great light meal on its own. A working lunch or a good breakfast. If you want to add to the meal, here are a few suggestions for things that I think would compliment it:

Breakfast or Brunch

Savory Baked French Toast

Sweet and Savory Cornmeal Pancakes

Fresh Fruit and Basil Stuffed French Toast

Toast with Peanut Butter and Honey

Winter Frittata

Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Chives

Turnip Hash with Bacon and Gouda

Paris Potatoes

Lunch

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Bacon Sandwich with Dandelion Greens

Tuna Boats

Dilly Eggs with Lentils

Vegetarian Soft Tacos

Any leftovers can be frozen in an ice cube tray and then re-blended or added to a new smoothie (in place of ice, if you use it).

Happy Eating!

Orange and Green Smoothie

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2

Orange and Green Smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1 large orange, top cut off, segments scooped out (if you want to serve smoothie in peel - if not just peel, de-seed, and roughly chop)
  • 1-2 C greens (kale, chard, spinach), roughly chopped
  • 1 frozen banana (or very ripe non-frozen banana)
  • 1 apple or pear, roughly chopped
  • 1 persimmon, peeled and roughly chopped
  • (may substitute fruit with stone fruit or berries depending on the season)
  • 1/2 C yogurt (any kind) (or may use silken tofu or omit altogether)
  • 1-2 T maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 C milk (any kind) (or use orange juice)

Instructions

  1. Blend until smooth, adding liquid last until you reach desired consistency. Taste for sweetness.
  2. Serve in the orange peel to save on dishes.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/orange-kale-smoothie/

Friday

18

December 2015

0

COMMENTS

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Written by , Posted in Breakfast, Brunch, Cheese, Eggs, Gluten Free, Kid-Friendly, Lunch, Quick and Easy, Sandwiches, Vegetarian

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It’s important to me for us to eat well balanced, healthy meals. I usually have our menu planned in advance, but some weeks things just don’t seem to come together the way I’d hoped they would. Other weeks they do. But, no matter the week, the outlook is always a little better if I have a few staples on hand. Some, like eggs, are just good to have around. There’s always something to eat when we’ve got eggs. Eggs + lentils + sweet potatoes = lunch. An egg over pasta = dinner. Eggs poached in some leftover soup = a quick, easy, comforting meal.

For this we have eggs.

Some other staples that I always try to have on hand are: cheese, milk, bread, yogurt, nut butter, nuts, and chips and salsa. With these ingredients I find it much less intimidating to plan a menu, or just a quick meal when what’s meant to be made isn’t happening.

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Grilled cheese has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup remind me of rainy days growing up, and are one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Now, as a grown up, grilled cheese and any kind of soup is on the menu often, especially at this time of year. It’s quick and easy, which is perfect for this busy season.

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I do most of the cooking in our home. I like it like that. But, every once in a while Tim comes up with something and I just kinda shake my head in amazement. There’s not much that he’s not good at. Cooking included. One evening, after he’d worked late, he came home and made himself a grilled cheese. I’d already eaten dinner, so I said that I didn’t need one. I regretted that decision later. He’d put mustard and butter on the outside, and added sliced pickles to the inside. It was delightful. So for this recipe, I took a page out of his book and added mustard to the olive oil that I like to spread on the bread. The mustard goes down first, oil second, so the oil will kinda protect the mustard from burning.

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Once the sandwiches are mostly cooked, I like to scooch them over to one side, and slide the empty side of the skillet over the flame and add a little more olive oil and some eggs. For me, a well seasoned cast iron skillet works best here. I like to turn the heat up a bit so the edges of the eggs get a bit crispy in the olive oil. I like my eggs over medium (runny yolk, set whites) and the high heat helps me to accomplish this. I flip the eggs carefully, turn off the heat, and let them sit for a few seconds for the whites to finish.

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During the summer when tomatoes are in season I’d probably add a few slices, and maybe some lettuce and homemade mayo. Right now, just an egg will do.

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If the yolks are still runny, I love to sop ’em up with the sandwich… Making sure to have a napkin on hand, as these tend to get a bit messy.

Happy Eating!

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1 sandwich

Grilled Egg and Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 2 t dijon mustard
  • 2 t olive oil
  • 4 slices bread
  • to taste salt
  • 4-6 slices cheese (Gouda, pepper jack, colby jack... or whatever you like that melts well)
  • 1 egg/sandwich
  • salt, for eggs

Instructions

  1. Spread dijon and olive oil on the outside of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with salt. Put cheese on the un-mustard side. Close sandwiches (leaving both mustard sides out).
  2. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. When it's hot add the sandwiches. Cook for 4-5 minutes on one side, turning to be sure it's browning evenly if needed. Flip and cook for a few minutes more. When they're almost done, push the sandwiches to one side, and move the other side over the flame (or if using a smaller skillet, cook sandwiches until done and remove them from the skillet). Turn the heat up a bit and add some olive oil to the pan. Add eggs and cook, flipping if desired, until they reach desired doneness. Salt the eggs.
  3. Open the sandwiches and top each with an egg. Slice each one in half to serve.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/grilled-egg-cheese-sandwiches/

Friday

11

December 2015

1

COMMENTS

Persimmon Apple Bread

Written by , Posted in Baking, Bread, Breakfast, Brunch, Dairy-Free, Dessert, Eggs, Fruit, Grains, Kid-Friendly, Nuts, Snacks, Vegetables, Vegetarian

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I don’t know if the old adage, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is true. But, apples have always been a favorite of mine, so if I can eat an apple every day that makes me happy. My favorite way to enjoy them is raw. Sliced, whole, chopped… it doesn’t matter. Since we go through apples pretty quickly, they don’t often get cooked. We either don’t feel the need, or there just aren’t any left. But, sometimes, I need to bake bread, and the bread needs to be studded with apples.

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For this recipe I used Pippins. But, in my kitchen, I’d use whatever I have on hand. I’m sure the experts would disagree. There are some apples that are better for baking (Granny Smiths), and some that are best eaten out of hand (Fujis and Galas). But, as I’ve mentioned before, I’m a frugal cook, so I prefer to make do and adapt to what I’ve got, if at all possible.

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This bread is a dense, muffin-like bread. You could call it an Apple Snack Cake if that’s more appealing to someone that you’re trying to convince to try it. You could bake it in muffin tins if that’s easier or more manageable.

When persimmons are no longer in season you could add a super ripe (or frozen then thawed) banana. When apples are no longer in season, you could sub pears, Asian pears, persimmons, figs, cherries, or stone fruit. If you wanted to add some grated veggies, carrots, parsnips, or summer squash could be easily hidden (ok, maybe not the carrots, but you wouldn’t taste them too much). You could add nuts and seeds, raisins, dried cherries or cranberries (why don’t we call raisins “dried grapes”?), or maybe even chocolate chips.

What I’m trying to say is, it’s pretty versatile.

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Like many baked goods, the dry ingredients are combined first, then set aside. The wet ingredients come together next. Everyone jumps into the bowl, then into a greased loaf pan. Easy. Quick. Snack attack time is near.

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I would suggest letting the bread cool completely before slicing. If it’s still warm it may be a little too crumbly (although still yummy).

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I opted for simple, and topped it with some homemade butter. But, you could also top it with caramel and serve it for dessert. You might spread some cream cheese on a slice, or top the whole thing with cream cheese frosting. Or, as an ode to one of my favorite snacks, eat it for breakfast topped with some crunchy peanut butter.

Peanut butter and apples. Apples and cheese. Apples and almonds… apples and almost anything.

Happy Eating!

Persimmon Apple Bread

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 6-8

Serving Size: 1 to 1.5 slices

Persimmon Apple Bread

Ingredients

  • 1 C whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/2 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • 1 t fresh ginger, minced (or 1/4 t ground)
  • 1/2 C cold unsalted butter (could sub cold coconut oil), cut into small chunks
  • 1 C oats (can also use granola)
  • 1 1/4 C apples (or chopped pears, Asian pears, persimmons, figs, cherries, stone fruit, or grated carrots, parsnips, or summer squash), chopped
  • 1/2 C persimmon pulp
  • 1 egg
  • 1 t apple cider vinegar
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1 T maple syrup
  • optional, for topping: seeds or chopped nuts

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
  2. Whisk the flour through ginger. Mix in butter or oil with a pastry blender or hands (until it resembles a coarse meal or pea sized chunks). Stir in oats and fruit. Set in the freezer while you assemble wet ingredients.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the persimmon pulp through maple syrup. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
  4. Scoop into a greased loaf pan (or into greased muffin tins). Top with nuts and seeds if using. Bake for 35-40 minutes (20-22 for muffins), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  5. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool completely on a cooling rack.
http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/persimmon-apple-bread/