Restaurants & Recipes

I like trying new restaurants. I collect business cards from each. I also love to cook.

Greek-inspired Frittata with Broccoli, Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes and Feta

Eggs are frequently the main ingredient in our weekend breakfasts.  Typically, we'll whisk 3-4 egg whites together with a yolk or two and some skim milk as the base.  Then, we'll chop up a heap of vegetables, whatever we have on hand that day.  This weekend we had a bit of leftover feta cheese from a previous dinner, so we let that be our inspiration.  Paired with broccoli, zucchini and cherry tomatoes, this turned out to be not only a healthy, but beautiful meal to start our day!

Ingredients:

3-4 eggs whites
2 egg yolks
1 count of skim milk
1 head of broccoli, chopped 
1 handful cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 zucchini, chopped
2 T freshly crumbled feta cheese
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste (we also frequently use crushed red pepper, oregano, basil, etc. to spice the veggies and eggs)

Instructions:
Heat the skillet with a few tablespoons of water over a medium flame.  Once the water is hot, add the veggies and place a lid on the skillet to hold in the steam.  Allow the veggies to steam for 1-2 minutes so that their color intensifies, but they are not completely cooked through.  Strain the remaining water from the pan, then add the eggs, making sure the veggies are evenly distributed.  Cook the eggs, without stirring, for 4-5 minutes, letting the bottom and edges set.  Fire up the broiler, place the pan on the top oven rack and let the top of the eggs cook for about two minutes.  Sprinkle the feta over the top, pop the pan back under the broiler for 1-2 minutes, letting the eggs finish cooking and the cheese to melt.  Slice the frittata and serve alongside whole wheat toast (or matzo as was the case this weekend).  

Perfect Breakfast Bran Muffin

 

After channeling Paula Deen's Butter Love (PDBL) in my last post, I thought I'd make a batch of healthier muffins, versatile enough to handle different kinds of mix-ins and flavorful enough to simply stand on their own.  

This bran muffin recipe comes from one of the most health conscious people I know.  Fortunately, this girl also loves good food, good wine and thinks developing new flavors for Ben & Jerry's would be a dream job.  So you can be assured these muffins will achieve two goals: good nutrition and good taste!

I made three versions with this most recent batch - plain, with chocolate chips and with currants.  You could also include nuts or raisins to add a little protein and different flavors.  As with the PDBL Pecan Pie Muffins, I froze the leftovers for easy weekday breakfast options.

Ingredients:
1.5 c bran cereal (not flakes - I used Fiber One)
1.5 c Bran flakes
1/3 c unsweeted apple sauce
1 c hot water
2 eggs
1 c whole wheat flour
1.5c reg. flour
1 c sugar (I go lighter on this and they still taste great)
2 Tb canola oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tb + 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c lowfat buttermilk (or, mix 1 T vinegar with ~ 1c skim milk) 
2 Tb cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly coat muffin tin with oil.  Place all ingredients in large mixing bowl and stir until blended - don't overmix.  Fill tins 1/2 to 3/4 full, bake for 25 min.  Allow to cool a little for easier removal.  Batter will keep in fridge up to 1 month.

Yield: 24 muffins  


 

Pecan Pie Muffin Recipe

My friend Danielle made these pecan pie muffins for me and a group of girlfriends over the summer and I fell in love at first bite.  Served warm, they were slightly crisp on the outside and gooey on the inside, just like a pecan pie should be.  I recently made a batch, served a few for dessert with vanilla ice cream and put the rest in the freezer for an on-the-go weekday breakfast option.  I substituted almonds and walnuts in part of the batch because I ran out of pecans and they turned out just as good.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Bake for 25 minutes
Yield: 6-8 muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/2 cup flour
2 larges eggs (beaten until foamy)
1/2 cup butter (melted)

Directions:
Mix pecans, brown sugar and flour together is a large bowl
Make a well in the mixture
Whip eggs with a whisk until foamy
Add room temperature melted butter to eggs
Pour liquid mixture into the well in your dry ingredients and mix until just combined
Fill muffin cups almost to the top (muffins do not rise very much in oven)