Wednesday and Thursday Breakfasts

No Rice Fried Rice

As I posted a while ago, breakfast is a great meal and shouldn't be overlooked if it can be helped. I especially enjoy a hot breakfast, and a healthy breakfast is very important too. I've often wondered how to get more vegetables into the morning breakfast, and I've been able to do that this week. With the leftover zucchini I simply reheated it and topped it with an egg. The same type of breakfast occurred yesterday with an egg on top of kale sauteed with spinach. And, this morning it was a no rice fried rice. I wanted to make fried rice to use up more of the vegetables before I go to the farm stand today, so I thought that this was a great idea. Unfortunately I didn't have any leftover rice in the refrigerator. That's sacrilege living here in Hawaii and dining on a great deal of Asian style foods. I also think that having pre-made rice around is a good idea for those on a gluten-free diet. Some people stop getting enough grains, especially whole grains, in their diet when they go gluten free; but, if they kept a container of brown rice in the refrigerator they could warm some up in the microwave to have as a side dish or part of a main dish anytime.

So, no rice fried rice was born. Instead of using rice or noodles I used washed and drained mung beans as the base.

Thursday's Breakfast:

No Rice Fried Rice

(see above picture)

• 2 cups of rinsed mung beans
• 1 cup of of sugar snap peas, ends cut off and then cut in half
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 green onion, white part sliced and dark green part sliced
• 3 eggs, beaten
• Braggs, or gluten-free soy sauce to taste
• Crushed Red Pepper to taste
• Medium-heat Oil (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat. Add a little bit of oil if needed to keep the vegetables from sticking.
2. Add in the diced carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Then add in the whites of the onions and cook for another 1 minute.
4. Toss in the snap peas and cook until they start to get slightly blackened on the edges.
5. Incorporate the mung beans and cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
6. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add in the eggs. Start scrambling them, and mixing them with the vegetables. Cook until the eggs are cooked through, and the eggs sticking to the vegetables are cooked completely.
7. Spritz in some Braggs, or pour on a little gluten-free soy sauce and sprinkle in the red pepper.
8. Stir well, and serve hot.

Wednesday's Breakfast:

Sauteed Kale and Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts

Topped with a Fried Egg

Sauteed Kale and Spinach with Toasted Pine Nuts

adapted from vegweb.com

• Greens and nuts:
• 1 bunch of kale, leafy part only, torn into bite size pieces
• 1 bunch of spinach (about 2 cups of leaves, compacted)
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts
• 1/2 a medium onion, julienned and diced
• 1Tbsp Grapeseed of other medium to high heat oil

• Dressing:
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat and add in the pine nuts. Let them cook, but watch them carefully. Do not let them burn. They should be a golden color when they are done.
2. In, or over, another medium pot steam the kale and spinach for 3-5 minutes (depending on level of squishiness desired). Remove from the heat.
3. When the pine nuts are done place the kale, spinach, and pine nuts in a medium bowl. Top with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to your desired level of coating. This is where you really get to experiment and learn your palate.
4. Top with a fried, or poached egg, or serve as a side for any other dish like fish, chicken, tofu, etc. It's very versatile.

Monday's Breakfast

Eggs and Pan Roasted Zucchini with Balsamic Vinegar

I'm wanting to get back into working out again, and so I thought to start the day off right I'd make the Nerd and I fruit smoothies with kale hidden in them. Well, let me tell you, that kale wasn't hiding anything. Down the drain it had to go. I made it through a 1/4 of a glass, but the Nerd only managed two sips while making "disgusted cat" faces about the salad like taste.

Breakfast instead became something quite beautiful and delicious, and pretty healthy too.

Last night for dinner I whipped up two pan and oven roasted chicken breasts with butter, rosemary, thyme and the old alae sea salt and pepper. I slightly overcooked them because I was off dealing with the zucchini, but they were still moist enough and delicious. It's a good thing though that they were a little dry, because the zucchini was not.

I pan roasted the zucchini while following a recipe in Think Like a Chef. The zucchini took quite a while because I could only do it in one layer at a time, and I was using 4 jumbo zucchinis from the farm stand. They were 3 for $1, how could I pass up that deal? So, I made a ton of pan roasted zucchini. It's very good, seriously. The flavors of the olive oil, sea salt, and pepper mix together so beautifully. They're all such simple flavors, and make simple flavors, but pairing them with the zucchini makes my mouth think it is dining on something rather expensive. I'm learning that it's all in the techniques.

So, after the major "Fail" on the smoothie front, I reheated some leftover zucchini and topped it with a fried egg and some balsamic vinegar (the good stuff, not the stuff I hide in spaghetti sauce). I think it would have been worthy of an elegant breakfast had I made poached eggs, but I didn't think about it until afterward when I saw the zucchini piled on the plate.

This was a beautiful, and very ono breakfast.

Thursday Dinner and Breakfast

Fresh Maui Tofu

Last night's dinner was delicious. My Red Curry Tofu was spicy and delicious. None of the vegetarians or vegans showed up, but we still enjoyed it.

I had originally purchased the steak to feed Devin and I later in the week, but another one of the guests requested a piece of the steak. So, I gave away 2/3 of the steak last night, but this morning the Nerd and I are splitting the last piece with our breakfast. More on that later.

Definitely Press Your Tofu for this Recipe

(Yes, it's under there.)

Red Curry Recipe:

4 cups of dry rice, cooked

8 Tbsp Thai Red Curry Paste

Oil (optional)

4 cans of Coconut Milk

1/2 a super sized zucchini, or 1 large zucchini

1 cup of chopped Kale

2 large red bell peppers, sliced and cut in half

1 large block of tofu, pressed

2 cups of water

Sautee the curry paste in a non-stick large pot, or in oil in a standard pot. Then add the coconut milk and stir it up until combined. Watch for chunks of the curry paste and mash them with the back of a large spoon against the side of the pot to break them up. Bring to a mild simmer.

Add in the red bell pepper and cook for about 10 minutes. Then add the zucchini and kale. Simmer for another 10 minutes. Add in the tofu, and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Put all of the water into the pot, and bring back up to a simmer.

Serve this over rice. You'll have more than enough rice, which is great because you'll have some for the leftovers.

The steak I made last night was very well received, and I heard some groans of pleasure. I was paid a great compliment from my friend C who said that for top sirloin butt steak can get very tough, especially since it was a thin steak. However, mine was very juicy. I attribute that to the slow pan roasting and the basting.

To slow pan roast your next steak:

• Heat a pan to medium low
• Put in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan
• Cut off a small piece of steak to test the heat of the pan
• If the oil sputters or smokes, remove the pan from the burner and turn the heat down
• Once the oil only produces a nice sizzle, then add the rest of your steaks
• Cook on each side for about 2 minutes, if you steak is sticking let it stick for a moment and it will release itself when it is done browning
• Add a tablespoon or two of butter to the pan along with your favorite steak seasoning
• Return the steak to its first cooking side and let the teak cook for about 13 minutes for medium rare
• Test the doneness of your steak by pressing on it with your finger: the more give there is, the rarer the steak, the more firmness the more well the steak is
• Pay attention to the thinnest part of your steak, it will give you a good idea of how the rest of your steak is doing
• Remove the steaks from the pan before they reach the done point you desire as they will continue to cook for a few minutes after being removed from the heat of the pan
• Resting the steak before eating it is important because it gives the steak time to redistribute the juices for a juicier and more flavorful steak
• Enjoy!

(Information adapted from Think Like a Chef by Tom Colicchio, a chef I greatly respect for his knowledge and skills)

Mmm a real breakfast!

Breakfast this morning was the piece of leftover steak, reheated in the cast iron skillet; pan fried and oven roasted sliced potatoes with onions, alae sea salt, pepper, and thyme; a pan fried egg with pepper; and sliced strawberries. It took a while to make. I didn't get to cooking it until 7:45am, and it was done by 9am. In that time I was able to wash up some leftover dishes from last night, and I got some towels washed in the washing machine. Now that I know more of what I like in this meal I could do this quicker, but the potatoes still take a while.

Meal Plan for the Week

My breakfast this morning

Thursday Dinner:

• Thai Red Curry Tofu with Mochi for dessert, for our meat eater I will be serving Pan Roasted Sirloin, corn on the cob, and a baked potato.

Friday-Wednesday (No Saturday, possibly no Friday):

• Lentil Burritos from $5 Dinners
• Summer rolls and Tom Kha Ga (okay, the soup is canned Thai Kitchen)
• Crockpot Beef Pho from Crockpot365
• Grilled Chicken Quesadillas with Black Bean and Corn Salad from Vegweb
• Steak leftovers with baked potatoes and corn on the cob
• Pan roasted chicken breast, a delicious vegetable from the farm stand, and brown rice

Shopping list:

• Chocolate bars (2 for $5)
• Organic milk $6
• Sweet Thai Chili Sauce $5
• Beef Stock $4 (could make this, but not this week)
• Rotel $3
• Local Tofu (2) $6
• Garlic(2) $1
• Red Bell Pepper $2
• Cucumber(2) $3
• Local Sprouts $2
• Rice wrappers $2
• Basil $2
• Local stir fry beef $5
• Pasture Raised Eggs $5
• Local Onions(2) $3
• Local Watercress $2
• Local Snap Peas $1
• Local Corn Cobs(4) $4
• Local Carrots(2 bunches) $4
• Bibb Lettuce $2
• Local Romaine $2
• Local Avocado $2
• Local Lime $1
• Local Spinach(2) $4
• Local Delicious vegetable $2
• Local Cherry Tomatoes $3
• Local Green Onions $1
• Local top sirloin steak $7

From the Onions down to the Cherry Tomatoes are all bought at the farm stand. Prices can fluctuate there, and so can supply. Carrots weren't available last week, but they looked so good when I saw them that I am excited to get my hands on them. I'll see what else I can get there, so I am going to have to get a good deal of cash from the Nerd for the food there.

My estimated total is: $90 out of available $120

With that much room available, I don't feel so scared to go shopping. That room too makes a Costco trip possible soon. I don't promote Costco for all things, but we are running out of toilet paper, and that's the best way to get that here in the islands. There is no locally produced toilet paper.

I'm going to take a peek at the local milk now that it is on sale and they are selling a half gallon now. If the expiration date is far out enough, I'll get that and save 2 dollars more.

Friday night we may be going out to eat with a friend, or she may be coming over here, or we may be going over to her house. If she comes over here I'll serve the Pho or the Pan Roasted Chicken Breast.

Okay, time for me to finish getting ready to head out to the stores. I need to shop earlier today so I can straighten up the house and prepare for dinner tonight.

Have a splendid day!

*EDIT* Exciting news! I bought a box of strawberries at the farm stand and still came in at $80.67! That's nearly $10 under my estimated total. Now I certainly have enough money for Costco!

Severe Lack in Breakfast Blogging

Bananas Foster Pancakes with Genmaicha Tea

Yesterday I noticed a severe lack in breakfast blogging, especially among gluten-free and vegan blogs. Everyone always focuses their attention on supper. Supper is a terrific meal, but breakfast is as equally as amazing(and can often times be better). So, where are all of the breakfast recipes and photographs? Is breakfast just too hard to blog about, or to get people interested in? Or is it that we're all skipping out on the meal entirely?

When I watch old TV shows breakfast seems to be the biggest meal with pancakes, meats, eggs, waffles, milk, orange juice, and potato dishes; in the movie Pleasantville they mock this.

These days in movies and on TV you see people grabbing a granola bar, or a yogurt and rushing out the door. What happened to the nice hot breakfast to start the day off right?

I can't say I'm not guilty of eating a cold breakfast most of the time, but I live for those weekend breakfasts with warm pancakes and leisurely eating. Just about every Saturday I make pancakes. We usually wake up around here at 10am on the weekends, so breakfast is almost like a small brunch, with a light lunch later in the day, and then dinner.

I'd love to get into creating some delicious breakfasts, and show that they can be done quickly while still getting out of the door on time. Being a student who doesn't have to be downtown for class until noon gives me a lot of time in the morning, but the Nerd has to be in his office(he telecommutes) by 8am. Giving that I don't get out of bed until about 7:10, this doesn't give me a lot of time. I still have to get dressed, cleaned up, and in the kitchen in time to make a good breakfast. Sometimes I can take his breakfast into the office for the Nerd. But, I would like to make a really great breakfast for him to enjoy before he is thrust into corporate land and meetings.

This will definitely be an involved experiment, and I probably won't be able to do it all of the time, but I'll give it a shot.

There is one problem though: fitting more food into the budget.

Being gluten-free means that pancake batter isn't as cheap as a bag of flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and some baking powder. The gluten-free flours all tend to be quite expensive, and there's the mixing of the different kinds to get them to create something tasty that isn't flat as a well, too thin pancake, and doesn't turn into a rock. I'm so reliant on mixes or other people's recipes that I am afraid to branch out to my own brain for the correct mixture of flours, but I'll try. It will probably just start with modifying some existing mixes and playing with that. But see, here's that problem of money again. How to do this without wasting expensive flours? I'll start with slight alterations that shouldn't affect the mix greatly.

What about other breakfast dishes? Well, potatoes are cheap and you can leave them alone to do their cooking while you're off dressing yourself for work, school, etc. or while you're dressing your husband, boyfriend, etc. or while you're wrestling your children into clothes. Heck, you could even start a load of laundry while they're cooking. Potatoes like to be left alone to cook at a lower to medium temperature. If you try to cook them too fast on a high heat they'll burn and breakfast will be ruined. If cooked too low then they won't be ready by the time you're ready to leave. There is a happy middle. I'll come up with a great recipe and we'll learn that temperature and time together.

Eggs are quick, and if you are patient and use that happy middle again, they won't burn or be undercooked. There will even be time to get a kid's shoes on, or time to brush your hair and put on a little makeup, or give a quick spit shine to your shoes. You could even move the laundry to the dryer. If you're a vegan, then great, go with a tofu scramble. It's a simple quick fix too. There are more spices to throw in, but a quick crumble of tofu with your hands and some seasonings, and once the tofu is heated through you're ready to go. What makes you lucky is no fear of salmonella from improperly handled and cooked eggs.

And, if you can afford gluten-free oats then throw them into the crockpot the night before, and you've got breakfast piping hot and waiting in the morning. Throw in your favorite toppings, and mmm so ono(delicious in Hawaiian).

If you're absolutely in a rush, mix up a smoothie. They should be faster than any of the above, given a good blender you don't have to fight with(like mine). Take the standard smoothie and hide some spinach in it for extra vitamins and a serving of vegetables. You'll notice a slight difference, but not much of one.

One of our favorite hot breakfasts during the week is fried rice. This is a great way to get vegetables into breakfast(which seems quite difficult to do). It's a wonderful way to use up leftovers. Scramble two eggs in a large skillet or wok, and then move them to a plate(we do this so they don't dry out while everything else cooks). Add a little oil to the wok and toss in some vegetables(frozen mixed vegetables work quite nicely, and are much faster and easier than chopping fresh). Cook them until they're almost tender. Toss in some leftover, refrigerated rice. It should be nice and dried out.(If your rice isn't very dry, take the lid off and put it in the freezer for a couple of minutes.) Stir fry this together over medium high heat with some seasonings(I like crushed red pepper, salt, and black pepper). Finally, add in some pineapple chunks and a little bit of gluten-free soy sauce(I use Braggs). Put the cooked egg back into the wok, give everything a good stir, and serve it up in bowls with extra Braggs on the side. Delicious!

Well, that's my way too long breakfast post for today. A dinner posting and the meal plan for the week are up next!