Category: savory

most weekdays, i skip breakfast. it’s bad, i know, but the best i usually do is a bowl of honey bunches of oats at my desk. on weekends though, i crave giant hearty breakfasts. i want pancakes and omelets and bacon and muffins – like the “complete breakfast” you’d see at the end of a cereal commercial, where we’re expected to have a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk. above is my go-to breakfast for sunday morning, with a fresh mug of coffee (i’ve converted from instant to brewed!). eggs, sunny-side up, italian sausage, asparagus sauteed in butter and whole wheat toast – there’s nothing better. plus, it makes me feel like a line-order cook, if only for the 15 minutes it talkes to pull everything together –  it’s a fun game to see if i can it all ready at the same time so it’s still hot when i eat.

if you ignore the fact that i completely overcooked the eggs, this was an incredible meal. until recently, i never knew what to call sunny-side up eggs, because growing up we just called them “dippy eggs” (because you poke the yolk and dip the bread into it). and asparagus for breakfast? i’ve always loved it, but i was skeptical of the “asparagus and eggs with parmesan” craze until i tried it myself. there was actually another entire plate of asparagus that i wolfed down. that’s right, i ate an entire bushel of asparagus for breakfast. and it was worth it. what’s your favorite breakfast for a lazy weekend?

as much as i’d love for it to be true, i don’t get to just sit around eating cupcakes and pies all day. despite the name of the site, i also cook regular old meals – meals that aren’t slathered in frosting, and some even without *gasp* bacon. so to give you all a better idea of what i eat for dinner on a typical night, i’m excited to share some of my favorite non-dessert meals!

i actually started making this chicken salad after i tackled the mighty bastilla – and came out victorious. whole foods is a little above my means, but one of my favorite things to grab for lunch there is a container of the curried chicken salad. after i cooked the chicken for the bastilla, the flavors were so similar to the chicken salad from the store that i decided that i could make it for myself from now on to save a bit of money.

the flavors are, in a word, perfect. the combination of spicy and sweet will make you smile, and the peppers and grapes keep the chicken salad (which is too often dry) moist and refreshing. it’s such an easy and flavorful dish, there’s really no excuse to make up a big ‘ole batch for your friends, or better yet, to bring along for a picnic as the days (thank god) get warmer. and for anyone still craving something sweet, don’t worry, i’ve got some treats coming up this week. stay tuned! i’m not through with sugar and bacon (and combination thereof) yet!

you know, i usually try to keep things casual with meals at home. my ideal dinner is pretty much sausage, peppers and onions on an italian roll with provolone cheese and tater tots. but sometimes, when i get in the mood, i like to get a little fancy. fortunately for my sanity (and my wallet), i tend to only get fancy with one aspect of a meal – imagine hot dogs served with caviar – so i’m always on the lookout for dishes that straddle the line.

the gougère is the perfect solution: a french creation made with a swiss cheese, so you know it’s great right off the bat. it’s fancy enough to serve on its own as an hors devour but still goes great as an accompaniment to a hearty meal. gougère are basically extremely light cheese puffs, simple to make, and hard to stop eating.

the secret is to use a very simple pâte à choux – a dough made from butter, water, flour and eggs. although they don’t look so graceful going into the oven, they come out beautifully puffed and fluffy, with no need for yeast or other leavening agents. the cheese flavor is very light, so if you want something more intense, just add more shredded cheese of your choice.

you may be surprised at first bite that such a simple recipe could yield elegant results. no matter what kind of meal you serve these with, they’ll impress. now i’m off to eat my sausage, pepper and onion sandwich with a side dish of cheese puffs. until next time!