Cupcakes for Breakfast? Yes Ma’am!

Mmm...breakfast cupcakes!

One of my favorite lunchbreak pastimes is to peruse Pinterest.com in search of recipe inspiration. While I (responsibly) chew my standard turkey sandwich, I scan the pinned recipes, sometimes laughing (seriously, must you add cake batter to EVERYTHING, people?!) and occasionally lusting after the featured treats.

Now I usually don’t cook ridiculous stuff, especially not early in the morning, and ESPECIALLY not if I’ve been “out on the town” the night before. But one Saturday morning I awoke to find my head a little fuzzy and my tummy in the mood for something more satisfying than yogurt and granola. Then I remembered a tasty little pin from Pinterest: Someone had put ham into muffin tins and cooked eggs in the ham cups. I figured even with a testy head, I could handle this. So off to Publix I dashed. Here’s how it went down…

Breakfast Cupcakes
Serves two hungover guys

4 eggs
sliced ham, speck, prosciutto (any thinly sliced cooked or cured meat)
2 TBSP milk
1/4 cup of cheese (sharp cheddar or Parmesan)
half an onion, diced
small potato, diced
various herbs and what-such

I started by dicing my onion and potato, then got them sauteing in the skillet with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Honestly, you can skip this step (I did once, and they were fine) but I do love a breakfast potato. Cook until tender enough to eat, with a nice crust.

Mmmm...potato...

Speaking of crust, while you’re sauteing, it’s time to start your meat cups! Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, spray your muffin tins with cooking spray, and stuff some meat in. I’ve done it regular deli ham and speck (which I think is basically American prosciutto). Just push it down to make a cup.

Mmm...meat cups...

Meanwhile, mix up your eggs. I recommend mixing them in something with a spout (I used my measuring cup) — it makes pouring easier. Combine eggs and milk, whisking well. Add salt and pepper, but salt mindfully, because depending on what meat you use, you could be in for a salt overload (which I did to my family last weekend!). Mix in some herbs (parsley or dill) or sauteed spinach (or even mushrooms!) and you’re good to go. Oh yeah, and cheese. Never forget the cheese!

Mmm...cheese...

Finally, it’s assembly time. If you weren’t too hungover and you did the potato-onion step, add a small spoonful to the bottom of each meat cup (about a tsp). Follow that by carefully filling each cup halfway with the egg mixture (it rises), then top with a dash of pepper and cheese.

Mmm...salmonella cups...

Me, fighting the urge to eat Salmonella Cups...

Then, all you do is pop ’em in the oven for 15 minutes. That’s it! And here they are!

Mmm...hello delicious!

You would think they’d big ole mess, but they just pop right out! They are a super-cute and super-tasty way to start a Saturday morning. Plus, if you’re like me and have a husband who tends to sleep a little later than you on Saturday, these actually reheat decently (or at least better than scrambled eggs or waffles).

Check out Pinterest.com…there’s a lot of fun stuff — just stay away from the cake-battered chicken tenders, will you? 😉

I’m Cuckoo for Quinoa!

Hi, I'm Josh Miller, President of the Quinoa Council

I am obsessed with quinoa. It is an absolute wonder-grain. Yep, I said Wonder Grain. I’m not ashamed — I am a total dork in my love for this stuff!

I’ve been cooking with it for years, and Matthew’s a fan — he shared a quinoa salad recipe years ago, and I alluded to its greatness in a post of my own starring avocado bisque. But these paltry posts don’t do my darling quinoa justice.

So, just in case you’re not already cuckoo for quinoa, let me tell you why you should join my culinary lovecult.

Quinoa — The Healthy Alternative
Quinoa has, like SO much protein. This is unusual for grains. And as for other sides like rice, potatoes, and couscous — forget it! Quinoa lays the nutritional smackdown on those punks. Here’s a close-up look:

I'm so happy that David was around to photograph. Whenever I use my point-n-shoot, my hands look like "The Curse of the Monkey Paw."

Quinoa — She’s Fancy
Quinoa has a cool name. It’s pronounced KEEN-WA. Not “Quin-Oh-Ah” like I referred to it for years. Keen-Wa! Like you’re about to karate chop a brick in half. Say with me now: “Keen-WA!” Do it! “Keen-WA!” See, it’s fun.

Quinoa — Versatility is Her Middle Name
It goes with EVERYTHING. You know, sometimes potatoes just don’t go with your meal. Like, who eats potatoes with Asian food? And pasta as a side is just silly. Quinoa is neutral but nutty, a rich flavor that spanks rice in the taste department. Beat, it basmati — quinoa is way tastier!

Quick Quinoa — The Easy-Going Grain
Quinoa’s so easy to cook a four-year-old can do it. Unlike RICE, which I still mess up EVERY SINGLE TIME. And I have a rice cooker! For quinoa, it’s easy — just one part quinoa, two parts water, done! Bring to a boil together, reduce to low, simmer for 15 minutes, DONE.

Spend Every Meal with Lady Quinoa
Quinoa is the perfect side dish at dinner, but it’s also a great option for a filling vegetarian lunch. I’m not saying you have to become a celery-licker and munch on a bowl of alfalfa sprouts, but a little less wouldn’t hurt. In fact, you can make a pilaf of sorts with quinoa and sauteed veggies, have it as a side at supper, and then take the leftovers for lunch. Here’s a quick recipe for one I just made (and that I’m having for lunch today!)…

Quinoa with Sweet Corn and Basil
4 servings

1 cup of quinoa
2 cups water (or chicken/vege broth)
2 ears of corn, shucked and de-cobbed (yes, i made that word up)
half a red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup of basil, chopped
salt, pepper*, and olive oil

Shuck and de-cob your corn, then dice your onions. Here’s mine and Matthew’s little trick for corn…

A bundt pan is a corn shucker's best friend! Photo not by David.

Combine your quinoa and water in a saucepan (adding salt if not using broth); bring to a boil, then reduce heat to LOW, cover, and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, sauté your onions in several teaspoons of olive oil for 5-7 minutes, seasoning to taste. Add garlic and cook for one minute, then add corn and sauté for another 3 or so. Watch it — the corn has more sugar and starts to stick. If you have a little extra basil, toss in about a tablespoon as you sauté, but reserve the bulk of it. Once your quinoa is done, fluff with a fork, then add to the veggie pan. Stir in reserved basil, and you’re done!

I snapped this in a hurry. Again, photo NOT by David. 😉

*Note: I used Penzey’s Shallot Pepper as my primary seasoning. I recommend traveling to Homewood posthaste and picking some up. It may just be the best seasoning ever.

Well now you’ve gone and gotten me distracted. What was I talking about? Quinoa…obession…oh yeah — you can eat it at every meal! It’s healthy, remember, and packed with protein, so you can treat it like oatmeal. In fact, it’s better than oatmeal, because it doesn’t look like throw-up. I added a 1/4 tsp of almond extract while cooking, then a TBSP of honey, a squeeze of orange juice, then stirred in some chopped walnuts and craisins. A dollop of yogurt turned this into a suitable breakfast alternative. I had it this morning and I am still full! Take a look:

Quinoa is part of a healthy, balanced breakfast! Photo by David

I’ll be honest, I’m a bigger fan of it in savory applications, but you gotta love quinoa’s versatility. It’s the little black dress of grains.

So go grab a box today (you can find it at Publix and Whole Foods) … and start playing with flavor and veggie combinations. It’s easy and forgiving, and that’s why we love it — Quinoa: The Quintessential Mischief Grain.™  😉

Did You Say Meatloaf Omelet?

*Note: There is no meatloaf in this omelet.

Not exactly, but we’ll get to that. One of my favorite things to do on Saturday morning is to head to the Pepper Place Farmers’ Market and shop until I drop (or at least until I blow through my $40 allowance).

Then we get home, with bags-a-bulging, and start unpacking our spoils. Speaking of spoils, the next step is to purge the crisper of last week’s wishful thinking. Even though I try to get to all my veggie friends, there’s inevitably a little bit of arugula, a lonely green onion, or maybe a mushroom or two loitering about. Good intentions, slowly going bad…

Last Saturday, instead of dooming these misfits to the rubbish bin, I invited them all to breakfast. I decided to do a Leftovers Omelet. I know this name hits about a 6 on the Repugnance Scale, but we’re not talking about meatloaf here — we’re talking about farm-fresh vegetables. Okay, farm fresh-ish.

The beauty of an omelet is several-fold. The cooking process disguises any droopiness your veggies may have acquired after a week in cold storage. ‘Wilted’ sounds so much more delicious when it’s on purpose, right? Second, cheese is the social lubricant of your omelet party. You can invite a few weirdo leftovers as long as you have plenty of cheese. Lastly, by this time, you are probably STARVING, which means your omelet will be 87% more delicious. SCORE.

See the clock? By 10 a.m., I could eat dirt omelets and declare them delicious!

The process is simple: pick your poisons, combine them in a bowl, and pour in a pan. Last Saturday, I used some leftover cappricola (a cured meat, like prosciutto), arugula, green onions, smoked mozzarella, Parmesan, and a slight glug of milk. Oh, and lots of salt and pepper.

Tip: Leftover bread-ends from Mix make delicious mini-toasts!

As far as cooking is concerned, I’ll go ahead and be honest — I think you must be God-fearing with a healthy prayer life to successfully flip an omelet. You know I love Jesus, but I drink a little. Consequently, my omelet flipping is haphazard at best. Usually I can get one done OK. Then I flip the other one and it goes careening out of the pan, nicking the stove hood, then spirals out of control, shedding bits of omelet flotsam across my stovescape.

I'm preparing to curse LOUDLY...

Caught in the act of cursing! (Why am I pointing?)

Good luck. Just use lots of Pam, pray a little bit, give the pan a jerk and flip, and be sure to CURSE loudly. My go-to omelet expletive is “Holy Shit!” …if that helps. 😉

Have a wonderful weekend, and if you do dare to flip, take a picture of the crash site for me. Have a wonderful (and safe) Memorial Day Weekend!