Ginormous Pancake aka Dutch Baby Pancake

I love special and fun traditions, especially those that revolve around cold weather and/or holidays. One of my favorites was one my first grade teacher had for every first rainy day of the month. I grew up in southern California so it only really rained in the fall and winter months (I was shocked to discover when I got older that most areas of the U.S. have rain year round). And every first rainy morning of the month my teacher would bring in a huge urn of hot chocolate and bags of marshmallows. You had the option of bringing in your own mug and I always brought in my beloved mug with my name on it (I have an unusual name so this mug I found in Solvang, CA was a treasured possession!). This simple and yet awesome tradition made a dreary and rainy school day seem so special.

Now that I live on the east coast where it rains so much, I don't really make a big deal out of a rainy day other than to chase around my wet pugs with paper towels as I try to dry them off. But now my CA rainy day equivalent is a snow day! There's nothing better than the first few snowy days in a winter, especially if it means cancelled work or a late arrival! Sadly, today's wintry mix is on a Sunday but I still wanted to do something special for it. Usually I make a fun breakfast for a snow day, like a breakfast sandwich or pancakes. And now I'm adding this ginormous pancake aka Dutch baby pancake to my snow day routine!  This is best served right away but it's super easy to put together and quick to bake. What could possibly be better than eating this delicious pancake on a cold, snowy day, except for maybe sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate with melting marshmallows on top in a special mug with your name on it?

Servings: 2-4 (or if you're feeling really glutinous 1 - shhh, I won't tell!)

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Powdered sugar and lemon wedges for topping
(Can top instead with maple syrup or fruit)

Instructions:

• Place oven-safe skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees 
• In a large bowl whisk 2 large eggs and 1/2 cup milk until light and frothy.
• Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and whisk together until well mixed and smooth (a feat I still am never able to fully achieve). Let the mixture sit at room temperature while you wait for the oven to reach temperature.
• Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Swirl the butter around to coat the entire pan.
• Pour batter into the skillet and place back in the oven to bake for 12-18 minutes until pancake has puffed and is golden brown.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar, squirt a bit of lemon juice on top, and serve immediately (you can slice it up into wedges for serving).
• [Alternatively: you can top instead with maple syrup or fruit.]

As soon as I go into the kitchen to cook, Sunny assumes her usual pathetic begging pug position. She alternated between looking sadly at the ground, resting her chin on the drawer handle, and staring up at me with her sad lil eyes.

Ahhh fresh out of the oven!

I like topping my pancake with powdered sugar and some squirts of a lemon wedge, but you can top it with lots of other things like maple syrup or your favorite fruit.

Ah nothing like a fun and delicious breakfast/brunch on a cold snowy day!

The begging pugs are back.

Rosy really really wanted to try some of this. She was begging more for this than a lot of my other savory dishes!

Trying to sneak a lick!

Sunny's eyes here crack me up!

Maybe I should rename these Pug Baby pancakes?

For those wondering, a quick internet search informed me that Dutch Baby pancakes are actually of German-American origin and the name is the result of a misinterpretation of the word "deutsch" for "Dutch" (like the Pennsylvania Dutch).

Spanish "Tortilla"

This is one of my favorite recipes for spring and summer because this Spanish omelette is flavorful, but not too heavy, and you can eat it hot or cold.  I actually prefer this cold which makes it great in the warm weather and easy to prepare in advance for weekday meals as I'll cook it up on Sunday night for some of my weekday meals.  It's also a great vegetarian dish (if you eat eggs) so I like to make this when I'm not in the mood for any meats.

I've had Spanish tortillas in tapas restaurants quite often and love them (it combines so many things I love in one dish - eggs, cheese, and potatoes!).  Contrary to what you may think from the name, this is not anything like a traditional tortilla and is more like an egg and potato omelette.  This recipe is not quite like the authentic dish but it's a faster and easier version because you cook the potatoes in advance in the microwave and don't need to flip it because you finish it off with the broiler.

This recipe is also really easy to modify based on personal tastes.  I've made this with other ingredients like green onions and zucchini (instead of the sundried tomatoes and mushrooms) and that was really yummy too, but this one is my favorite version that I make quite often.  Keep in mind that if you eat it cold you may need to season it extra with some salt and pepper before serving. Also, the more additional ingredients you add, the more eggs and milk you may want to consider adding to keep the "tortilla" together.

Servings: 4 (but for me this is a 2-3 night meal dish)

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 oz sundried tomatoes, chopped
2-4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (I do 4 because I'm a goat cheese monster)
5 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup skim milk
1//2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Cooking spray or olive oil
Additional salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Preheat the boiler.
• Peel and dice two medium-sized potatoes and microwave them, sprinkled with some water, in a lightly covered bowl for about 3-5 minutes until they are fork tender.  I usually do 5 minutes with my microwave.  Drain excess water and set aside.
• Heat a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat and when warm spray with a cooking spray or pour 1-2 tbsps of olive oil.
• Add 1 chopped onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes until the onions are soft.  
• Add 3 oz chopped sundried tomatoes, 5 oz chopped mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and 1/2 tsp dried rosemary and cook for an additional couple minutes.
• Add the softened potatoes to the onion mix and cook for an additional few minutes, stirring occasionally.
• While the onion and potato mixture is cooking, mix 6 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 2-4 oz crumbled goat cheese in a bowl.
• Increase heat to medium-high and pour the egg mixture evenly over the onion and potato mixture.  I sometimes poke holes in the mixture and tilt the pan around a bit to get the egg mixture to spread evenly.  Cook for 2-3 minutes on the stovetop until the eggs are just starting to harden.

• Carefully move the skillet into the oven under the broiler and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the eggs are cooked and the top is golden brown.  Watch the "tortilla" carefully to make sure it doesn't burn as it cooks pretty quickly.
• Remove from oven and either serve warm or refrigerate it to serve cool later (I like both ways but in the summer time I prefer it cool).  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

• Optional: Tease your pugs by placing delicious Spanish "tortilla" in front of them for pictures.  This is especially tempting for Rosy who is also a goat cheese monster.

Rosy kept trying to sneak a taste.  At first she started with licking the plate, but then she got more audacious!

Now these pictures of the single slice of the Spanish "tortilla" look nice and pretty but I feel like this is not really accurate.  Usually my plates are a mess because the slices fall apart and I also don't eat in nice and neat lil slices and instead just heap large amounts on my plate.  So here are a couple pictures of what this really looks like when chowing down!

Mmm!  I just made some tonight for dinner this week!  With this crazy hot, humid, and rainy weather lately I have not felt like cooking after coming home from a gross and sweaty commute.  Hope you enjoy and if you come up with any interesting adaptations let me know!

Adapted from the potato and goat cheese Spanish "tortilla" recipe in The Six O'Clock Scramble cookbook.

Warm Lentil Salad with Bacon and Eggs

I've been missing my yummy lentil soups (Curried Lentils and Tomatoes Stew and Lentil Stew with Bacon and Greens) but not in the mood for hot soups.  I've seen a bunch of variations of recipes for lentils and eggs on the internet so I decided to throw something together based on random things I had in my fridge and I was pleasantly surprised.  This dish was super yummy and satisfying.  And I'm a sucker for a fried egg topper (mmm runny yolk!).  I think this is my new favorite comfort food and it's definitely a lot healthier than my standard comfort foods!

Servings: 2-4 (depends on if you want a big or small dish)

Ingredients:
1 cup dry green lentils
1 bag of baby spinach
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, chopped (you could add more; I'm just not a big carrot person)
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 eggs (or more if you want - the more eggs the merrier!)
1/4 teaspoon thyme
2 cups water
Red wine vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• Bring 1 cup of lentils and 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.  Drain well.
• Heat a pan over medium heat and cook 1 chopped onion, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, 4 slices chopped bacon, and 1/4 tsp thyme about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.
• Add the cooked lentils and a bag of spinach to the pan.  Stir everything together until the spinach leaves wilt.
• Add red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to the lentil mixture to taste.
• Fry or poach 4 eggs so that the whites are solid and the yolks are nice and runny.  
• Top the lentil mixture with the eggs (I do two for my dish because I'm an egg monster).
• You can season with more salt and pepper if needed.  Because my taste buds are warped from years of eating spicy Korean food I added a couple splashes of Tabasco sauce (mmm extra vinegar taste too!).

• Mash up the egg and enjoy!

 I hurriedly took these photos and then dug in.  Delish!

Tuna Nicoise Sandwich

With the weather warming up a bit I've been stuck in a food rut now that soup/stew season is over.  I don't want anything too heavy and yet it's too early for light and fresh summer meals.  In the meantime I've become obsessed with sandwiches.  I love a good sandwich, one that is savory, salty and tasty!  This tuna nicoise sandwich hits a lot of flavor notes and is so delicious. These are best enjoyed by making them the night before, squashing it under a heavy pot/pan, and then refrigerating overnight so all the flavors can meld together.  So if you don't want to turn on the oven/stove but want a satisfying meal, then definitely try this sandwich!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I only had rice wine vinegar and used that instead)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 5-ounce cans of tuna, drained (I used tuna packed in water)
4 Persian cucumbers, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
4 ciabatta rolls (or 1 8-inch round country-style bread)
4 tablespoons olive tapenade (Trader Joe's makes a great one)
1 cup baby spinach leaves
4 large eggs, hard-boiled, cooled and then sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

• In a medium bowl, combine 2 tbsps olive oil, 2 tbsps white wine vinegar, and 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (original recipe calls for 3 tbsps olive oil but I cut this to 2 to save on fat and calories).  Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer 2 tbsps of this mixture to another bowl and toss with 2 5-ounce drained cans of tuna (original recipe calls for oil-packed but I used water-packed).
• Add 4 chopped Persian cucumbers and 1/2 red onion, chopped, to the remainder of the oil-vinegar mixture.  Toss until well mixed and coated.
• Cut bread(s) in half and remove most of the soft interior.  
• Spread 4 tbsps olive tapenade on the bottom half of the bread(s) and layer 1 cup baby spinach leaves on top, and then the 4 sliced hard-boiled eggs on top of the spinach.  Sprinkle salt and pepper.
• Layer the tuna on top of the eggs and then top with the cucumber-onion mixture.  
• Close sandwich and wrap tightly in plastic.  Smush it all together with a heavy pot or pan (I used my Dutch oven).  
• Let sandwich stand for a bit or better yet refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors all meld together.  Next day slice open these bad boys and enjoy!

If you have dogs, especially if they eat a fish-based diet, then prepare to be completely harassed the entire time you make and eat this sandwich.

Stay away you can't eat this Rosy!  There are onions in this!

Poor lurking pugs.  Sorry this delicious sandwich is all for me!

Adapted from Martha Stewart.

Chicken Soba Soup with Poached Egg

I love soba and usually eat it cold during the hot summer months (such a perfect summer dish) but whenever I crave it during the cold winter months, I like to cook it up with a nice hot savory broth.  This dish is essentially various things I love thrown together - soba, broth, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, ginger!  And what the hell, I'll throw in a poached egg!  I added the poached egg because I love them, but let me tell you this totally made the dish! I wish I had cooked up more because when I went back for seconds (and maybe thirds), I was really wishing I had a poached egg for each bowl.  

If you're making this for multiple meals, then I'd advise dividing the ingredients per day and cook fresh as soba is best cooked fresh and it doesn't take that much time.  The pictures below are for me making half of the recipe and I also kinda wing it when it comes to the ingredients at times, depending on what I have available or am craving (this includes the amount of mushrooms, chicken, and spices).  This is definitely a recipe you can tweak according to your preferences.

Servings: 4 (but really for me, it's more like 2)

Ingredients:

12 ounces mushrooms (I used baby bella and shiitake), sliced

4 scallions, chopped and with white/light green and dark green parts separated

5 oz shredded chicken

4 eggs, poached (one per serving - so it depends on how much you're eating per serving)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

3 cups baby leaf spinach

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 bundles of soba

Salt, pepper, red pepper (gochugaru), and shichimi (Japanese spice blend) to taste

Instructions:

• Cook two bundles of soba according to packet instructions.  Rinse cooked soba in cold water, drain, and set aside.
• In a large pot, spray with a cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  
• Add 12 oz sliced mushrooms, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon minced ginger, white/light green chopped parts of 4 green onions.  Cook until mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally, about 5-6 minutes.

• Add 4 cups chicken broth, 2 cups water, and 5 oz shredded chicken.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 7-10 minutes.  

• While broth is simmering, poach 4 eggs (or more!).  To poach each egg, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil and then reduce heat.  Crack an egg in a small bowl/ramekin and splash some vinegar into the water (the vinegar helps the egg white hold together).  Once bubbles have stopped rising to the top, use a large spoon to gently circle the water a few times and then slip in the egg.  Cover and then after 3 minutes spoon out the egg and lay on a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the water. 
• Stir in 3 cups fresh spinach until leaves are soft, about 1 minute.  
• Add 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar.
• You can either add the soba to the pot, or you can do what I like to do and prepare the bowls for serving with a handful of soba, a poached egg on top, and a handful of dark green chopped parts of 4 green onions.

• I also like to add a sprinkling of gochugaru and shichimi.  You can get these at an Asian market, or you can do what I do, which is mooch some off of my mom.

• Pour the broth mixture over the noodles and egg, and enjoy!

Ignore any pleading looks you get from begging pugs.

I LOVE the poached egg in this soup.  The runny yolk makes the broth so savory and delicious!