Red Wine & Bacon Braised Kale and Endive

I'm not sure what happened here. I was on a real roll this year, posting every single week and so proud of myself! Somehow, life got a little busy and in the way of things I enjoy doing for myself, like this blog. And cooking, for that matter. I feel like there has been way more Trader Joe's frozen Indian food in my life than I would truly like to admit.
This recipe is something my husband and I enjoyed a few weeks ago for brunch, and while, (hold your breath for a very-un-southernly admission,) I don't normally enjoy greens, I love the light bitter taste of the kale with the tangy vinegar and salty bacon. With a fried egg on top, it's pretty great! 

Red Wine & Bacon Braised Kale and Endive

Ingredients:

1/4 Pound of Bacon

2 Cloves of Garlic, Minced
1/2 Onion, Minced
3 Cups of Kale and Endive, Roughly Chopped
1 Cup Chicken Stock

1/2 Cup of Red Wine
1 Tablespoon of Chili Flakes
Salt to Taste
Splash of Red Wine Vinegar


Cooking:

In a large frying pan, cook your bacon on medium heat. Remove the bacon once it's crispy and cooked to your preferred crunch. Pour out all but 3 tablespoons of bacon grease, and reserve for another recipe if you desire, like some fried sage baconnaise. Add in the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent. Add the kale, endive, stock, wine and chili flakes to the pan. Continue cooking for 35 minutes on low heat until the kale is wilted and soft and the sauce is reduced. Chop 2-3 pieces of bacon into bits and stir into the wilted greens. Add your salt to taste and a splash of vinegar. I think this is perfectly served with a fried egg over the top, and your remaining bacon on the side!

Vanilla Simple Syrup

One of my favorite treats when I'm out and about are those delicious tea lattes from that ubiquitous coffee chain, but I also love recreating the experience at home for a fraction of the cost. This is the secret ingredient, and it's super easy to make. You could also use this syrup in coffee, hot chocolate, or even in a cocktail recipe! 

Vanilla Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

3 Cups of Sugar
3-1/2 Cups of Water
1 Vanilla Bean

Cooking:

Take the vanilla bean and slice it in half, lengthwise. With the tip of a paring knife, scrape the seeds from the flesh. In a saucepan, pour in your water and sugar together, then add the vanilla bean halves and the seeds. Whisk over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove the bean halves and pour into a resealable container. It will be good for a week or two, but if you have a sweet tooth in the morning, like I do, it will be gone before then! 

Vanilla Pecan Pancakes

The first year my husband and I moved into our house, I very ambitiously tilled up a 400sqft bit of earth to grow vegetables in our tiny backyard. Next, I carefully transplanted about 40 plants which I had babied from little tiny seeds into delicate seedlings. Somehow, though, I failed to  pay attention to the giant pecan tree which prevents the backyard from getting enough sun to ever produce a lovely tomato or pepper. I gave up on the vegetable garden out back and moved it to our even smaller front yard. While I have accepted that my vegetables are going to be in a more non-traditional location, I kept waiting for the pecan tree to actually produce. Two years went by, but we finally have pecans this year; a gorgeous, giant bowl of pecans (the squirrels were good enough to leave us a few) that came from our own pecan tree.
I have been making pancakes from the Joy of Cooking recipe since I was 4 years old. The recipe is so simple and adaptable. You can include almost any item into the batter: nuts, fruits, etc. This local pecan version might be my favorite yet, but maybe that's the locavore excitement I'm tasting.

Vanilla Pecan Pancakes

Ingredients:


1-1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1-1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder
1/2 Cup of Chopped Toasted Pecans
1/8 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
1/8 Teaspoon of Nutmeg
1-1/2 Cups of Milk
2 Large Eggs
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Paste (or Vanilla Extract)

3 Tablespoons of Melted Butter
Butter for the Griddle/Pan


Cooking:

Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, spices and pecans in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla paste and melted butter together, then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Don't over stir. On a griddle or a saucepan, greased with butter, on medium heat, pour 1/2 cup of batter per pancake. You may be able to do more than one at a time with a griddle. Cook until the center of the pancake's bubbles pop and lift the edges to see if the center is golden brown. This may take around 5 minutes or so. Slide a spatula underneath the pancake and flip it. The second side will take much less time. Remove the pancake when both sides are lightly browned. Serve with syrup and more butter!

One-Eared Stag for Brunch

Last weekend, my husband and I felt we needed to venture out for a proper Sunday brunch. Looking for something a little more interesting than the usual french toast institutions and we were super excited to see that One-Eared Stag, one of my favorite dinner spots, serves a delicious brunch. One-Eared Stag opened last year in Inman Park, John Kessler gave it a great review here. I really like the innate "southernness" of the place; maybe "new southern" would classify it correctly. 

We started brunch with a kimchi bloody mary. At first, I wasn't sure if the bitterness of the cabbage worked in the sweetly, salty, tang of a bloody mary, but one more sip and I was sold. I like the new layer of flavor, combined with the spiciness that defines kimchi.



 As a sort of appetizer, we ordered the black pepper biscuits with peach marmalade. I've never had a black pepper biscuit before, but I am going to make them this way every time from now on! They were so good, especially with the sweet tart flavor of the peaches on top.



For our main courses, we shared the hanger steak with chimichurri over potato hash with fried eggs, and fried chicken and waffles with sorghum syrup and marrow butter. It was honestly hard to choose which was the favorite. The fried chicken and waffle were cooked to perfection. The chicken's golden crust was crunchy and salty, the meat was almost buttery, which was a gorgeous compliment to the sweet sorghum syrup and bready waffle. The steak was equally delicious, set off by the parsley and garlic in the chimichurri, and the creaminess of the runny egg yolks.

The best thing about One-Eared Stag, aside from the great food, is that the menu changes on a regular basis, dependent upon local, seasonal produce. (You can expect to see that amazing fried chicken on the menu on Sundays and Mondays, regularly.) Nothing excites me more than a Georgia restaurant using food grown in Georgia!

Fried Egg and Mushroom Toasts

I think I may have said before, but Brunch is my most favorite meal! I just cannot think of a single thing wrong with a leisurely weekend morning that ends in a meal half-breakfast, half-lunch, especially when combined with a spicy Bloody Mary. Occasionally, I will make a tartine for a quick brunch. Tartines are open faced sandwiches, meaning they can be extra messy (in the best way) because you're not eating them with your hands. This is a recipe that I have basically adapted from Jamie Oliver's Jamie at Home Series (my favorite cooking show.) You can watch their great mushroom hunt here. I love the idea of foraging in the woods for a good breakfast!

Fried Egg and Mushroom Tartine

Ingredients:

2 Pints of Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced

6 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

6 Stems of Fresh Thyme

2 Tablespoons of Butter

2 Tablespoons of Half and Half

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup of Greek Yogurt

1 Tablespoon of Hot Mustard

1 Teaspoon of White Wine Vinegar (or a Citrus Vinegar)

2 Slices of Buttered Toast 

Salt and Pepper

Cooking:

Grab a frying pan, pour in your oil, and turn the stove heat to medium-high. You want to wait until the pan is nice and hot. Once hot, toss in your creminis, thyme and garlic. Stirring often, wait until the mushrooms have cooked down until nice and brown. They will be about half their original size. Add in your half and half and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Stir until the butter is melted, then pour into a bowl and set aside. Place your remaining butter in the mushroom pan and fry your eggs. Meanwhile, mix your yogurt, mustard, vinegar and a salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. To assemble, take your toasts and spread your yogurt sauce on, then top with your mushrooms, and finally your fried egg!

Delicious Delicious Lime Curd

Last year, for my cousin's wedding shower, I decided I needed to be ambitious and make Martha Stewart's Meyer Lemon Cupcakes from scratch. Making cupcakes for 50 people is exhausting, and I was so glad I cheated and bought lemon curd. Thinking on it more though, I felt I really should give the lemon curd a try, but maybe with limes, since I love limes even more! This is my Lime Curd recipe, based on Martha's Meyer Lemon Curd recipe. It's delicious in cupcakes, or on scones, or poundcake, or pancakes, or just straight from a spoon! I think I'm going to try some at the bottom of some panna cotta. I'm sure the creaminess would perfectly offset the tart limeyness. 

Lime Curd

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup of Sugar

Zest of 2 Limes

2 Eggs

2 Egg Yolks

1/2 Cup of Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

2.5 Ounces of Chilled Butter, Chopped into Small Cubes

Tools:

Instant Thermometer

Fine Mesh Strainer

Cooking:

In a mortar and pestle, grind your zest into your sugar. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, you can make do with a bowl and the back of a spoon. Prepare a bowl with ice water and set aside. Fill a saucepan or double boiler with water and bring to a simmer. Place a heat proof bowl on top and add your sugar, eggs and egg yolks. Whisk constantly. When the sugar has dissolved, add your juice and whisk until the mixture reaches 160 degrees. Remove from heat and add your butter one piece at a time. Once your butter is incorporated, put the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store the curd in a sealed container until ready for serving.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

I LOVE rhubarb! Just a few years ago, rhubarb was introduced to me via an amazing pie with strawberries and huckleberries in Montana. A convert was born! Rhubarb is not a vegetable I grew up with and I am still amazed that something so celery-like can produce such a delicious, tart flavor.

I made this dish a few weeks ago to include in a cupcake recipe, but I've since been enjoying this sweet, summer compote on all kinds of goodies. It's wonderful over ice cream, biscuits, toast and even great on pound cake!  

Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote

Ingredients:

6 Stalks of Rhubarb, Chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Pint of Strawberries, Roughly Chopped

1/2 Cup of Sugar

1/2 Cup of Water

Cooking:

In a saucepan, combine all your ingredients and bring to medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook the fruit down until the fibers are soft and it's a preserve-like consistency. Enjoy!

Vacation Road Snack

Since I'm on vacation today, and we're heading up to the mountains, I decided to make a little road trip snack. A lot of people seem amazed when I tell them that I bake pancakes or muffins from scratch, but the truth of the matter is, it's really simple. There aren't that many more steps than buying the bag of mix (with who knows what added in) and pouring in your milk. This recipe took me approximately 15 minutes to stir up the batter and then 20 to bake. And the results were absolutely worth the extra 10 minutes I put into the batter!

Blueberry Almond Muffins
Makes 12 Large Muffins

Ingredients:

Dry:
2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup of Wheat Bran (Optional)
1 Tablespoon of Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/4 Teaspoon of Grated Nutmeg
1/2 Cup Slivered Almonds
1-1/2 Cups Fresh Blueberries

Wet:
1-1/4 Cups of Milk
1 Large Egg
2/3 Cup of Light Brown Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla (or if you have it, Vanilla Paste, which has the lovely vanilla seeds)
6 Tablespoons of Melted Butter

Cooking:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all of your wet ingredients together (sugar is always considered a wet ingredient in baking.) Then add the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and mix just until the batter comes together. Don't over mix, it should look lumpy and thick. Grease your muffin pan, and spoon your batter evenly across the 12 muffins. Sprinkle a bit of light brown sugar and cinnamon across the tops if you like, then bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a knife poked into the muffin comes out clean.

Brunch is My Favorite Meal

A few weekends back, when Georgia experienced a very rare ice storm, my husband and I decided to venture out to The Flying Biscuit in Candler Park. This is one of my favorite brunch places, and what's even better, they serve it all the time!
The Flying Biscuit has light and fluffy biscuits, with an amazing fruit butter, a scrumptious fried egg sandwich (the best I've had so far,) Sake Bloody Mary's, a surprisingly great combination, and one of my favorite dishes, Egg-Ceptional Eggs. This is a dish of black bean cakes, topped with a fried egg, and salsa and sour cream.
I was so inspired by the delicious dish, that I decided to make my own version, substituting black beans with chickpeas, and sour cream with greek yogurt. The results were great, and I hope you give it a shot!

Fried Chickpea Cakes

Ingredients:
1 Small Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves of Garlic, Chopped
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 Can of Chickpeas
1/4 Cup of Flour
1/4 Cup of Bread Crumbs
1 Teaspoon of Cumin
1 Teaspoon of Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon of Salt
1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper
2 Eggs
Hot Sauce to Taste
Frying Oil (Canola, Olive Oil, etc... Your Choice)
Greek Yogurt and Salsa for Topping

Cooking:
In a skillet, saute your onion, garlic, cumin and paprika in the olive oil until the onions are translucent. Pour the onion/garlic mix into a blender with 1/2 can of the chickpeas, 1 egg, as much hot sauce as you'd like to add, the salt and pepper and pulse blend until the chickpeas are creamy, but not liquified.
Pour the blended mix into a bowl and add the flour and bread crumbs and the other half of the chickpeas. Mix together into a consistency to make patties, if it's still too messy, add some more bread crumbs; basically it needs to look like sticky cookie dough.
Warm your favorite frying oil in a skillet, and fry the chickpea cakes until golden brown. Set to the side, while you fry your egg to your favorite hardness. To serve, place a chickpea cake on the plate, top with the fried egg, and a good dollop of greek yogurt and salsa on the side. Enjoy!