Lemon & Parmesan Scrambled Eggs
Despite living in the city, our small courtyard here is full of life. We have mango, coconut, key lime, sour orange, moringa, and papaya trees, a small herb garden with lemon grass, chives, and basil, and maybe, most importantly, two chickens. For me, having a daily source of beautiful backyard eggs is hard to beat. Since Madeline is an early riser, she and I often go out just as the dawn is breaking and collect fresh eggs for breakfast. Madeline knows what comes next and will crawl excitedly across the kitchen floor to her high-chair and stand babbling waiting for her breakfast to be ready (often two scrambled eggs and fresh fruit). These Lemon and Parmesan Scrambled eggs are quick and easy to make and packed with flavor. The generous parmesan adds richness and umami, while the lemon brightens up the dish and gives it a light tropical spin.
Yield: serves 1-2
Ingredients:
- 3 medium eggs
- 1/4 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
Steps:
- Whisk together eggs, parmesan, lemon juice, and pepper until well mixed.
- Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium heat, and add the butter.
- When the butter has fully melted, dump in the egg mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring only occasionally with a silicone spatula. When you stir, use the spatula to scrape the cooked eggs off the bottom and flip them in large chunks to the top. The more gently you stir, the larger the curds of your scrambled eggs will be.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, just until the eggs have fully firmed up. You are trying to make sure the eggs are just barely cooked through. This will ensure a tender egg. If you overcook the eggs, the protein structure will continue to tighten, squeezing out the water and leading to mushy or watery eggs.
- Remove from heat, garnish with herbs if desired, and serve.
Simple Lemon Butter Salmon
We've tried to expose Madeline to a wide taste palette, including some foods that kids find tough to love, like fish. In Haiti, her favorite fish dish is pan fried local Woz fish with a key lime butter sauce. While back in North America, we have adapted Madeline's favorite fish recipe, and make this Simple Lemon Butter Salmon. Madeline likes this Lemon Butter Salmon so much her hands shake with enthusiasm in between bites, and quite frankly, we adults aren't too far behind her!
Pickled Eggs & Beets
Rebecca loves pickles: pickled onions, pickled vegetables, Haitian style pickled cabbage, sauerkraut with juniper and caraway, red cabbage sauerkraut with apples and cloves, and of course dill pickles. Whether by nature or nurture, our 2-year old Madeline is developing the same taste. Our current strategy of getting her to eat veggies is to make them sour. This weekend, with piles of fresh beets and local eggs from the market, I was remembering an old fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch classic from my grandparents generation -- Pickled Eggs & Beets. I adapted this recipe from a few of our old Pennsylvania Dutch/Amish cookbooks (yes, we brought them with us to Haiti), reducing the sugar significantly and boosting the spices and vinegar. The resulting magenta pickles are sublime, and super easy to make. Our fridge version of Pickled Eggs & Beets will keep for at least two weeks, and works beautifully as a side, a quirky topping to salads, on toast, in a grain bowl, or as a toddler snack (well at least for our funny girl). Happy pink pickling!
Garlic Lemon Roast Chicken
Having an American-Canadian binational marriage comes with perks, one of which is two Thanksgivings: twice the feasting, with just enough time in between to allow for a full recovery. In honor of Canadian Thanksgiving, and the coming of cold weather, we wanted to share our go-to roast bird. This simple recipe avoids the complex trussing, stuffings, bags, frying, brining, injecting, or other techniques that can mystify and frustrate the home cook. Our Garlic Lemon Roast Chicken is ready for the oven in minutes, works every time, has moist meat and crispy skin, and is deeply infused with the flavors of lemon and garlic.
Meyer Lemon Posset
Lemon Posset is a near perfect dessert in my mind. It is rich, decadent, and creamy, while managing to taste light and fresh on the tongue. It has only three simple ingredients, that come together in a taste and texture that will make you smile. We discovered this unique old-fashioned British treat when searching for a custard-like dessert for a friend who is allergic to eggs. As often happens when we are confronted with a food restriction, we become fixated on that ingredient...in this case egg-centric dishes: ice creams, meringues, cakes, and custards. We wanted a dish with the silky creaminess usually only possibly with thickeners and eggs. Lemon Posset allows the egg-free and gluten-free among us an uncompromised dessert win, free of any substitutes or unpronounceable ingredients.
Breakfast Sandwich with Spelt English Muffins
Breakfasts during the week are often a rushed and dreary affair. Weekend breakfasts, on the other hand, give us the opportunity to go all out, try new things, and enjoy more substantial fare. Breakfast Sandwiches with Spelt English Muffins are one of my favorites. Think of this as a more refined, healthy and delicious version of the drive-through staple. For meat, I like to use home-cured corned beef, but you can also use bacon or skip the meat altogether. For a sauce, I find a light lemon aioli brings a bright contrast. What makes this dish unique, however, is the Spelt English Muffin adapted from Alton Brown. Why spelt? Spelt brings a mild sweet nuttiness which compliments the sandwich well. It also packs a healthy dose of fiber, nutrients, and protein. Using a 1/2 cup of whole spelt flour in this recipe provides the same amount of fiber as if we had made the recipe with 100% whole wheat. And...to put it politely...this version tastes much, much better than a 100% whole wheat version ever could! The spelt and all-purpose flour ratio keeps these Spelt English Muffins light, chewy, and sweet. They are great for a breakfast sandwich, and lovely on their own. These Spelt English Muffins can also be individually frozen (for up to 3 months), and reheated in the toaster for a quick breakfast during the week.
