Breakfast of Champs

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I’m a sucker for old fashioned, fluffy pancakes, and a breakfast composed primarily of white flour and syrup always makes me want to do a marathon. A Golden Girls marathon, that is. I love to cook on the best nonstick grill pan as well, but that is only on cheat days when I let myself consume a ton of calories. For me, protein and fiber and are must haves with breakfast if I want to avoid a day full of bad decisions (although I do believe in an occasional day full of bad decisions – EVERYTHING in moderation, right?). When I felt in this way the Fig Porridge Recipe is my salvation, figs make a deliciously sweet addition to your breakfast.

These pancakes are made with oats and almond meal, which is full of protein, iron, and magnesium. They have lovely texture and the almond extract gives them a nice flavor so that just a little butter and jam or syrup will do.

Almond-Oat Pancakes
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Meatloaf Laws

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When is that last time anyone out there had meatloaf?  If it’s something that you would never make of your own free will, chances are you’ve had an awful meatloaf experience in the past.  But meatloaf can (and should) be wonderfully delicious.

Here are some basic tips for a moist and flavorful meatloaf that you can actually look forward to preparing for family and friends:

1. Don’t use lean meats.

Ground turkey breast and buffalo can be very good, but a winning meatloaf they do not make. You need at least half of you meatloaf mixture to be quite generous in fat. Think ground pork or chuck.

2. Caramelize your vegetables first.

By cooking the natural sugars out of your veggies, you bring the flavor of a dish to a whole new level.  Anytime you want something to be rich in flavor, you will benefit from cooking any vegetables that will be added in advance.

3. Whatever your drying agent, use it sparingly.

Flour or breadcrumbs will help to bind your meatloaf, but going overboard will make your meatloaf dry. If you’re unable to make your own breadcrumbs, make sure and buy some that have an ingredient list that resembles bread (flour, water, yeast, and salt, in case you forgot).

Classic Meatloaf with Porcini Mushrooms
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The Only Way to Eat Rutabagas

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To be fair, rutabagas are also nice in a stew, but a gratin is an irresistibly delicious way to enjoy a winter vegetable that you might otherwise not know what to do with. You will enjoy this equally with celeriac or turnips replacing the rutabaga. All of these under-appreciated root vegetables have their own unique flavor, which is highlighted perfectly in this simple dish.

This gratin is incredibly satisfying alongside any roasted meat or fish. Plus, we all need to brush up on our gratins for the holiday season.

The Only Way to Eat Rutabagas
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Two Dramatically Different Squash Soups

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A creamy winter squash soup is one of my favorites this time of year, but the mention of pumpkin chili the other night had me thinking about other ways to use winter squash in a soup.  Today I prepared a classic creamy butternut squash soup spiked with brandy and cloves as well as a pumpkin chili with kidney beans, tomato, chiles, garlic, cinnamon, and finished it with a little dark chocolate.

Squash Soups
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Hand-Me-Down Recipes

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I love cooking together with friends and family, and there is no better way to learn a new technique than by watching someone make a recipe they have made over and over again.  I learned to make these stuffed grape leaves from one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jessie.  She learned it from her mother, and almost certainly her mother learned it from Jessie’s grandmother.  I remember her parents preparing this dish at her house as a kid, and the exotic aromas of lamb, tomato, onions, and cinnamon filling the kitchen.  Jessie makes these grape leaves in the traditional Armenian style using ground lamb, but you can certainly omit the lamb if you’d like – vegetarian dolmas are equally delightful.

Stuffed Grape Leaves
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Sprinkle It With Bacon Dust

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I have been using this preparation for green beans for a decade now, and I never get tired of it.  Warm green beans are tossed with a little goat cheese, allowing the cheese to melt slightly and coat the beans. Then, finely chopped crispy bacon and hazelnuts are sprinkled in, clinging happily to the chèvre lacquered beans.

This is the perfect potluck dish and I suggest it as a replacement for your green bean and onion casserole this Thanksgiving. It does not disappoint!

Green Beans with Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Hazelnuts
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