Savory and Sweet, Switched Up

I am so very thankful for the day off we had on Thursday. I felt so refreshed and ready to return to work yesterday, more so than after a normal weekend. After sleeping in (!) I whipped up a lovely brunch of bacon and waffles. Don't be fooled, this wasn't your average diner breakfast. The bacon was sweet and the waffles were savory. Enter candied maple bacon and cheddar waffles. If you've never tried savory waffles before, promise me you'll try them at least once. I was dubious the first time they were prepared for me, but the concept was interesting enough to give it a whirl. My goodness, they were so delicious, I was hooked!

Candied Maple Bacon and Cheddar Waffles

Bacon recipe adapted from here, waffle recipe adapted from Moosewood's Restaurant cookbook.

Bacon Ingredients:

1/2 lb thick-cut bacon (I used Trader Joe's uncured ends and pieces)

1/2 c maple syrup

freshly ground black pepper (pink peppercorns would work well here, too)

small dash of cayenne pepper

Waffle Ingredients:

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

2/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup sourdough starter (unfed)*

2 T melted butter

1 T finely chopped scallions

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1/2 c smoked cheddar cheese**

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°F for the bacon. While the oven is preheating, start making the waffle batter. In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sourdough starter, butter, scallions, mustard and cheese. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir just until combined. Using the folding method to incorporate the ingredients works really well with this batter so as to not overmix! If it's too thick, add some water or milk to thin out. Let the waffle batter sit for about 10 minutes, until some bubbles start to form. In the meantime, preheat your waffle iron and then get that bacon started!

Line a rimmed cookie sheet with heavy foil. (Trust me, use heavy duty or at least double your standard foil). Place a baking rack over the lined sheet tray. 

In a small bowl, whisk the maple syrup and pepper together. Dunk all of the bacon in the syrup until coated. Swirl it around until the bacon is dripping with goodness. Arrange the bacon slices on the rack so they don't overlap. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Back to the waffles. Give your batter a quick stir. Then pour enough batter for each waffle, about 1/3-1/2 cup depending on your iron size, and bake according to manufacturer's instructions. 

When the bacon timer goes off, flip the pieces over and bake an additional 10 minutes or until crispy. 

Everything should be done at the same time, so plate up and enjoy!

And if you have leftovers, make a pb&j bacon waffle sandwich! The boy surprised me in the afternoon with this creation as a snack. He used PB&Co's mighty maple peanut butter and blackberry jam. Yum!

*When you feed your starter, save the amount that you pour out for these waffles!

**I didn't have smoked cheddar on hand the first time I made these so I used standard cheddar...it needs the smoked! The waffles were just a little too cheesy without and didn't have enough smokey flavor. 

Small Changes

We've all been there. Too tired, too busy, very empty fridge. If you've been neglecting your supermarket or have been in a food rut lately, I've got some good news for you. Small changes can make all the difference to your recipes and help you break out of your less than thrilling routine of eats and make quick work of a delicious meal.

Let's talk lunch, the inspiration for this post. I started eating cafeteria food again thanks to my job, and when there aren't enough leftovers from the night before to bring in the next day, it results in me eating my fair share of sandwiches. Take the classic turkey and cheese, please, and check out my swaps.

Wheat bread --> Tomato-Basil wrap

Mustard --> Red wine vinegar

Deli Turkey --> Fresh roasted turkey

Iceberg Lettuce --> Arugula

Tomato --> Leave it in and add some red onion

Swiss cheese --> Sharp cheddar

Take out the bread, the filling and the condiment and envelop some fresh turkey in a flavored wrap and add in some bitter greens that have been dressed in red wine vinegar and you've got a delicious new twist on the lunch-time staple. I can't believe how much the vinegar does for this dish. It's so tangy and bright and really helps to boost the otherwise bland turkey.

With my lunchtime revelation out of the way, let's backtrack to breakfast. Probably the easiest way to make a bland breakfast into a morning must-have is the addition of herbs and spices. Eggs, for example, benefit greatly from some fresh or dried herbs. Whether you're having a quick scramble or hard boiled, try adding salt and pepper, for starters. If you like a kick, add some hot sauce or a ground pepper blend. Not an egg person? Try adding cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg to oatmeal, cottage cheese or plain yogurt. A dash of vanilla, some homemade preserves or a packet of flavored instant breakfast go a long way, too! Still attached to your beloved bowl of cereal and milk? Add some wheat germ and raisins. Trust me on this one!

Now dinner is probably the hardest meal for me to figure out. Don't get me wrong, I love trying out new recipes and whipping up something yummy, but food ruts do happen! I came across this article years ago and had the forethought to scan it in and save it. This list will be a lifesaver for any protein you plan on putting on the table.

Eggs

Eggs. They are the start to people’s days so it’s only fitting that I start my blog with them, too. Growing up, they came in the form of ham quickies – my dad’s special version of ham omelets for us kids. Nowadays it’s a little more fancy and definitely more varied. Herbs de Provence are often mixed in and runny yolks are left to drip down burgers. Farm fresh are preferred.

To be completely honest, I was never a huge fan of eggs. I was never much of a breakfast eater either, so maybe that was it. And the first Egg McMuffin I had wasn’t until 2012. But I digress. Nowadays I understand why Julia Child spent so much time trying to teach us all the proper way to cook eggs and why Anthony Bourdain, in his book Medium Raw, says, quite poignantly, “I have long believed that it is only right and appropriate that before one sleeps with someone, one should be able – if called upon to do so – to make them a proper omelet in the morning.” The man speaks the truth. Eggs are so versatile and such a humble food, but they take care and patience to master. And it’s worth it.

One of my favorite dishes involving eggs is a cross between a glorified egg sandwich and toad-in-the-hole (egg in a basket). It steps up your run of the mill breakfast and makes it a little more fancy.

Open-Faced Egg Sammie

serves 1-2, depending on hunger level

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread

2 eggs

1 handful arugula, or other favorite green, lightly chopped

2 slices of tomato

Cheese of choice, shredded (Depending on what I have on hand, it will be some combination of gouda, cheddar, mimolette, midnight moon, etc)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Butter for the pan (butter adds so much flavor and richness to the toast)

Directions:

Using a cookie cutter, small juice glass or a knife, cut circles out from the middle of the bread. Don’t ball up the doughy goodness and pop it into your mouth, we’ll use it later!

Preheat a nonstick griddle or pan over medium and put a pat of butter on to melt. Place the slices of bread on next and let them toast slightly. They need a little head start in the browning process before the eggs are added.

Crack the eggs and place them into the holes in the bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the rounds I told you not to eat on the griddle to toast.

Once the whites have just barely set, add a little more butter to the griddle if necessary, but otherwise go ahead and flip. Turn over the circle, too.

At this point, time is of the essence, so quickly place the arugula, tomato and cheese on top to wilt. Once the yolk is cooked to your liking and the cheese is melted, plate up, top with the toasted round and Bon Appetit!