These eggs remind me of summer. Sweet fresh tomatoes are encircled with the brilliant flavor of fresh basil. There’s slightly sweet roasted garlic, which I have been obsessed with lately, blended with rich heavy cream — a nod to winter. And the warmth of the baked dish make it perfect for a chilly morning. Or dinner.

I feel in love with baked eggs in tomato-based concoctions last winter. Runny yolks are always a favorite of mine, but even more so when they are paired with flavors that compare, contrast and compliment them. And it’s a great bonus that there are so many possibilities for flavor combinations. This seemed like the perfect dish to make when Betty Crocker and Land O’Lakes recently asked me to create something with Land O’Lakes eggs.

This version is a favorite since it uses so many fresh ingredients (and, of course, fresh flavors). There is just no contest when you start with ingredients in as close to a natural state as you can get. I bet this would be even more amazing in fall, when fresh tomatoes and basil from local farms are available and the air just starts to take on that crisp coolness.

But for now, hothouse tomatoes do the job just fine.

Want to try this for yourself? It’s easy. Read the rest of this entry…

When I look at this photo, all I can think is good morning. It’s so inviting. All the contrasting textures and flavors … Wait. Let me tell you about it. Looking is one thing, but hearing is a whole other.

The simple roasted potatoes — both russet and sweet varieties — seasoned only with a little salt and pepper have a slightly crispy outside and silky inside. They’re mixed with rounds of sweet-slightly savory chicken apple sausage, which has such a warm flavor. Then it’s all bound together by the perfect runny poached egg — the kind that has a velvety ooze of yolk that spills out when you dig your fork into it.

I love poached eggs. They are blissful, compact, perfect lumps of egg that spill over so willingly when you dig in. Oh, the joy.

And it was the thought of poached eggs and roasted potatoes – no two kinds of roasted potatoes – and chicken sausage that got me so excited to get to work. In fact, I was so busy mentally calculating the recipe that I nearly missed the exit I needed to take on the highway. Yes, really. But it was totally worth it. It’s the kind of dish that wraps its arms around you and makes everything okay again.

This dish seemed perfect for a blogging gig I was recently given. My friends at Betty Crocker asked me to create an eggy recipe using Land O’Lakes eggs, and I jumped at it. Eggs are huge in our house — a favorite of my breakfast-devoted daughter. We go through about two dozen eggs every week in my house.

Breakfast in our house is kind of a big deal. I mean it should be, being the most important meal of the day and all. But it is really something in our house. Epic, at times, which is surprising since I was a reluctant breakfast convert. Will started the breakfast change in our house — but it was Paige who brought a deep breakfast devotion to the house.

She loved this one, by the way.

Having breakfast has become so important, so crafting balanced meals like this is a must for me. This one is best for weekends (it takes about 40 minutes), and is worth every cooking second.

Do you love breakfast? How do you take your eggs?

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The first time I set foot on Barnard College’s campus, I fell instantly in love. At the time, I was living near Lincoln Center, amid the hustle-bustle of the city. I loved that area, and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. But when I emerged from the subway at 116th Street, it was like walking into a different world — a village within the city. Something just clicked for me.

I was still in the city, still close to everything, but the pace of life in Morningside Heights was a little slower … a little more suburban. And as I learned more about the school itself, I decided it was perfect. Just perfect.

Three months later, I moved into a dorm at Barnard. It was the spring semester, and although I was so excited to be there, I was also nervous and a little shy about everything. Thank goodness for good roommates. I lived with four people — three girls and a guy — and they were all so inviting and nice. Even when I wasn’t sure how to befriend them, they dragged me out and included me.

Two of those roommates are still among my closest friends, more than 10 years later.

Those same wonderful roommates also introduced me to the amazing world of Korean cuisine. If I close my eyes, I can take myself back to that first encounter. I was a little scared (new food! eek!) and a little apprehensive. But I asked my friends what I should try and took their advice.

The only problem with this whole thing? I loved that dish so much that I have never had anything else Korean. That first dish turned out to be an amazing, life-altering flavor experience. It was Bi Bim Bap (or bibimbap), a rice dish, sometimes served in a hot stone pot. Warm veggies, often sauteed and lightly seasoned, top the rice and then there is a fried egg on top of it all. Sometimes it’s served with beef too. Then you add some red chili paste. Oh, it’s divine.

At the restaurant we used to go to near the Barnard and Columbia campus, they would bring out these steaming hot stone pots, and we’d stir them vigorously, adding copious amounts of the red chili paste. It was a thrilling flavor experience. Every bite, from the tender beginnings to the crispy rice at the bottom of the bowl, was fabulous.

Unfortunately, I don’t often get back to that restaurant (or any other Korean restaurant), since I live and work in Connecticut, where there is a definitive lack of Korean cuisine. Yes, there are a few restaurants in New Haven and Hartford, but none are close enough to my house to warrant a trip.

Fortunately, I am all about adapting favorite dishes to be more accessible, and this one was perfect for that.

I’ve traded the hot stone pot (really, folks, that’s awesome at the restaurant, but not so much at home) for a more sensible bowl. The veggies are narrowed to just a few and served mostly raw. The egg is poached, instead of fried, since I find poached eggs easier to make. But the resulting dish? Absolutely divine. In fact, when I served it to Will and Paige (minus the Sriracha), they loved it. And Will begged for me to make some for his lunch the next day for school.

So, how do you make this Bi Bim Bap wanna-be dish ultra simple? It’s all in the prep.

• Make the rice first. I use a rice cooker, and it takes about an hour.
• Once the rice is nearly done, julienne-cut the veggies. This can be done really fast if you use a food processor fitted with a julienne blade or a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade.
• Use frozen chopped spinach. Simply heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and add two crushed cloves of garlic. Stir in the spinach, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring twice.
• Have all the veggies cooked and ready when you slide the eggs into the water for poaching.

Read the rest of this entry…

Over the past few years, I have made a big effort to eat breakfast. And lately, that has turned into an effort to eat a good, nutritious breakfast. Somewhere along the way, I stopped hating most eggs, and started really enjoying them in a variety of forms.

But I couldn’t seem to get on the egg white bandwagon. The whole idea of it just horrified me. I mean, eggs without yolks? That’s blasphemy. Every time I read about egg white omelets, I shuddered a little. I mean really … unless you need to, why would you really want to eat eggs sans the flavorful yolks? But, I don’t believe in pickiness. Not one bit. So, when I was in the grocery store this weekend, I decided to try it. Just once.

Hello, egg white carton, nice to meet you!

So … what’s the verdict?

While I have no plans of actually giving up eggs with yolks – I couldn’t do that to my loves egg salad, poached eggs, baked eggs, etc – I have discovered that egg whites can make a fabulous omelet. I mean, a really easy, fast, delicious, beautiful, tasty omelet.

Like this one.

It’s filled with fresh baby spinach and cheddar cheese. Now, cheddar is definitely not the most waist-conscious choice, but it’s my favorite and since I am already cutting back on the calories and fat by using only egg whites, it’s okay. I think.

In any case, serve this with a slice of whole grain toast (maybe with a little itsy bitsy bit of butter) and a little fruit. It’s perfect, filling and easy enough to make any day of the week if you allot a little time.

What do you think? Could you do just egg whites?

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In the summertime, we eat only fresh tomatoes — tiny ones that the kids pick directly from the vines on our backyard. Giant heirlooms from local organic farms. Red ones, orange ones, yellow ones and green ones … Sometimes it’s just plain. Sometimes with a little sprinkle of salt. Sometimes with cheese and vinaigrette.

Yes, we love our tomatoes. Read the rest of this entry…

When I order a breakfast sandwich, I want it to be messy. Back when I worked for a big publisher, the chef who did breakfast in the office cafeteria would always crack the egg yolk with the side of his spatula when cooking my ham, egg and cheese. It drove me bonkers. I like the yolk runny so that it bursts into your mouth, perhaps leaving a little drip on your chin (pass the napkin, please!). Finally, I just asked one day if there was a reason he did that — was it a safety issue? Nope, just that most people don’t like their yolks dripping out of the sandwich.

I do.

So after that, I learned to remind him never to break my yolk. About 50 percent of the time he’d remember when he started cooking seconds later. Eh, 50 percent is better than nothing.

As I was making this sandwich this morning, I couldn’t help but think how it was a little messy. The threat of errant water from the egg … the runny yolk. Yep. Messy. And I like it that way. Read the rest of this entry…

When I went on vacation with my friend’s family as a teen, I was nervous. I wanted to be the model guest. So, I was well-behaved and had good manners, but I still felt nervous — especially when it came to ordering food. Maybe it was silly to be so concerned about, but I worried about it.

When it came to breakfast at a nice restaurant one morning, I deferred to my friend’s mom for advice on what to order. She recommended a Swiss and Asparagus Omelet — and a love affair was born.

Honestly, I only ordered the omelet because she suggested it. I liked asparagus — but not enough for that item to jump out at me. Thank goodness I listened. That was the point where asparagus suddenly got elevated in my mind. It wasn’t just another vegetable — it was an amazing one.

This version of the omelet is a little lighter than the original, made with just one egg and one slice of Swiss, but still just as delicious.

Did you ever travel with your friends’ families as a teen? What did you get nervous about?
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I love this salad. I love this salad. I love this salad.

Should I say it one more time? I think so.

I love this salad.

All in all, this can be made in about 20 minutes (as long as you get the egg and the asparagus going at the same time), perfect for lunch if you are near a kitchen. Or you can make it ahead and assemble just before eating. Either way, it’s delish and can be eaten warm or cold.

But what about the flavor? The fresh asparagus, roasted until ever so slightly sweet and tender, is fantastic with the creamy egg and salty feta. And the drizzle of Caesar makes the whole thing magical. You could double the dressing if you really want to, but I prefer to keep the dressing light.

So, where do you start? Make the egg.

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Last night, after a rushed day, my husband and I did something together that doesn’t happen enough these days: we power-cleaned the house. In short order, my office was transformed from neglected storage space to usable thinking space. By the time we were done, the bathrooms were sparkling and the living room picked up. It was a great feeling to wake up to such a tidy house today.

And having a tidy house? Well, that makes me spontaneous. Seriously. I was driving to the store today when I had an inkling that today might be a good day to invite someone over for lunch. I did – or tried to – but it didn’t work out. The quiche, on the other hand, was fantastic. The kids just ate it up.

I started with two big shallots. After chopping then into rings, I sauteed them in some olive oil, swishing them around with my favorite wooden spatula until they were all soft and caramelized. It’s important to smash them a bit while they are cooking so that they break up a little. The caramelizing brought out their wonderful subtle sweetness.

When it came time to make the quiche, I layered the shallots with some crumbled Danish blue cheese. Danish blue cheese is creamy and blends well. Some blue cheeses, like Maytag blue, have a major bite, but Danish is a little more subtle. Although it’s sharp, it mellows a lot when melted into the egg mixture. The result is this amazing flavor combination that is sweet, salty, savory and super … all at once.

After it baked up, the kids and I dug in and devoured it. Mmm, and was it ever good. This would make a perfect lunch with a nice green salad (we skipped that today) and some toasty bread. And best of all? It’s ridiculously easy to make. Totally perfect for an impromptu lunch date.

Read the rest of this entry…

If Will had his way, we’d eat Blueberry and White Chocolate Buttermilk Pancakes every single morning. Actually, scratch the ‘we’ – he’d eat the whole batch himself every day.

Not that I can blame him … they are delish.

But could we really eat pancakes daily? My schedule and waistline say no way, so I try to mix it up with easier options (yogurt, fruit and toast, scrambled eggs) and some alternative more-involved dishes (French toast, waffles, homemade muffins).

This quesadilla is heartier than your standard quesadilla and crammed with flavor. Yes, it’s more-involved, but it’s also a big family favorite. Serve it up plain or with a dollop of salsa, sour cream or guacamole.

What’s your family’s favorite breakfast? Read the rest of this entry…