So a usual breakfast for me is toast or rice cakes with peanut butter and fruit (usually berries of some kind and a banana). It's typical because it's easy and I can even take it on the go if necessary.
This breakfast I'm about to tell you about is anything but typical, and, I will say, it was pretty freaking tasty, too.
One weekend morning when I had more time for breakfast (it was really brunch by the time I got around to making and eating it), I was wanting something a little different. I realized I had all the makings for french toast, but no maple syrup... which was ok, but not ideal. So instead this is what I came up with.
I started with two pieces of delicious multigrain bread and filled them with chocolate hazelnut butter (I had Justin's because it was a good deal at the market, but, of course, Nutella would be just fine and equally delicious).
Then in a shallow bowl, I cracked an egg, added some cinnamon, a splash of milk, and a dash of almond extract, and whisked it all together.
I tossed the sandwich in the egg mixture.
I heated a pan on medium heat and added a little butter and oil.
And then browned both sides of the sandwich, making sure it was on the stove long enough so the filling would be hot.
In the meantime, I also concocted a raspberry syrup recipe. I combined about a cup or less of frozen raspberries and a half cup of honey and popped it in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes on 50% power.
And, wow, this was beyond my ordinary breakfast. Just look at that.
No really, look at it.
I don't know if you get what I am saying, look at it!
Well, what was even better than its looks was what it tasted like. I fully enjoyed every bite. And if you make this, I'm pretty certain you will too (unless you don't like french toast, nutella, or raspberries).
I disappeared there for a little while; sorry if you stopped by looking for some good little tips or recipes these last few months. But I'm sure you know how it is, life gets in the way of living sometimes.
It's Vidalia onion season and, as a big fan of French onion soup, I bought a few pounds of the onions with the intention of making
some soup. Fortunately, the weather around here has been (mostly)
really nice, and hot soup hasn't really been something I've been
craving. Instead I decided to go ahead and use some of the base ingredients from the French
onion soup recipe I use, and make a dish with chicken and kale as well
(giving the healthy protein and greens that tasty sweet and savory onion flavor).
I haven't come up with the right name for it, so any suggestions for a name are welcome.
Ingredients
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 Tb butter (or smart balance, etc.)
1 tsp chopped chives
3 cloves of garlic (crushed)
4 (about a lb or more) Vidalia (or other sweet) onions, sliced into rings
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp (or cube) of bouillon (I used vegetable, but chicken or beef would be fine.)
2-3 cups chopped/ripped kale
3/4 cup of wine (dry red, dry white, or sherry)
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 dash of Tamari (soy sauce)
2-4 thin (sliced or pounded) chicken breasts
black pepper
I began with sauteing three crushed cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of chives in a half tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan. Once the garlic was fragrant, I added four small to medium-sized onions sliced into rings.
Once the onions started to brown a bit I added about a teaspoon of dried thyme, and then began adding the kale, which I ripped into small pieces (no stems). As the kale began to turn bright green, I added about half a cup of white wine and about two tablespoons of red.* I let the wine reduce and then added some vegetable bouillon and about a half a cup of water.
To make this recipe easier on me, this is when I turned off the heat and moved everything into the crock pot. I added a couple dashes of Worcestershire sauce, a half dash of Tamari, and a sprinkle of pepper to the onions and greens.
When I initially thought up this recipe I had intended to brown the chicken before putting it into the crock pot, but I spaced on that step when I was making it. Nevertheless, I placed two thinly sliced chicken breast on top of the greens and onions in the pot and set the pot to low. About an hour into the slow cooking I moved the chicken to the bottom of the pot (with the onions and greens on top of it).
As it cooked in the crock pot, the aroma was wonderful. Since the chicken was pounded thinly, I let it cook for 2.5 hours on low, and that was plenty of time--if you use more or thicker chicken you may want to add an hour or so.
The point of the crock pot was to try to ensure the chicken would be moist and absorb the flavors nicely. I am happy to say it was a successful plan. It was a very flavorful dish and the bitterness of the kale helped balance the sweetness of the onions, and both went very well with the chicken. The dish was somewhat reminiscent of chicken Marsala. So one thing that seemed to be missing, for both texture and flavor, was mushrooms. It also lacked color, so I might add some cut up carrots to make it more visually appealing. To make it even more like onion soup, I might even consider sprinkling some grated gruyere cheese over it...
I know you can't see the chicken, but it's there under all the kale and onions.
I served it over brown rice, but I think mashed potatoes would have been even better, because a gravy could be made out of the sauce left in the pot.
So, I was mostly pleased with this dish, but next time I make it, I may try using sherry wine (instead of the red and white), adding mushrooms and carrots, and serving it with mashed potatoes. :)
*I typically use only red wine when I make my French onion soup, but I
figured with the chicken, white might be a little more complementary. Also, typically most recipes call for sherry wine when making French onion soup and use beef stock--but the version I make is vegetarian and I've always found that the red wine gives the kind richness beef stock would normally add.
