The smells of summer, like struggle in the earth, sit heavy as fog in the kitchen. Ripening tomatoes, squash growing softer by the hour, the pressure to feast. This morning I invented a new breakfast, savory and whole-hearted. Ideal fuel for Labor Day Weekend madness.
Poached Eggs on Savory Gruyere and Scallion Pancakes
By Me
½ yellow onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup green chiles
2 handfuls raw spinach
1 TB Penzeys Cajun spice
4 eggs
Start by sautéing the above in two tablespoons of butter. I used this Ethiopian spiced butter I made two nights ago (recipe below for niter kibbeh). Delicious! Add about two handfuls of raw spinach and cook down. Poach four eggs.
For the pancakes, I wanted them to be like savory biscuits, and I had some krusteaz buttermilk pancake mix I wanted to get rid of.
1 cup pancake mix
2/3 cup water
½ cup scallions, finely chopped
½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
½ cup gruyere cheese, grated
1 TB protein powder (I used Probiotein)
¼ cup wheat bran
Cook the pancakes for a few minutes each side in the skillet. Serve with the eggs and tomato on top!
This would be a great pre-marathon meal. Last weekend, KP and I completed our 27th marathon—a midnight full moon race along the Extraterrestrial Highway in Rachel, NV (about two hours north of Las Vegas). It was a gorgeous course, cool and bright—the desertscape whitened by the moonlight. We bought some alien-inspired souvenirs and to make sure we weren’t over the weight limit, we used our handy-dandy portable luggage scale from Eat Smart.
It’s a handy scale for other things, like measuring the strength, in pounds, of your bulldog’s tugofwar pull.
We had such a wonderful time in Nevada. After three years break, to get back on the pavement and in the marathon scene again was glorious! Happy to finish and excited for the next race!
Always great to find more ways to use summer squash, since I detest eating it raw…
Squash and Onion Smother on Romaine
Adapted from Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard
First make the Squash and Onions caramelized reduction goodness:
¼ cup bacon fat or butter
3 large sweet onions, halved and sliced thin with the grain
6 medium yellow squash, sliced into half moons
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt
In a 12 inch cast iron pan, melt the bacon fat and add the squash, onions, salt and pepper. Let this cook down over medium heat for about 10 minutes. The squash will release a whole lot of liquid and things will begin to shrink. Once it’s reduced by about half, lower the heat slightly and start stirring every few minutes. You are looking for a little caramelization on the bottom of the pan, so it’s okay if the vegetables start to stick a bit.
Using a wooden spoon, scrape it all up and stir it in. The mix will continue to shrink and develop color and flavor over a period of about an hour.
Lower your heat after 45 minutes and take the last bit very slow. It’s done when it’s reduced to about 2-3. It will be a chestnut color, full-flavored and fragrant.
Now make the Smother:
1 cup Squash and Onions (above)
5 cloves of garlic confit (just garlic roasted in olive oil for >45 minutes)
1 TB tahini
¼ tsp cumin
¼ cup Greek yogurt
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp salt
5 turns of the pepper mill
I like to smear this on romaine leaves with a sprinkle of fresh diced dedos de moca (Brazilian pepper we have been growing in the garden this year), and parmesan cheese.
Niter Kibbeh (Ethiopian Spiced Clarified Butter)
1 pound unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 2-inch cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
3 black cardamom pods
3 whole cloves
1 teaspoon fenugreek (or fennel) seeds
1 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring it to an extremely low simmer. Continue to simmer over low for at least one hour or up to 90 minutes. Don’t burn the butter. This is Key. Pour everything through a fine-mesh cheesecloth. (No need to skim off the foam, everything will be removed during straining.) Pour the niter kibbeh into a jar, let it cool, and cover so that it is airtight. You can store it at room temp for several months or even longer in the fridge. I use this for a lot of different dishes now, but in particular, for the breakfast above.