Shishito and Avocado Breakfast Toast

I have felt compelled to put fried green peppers on just about everything since a dinner earlier this summer at my food blogger friend's house. Linda (of Wild Greens and Sardines) and her husband invited my husband an I over for some delicious pasta, and while we sipped wine and waited for the water to boil, they fried up pan after pan of padrón peppers. Padrón peppers are a staple in Spain, a most-welcome nibble in the late afternoon when you know dinner is still hours away. Sprinkled with crunchy grains of salt, they are mostly mild, but occasionally you get a real hot sucker that makes you reaching for bread, cheese, anything to make the heat go away, even another pepper-just hope that it's a mild one. If you're like me, you somehow manage to grab only the hot ones.

I'll take a minute here and clue you in to a little thing about going to a food blogger's house for dinner. When a bloggers says she's just going to make pasta for dinner, don't believe that she's just going to toss some dried noodles in some water and call it a day. Nope. Linda made the most beautiful homemade pasta in these circular stamp shapes and tossed them with a nutty and herbaceous pesto. Pan fried padrón peppers started off the meal, but roasted maitakes, Green Zebras doused in extra-virgin olive oil and sumac, and specialty chocolate rounded it out. And what in the world did I bring to this feast? I came with a dinky grilled zucchini salad that I swear shrunk even more by the time we got to Linda's. My cup of zucchini and me pretty much wanted to disappear when I saw the spread she had prepared. Yeah, we very much owe she and her husband a dinner. Or wait, a feast.

Back to the peppers. Padrón peppers are deliciously tender and a far cry from rigid (and always hot!) jalapenos and very pungent and vegetal green peppers. Heat makes their thin skin melt, their few sugars just beginning to caramelize. The problem is that they can be a little hard to find. Shishitos, on the other hand, seemed to be everywhere at our farmers' market. While I would be hard-pressed to tell you the exact difference in taste, padrón peppers are a little more petite. I pretty much treat both them the same way. Fry them in a little oil until nice and blistered, sprinkle with some sea salt, and eat, seeds (not stems) included. As much as I love them plain, I thought they could add a little texture and subtle earthy heat to a breakfast favorite of mine, the egg and avocado sandwich.

I feel like I'm cheating calling this a recipe, but I thought the combo was worthy of a share. I tossed on a little fresh basil for a hint of summer freshness. Tomato would be a welcome addition, but as it's breakfast, I didn't want to get too complicated.

Shishito Avocado Breakfast Toast

1 whole wheat English muffin or 2 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
Handful of shishito peppers (or Padrón peppers, if you can find them)
3 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 eggs
1/2 large avocado
A few basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
Sea salt and pepper, for sprinkling (or a little Parmigiano reggiano is delicious!)

Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium heat. Add peppers, and cook for 7-10 minutes, tossing occasionally. Peppers should be blistered and starting to wilt. Remove from heat, remove stems from peppers, and sprinkle with sea salt.

Meanwhile, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat. Crack two eggs into pan, and allow to cook for 5-7 minutes or until desired doneness. You can flip the egg for over easy or I sometimes place a lid over the pan to allow the white to cook and just allow the yolk to set.

Mash 1/4 of avocado on each slice of bread. Top with basil, shishitos, and fried eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (and a little Parmigiano reggiano), if desired. Serves 1.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats with Coconut Whipped Cream

One of my favorite things about Valentine's Day has always been seeing couples so smitten for one another. Something about the day puts people on their best behavior. I love seeing the guys with bouquets for their special someone, and the girls all dressed up on their way to a fancy prix fixe dinner.  We used to do the whole fancy dinner thing when we first started dating, but we are much lower key now. I actually prefer our quiet night in, leisurely making dinner and lounging on the couch. My fiance also used to get me the most beautiful lilies on special occasions, but then we got a cat who eats anything that she should not have, like lilies, which happen to be poisonous to frisky felines. To be honest, I do sort of miss the flowers, but I can make the sacrifice if it means no vet visits. One thing that has stayed the same over the years is the extra consumption of chocolate on Valentine's Day. Chocolate for dessert is a given, but why not have chocolate for breakfast?

These little cups are rich tasting, but still light on the belly. Nutty almond butter and rich cocoa powder make for a satisfying combo that tastes a bit like a brownie batter, and whipped coconut cream takes it to that extra special Valentine's Day level. If you have never made whipped cream with coconut milk, it is super simple. The hardest part is remembering to refrigerate the coconut milk overnight. Angela from Oh She Glows has a wonderful step-by-step tutorial for Coconut Whipped Cream if you need a visual. Considering the oats have to soak overnight anyway, I promise you cannot and will not miss that crucial first step.

Do your sweetheart a favor- or yourself for that matter, and make this. Combine everything the night before, whip the coconut cream in the morning, and win major brownie points. Pun most definitely intended.

Chocolate Almond Overnight Oats with Coconut Whipped Cream

1 cup rolled oats
3 tablespoons almond butter
1 1/4 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon dark chocolate shavings, divided
fresh raspberries, for serving
2 dollops of coconut whipped cream, for serving (see below)

Combine oatmeal with almond butter, almond milk, cocoa powder, honey or maple syrup, and pinch of salt. Mix well and allow to soak overnight. In the morning, divided into two portions, sprinkle with chocolate shavings, fresh raspberries, and a dollop of coconut whipped cream. Enjoy! Serves 2.

Coconut Whipped Cream

1 can full fat coconut milk
2 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup

Place can of coconut milk in refrigerator overnight. Scoop the thick cream from the top and add it to a medium bowl. The liquid left behind can be added to smoothies. Using an electric mixer, beat the coconut cream until fluffy and light, for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in honey or maple syrup. Store in fridge for up to 3 days. Re-whip as necessary.

The Best 5 Minute Tomato and Egg Toast

We have been hunkered down inside since Friday overtaken by a blizzard. Our final snow count? 16 inches. It was a doozy of a snowfall, and a fantastically beautiful one at that. As much as I love getting outside, exploring the city, I also love an excuse to stay inside and do basically nothing. Nothing is a bit relative, considering I am knee-deep in wedding invitations, workshop planning, and more wedding planning, but an excuse to just lounge in my pajamas all day is quite welcome. The cats are loving it.

My would-have-been-a-meteorolgist-in-a-second-life Dad called me on Friday to tell me- "Emily, make sure you have plenty of food in the house. At least 3 days worth. This storm is going to be a big one." I reassured him that we would not go hungry- especially since I had a giant batch of this heart-warming dal in the freezer and had stocked up on avocados, bananas, and nuts- you know, all of the essentials, but I also kind of thought he was over-reacting. Oops.

Now what does this recipe have to do with this blizzard and our 16 inches of fluff? Nothing really except for the fact that it most likely does not require a trip to the store and can be made comfortably in your pajamas while watching Youtube videos of James Corden and John Mulaney. I may or may not know this from personal experience.

It tastes a little like pizza but does not require an oven or a tip to the delivery guy. A sprinkling of cheese to take it to the next level is totally optional. Good quality extra-virgin olive oil, however, is not.

The Best 5 Minute Tomato and Egg Toast

1 thick slice of your favorite bread, toasted (I used a local rosemary and olive oil bread from Metropolitan Bakery)
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 egg
pinch of fresh oregano leaves, chopped, or dried oregano, crumbled
salt and pepper, to taste

Toast bread. While warm, rub with garlic clove sliced in half. Fry egg. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat and. Add egg, turn heat to medium, and allow to cook until desired doneness. I cover mine with a domed lid to help the white steam a little and cook faster. Meanwhile, mix remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil and tomato paste in a small bowl until combined. Place egg on garlic toast, top with oil mixture, and sprinkle with oregano and salt and pepper. Enjoy. Makes 1 egg toast.

Optional toppings to spiff it up: sliced avocado, a shower of Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil instead of oregano, a sprinkling of cayenne or dash of hot sauce for some heat. Play around, have some fun, make something delicious.

Smoky Sweet Potato Hash Brown Waffles

I am promising you a real treat. A treat that will make you dust off that waffle iron and find a permanent place for that thing on your counter. Move over blender. I had seen quite a few versions of these magical hash brown-waffle amalgamations on Pinterest and after the gazillionth pin, I finally felt compelled to try my hand at my own version. And experiment I did. I made a sweet one with maple syrup and cinnamon. I tried adding eggs for a little extra bulk. I mixed Yukon golds with sweet potatoes and experimented with mixing in nut butters and different cheeses- not in the same waffle, mind you.

While all of those different versions were quite tasty, this smoked paprika and sweet potato one happened to be my very favorite. It is sweet, savory, and VERY addicting. With all of my potato waffle experimenting you think I would have been potatoed out. In reality, I found that these waffles could be frozen, and once reheated in the microwave, they made the tastiest, most satisfying snack. Depending on the flavor combo, I spread them with nut butter, melted on some grated cheese, or like I did here with the smoky sweet potato one, spread them with a layer of thick Greek yogurt. Sweet and savory plus cool and creamy equals win. Add a fried egg on top...mic drop.

One obvious tip that I should have heeded is to grease your waffle iron well. Like really well.  Do not spend your day scraping out a waffle iron with a toothpick like yours truly. I used coconut oil for the greasing because I happen to like the slight coconutty flavor, but olive oil works perfectly well. Get it in all of the nooks and crannies. These waffles have little fat in them compared to most breakfast waffles, so this step is essential.

These hash brown waffles are lovely for so many reasons. They are faster than baking a sweet potato, they are neater and cleaner than making hash browns in the skillet, and they are more nutritious than any waffle I have yet to come across.  

Smoky Sweet Potato Hash Brown Waffles

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and grated (about 3 - 3 1/2 cups grated), I used a mix of Japanese sweet potatoes and the jewel variety, but any should do
1 small yellow onion, skin removed and grated
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder for more depth)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil, plus more for greasing waffle iron
sour cream or plain Greek yogurt, for serving
fresh cilantro and chives, chopped, for serving

Preheat waffle iron on medium-high and grease very, very, very well. Mix sweet potatoes through 1 tablespoon in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes to allow mixture to thicken a bit. Spread 1/3 of mixture in waffle iron (these will be slightly smaller waffles). Close, give a short but firm press, and cook until done, about 5 minutes depending on waffle iron. If you peek too early, you'll have a mess on your hands. Remove from waffle iron, and repeat with remaining batter for second and third waffles. Re-grease waffle iron between each waffle. Garnish with yogurt and/or fresh cilantro and chives and enjoy. Makes 3 smaller waffles.

I love this recipe, but its success depends on greasing the waffle iron enough. Don't be shy. Otherwise, you end up with a mess on your hands. Believe me, I've been there. Also, don't overfill the waffle iron or the center won't have a chance to cook! I've made this recipe probably ten times. There was that one batch out of ten that didn't quite work and I think it was because of extra moisture in the potatoes and my impatience. I opened the waffle iron too soon. Be patient!

*Waffles can be made ahead, cooled to room temperature, and frozen for up to one month. Place between sheets of parchment or waxed paper for easy retrieval. Reheat in microwave or toaster oven.

Maple and Tahini Sweet Potato Pancakes

Happy almost Thanksgiving! Our family is not actually celebrating Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving because too many family members have significant others, work schedules are a bit wonky, etc., etc. It is going to happen, just not on the fourth Thursday of November like Congress decreed decades ago. I hope to take some pictures from our delightful feast, but since I try to put the camera away when there is conversation to be had and good eating to be done, I may not capture all of the fun on camera.

Anyway, on to these pancakes! So if you want to keep up the fall festivities after Thanksgiving, I highly suggest you give these pancakes a try. They are quite a bit more dense than my Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, but they are still wonderfully light on the body due to the mashed sweet potato. I also find them more filling than traditional pancakes which I appreciate. Ever eaten a stack of buttermilk pancakes and still been hungry? These are much more satisfying on so many levels. For example, tahini and maple syrup go IN the batter and ON TOP for a double yum. I also throw on some toasted coconut flakes...and yes, I mean throw because I like to make it rain coconut...

These pancakes are perfect for using up any leftover mashed sweet potatoes or roasted sweet potatoes you have- just remove the flesh from the jacket to get the smoothest batter. Full of nourishing vitamin A, vitamin C, and beta carotene, and a whole host of other micronutrients, sweet potatoes are nutritional powerhouses. I say we find more excuses to eat them. And did you know that the tahini and bit of coconut oil in here are not just for incredible flavor? They also help make beta-carotene more available to our bodies since a little fat is needed for the body absorb it.

A few notes about the recipe. Because these are a bit dense (in a good way!), these will take longer to cook than most traditional pancakes, about 3-4 minutes for the first side. But be patient! The wait is worth it! They will still be moist on the inside so do not worry about drying them out. Also, for most pancakes, you will notice bubbles on the surface to indicate when to flip the pancake, but that is not the case with these. Instead, watch for the outer rim to lose its shine and sets. Flip and continue cooking until golden brown, To keep warm, place them on a wire rack in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven until ready to serve.

These are delicious made ahead and reheated in the microwave or just to snack on straight from the refrigerator... with a drizzle of tahini, of course.

Maple and Tahini Sweet Potato Pancakes

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and but into 1" pieces (or 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes)
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (or other neutral oil), plus extra for cooking
2 eggs
1 cup milk of choice (I used 2%, but other non-dairy options should work)
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste), plus more for serving (I am partial to Soom tahini since it is made here in Philly!)
1 tablespoon maple syrup, plus more for serving
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Coconut flakes, toasted, for serving

Cook sweet potatoes. To steam, place sweet potatoes in a steamer basket in pot with an inch of water in the bottom. Bring water to boil, cover pot with lid, and allow to cook until sweet potato is easily mashed with a fork, about 10 minutes. Keep checking until sweet potatoes are tender. Alternatively, if you do not have a steamer basket, you can cook sweet potatoes in a thin layer of water for a similar effect. Drain sweet potatoes well if using this method.

Mash cooked sweet potatoes with a fork until mostly smooth. It should equal about 1 1/2 cups. Beat in melted coconut oil, eggs, milk, tahini, and maple syrup until smooth.

In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients until well combined. Add dry into wet and stir just until combined.

Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium heat. Grease with additional coconut oil until surface is shiny and stick-proof. When water drops sprinkled on the skillet sizzle but do not smoke, it is ready. Scoop about 1/4 cup batter onto skillet for each pancake. Use a spoon to get an even pancake shape as this batter is a bit dense and does not flow as easily. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side or until edges are well set and flip to cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. Move to a wire rack and keep warm in a 200 degree oven. Repeat with the rest of the batter, greasing pan as necessary. Serve with maple syrup, more tahini, and toasted coconut flakes. Enjoy! Makes about 8-9 pancakes to serve about 3 people.