Do you ever get proud of something really small? Like, you know it’s not a big deal, but somehow the thing makes you feel like a big deal. For me, it’s that time at trivia I pulled out “RuPaul,” as the artist of the song during the music round. Or, that time at work when I got the perfect parking spot two days in a row. And, also, this recipe for potato and duck egg scramble. I’m super proud of this recipe because it’s tasty, filling, quick, and not that messy. Bonus: almost every ingredient came from the farmer’s market. Duck eggs too!

I made this recipe last Sunday for brunch. Before digging in Ryan said, “looks great, you should blog about it!” I pouted a little because I didn’t have any “good” pictures. Now, good doesn’t mean that I didn’t have any. I had pictures. I’m a millenial and a foodie, so I’d done what most people in my generation do. I had phone photos. Those would have to do, because the people need this recipe. 

Ok, so here it is: potato and duck egg scramble… this might be an ideal weekend breakfast. On the weekends, I want something heartier because I have the time to make it and enjoy it. But also, it’s the weekend so I’m lazy and sometimes I don’t want to do anything. Tough life, right?

This recipe is crazy easy but also super hearty. First, all you need is a fork and bowl for the eggs, a knife and cutting board for the potatoes and herbs, and then a skillet to cook it all in. Once you have everything prepped, you wack everything into the skillet in the proper sequence, and cook until done. It’s all over in about 30 minutes. Everyone’s got time for that on a lazy Sunday.

Part of what excited me about this recipe was that it was my first time cooking with duck eggs. I got the duck eggs from the farmer’s market and immediately went home to search for how best to use them. After all my searching, the internet said, “Mariel calm down, they’re just eggs, use them like hen eggs.” Fine, internet, I will.  I will make a duck egg scramble, just like I would with regular old eggs.

However, I did read that duck eggs are awesome in baked goods. Apparently their yolks are higher in fats and proteins and so make for richer flavored cookies and such. I will have to try it.

I’m not sure you can tell from the photo above, but the yolks were quite a bit thicker than regular eggs. As well, it seemed like the whites were clearer and thinner – but maybe that’s my imagination.

Besides being quick and mess free, this recipe is also legit because you can adapt it as you see fit. Don’t have duck eggs? Use hen eggs. Don’t like garlic chives? Use thyme or another herb you enjoy. No Parmesan around? Throw in some grated cheddar. Make it your own. No muss, no fuss – an a recipe you can be proud of too.

Then serve it for brunch with coffee, some flowers on the table, and the Sunday paper. The weekends are pretty great. Is the next one here yet?

Adapted from Cookie and Kate.

Messy level: Two spoons! As I said above, you need very few dishes to make this meal. It’s also pretty easy to clean as you go – which I never do – but did here. It’s ideal because you can cook quickly, eat leisurely, and not feel any pressure to get up and clean.

Potato and Duck Egg Scramble

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients

• about 6 red potatoes (mine weighed 10 oz), cleaned and diced
• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 2 duck eggs (or use 3 hen eggs)
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 large scallion (or 2-3 small), thinly sliced whites and green parts
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic chives, divided (about 6-8 long strands)
• ⅓ cup shredded Parmesan
• salt and pepper, for seasoning at the end

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes, water, and oil in a 10-inch non-stick skillet. It will be slightly overcrowded.
2. Cover the skillet and bring to a boil on high. Cook for about 7 minutes, or until the water has evaporated.
3. Remove the lid. Lower the heat to medium. Stir the potatoes to loosen from the bottom of the pan. Add in the scallions and half of the garlic chives. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5-7 minutes everything starts to brown.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, beat the eggs and milk in a small bowl.
5. Once the potatoes are cooked to your liking, pour in the beaten eggs. Stir so the eggs scramble and coat everything. Note: I found the pan so hot that the eggs cooked very quickly. I ended up removing the pan from the burner and finishing the eggs with the residual heat from the pan. This step should take only a few minutes (less than 3).
6. If you haven't done so already, remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and remaining garlic chives.
7. Taste and season with salt and pepper as you prefer.
8. Serve!

3.5.3226

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Yesterday, I taught my colleagues to make these oat and peanut butter energy bites. They are so crazy good – oh yeah and super easy too – that I had to share the recipe with you too.

The school year is over, so there’s a lot of office time nowadays. I’m happy for the time to relax, but I’m going to miss teaching and traveling all over the city. I think to prevent us from getting stir crazy, I was asked to do a food demo for everyone. So yesterday, I organized a mini demo where my colleagues and I made these no-bake, wildly simple, yet kind of addicting, snack. 

I got to do this demo in part because of all the office time, but in part because it’s employee wellness month. The mandate: teach everyone to make a healthy snack. Obviously I thought about making vegetables, or fruit salad, or anything obviously nutritious and low in calories. Honestly though, I didn’t want to make any of that.

The perfect snack is one that I’m excited to eat. Sometimes that’s vegetables, but sometimes it’s not. The best work snack is one that satisfies when I’m hungry, or grumpy, or lazy, or bored, or just craving something delicious. These oat and peanut butter energy bites totally fit the bill for all of that. They’re somewhat healthy, but simultaneously, somewhat indulgent. 

Made with oats and peanut butter, there’s some fiber, protein and healthy fat to keep you full without eating a ton. Add in some dried fruit, some nuts, or some sweets and you’ve got sweet and salty flavor without being too decadent. 

It’s definitely an energy booster too. These are filling enough on the go, but not too caloric.  They are also representative of different food groups. And you can easily create some interesting flavor and texture combinations. It’s doing the most, but in the best way possible.

For the blog, I made energy bites using dried cranberries and cocoa nibs. I loved this combo because it’s a bit like peanut butter and jelly. However, the nibs give a really satisfying, unstoppable, crunch while also adding a slightly bitter flavor to cut the sweetness of the cranberries. So crazy good. Also feels adult and not too much like a treat. They ended up like trail mix or one of those expensive but delicious granola bars found at health food stores.

At work, we also mixed in peanuts, almonds, coconut flakes, and m&ms. I loved giving everyone the opportunity to do a little DIY and make their own snack. These were definitely a crowd-pleaser and some of us got to snacking before even forming these into balls. 

Above are some photos I took of our team-bonding food demo. I made them little recipe cards, set up stations, and gave measurement conversion information. It was such a blast teaching and cooking with my colleagues. Hopefully, they will ask me to do it again!

These peanut butter energy bites are easy snacks to make at work, or quickly at home, because there’s no baking required. Just get a big bowl, mix it all together, chill, shape, chill. Easy, nutritious, great for a crowd. Most importantly, if you can resist eating it all in one sitting, they get better the next day. Day 1, the oats are still pretty stiff. Day 2, the oats have softened slightly and the texture and flavor of these energy bites is just perfect.

Got ideas for other add-ins and combinations? Share it in the comments!

Adapted from Bless this Mess.

Messy level: You’re hands are going to get messy when you form the bites into balls. But it’s fun so don’t worry about that at all because you can lick your palms when you’re done.

Oat and Peanut Butter Energy Bites

 

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Prep time

35 mins

Total time

35 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 12-14

Ingredients

• 1 cup oats (quick or old fashioned)
• ¼ cup smooth peanut butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup cocoa nibs
• [Note: Alternatively, instead of the cranberries and cocoa nibs you could use up to ½ cup total of other add-ins like peanuts, almonds, candy, chocolate chips, coconut flakes, etc. Use what you like but don't go over ½ cup otherwise you'll need more peanut butter or honey]

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together the oats, peanut butter, honey, cranberries, and cocoa nibs (or different add-ins if using). Mix until everything looks coated in sticky peanut butter or honey.
2. Put the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the bowl from the fridge, form into balls about the size of golf balls. If everything is too sticky and won't hold its shape, put it in the fridge for a little longer. If everything is too dry add a little more peanut butter until the bites can hold their shape.
4. Eat immediately or store, covered, in the fridge. Should last about a week before the oats get too soggy.

3.5.3226

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Tomorrow is Thanksgiving! This recipe for nutella pumpkin muffins needs to be out there before pumpkin season is over!!! I think technically, pumpkin season can go through Christmas. However, we all know the season of pumpkin-flavored-everything really goes from October until Thanksgiving. After Thursday, it will be all about gingerbread and hot chocolate. Also, I used Halloween muffin wrappers so it’s about time I post this recipe. So let’s get to it. 

This recipe is moist, delicious, and because it’s called “muffins” you can have them for breakfast. Between you and me though, it’s pretty close to dessert. More specifically, it’s these muffins are like pumpkin pie in bread form. Bread with a delicious, and might I say, gorgeous swirl of Nutella baked into the top. What isn’t made better by a swirl of Nutella on top? Pretty much everything is better with Nutella.

If you make these muffins early during pumpkin spice season, they’re a great way to dip your toe into autumnal flavors. But if you make them now, they can be the start of holiday indulgence. Maybe you can refrain from all the parties, and treats, and sweets that come with the holiday season.  I for one, cannot. I love festive treats to add some cheer to cold winter days. These nutella pumpkin muffins can be a new addition to your holiday repertoire. Add this to your day-after Thanksgiving breakfast, for cozy weekends in, or to bring to the office as a holiday treat. So yummy, and everyone will love them!

Insider tip: this recipe plus this one for pumpkin biscotti together use a whole can of pumpkin puree. I love that there won’t be any wasted puree languishing in my fridge.

Adapted from Inside BruCrew Life.

Messy level: Not so messy at all. The most difficult part, as with all muffins, is neatly pouring the batter into the muffin wrappers. Also, nutella by nature doesn’t want to be drizzled and pourable so sometimes it unhelpfully splats about. All in all, nothing to complain about.

Nutella Pumpkin Muffins

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

22 mins

Total time

37 mins

 

Author: Adapted by Cooking is Messy

Serves: 18

Ingredients

• 1 cup/ 225 grams pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup/ 118 ml vegetable oil
• 1 cup/ 225 grams sugar
• 2¼/ 280 grams cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup/ 240 ml milk
• ½ cup/ 150 grams Nutella spread

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a muffin tin with wrappers or spray with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and sugar
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Pour the flour mixture and milk in to the pumpkin mixture. Stir gently until smooth.
4. Spoon the muffin batter into your prepared tin. Fill wrappers ¾ full.
5. Place the Nutella in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 20-30 seconds. Stir until it's thinned enough to be gently drizzled.
6. Spoon small dollops of Nutella in the center of each muffin. Use a toothpick artfully swirl a design on top.
7. Bake the muffins for 20-22 minutes.
8. Let cool for 2-5 minutes in the tin. Then remove from tin and let cool completely.
9. Serve!

3.5.3218

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I made this recipe all the way back in August. Back then it was still fiery hot outside and stepping outside of my apartment meant I was sweating immediately. It was a time when farmer’s markets were filled with gorgeous colorful produce. The kind of produce that I didn’t have to know what it was, I’d buy it because it was pretty. Now it’s the end of October. There’s a chill in the air, autumn is truly here, and it’s gourd season. Two months later, currants probably aren’t in season anymore. Still, I’m going to share this recipe for currant jam anyway. 

Like I said, I bought the currants on impulse. I didn’t even know what they tasted like! I thought they looked like gorgeous tiny rubies and I had to have them. I’d figure out the recipe later. Through a little googling, I found a recipe for jam and I thought I’d give it a go.

I’d never made jam before because I’m largely afraid of canning. You need (I think) special equipment that seems both expensive and like a real commitment that I’m not sure I want to make. Also, I’m not trying to feed anyone sugary botulism.

After consulting the internet further and a few friends, I decided one can of jam eaten fairly quickly wouldn’t kill anyone. And look at me, it’s October and I’m still alive. And so is everyone else who tried my jam. Now people might be a little more wary of eating my food. Didn’t realize you were all part of a dangerous science experiment?! Mwahahaha.

Anyway, I was impressed because that one small container of currants filled nearly an entire standard jam jar. Full disclosure, the jar is a pint-sized jar that formerly held Running Byrd Iced Tea. I disinfected the jar by dunking into boiled water and sending the jar good vibes hoping everything would work out. And it did. The jam was delicious. I ate it on toast, English muffins, and I put on buttery thumb print cookies. Mostly it was fun telling everyone I made currant jam. It made me feel impressive.

Adapted from David Lebovitz.

Messy level: I didn’t find this messy so much as mildly terrifying. Everything is so hot, and sticky, and I just didn’t know if it was going to go right. Also, there’s pouring. Pouring things leads to potential mess and no one’s trying to get molten jam spilled on their toes. So my advice, just be careful!

Currant Jam

 

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Prep time

1 min

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

31 mins

 

This recipe can be done with whatever amount of currants you have and equal parts sugar. I made this with about a 1 pint container of currants. Also, I am not an expert on canning. This recipe worked well and safely for one jar eaten quickly. If you are interested in making more to store for the long term, please read other sources for information on canning.

Serves: 1 pint jar

Ingredients

• Red currants
• sugar
• water

Instructions

1. Wash the currants and put them in a large pot. Put them in stems and all. I read the stems help the jam set (For the 1 pint of currants I used my 3 quart sauce pan)
2. Add enough water so that it covers the bottom of the pan. (I added enough so the bottoms of the currants were wet)
3. Heat the currants on medium heat. Stir frequently and cook until they are softened and wilted. This can take 10 minutes or more.
4. Once cooked, pull out the currants by their stems. (It's good to wear gloves). Use tongs and slide them along the stems to pop off the currant berries into a bowl. (If you have a food mill that might be an easier way, but this was my low budget option).
5. If you don't have a food mill, use an immersion blender to make a puree. Alternatively, you can also use a blender or food processor to do this.
6. Weigh the puree. (Hint: it sounds obvious but I often forget, put the bowl on your scale first, press tare, then add the puree. Don't weigh the bowl!)
7. For each pound/kilo/grams of puree, add that amount of sugar to your pot. Add the currants back to the pot as well.
8. Stir the puree and the sugar in the pot. Heat over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
9. Once the sugar is dissolved, stop stirring and bring it to a roiling boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes and don't touch it!
10. Turn off the heat and skim off any of the foamy looking stuff at the top.
11. Carefully pour or spoon the jam into a clean jar. Close tightly. Turn the jars upside down and let cool completely.
12. To test if the finish jam will hold, put a small spoonful of jam on a chilled plate. Put the plate in the fridge for a few minutes. Take it out and poke it. If it wrinkles when nudged then it's ready.

3.5.3217

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I’ve been a bad blogger lately and largely because I’ve been focusing on work. I know that sounds really fake and ridiculous, but it’s kind of true. School started and I’m back in the classroom and on trips across DC and I come home tired and too lazy to write. I’m sorry friends! However, it’s October and it’s pumpkin season. I couldn’t stay silent any longer because there’s so much yummy stuff to do with pumpkin. For example, this recipe for pumpkin biscotti.

So, a few weeks ago I made pumpkin nutella muffins (a recipe I’ll post eventually!) and I had a little bit of pumpkin leftover in the can. I never know what to do with remaining puree. It’s so little! Throw it away? Keep in my fridge hoping I’ll use it, then eventually throw it away? But then, I found this recipe from King Arthur Flour that needed only half a cup of pumpkin. I scraped the can that had been languishing in my fridge and came up with exactly half a cup. Whew!  No need for waste and I was going to get some yummy biscotti.

I had only made biscotti twice before and so when these came out of the oven the second time, I had some fear. Did I really know what biscotti should be like? Were they too crunchy? Can biscotti be too crunchy?! But they tasted good so I wasn’t too concerned.

Then the next morning I had some with my coffee and oh-em-gee friends these pumpkin biscotti were SO. MUCH. BETTER. They soak up the coffee and soften slightly so you can easily bite into them while still holding their shape. They don’t get squishy, fall apart, and plop into your coffee. And somehow, the coffee enhanced the pumpkin and cinnamon flavors. These became my before-work treat for about a week. Who doesn’t want a reason to have a cookie for breakfast? This recipe is a win.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour.

Messy level: The recipe is really easy to assemble with minimal dishes. What also keeps this recipe neat is that all the biscotti can be baked on one tray at the same time. Can’t often say that for a cookie recipe, so it’s a reason to like making biscotti.

Pumpkin Biscotti

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

70 mins

Total time

1 hour 20 mins

 

Author: Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Recipe type: cookie

Serves: ~30 biscotti

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons/ 56 grams butter, softened
• ⅔ cup/ 130 grams sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• ½ cup/ 113 grams pumpkin puree
• 2 cups/ 240 grams all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Beat until smooth and creamy.
4. Beat in the egg and pumpkin puree. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the flour. Mix until just combined.
6. In the bowl, gather the dough into a loose ball. Divide the dough in half and place onto the baking sheet. Give yourself space, the dough is sticky and you'll be reshaping it on the baking sheet.
7. Shape each half of the dough into a long flat rectangular log, about 10"x2.5".
8. Bake the logs on the baking sheet for 25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F/160°C.
10. After 5 minutes, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ¾" pieces. Do your best to cut straight up and down so the biscotti will stand upright during the second bake.
11. Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet so they are standing on their bottom edge and there is a little space between each cookie.
12. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden.
13. Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the biscotti cool completely inside the oven.
14. Serve plain, with coffee, or even with nutella.

3.5.3208

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What – if anything – are you having for breakfast? Currently I’m having a bacon scone with a cold brew coffee whose cup is sweating all over my desk. And while, those are lovely things for breakfast, I really wish I was having these corn fritters with avocado and salsa instead. Why? Because they’re flipping delicious and then I’d be at home relaxing in my pjs having a healthy, filling, savory breakfast. Sure, pjs don’t have to be a part of eating this meal but if I’m dreaming of a better breakfast then why shouldn’t I be in my pajamas? 

I’ve gotten into corn fritters after my friend Abi made them for a girls brunch while I was in London. We had spent a night hanging out and drinking wine and then the next day we had these for breakfast and they were totally killer. Honestly, I could’ve eaten like three times as much as she made.

Sometimes big breakfast dishes are too heavy and sweet (and this from a girl who has a crazy sweet tooth), but this is not any of that. It’s very flavorful and it won’t sit like a brick in your stomach. It also has some vegetables from the salsa and healthy fats from the avocado to keep you full and feeling good. It’s also colorful and gorgeous and that doesn’t hurt. Plus it does a good job of soaking up the wine from the previous nights drinking. Wait, who said that?! I never over indulge when hanging out with my girlfriends.

I will say, this recipe isn’t exactly Abi’s recipe. When I asked her for her recipe, she did a classic thing that all home cooks do to protect their prized recipes – she deferred. She was all, “well, I’m not sure, I used more than one recipe, and combined ideas, and it is sort of based off of this one.” And she sent me a link, which is the basis for the recipe that I’m sharing with you today.

But it’s a good trick not giving up your recipe, that’s how you make sure yours is always the best. This is exactly how I feel about my mom’s apple pie. She’s given me the recipe, I’ve made it a dozen times, it always comes out delicious, but somehow hers is always extraordinarily better. The same with my dad when he makes beans. Why are his always better?! I’ll never know, it’s the cooks secret.

Anyway, all of that not-at-all-bitter ranting, is to say that my corn fritters come out more like savory corn pancakes than I remember Abi’s being. I feel like Abi’s were like fried corn dough patties, but I don’t really remember and it’s like the only time ever where I didn’t take a picture of my food. Food blogger failure!

But, my recommendation is cook this recipe as you would regular American-style pancakes. When you start to see the bubbles (see photo in the frying pan) then you’re ready to flip the pancake. You can top the corn fritters with whatever you like, but I highly recommend slices of creamy avocado and then a salsa with some kick. It’s a really good way to start your day.

Adapted from Good to Know and inspired by the wonderful Abigail Skinner.

Messy level: Really simple preparation with minimal dishes required. I used an immersion blender to mash up the corn, but you can use a fork if you want to cut down on dishes. The biggest opportunity for making a mess is when you flip the fritter. Don’t be like me, be patient, wait for the bubbles, then flip. If you’re patient you’ll get lovely circles and not messy shapes.

Corn Fritters

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy, adapted from Good to Know

Serves: 8-10 fritters

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 15oz/425 gram can of sweetcorn kernels
• ¾ cup/ 100 grams flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped, green parts only
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon garlic
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• pinch cayenne
• ⅔ cup/ 150 ml milk
• butter or cooking spray
• 1 avocado
• salsa (homemade, or your favorite brand)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg.
2. Open the can of corn and drain off the liquid. Put the corn in a large bowl. Using a fork, potato masher, or immersion blender mash up the corn so about half is still whole kernels and about half is corn mush. It doesn't have to be exact, but you don't want the whole thing to be mush.
3. Add the flour, baking powder, spring onions, cilantro salt, garlic, pepper, and cayenne to the corn mush. Mix it well.
4. Now mix in the milk and beaten egg to the corn batter. Mix until everything is incorporated and you don't have any streaks of dry ingredients.
5. If you have time, let the batter sit for 15-30 minutes just to thicken a bit. You don't have to do this step, but I like to because then when you pour the batter into the skillet it holds its shape.
6. Heat a skillet over medium heat. When it's warm melt a pat of butter in the pan. Use a large spoon to pour batter into 3-4 inch rounds. I like to do just 2 fritters per skillet so they cook evenly and aren't overcrowded.
7. Cook on one side until you start to see lots of bubbles popping through the batter and the batter you can see looks as if it's starting to dry out. This takes about 3-4 minutes. Adjust the heat on your burner if things are moving too fast or slow.
8. Flip the fritter and cook for another 3-4 minutes so the other side can brown. The fritter is done when both sides are crispy and have a golden brown color.
9. When a fritter is done, put it on a plate in the microwave. Again, you don't have to do this but I like to keep it in an enclosed space to keep it warm, but I find if I put a paper towel over the plate than the fritter loses some of its crispness. Also I don't recommend stacking done fritters on top of each other. This is also because the heat and steam from other fritters will cause them to soften. It doesn't change the flavor, just the texture.
10. When all the fritters are done, cut the avocado in half, peel the skin off, and slice the avocado into thin strips.
11. Put fritters on a plate. Arrange 4-5 strips of avocado on top of each fritter. Spoon a dollop of salsa across the avocado. Serve. (Alternatively you can also just leave everything out buffet style and people can serve themselves).
12. Enjoy!

3.5.3208

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So, the last two recipes I’ve posted have included kale. And now, we’re going for three in a row.  Yes it’s another kale recipe. This one is for peach almond smoothies (with kale). It’s really taking me forever to get through that giant bag from the grocery store! Also, have I mentioned I’m also growing kale on my balcony?! I might have a problem. But for real, shoving kale into a smoothie is my favorite way to get my greens.

I’ve said it many times before and I’ll say it again, I believe in hiding my veggies and doing whatever it takes to get more into my meals. I’m just not someone who will push myself to eat a big salad and then also have a giant mount of vegetables next to my protein at dinner. Balance is not always my strong suit. But this recipe is killer because it includes four out of the five food groups! This week I’m into the food groups as I recently taught a lesson two 4th graders about food groups and healthy snacks. So we’ve got fruit (peaches), dairy (Greek yogurt), vegetables (kale), and protein (almond butter). The only thing we’re missing are some grains.

I especially love the almond butter with this recipe. I know it kind of sounds weird. Peaches, kale, and almonds? But people do that with salads, mix sweet and savory, so why not do it with a smoothie? And honestly, it’s freaking delicious. It nicely compliments the flavor of the peach, or as Ryan said, “it really adds something.” So, I admit it, I know it sounds weird but trust it.

The other reason I love the almond butter is that it keeps me full. Often when I make a green smoothie, I pack it full of fruits and greens and it’s super tasty and I feel all nutritious and proud of myself. And then it’s 10am and I’m at work and hungry and I get tempted to eat a granola bar or… a donut. The almond butter adds some fat and protein to help fill me up and keep me going until lunch. And that’s the whole point of breakfast right?

The only ingredient not pictured is peach nectar. I found peach nectar in the international section of the super market, but you might also be able to find it in the juice section. As a warning, peach nectar isn’t necessarily lower in sugar or any better for you than juice. However, I like peach nectar because it’s a bit thicker and has a much richer flavor because it uses the fruit’s pulp and not just the juice. If you’re feeling unsure about the nectar you can use water instead, but then you’ll have a subtle peach flavor.

I hope you’ll try this smoothie out. For real, it makes me excited to get ready for work in the morning. And is there a bigger endorsement than that?!

Adapted from My Happy Plates.

Messy level: As always, a smoothie is super easy to make. It’s cleaning the blender at the end that’s the absolute worst!

Peach Almond Smoothie

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

3 mins

Total time

8 mins

 

Author: Cooking is Messy

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 cup/ about 250 grams frozen peaches
• 1 cup / 67 grams kale leaves massages, torn, and hard stems removed
• ½ cup/ 142 grams Greek yogurt
• ½-1 cup/ 120-240 ml peach nectar
• 2 tablespoons/32 grams almond butter (add less then adjust if worried about taste or calories)

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into a blender.
2. Blend on high until smooth. (Or as smooth as your blender will allow) Add more nectar and blend again if you'd like the smoothie to be less thick.
3. Pour into a glass and drink with a straw. Makes 1 large serving or two small servings.

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When you were a kid did you learn to play the recorder in music class? And then, did you learn to play a very breathy and staccato version of the song “Hot Cross Buns”? I certainly did, and I feel like a lot of other children across America did too.  And that was my only interaction with hot cross buns until last year when Ryan and I were in Wales and we went crazy buying pastries. This year, I tried to step it up a notch and make my own hot cross buns. 

So hot cross buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday (today). From my very brief Wikipedia research, hot cross buns don’t appear to be a big tradition in the US – however there are lots of American recipes for them. The difference I noticed is that American recipes tend to make the cross from icing and other recipes tend to make the cross from a flour based paste. I decided to align with my Welsh experience and make the paste. Feel free to make icing though, because who doesn’t love icing?

I will say, if you make this recipe don’t try to start this at 7:30 at night after a long day at work. Everything needs to be brought to room temperature. Also, this recipe needs two hours of rising time, plus the regular work of mixing, kneading, and shaping the dough. As well there’s also the actual baking time. Finally,  when it says preheat the oven you should actually turn the oven on, not just type in the numbers but then forget to press start. Seriously, I stayed up until about 11:30 working on these (which is wildly late for me on a school night). I literally fell asleep during some of the rising time and was thankful for noisy timers.

But the next morning, I was pleased I had made these because they made a delicious breakfast. The buns themselves are a slightly sweet bread spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and raisins. You can also use currants, golden raisins, or go wild and throw in some other mixed fruits. I only used raisins because I was being cheap and didn’t want to buy multiple packages of dried fruit. Sorry, it’s the truth. You go with what works best for you though. Also know, I think currants would be kind of delicious. These buns are also delicious lightly toasted, or warmed slightly, and then slathered with butter. It’s mild but a little sweet and overall very nice for breakfast.

Final thing, I know I’ve said it before with other posts and I’ll say it again: sometimes you have to trust yourself over the recipe. The recipe I was working with said to slowly mix 5 tablespoons of water into 2/3 cup of flour to make a thick paste that you eventually pipe over the buns. Well for me, I reached that perfect paste consistency after about 3.5 tablespoons but I kept going with the water. This gave me a super liquidy mix that I feel flowed out of the piping bag too quickly. It also made subtle crosses on the top of these buns. Flavor wise it’s completely fine, but I recommend making a thicker paste so your finished products will have more defined crosses. Learn from my mistakes friends!

Anyway, whether you eat these buns, chocolate eggs, or jelly beans I hope you have a lovely Easter weekend.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour and BBC Good Food.

Messy level: What’s great about this is that all of the ingredients can easily be kneaded together in the bowl of a stand mixer. However, I do recommend taking the dough out and putting it on the counter when kneading in the dried fruit. It’s just easier to ensure you don’t over work the dough and that everything gets mixed. Overall, I’d call this mildly messy but not crazy at all.

Hot Cross Buns

 

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Prep time

2 hours 20 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

2 hours 50 mins

 

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the Buns

• ¼/ 59 ml cup apple juice
• 1 cup/ 156 grams dried fruit (you can do a mix of raisins, golden raisins, and dried currants)
• 1¼ cup/ 295 ml milk, room temperature
• 2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
• 6 tablespoons/ 85 g butter, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• ¼ cup/ 53 grams light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1¾ teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 4½/ 539 grams cups all-purpose flour

For the Cross

• ⅔ cup flour (can substitute some confectioners sugar for the flour)
• up to 5 tablespoons of water

For the Glaze

• 3 tablespoons apricot jam

Instructions

1. Grease a 10x10" or 9x13" pan with butter.
2. Mix the apple juice and raisins in a microwave safe bowl. Cover the bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, or until the raisins are very warm and have absorbed some of the juice. Set the bowl aside to come to room temperature.
3. Using a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (or a bowl, spoon, and your hands), mix together the milk, eggs, butter, yeast, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, baking powder, and flour. Mix until soft and elastic.
4. Turn the dough on to a floured surface. Knead in the raisins. If dough gets too sticky you can also work in a bit more flour as you knead.
5. Put the dough in a large greased bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel.
6. Let the dough rise of 1 hour.
7. Divide the dough into 12 pieces (about the size of a pool ball). Use your hands to roll them in the ball. Place them in your prepared pan.
8. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a clean tea towel. Let the dough rise for 1 hour or until the dough balls are touching each other.
9. When the dough has been rising for 50 minutes, preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C.
10. Now prepare the cross paste. Put the flour in a small bowl. Mix in the water one tablespoon at a time until you have a thick, squeezable paste. You might not need all 5 tablespoons.
11. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag with a small nozzle, or to a plastic bag with a tiny corner cut off. Pipe the paste in line along each row of buns, then repeat in the other direction to make crosses
12. Bake the buns for 20-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
13. Take the buns out of the oven and let cool slightly.
14. Heat the apricot jam in a small saucepan over low heat. The jam is hot enough when it is melted and spreadable. While the jam is warm, spread it over the top of the buns. Let it cool.
15. Serve the buns warm, toasted, or slightly reheated. Lovely with more jam or butter!

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Ok, true life confession – it took me until I was thirty to have a soft boiled egg. I have no idea why it took me so long because I love dipping bread into runny egg yolks. What have I been doing all my life?! But I got into the idea recently after having a grilled cheese with a poached egg on top at Bidwell in Union Market. It was delicious – buttery, cheesy, and gooey. But I felt like I’d rather have my egg on the side so that the sandwich bread would stay crisp. And that gave me the idea for soft boiled eggs with grilled cheese soldiers (dipping sticks).

I don’t think eggs and soldiers is such a big deal here in the US. I say that because as previously mentioned it took me until I was thirty to have a soft boiled egg. But in the UK, it’s totally a thing. I once had a 15 minute conversation about egg cups with my colleagues at the Science Museum as we got ready for work. I had never thought about egg cups before, but clearly they had. But today I have four of my very own and they are truly a must have for soft boiled eggs. Without them, how will your eggs stand up and how will you dip your soldiers?! Hooray for single use kitchen gadgets. I just can’t get enough. (It’s sad but true).

Why strips of bread are called soldiers I don’t know. Wikipedia says it’s because they look like soldiers on parade, but I don’t see it. However, I think we can all agree that grilled cheese soldiers are above and beyond regular toast soldiers. For that reason, maybe this recipe should be called soft boiled eggs with marines?! Hee heee. That’s a cheesy joke (get it, it’s grilled cheese).

Ok, enough terrible jokes. Let’s talk eggs. Since I didn’t know how to make eggs I went to America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) for guidance. I’ve been binge watching episodes on Netflix, and lucky for me they had an eggcellent (sorry last bad joke I promise) episode. Apparently they tested hundreds of eggs in order to discover a flawless technique or dippy eggs. And in fact, it’s not even about boiling. The method is to use just a bit of water, add the eggs, cover the pot, and let the steam do most of the cooking. It works because a small amount of water can come back to a boil quickly after the eggs are added AND steam has more energy that the boiling water so you can cook lots of eggs successfully at once. Cool huh?

The last thing about soft boiled eggs is that I wasn’t sure how to get the top of the egg off. My British friends I’m sure would say, “with a spoon, or a knife, duh.” But I didn’t know! If you’re fancy and like gadgets, ATK recommended the Rosle Egg Topper which is like a little plunger that guillotines the top of your egg. It’s pretty sweet looking. I stuck with the old spoon method though, I just got egg cups, I’m not yet ready for more egg paraphernalia.

What I like about this dippy egg and grilled cheese soldiers combo is that it’s a somewhat decadent meal without being a lot of work. And when I say decadent, I mean I will take any excuse for melted cheese with buttery toasted bread, and a gooey egg is and added bonus. All of that is the making of breakfast perfection. I also think it’s a great way to treat yourself on the weekend. The recipe is too much work for a weekday, not fancy enough when you have people over for brunch, but just right when you want to do something to spoil yourself.

Soft boiled egg recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. My mom taught me how to make grilled cheese.

Messy level: Fairly low mess. Yes, you need two pans but you’re not doing anything strenuous with either. It’s basically all about heating and keeping your eye on things.

Soft Boiled Eggs with Grilled Cheese Soldiers

 

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Prep time

2 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Recipe written to serve one person. This can easily be scaled up to feed more.

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• water
• 2 slices of sandwich bread
• butter, softened
• 2 slices of cheese (American, Cheddar or your favorite melty cheese).
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Fill a medium pot with about ½" of water. Put it on the stove and bring it to a boil.
2. Heat a skillet on medium heat. It's ready to use when you hold your hand over it and you can feel the warmth.
3. While you're waiting for the water to boil, butter one side of each slice of toast. Butter all the way to the edges. Make sure the bread is well coated with butter, but don't put on a thick layer.
4. Put the slices of cheese on the the non-buttered side of one of the slices of bread. Put the other slice non-butter side down on top of the cheese. (So now you have a cheese sandwich with the butter side out).
5. If the water has come to a boil, gently put the eggs into the water. Cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Cook for 6½ minutes. When the eggs are done, remove from the heat. Take off the lid and run the eggs (still in the pot) under cold water. This is going to help stop further cooking. Set the eggs to the side.
6. The skillet should be ready too. Put the sandwich in the skillet. It should sizzle a bit. Use a spatula to press the sandwich into the pan. Let it sit for a few minutes, until the bread turns a gorgeous golden brown. When one side is brown, flip the sandwich over to the other side and press it down into the skillet using your spatula. You may need to turn the heat down a bit for the second side as it's likely to cook faster. (Depending on how how your skillet it, this can take between 6-12 minutes).
7. When the grilled cheese is brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, remove it from the heat. Put it on a plate and cut it into four long strips.
8. Put your soft boiled eggs into egg cups and put them on your plate alongside the grilled cheese.
9. Use a spoon to tap the egg on the side near the top. You need to break the shell a bit so you can peel off the top of the shell and top of the egg. You want to open it enough to expose the yolk inside.
10. Serve immediately Enjoy dipping the soldiers into the eggs!

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Ok here it is, the last recipe I made in my London kitchen. And it’s a very British dish: beans on toast. Here’s my sweeping generalization: British people love beans and they love toast. (I mean who doesn’t, but still it’s a stronger love in the UK).

Anyway, before moving to London I didn’t know about beans on toast. But now that I know about it, I can’t forget because it’s delicious ya’ll. Beans on toast might be to British people what peanut butter and jelly can be to Americans. It’s easy, inexpensive, quick food that hits the spot when you’re feeling lazy, tired, and can’t be bothered to cook. 

I decided before leaving London I had to make beans on toast for myself. To ensure I was doing it right I asked my friends for advice. For a seemingly simple recipe, my friends had a lot of expert tips and suggestions. Everyone agreed that you have to use cheap white bread. One friend told me that after toasting you have to let the bread sit a bit so it can cool and crisp up (and therefore be a better holder for the beans).

Most people said to spread lots of butter on top of the toast before adding the beans. I decided butter was a must. It was a must, in part because when I arrived in the UK I was surprised by how many sandwiches did have butter on them (like a bacon sandwich), so butter on anything bread related felt especially fitting to me. Again, top tip from a friend – make sure your butter is room temperature so it doesn’t rip up your toast!

After butter comes the beans. I went with Heinz, although my friend Charlotte swears by Branston beans. I chose Heinz though because they have the biggest displays in every grocery store I ever went to. As well, more than one person had told me that Heinz was a very popular British brand (but side note, it’s not a British brand) and it was a go-to for beans and soup – therefore beloved Heinz it would be. So, the beans get heated in a saucepan and then poured on top of the buttered toast. This is the most intense “cooking” part of the whole dish.

Final step is cheese! I know, surprise twist right? There’s no cheese in the name of this dish but everyone told me that you have to top the beans with mature cheddar cheese. After a generous handful of cheese, the whole thing goes in the oven and under the broiler/grill until the cheese gets melted. Take it out of the oven and then if you like season it with a few sprinkles of ground pepper. Now dig in with a fork and knife!

So, beans on toast is a little more work than pb&j – I mean you actually have to heat things! But it’s so easy to make and frankly really delicious. I mean it’s really freaking good. It hits the spot because it’s warm, cheesy, a little fatty, and filling. It ticks all the boxes for a dish when you want to eat RIGHT NOW but can’t be bothered to do a lot. I know that I’m back in the US now, but I think I’ll be making this for myself again. It’s tasty and it’s nice to have a bit something to connect me to the people I love back in London.

Messy level: It’s one spoon of messiness because you need to use a saucepan to heat the beans. Actually, I have one friend who likes the beans cold so if you choose that way you’ll have even fewer dishes in the end. But basically this dish is all about heating individual pieces and then layering them on top of each other. Really straight forward and clean!

Beans on Toast

 

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Ingredients

• bread, number of slices depends on your desired ratio of beans. I'd say 2-4 slices of bread to one can of beans.
• butter, softened so easily spreadable
• 1 14oz/415 gram can of baked beans
• grated mature cheddar, amount used depends on your preferences
• ground pepper, optional

Instructions

1. Turn on the broiler/grill in your oven.
2. Using a toaster, toast the bread to your desired level of brownness.
3. Remove bread from the toaster and let sit for 30-60 seconds to let the toast cool and crisp.
4. Generously slather the toast with butter. Put the toast on an oven safe plate or baking sheet.
5. Empty the can of beans into a small saucepan. Heat the beans on medium until warmed through. This can take about 5-10 minutes.
6. Spoon the beans evenly over your pieces of toast.
7. Generously sprinkle grated cheese over your beans. I like a lot of cheese, but do what feels right to you.
8. Put your beans on toast in the oven. Heat under the broiler until the cheese is melted. This is quick stay near the oven and watch it.
9. Remove from the oven, garnish with pepper if you so desire.
10. Eat with fork and knife. Enjoy!

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