breakfast salad

When I go out for a weekend breakfast, it is often late enough in the day that the clever term combining breakfast and lunch is clearly applying to the meal I am about to have.  And, because I am a hungry one, I've often had a "pre-breakfast" of granola to get me through the wait to be seated at the popular breakfast spot.  Because of the time of day and fact it's often my second meal,  I have been known to order lunch-type foods at brunch.  A soup and a salad, sometimes.  Other times, a salad to accompany my omelet or scramble.  But I have yet to see a breakfast salad on a menu.  I don't know why;  they are pretty perfect as a brunch item, if you ask me.  Assuming, of course, I am not seeking a brunch to recover from "Saturday night carousing."  For that, cheesy eggs and greasy potatoes are perfect.

This past weekend, I was preparing to make a little at-home brunch and found myself standing at the open refrigerator, pondering what to make.  We were craving something filling but somewhat light (since we were headed out for a long run shortly) and definitely savory.  We would have our sweet Dutch pancake with roasted fruit tomorrow, we determined.

Taking stock of the inventory, I found some fresh arugula, some smoked salmon scraps, boiled purple potatoes and a couple eggs (among a few other items).  I briefly contemplated throwing together an omelet with these ingredients, but suddenly realized I wanted nothing less than a salad for breakfast.  I hadn't really had a "breakfast salad" before, but I like some greens with my eggs, so I started to throw some things together.  It wasn't so different from a dinner salad, except that I served it with rosemary roasted potatoes and topped it with a poached egg. Come to think of it, that would be a delicious dinner salad as well. 

It hit the spot perfectly; I am definitely going to eat breakfast salads for brunch a lot more from now on.  And you know, it fueled that run pretty well too.

Breakfast Salad:

A mix of arugula, parsley leaves, and watercress dressed simply with a squeeze of lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper

Radishes, sliced thinly

Cherry tomatoes, roasted with olive oil and salt (400F oven, about 10 minutes)

Smoked salmon pieces

Potatoes, previously boiled then roasted with chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and a pat of butter (400F oven, 15-20 minutes)

Avocado, sliced

Eggs, poached

Drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, pepper

Tricks and Tips:

This recipe is simply a guide, throw together whatever you have available. Use leftover bread for big toasty croutons.  Top with shredded parmesan or dollops of goat cheese.  Sprinkle on some nuts or berries, or herbs from your garden.  Roasted beets would be delicious too.  Throw in some bacon.  Have fun with it, whatever you do.

I generally use about 1 large handful of greens (mixed greens, arugula, kale) for each serving of salad.

Everyone has their own method for poaching an egg, here is mine:
In a shallow pan (saute or shallow sauce pan) add about 3 inches of water.  To the water add about 2 T vinegar and a large pinch of salt (any variety will do, but I am partial to apple cider vinegar).  Let the water come to just barely simmer.  You will see little tiny bubbles around the edge of the pan, but none in the middle.  This is perfect.  Crack your egg and lower it as close to the water as possible before slowing dropping the white and yolk into the water.  Do not touch the egg.  If the water is not quite deep enough, gently spoon water over the top of the egg.  When the whites are just set and the yolk is still very soft, gently lift the egg out of the water with a slotted spoon and transfer to your dish.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper for best flavor.

my favorite kind of B.S.

I love brussels sprouts.

Fried.  Shaved.  Roasted.  With Bacon.  For breakfast.  As leftovers (and I don't really care for leftovers!).  It really doesn't matter.  If there is a brussels sprout around, I will eat it.

It was especially cold in SF yesterday.  I was feeling a little wintry, while simultaneously feeling optimistic for spring.  I decided to combine the two seasons in a salad.  Raw, shaved brussels sprouts combined with crisp and juicy apples dressed up with browned butter vinaigrette and toasty pecans.  A combination of winter flavors with spring texture and lightness, this salad filled the craving perfectly.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad

serves 6-10, depending on each diner's love for brussels sprouts

2-3 lbs brussels sprouts, shaved

1 pink lady apple (or honey crisp or fuji), thinly sliced

1 1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped and toasted

Vinaigrette

Whisk together:

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/4 cup butter, browned

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

kosher salt, to taste (2 large pinches for me)

Toss everything together and enjoy.

tricks and tips:
To shave brussels sprouts, hold the stem-end of the sprout and slice thinly from the top, to your fingers.  Be careful not to cut your fingies!  If you have a mandolin, this is a perfect use for it. 

To toast nuts, spread them on a sheet pan or in an oven safe saute pan and place in a 350'F oven.  Let them toast about 5-10 minutes.  Watch them carefully - they like to burn.

It is never a good idea to toast nuts on the stove.  It has an uneven heat, resulting in nuts that are burned on one side and raw on the other. 

Warm, toasted nuts seem soft - don't let this fool you!  Let them cool before using. 

When browning the butter, have a Pyrex dish handy.  As soon as you get nutty browning in your butter, pour the butter into the Pyrex to stop the cooking.  It is important to use a Pyrex or other heat-safe vessel, as a mason jar or other untempered glass will shatter with the heat of the butter addition to the cool jar.

Slice your apples into a bowl and squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto them to keep them from browning.  After you add the apples to the salad, pour the lemon juice remaining at the bottom of the bowl into the dressing mixture.

Make the salad a few hours early to help "wilt" the brussels sprouts.  But add the nuts just before serving to maintain crunch.

Toss the salad with your hands.  It is gentle on the apples and brussels sprouts, and easier to mix this way.

But be warned, your hands may smell a bit vinegary for awhile!  Not to worry, rubbing your hands on stainless steel, a lemon rind,  or a rosemary bush will quickly take the scent away.