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.

simple cooking

I learned to cook from, and along side, some really incredible chefs.

From them, I learned tricks and tips, style and efficiency.  I learned to how to season, about balance on the palate and on the plate, and a few secrets along the way.  (I also learned how to survive - and jest! - among the male-centric back-of-the-house and to speak some kitchen Spanish, but that is beside the point.)

Somewhere in there, I found my own sense of cuisine: simply seasoned and prepared, plated with a simple hand.  When you are able to work with deliciously fresh ingredients, they don't need to be layered with (sometimes competing) flavors or shaped on your plate using a PVC pipe and tweezers.

Generally, dinner at home is created by a quick rummage through the refrigerator: What vegetables are there?  What protein do we want?  How will these combine best?

Recently, we had some beautiful haricot vert, cremini mushrooms, and fingerling potatoes kicking around the kitchen that begged to be eaten.  A quick stop by the fish market and we had a fast and simple weeknight dinner.

Pan seared salmon

Season the skin side of a filet with salt and some pepper.

Pour a little bit of olive oil into an oven safe, preferably nonstick saute pan and let it get hot.  You don't want it to smoke- that is too hot- but to just begin to shimmer.

Place skin side down into the hot saute pan, sear for a minute or two, or until the skin begins to get crispy.

Transfer the saute pan to the hot oven to join your veggies.

Everyone likes their salmon cooked to a different temperature - I tend to like mine more rare, about 130 internally, so I pull it about 125 to allow for some carry-over cooking.

Roasted Veggies

Cut veggies to desired piece sizes. 

Toss with olive oil, salt and a little pepper. 

Roast in a hot oven (425- 450) until golden brown and delicious (GBD!), about 10 minutes.

Boiled Potatoes

To a sauce pan, add the fingerling potatoes, cold water and lots of salt.
Bring them to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  

They are done when a sharp paring knife inserted into the potato easily slides away.

Drain the water, toss potatoes with salt, chopped parsley and a little bit of lemon zest.

tricks and tips for you:

Don't be afraid of a hot oven or lots of salt.

Salt helps to potentiate flavors, whereas pepper has a flavor of it's own.  I use pepper sparingly.

Always put presentation-side down first into your saute pan.  This creates the most even cooking and best appearance.

Season your cooking water - pasta, potatoes, anything you cook in water - add flavor to the cook by adding plenty of salt.

Starting the potatoes in cold water allows an even cooking of the potato.  If you were to start with hot water, the outside would become mushy and mealy while the inside cooks.

Boiling your potatoes in a hard boil will break your potatoes.  Use a gentle simmer to keep the skins intact.

A sprinkle of chopped parsley and a little bit of lemon zest add brightness to nearly anything.