breakfast for dinner part 1

the night that almost never happened...

we were beginning to think this night was cursed.

back in june kate, emily and i starting testing recipes for the perfect summer meal, served on top of kate's rooftop in malibu, overlooking the ocean.

we came up with a trio of sliders. vegetarian. turkey. beef.

we came up with an amazing watermelon salad.

and on and on...

and then the lovely amy and nicki did their night "welcome summer".  if you haven't tried their recipes, run don't walk!!! amazing!! but exactly what we were thinking so on to plan B.

burgers and baked veggies? taken. fish? too predictable. breakfast for dinner? comforting and lovely.

so with emily's genius idea we planned and planned.

kate, has the cooking chops. technique. fearlessness. and she works like the devil.

i, am really good at doing what i am told, and coming up with a ton ideas that i can't execute.

emily, is so creative, so together we had a great time!

then i got sick. you don't want to hear about. we will leave it at that. i was very sick.

then just monday of this week kate almost had to jet off to a cousin's wedding in utah. 

I should start with a warning THIS NIGHT WAS IN NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM HEALTHY!!!

luckily we figured out a way to make it all happen so with further ado...

here is our menu

i found these cute envelopes that come in every color with a fun little pocket on the side... the possibilities are endless! i decided to just slide in a little thank you note to the girls.

cut some paper i had and a little adhesive tape to make a cigar sleeve. but wait, this is looking a little too serious. so i added some fun phrases about what else...eating!

Add caption

emily has collected all of these GORGEOUS beach glass bottles for years. we knew they would be perfect and unexpected.

they were perfect. they caught the fog in the air. they glistened. they were easy.

 now on to appetizers...

katie made these most amazing tiny huevos rancheros... i could have eaten a million.

here is what kate says:

 Huevos Rancheros

Enchilada Sauce (allrecipes.com)
1 T adobo sauce from canned chiles in adobo
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 C corn oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
3 cup beef broth

Combine all ingredients and simmer 10 minutes.

Corn tortillas
Black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
Cumin
1 C Jack cheese, grated
1 C Pepper jack cheese, grated
Egg

  You can adjust this recipe in so many ways, it all depends on how you want to serve. I found foil pie plates for pot pies in the grocery store, that would be ideal for a entrée portion . Saute onion and green peppers until softened, season with salt and pepper. Mash black beans in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in onion and green pepper. Pour a small amount of corn oil in skillet, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry tortillas on both sides until lightly browned. Salt them after taking them out of oil, while still hot. Fry eggs, I think it is best when the yolk is still soft.
Layer tortilla, black bean mixture, cheese, sauce, tortilla, egg, cheese, sauce. 

Bake in oven at 375 for 5-8 minutes.

for our night's purposes kate cute the tortillas and egg with a small round circle cutter, similar to this one.

then at the last minute and in order for the plate to look complete she added these super easy, super yummy strawberry brie sandwiches. we cut them into finger size for the appetizer, the picture just doesn't have it this way.

 Strawberry Sandwich
(Tyler Florence)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 slices brioche (we used challah)
1/4 C granulated sugar
1 jar of good strawberry jam
1 pint hulled, sliced strawberries
6 ounce Brie cheese, thinly sliced at room temp
Powdered sugar

Butter both sides of 4 slices of bread and sprinkle sugar on one side of each. This will be the side that is grilled. Spread strawberry jam on the other side, top with sliced strawberries  and then cheese slices. Now butter both sides of the other 4 slices of bread set on top of cheese and sprinkle top with sugar. Press down gently.
Heat 1 T of butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Put 2 of the sandwiches in the pan and cook for 2 minutes, until the sugar melts, the bread turn golden brown and the cheese begins to melt. Turn and cook the second side until golden brown and the cheese is bubbly. Take the sandwiches out of the pan, dust with powdered sugar, cut them in half and serve warm. Repeat with other 2 sandwiches.

I added the pineapple ginger smoothie because with all the heavy I felt that we needed a little sweet rinse. these were served in a shot glass. i love to make smoothies so i can jam extra nutrients in my kids bellies before they head off to school and these were so quick. These particular smoothies are from MS Everyday Food.

Pineapple and Ginger Smoothie

Martha Stewart Everyday Food

• 1 cup fresh or frozen pineapple, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup ice (if using fresh pineapple)

Directions

Blend pineapple, ginger, yogurt, pineapple juice, cinnamon, and ice (if using fresh pineapple).

 

okay so next kate made this "cookie cup" to fill the fruit salad in. the cup is basically caramel, baked and at her house in the humidity they became sticky and melty real quick... the girls didn't seem to mind though. i may have seen plate licking.

 

pre oven

watching them bake

removal

mold on bottom side of bowls

 

 Lace Cookies (Martha Stewart)
2 T butter
2 T brown sugar
1 1/2 T honey
2 T flour
Pinch of salt
Heat oven to 375. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a small saucepan melt butter, sugar and honey, whisking til smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in flour and salt. Spoon onto parchment. Only do 4 at a time and use about 1 T of batter. Spread the batter a little with the back of the tablespoon. It will spread a lot.
Bake until golden brown, about 6 minutes. To form a bowl, remove parchment from the cookie sheet and let it cool for just a few seconds, stay right there, you don't want it to set before you take it off the parchment paper. I draped it over an inverted ramekin coated with cooking spray. Let it cool completely before flipping it over and filling it.

  Fruit Salad with Cinnamon Lime Syrup in Honey Lace Cookie Bowl

Mango, cubed
Strawberries, quartered
Blueberries

Lime Syrup (Gourmet Magazine)
1 C water
1 C sugar
3 T fresh lime juice
1 piece Mexican cinnamon broken into 4 pieces, or 1 regular cinnamon stick halved
Bring water, sugar, lime juice, and cinnamon to boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Pour over fruit and let stand at least 30 minutes.

we felt like this was a needed break from the richness...oh wait we put the fruit in cookie cups, nevermind.

Okay we didn't get a picture of the entree course, maybe Ashley got one.

ashley?

 

lets just say it started with this...

  Potato Cakes with Fried Egg (Epicurous.com)

2 potatoes
1/2 pound bacon
1/2 C minced onion
1/2 C minced bell pepper
Vegetable oil
Eggs

Peel potatoes and boil whole in salted water for about 10 minutes. Drain them and let them cool until you can handle them. Grate potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in pan til crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels. Chop when cooled. Drain off most of the bacon grease, leaving just a tablespoon in the pan. Saute onion and pepper in bacon grease, scraping the bottom of the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Combine potatoes, veggies and chopped bacon in a large bowl. Form patties, much a hamburger patty.
Heat 1 T oil in a large skillet that has a lid. Place patties in pan and cook about 4-6 minutes, until browned. Flip cakes over and press an indention into the top of the cake with the back of a spoon. This creates a place for the yolk to go. Crack an egg over each cake, trying to keep yolk in indention. Salt and pepper eggs and cover with lid. If you don't have a lid you can just use foil or a cookie sheet. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs, I think it's best when they are a little soft and the yolk creates a sauce.

Emily made a Creme Brulee French Toast and over dinner as she told us the ingredients i almost died and then realized that is why it was so damn good. she will be posting that recipe, one for her Mojitos and her homemade Raspberry Italian Plum Jam later...YUM!

so i had dessert and again i have no photos. i will tell you all about it though. i did a s'more donut because s'mores are one of my favorite things in this world and making a donut for breakfast is ridiculous and special. I got my recipe from this book, but i have my own spin.

i used Trader Joes Graham Crackers because lets be honest... how can life exsist on this earth without them??

 

 

 

 

and you have to have these...why? they are amazing.

however for this recipes purposes i think reeses may hold up a little better and the pb is a little more prominant in them but i really like that i don't have to unwrap these:)and i always have a box in my cabinet to munch on why i cook...i'm skinny.

also this recipe does not call for these AT ALL but my family LOOOVES pb in our s'mores so i went with that.

Raised Doughnuts

Makes 8 to 14 doughnuts

1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon active dry yeast, divided
1 cup whole milk, heated to 110˚F, divided
2 to 21/2 cups (320 to 400 grams) bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons (30 grams) superfine sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter or vegetable shortening
Vegetable oil for frying

In a medium bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of the yeast into 3/4 cup of the milk. Add 3/4 cup of the flour and stir to create a smooth paste. Cover and let rest in a warm spot for 30 minutes.

Combine the remaining milk and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the rested flour mixture along with the vanilla and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Turn off the mixer and add 1 cup of the remaining flour and top with the sugar and salt. Mix on low for about 30 seconds or until the dough starts to come together. Add the butter and mix until it becomes incorporated, about 30 seconds. Switch to a dough hook and add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time with the mixer turned off, kneading the dough at medium speed between additions, until the dough pulls completely away from the sides of the bowl and is smooth and not too sticky. It will be very soft and moist, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it out. You may have flour left over. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 30 minutes. Gently degass the dough, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (and up to 12 hours).

Line a baking sheet with a lightly floured non-terry dish towel. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. With a doughnut or cookie cutter, cut out 3-inch-diameter rounds with 1-inch-diameter holes (for filled doughnuts, don’t cut out the holes).

Place the doughnuts on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit in a warm spot to proof until they almost double in size, about 30 to 40 minutes, testing at five-minute intervals. To test whether the dough is ready, touch lightly with a fingertip. If it springs back immediately, it needs more time. If it springs back slowly, it is ready. If it doesn’t spring back at all, it has overproofed; you can punch it down and reroll it once.

While the doughnuts are proofing, heat a heavy-bottomed pot with at least 2 inches of oil until a deep-fat thermometer registers 360˚F. With a metal spatula, carefully place the doughnuts in the oil. Fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until light golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on a wire rack over a paper towel, and let cool slightly before glazing.

S'more Filling

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

10 graham crackers finely crushed ( i just swirled mine in the blender)

2 teaspoons superfine sugar

1 Tablespoon milk or water

12 - one ounce squares chocolate (or pb cups like i did)

48 mini marshmallows

sugar glaze

1. Stir together 3 tablespoons of hte melted butter, graham crackers and sugar. Cover and set aside.

2. after rolling out dough to 1/4 thick. cut 3" diameter circles, then take half and roll to 3 1/4 inch. To assemble, lightly brush each wider round with the milk and place the chocolate and 4 marshmallows in the center of each. Top with smaller rounds and lightly pinch to seal. Then recut with the same cutter, sealing the edges.

3. Fry doughnuts. Glaze or brush with a little butter and roll in graham cracker crumble.

I messed up a lot of steps when making these that night. No wonder they were so much better the times i tested them:)

Lastly, i made pop tarts and filled them with Emily's jam.

The humidity really wrecked havoc on this recipe. I made the dough ahead and it was beautiful and perfect. but once at kate's house it took a turn for the worst and didn't bake as flaky as at home. 

Here is the link.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/04/homemade-pop-tarts/