Bacon&eggs alternative

Big breakfasts aren't so big anymore. As much as I love eggs, I don't eat them every morning: one or two times a week, tops. But if you can't face another bowl of cereal, maybe it's time to get a little creative.

I made these potato bites from a large Yukon Gold potato that I had baked extra for a previous dinner, skinned and refrigerated. Once cool, these potatoes are firm and slice easily (white rose and red potatoes would work, too, but not russets). Low-fat cream cheese tastes fine on these. If you've never bought a bag of real bacon bits, you're missing out. They keep for a long time and have a lot less fat than bacon you cook yourself, then crumble.

Using smaller or fingerling potatoes, these would also make super appetizers.

Potato bites
Serves 1-2

Ingredients
1 large Yukon Gold potato, cooked, cooled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons bacon bits
Minced parsley (optional)

Instructions
Put cold potato slices on a paper-towel covered plate. Top each slice with a teaspoon of cream cheese, made into a little ball, then flattened. Sprinkle with bacon bits. Microwave for a minute or until hot. Sprinkle with minced parsley if desired. Serve.

Sorry I didn't get a good photo of this to post. We ate them too quickly!

A nest of cheese

A quick way to add a special touch to a soup or salad is to make some Parmesan cheese crisps to put on the side of the dish. For just one or two, I use a fajita skillet and do them on the stove. Heat the skillet over medium heat. When hot, put couple of tablespoons of Parmesan (the grated stuff in a can will work fine, but freshly grated cheese will give your crisps a more lacy texture), and spread it around into a round. Repeat on the other end of the skillet. When the cheese melts completely and starts to sizzle at the edges, they're done. Remove to a plate to cool.

Another thing you can do is make them one by one and drape them over a shot glass to make little nests. Use a paper towel to keep from burning your fingers as you form them. As each cools, make the next in the skillet. When you have a plateful, fill them with a teaspoon of hummus each and top with a sprinkle of basil threads or a pimento. Voila! Canapes.

Photo © Lori Korleski Richardson