The big breakfast

A proper English breakfast

When we were hiking from inn to inn in the Lake District in the early '90s, one of our joys each morning was watching a goofy morning British TV show, "The Big Breakfast," where one of the gimmicks was that the crew would arrive at a home, clean the house and prepare a proper English breakfast for the inhabitants, then clean up. Of course, they came unannounced, so the people were often in their bathrobes, curlers in their hair, etc. Sometimes the crew even brought a brass band for entertainment.

But to me, the big English breakfast was entertainment in itself. The American breakfast - bacon or sausage, eggs, hashbrowns and toast - pales in comparison.

This morning, I attempted a variation on the English breakfast. I started with turkey sausage crumbles, heating them until hot in a skillet, then adding two farm-fresh eggs, a little salt and pepper, then scrambling them until just done. I kept those warm while I browned the ripe tomatoes, halved and cut side down. Meanwhile, I sliced a couple of pieces of coffee cake, and topped them with a fresh currant sauce (recipe below). It was a very hardy and pretty breakfast.

Fresh Red Currant Sauce
Makes about a half cup

I had never seen fresh currents, only dried, so when I came across them at the grocery store, I had to try them. By themselves, they are almost as tart as cranberries.

Ingredients
4 ounces fresh red currants
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons sugar (approximately)

Instructions
Wash and pull stems off currants. Put them in an ovenproof French canning jar, the ones that look like wide glasses with orange plastic lids.  I added one tablespoon of water and one tablespoon of sugar and microwaved them until the mixture boiled to the top of the jar. I removed the jar from the 'wave, tasted, and added another tablespoon of sugar. I again brought the mixture to a boil, and tasted again. This time it was just right for my taste; you may want yours sweeter, but the tarter sauce tastes nice when paired with a rich, sweet dessert.

Thigh high

What are you looking at? My thighs?

Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are among the fastest cooking meats. True, they aren't as pretty as the breast, but they pack a small wallop of flavor that the whiter meat can't beat.

Chicken thighs with penne pasta and stewed tomatoes
Serves 2

Ingredients

1 can (15 ounce) stewed tomatoes

2 boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/4 cup Newman's Own Light Lime dressing
4 ounces dry penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

Grated Parmesan to taste

Instructions

Put the stewed tomatoes in a small saucepan and heat on low. Pound the thighs until they are an even thickness. Marinate with the lime dressing. Bring a pot of salted water to boil.  Add pasta. Meanwhile,  heat the olive oil in a skillet big enough for the 2 thighs. When medium hot, add the thighs. Cook the chicken about 8 minutes, then turn. Add the onions and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the rest of the marinade and cook for 5 more minutes. After the pasta has cooked for 12 minutes or until al dente, drain and toss with a little olive oil and Parmesan. Drain the excess liquid from the tomatoes and serve the tomatoes, pasta and hot thighs and onions immediately. Grate extra Parmesan on the tomatoes to taste.

Have it your way - healthful, even

Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese

McDonald's employs a director of nutrition? Who knew? Dr. Cindy Goody has been with McDonald’s since 2008. She was recently interviewed for Nation's Restaurant News, and had some interesting things to say:

Nutrition is the science of how our bodies use food to contribute to health, and as a registered dietitian, I have an opportunity to translate that science so consumers can use it to improve their health and well-being. As McDonald’s director of nutrition I have the opportunity to share this knowledge with the more than 26 million customers that visit our 14,000 U.S. restaurants every day.

Her philosophy is that there are no good or bad foods, but anyone can consume a bad balance of foods. Since McDonald's offered varied menu choices, she says people can build a nutritious meal from the items offered and by monitoring their portion size.

McDonald’s has provided nutrition about our quality food for more than 35 years. Today, there are eight ways customers can easily access McDonald's nutrition information: on McDonalds.com, via our toll-free telephone number (1-800-244-6227), on select product packaging, on the backs of trayliners, in-restaurant nutrition brochures, via voice-activated information through our toll-free number, via mobile devices and now on HealthyDiningFinder.com.

As an improvement to Happy Meals, Goody says McDonald’s sells more than 72 million Apple Dippers annually and more than 180 million Milk Jugs per year.

And guess what? McDonald's will even be adding oatmeal to its breakfast offerings next year.

We'll see if that gets the same real estate on their menu board that the Double Quarter Pounder With Cheese (740 calories) with large fries (500 calories) and soft drink (310 calories). 

(By the way, those aren't the most calorie-dense offerings: that would be the Angus Bacon Cheese with 790 calories, 2070 mg sodium, and the large triple thick chocolate shake at 1160 calories.)

If you want to check out the nutritional stats of your favorite Mickey D's food, you can view the pdf here.

To read the entire interview with Goody: http://www.nrn.com/article/qa-dr-cindy-goody-mcdonald’s-usa-director-nutrition?ad=healthydining&utm_source=MagnetMail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=richardsons15@yahoo.com&utm_content=NRN-News-NRNam-11-12-10&utm_campaign=Red%20Lobster%20looking%20to%20lower%20price%20points#ixzz154azWBnz

Kale and hearty

The tomatoes are mostly a distant memory at the City Market, the peppers too, but kale goes on and on. It's a hardy green, mostly used for braising, but it makes great chips. This recipe from Martha Stewart is also very good, and a way for those of you with CSA's to add a little variety to a favored crop as the weather gets colder.

Kale Slaw with Peanut Dressing
Serves 8

Ingredients
2 large bunches curly kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper
2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup salted peanuts

Instructions
Toss 2 large bunches curly kale, center ribs discarded, very thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups); 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, halved crosswise and thinly sliced lengthwise; and 2 carrots, thinly sliced crosswise, in a large bowl.
Puree 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup salted peanuts, 2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a blender until smooth.
Pour dressing over vegetables just before serving. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup salted peanuts, coarsely chopped.
From Martha Stewart Living, August 2009

Pullets' surprise

I've been eating out way too much lately, but I'll be back cooking again soon. In the meantime, check out how the chickens are coming along; no eggs yet, but soon, soon...

Library offers a menu of great choices

Charlottesville friends, do you have a Jefferson-Madison Regional Library card? Not only do the new ones look totally hip and not something you'd be embarrassed to have on your keychain, during the month of October, you'll get a 10 percent discount at many area businesses. Here's a short list of the food-related ones; more can be found at the library's website. (The YUM's are places I've checked out at least three times and liked each time.)

Autumn Hill Vineyards, 301 River Drive, Stanardsville, VA

Blue Ridge Café & Catering, 8315 Seminole Trail, Ruckersville, VA

Brix Terrace Café, 594 Pantops Center, Charlottesville, VA

Carving Board Café, 624 Albemarle Square, Charlottesville, VA (YUM!)

Integral Yoga Natural Foods, 923 Preston Avenue, Charlottesville, VA (YUM!)

La Cocina del Sol, 1200 Crozet Avenue, Crozet  (YUM!)

The Lafayette Inn, 146 East Main Street, Stanardsville, VA

Lord Hardwick’s Pub, 5920 Seminole Trail, Barboursville & 1248 Emmet Street, Charlottesville

Maggie Moos, Hollymead Town Center, 145 Community Center, Charlottesville, VA

Maharaja Fine Indian Cuisine, 139 Zan Road, Charlottesville, VA

Nate & Em’s Pizza, 5920 Seminole Trail, Barboursville, VA 

The chickens are here!

We got three pullets today: a Black Australorp, a Buff Orfington and a Rhode Island Red. I'll post photos as soon as they relax and get the lay of the land.