Red Bird Cabin

In my ongoing quest to find new ways to use up my tomato crop, I’ve created a simple breakfast that were really digging.  It’s kind of like a Croque Monsieur done all fresh and vegetarian.  Here’s the gist:  Cut a ripe tomato into thick slices, place them on a still-warm piece of toast & drizzle with a good olive oil.  Lightly rub the tomato and oil into the toast.  Top with a fried egg, crumbled feta, and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Croque Jardin a la Jen

Cooking the Perfect Egg: Rather than straight-up frying an egg, which makes the white kind of stiff and rubbery… I prefer to “fry-poach” to tender perfection. It’s a method that Adam’s mom invented, and I think it’s the perfect way to cook an egg. Get your pan hot, add butter or a dash of oil, crack the egg in and cook it for about a minute until the very bottom of the egg is white. (The yolk should still be raw, but intact.) Next, add a splash of water to the pan around the outside of the egg (about 4 tbsp if you want to get specific). It will start to bubble and steam. Cover with a lid. Check in another minute and lightly poke the yolk so you can see how done it is. Remove it when the yoke is at the “runniness” level you prefer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and voila… all the taste of a fried egg, but without the rubbery texture.

My new fave grain is Bulgar Wheat… which is basically parboiled, dried, cracked whole wheat. You’ve probably had it before in Middle Eastern Tabbouleh (Tabouli) salad, but I’ve been experimenting with some tasty new ways to prepare it (recipes are below). Bulgar wheat has a great nutty flavor and a delicate texture similar to couscous (but it’s much healthier than couscous since it’s the whole grain). You can find bulgar wheat in most gourmet & health food stores.

2 Simple Ways to Prepare Bulgar Wheat
1) The HOT Way: In a bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over one cup of bulgar wheat. Wait 15 minutes & drain the water (with a super-fine mesh sieve or use the pot lid).
2) The COLD Way: In a bowl pour 2 cups of cold water over 1 cup bulgar wheat. Wait 2 hours and drain the water.

From the top left... Red Bird Tabbouleh, Lemony Chickpea & Cilantro Tabbouleh on a Lettuce Leaf, Caramelized Onion & Cherry Tabbouleh w/ Teriyaki Salmon, Dinner is Served

Red Bird Tabbouleh (a twist on the classic tabbouleh)

• Prepare 1 cup of bulgar wheat (see above) & then mix in all the following ingredients…
• 1 small chopped cucumber
• large handful chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1 bunch chopped fresh parsely
• 1 bunch chopped fresh mint
• 1 large bunch minced green onions
• juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup of olive oil
• salt & red pepper (to taste)
• mix in 1 large handful of crumbled feta at the end

Lemony Chickpea & Cilantro Tabbouleh (great light lunch)

• Prepare 1 cup of bulgar wheat (see above) & then mix in all the following ingredients…
• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• juice of 1-2 lemons (to taste)
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 minced jalapeno (to taste)
• 1 large handful cilantro chopped
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup of olive oil
• salt & pepper (to taste)
• top with crumbled feta

Carmelized Onion & Cherry Tabbouleh (awesome with teriyaki salmon)

• Prepare 1 cup of bulgar wheat (see above) & then mix in all the following ingredients…
• 1 bunch chopped fresh parsely
• 1 cup chopped red onion… in a pan, saute w/ olive oil until caramelized
• 1/2 cup chopped dried tart cherries (sub cranberries if you can’t find dried cherries)
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 large swirl of honey
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds (optional)
• salt & pepper (to taste)

One of the benefits of having a perennial herb garden is that you can make this little treat on the fly for guests.  All you need is goat cheese, a handful of herbs, and salt & pepper.

The simple ingredients

The Basic Recipe
Spread 1/2 of your goat cheese into a loose circle shape and sprinkle with salt & pepper on top (see above).  Then chop up your herbs.  I like to use thyme, lemon thyme, oregano, and a touch of sage.  (Both oregano and sage are pretty intense, so I use less of them than the thyme.)  Spread the herbs over the goat cheese.  Next, crumble the rest of your goat cheese on top and press it down lightly.  Your herbs should be sandwiched in between the 2 layers of cheese.  Finally, sprinkle a few more herbs on top and finish it off with a touch of pepper or smoked paprika (if you have some).

Herb & Goat Cheese Paté

I came up with this Spring-themed variation of Pesto last night… and it was delicious.  Instead of the usual pine nuts, I subbed in cashews.  Then I added in grated lemon zest and a splash of lemon juice. (FYI, you could really use any type of nut to make pesto.) I chose cashews for this one because they’re subtle… allowing you to taste the lemon.

Spring Pesto

Here’s the basic recipe:

• 1 large bunch of basil
• 1.5 cups of cashews
• a couple glugs of olive oil & water
• grated zest of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove
• salt & pepper to taste

Just toss all the ingredients into your food processor or blender and blend for about 2 minutes. If it’s too thick, add more olive oil and water in equal parts until it reaches a pea-soup consistency. (Mine was a little too thick - next time I’ll thin it more.) Drizzle it over chicken, tofu, salmon or pasta!