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I’ve recently been reunited with my ramekins and I thought the best way to celebrate was with baked eggs. I’ve been eyeing a recipe in my Four Ingredient Cookbook for a while now, and the time is right.

Sautee thinly sliced leeks in butter and oil until soft. Season with S & P and distribute evenly among ramekins.

Crack one egg into each ramekin carefully–don’t you break that yolk! Sprinkle the tops with a bit more S & P and pour a touch of heavy cream on top of the eggs. (Seriously, just a touch. Don’t overdo it like I did.)

Bake in a hot water bath in a 375 degree oven till the whites are set and the yolks remain runny, about 10 minutes.

 

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If you read yesterday’s post, you’re aware that I have some serious leftovers in the fridge. It’s time to turn them into a brunch that’s fit for any restaurant menu.

Sweat chopped onions in oil over medium heat. Add minced garlic during the last minute of cooking. Meanwhile, dice leftover steak and potatoes into bite-size pieces, and then add them to the pan, cooking just long enough to warm through and give the potatoes a bit of color. Stir in leftover compound butter and chopped fresh parsley, and then create little holes (nests, if you will) in the hash.

Crack eggs into the nests, taking care not to break the yolks. Transfer the pan to a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven and bake until the whites of the eggs are set and the yolks remain runny. Garnish with more chopped parsley and serve.

This is a perfect brunch for those days that you plan on lounging around in your pajamas all day.

Yesterday was dedicated to making sweets. And watching football and drinking beer. But mainly making sweets.

Breakfast was simple yet elegant–crepes with blueberry compote. I handed this dainty breakfast to my six-foot, bearded, mid-western S.S., who gobbled it down in mere seconds. I tried to be a bit more refined about it but failed miserably, and the whole thing was gone in less than two minutes.

I used this recipe for the crepes. The compote was easy to prepare and took no time at all: in a small saucepan over low heat, combine blueberries (I used frozen, but fresh is preferred when in season), sugar, the zest and juice of a lemon, and a small pinch of salt. Cook until the blueberries just begin to break down.

Spoon the warm compote generously over crepes (or waffles or pancakes or, hell, even ice cream).

…but made for a woman.

My someone special had to work this Saturday morning, so I had free reign over his entire apartment. Of course, my stomach immediately directed me to the kitchen. I was told that “believe it or not, there is food” but that I may have to “look for it”. This was the most truth I had heard all week.

There was a packet of Knorr Rice Sides in the cabinet, something that could move on to bigger and better things. There were also frozen mixed veggies, which, alone, are lifeless but tolerable when disguised among other ingredients. There were also eggs that were well past their expiration date, a reality I so conveniently ignored.

These three sad items were salvation from my late-morning brunch craving.

Prepare the rice according to the package’s directions. (You could always use leftover rice, but you’ll have to add seasoning, and, quite frankly, this post can’t help you with that.) Transfer to a hot pan with canola oil and fry the rice until crispy and dark golden brown throughout. Dump in thawed frozen veggies and stir to heat through. Pour in a beaten egg or two and stir until just cooked, about one minute.

You shouldn’t have to do much more than that, since the rice contains a hell of a lot of sodium and other junk to make it taste like “chicken” (or cheddar and broccoli or beef or mushroom…). Perhaps a slosh of hot sauce would finish this off quite nicely.

I wolfed down more than I’d care to admit, and welcomed my S.S. with the remains. His response? “Is there any more?”

No, sorry.

One of my favorite weekend activities includes lazing around all day in my underwear, watching movies, putting off responsibilities, drinking too much coffee till late in the afternoon (particularly in bed), googling stupidity, and making a hearty lunfast (not quite as catchy as brunch, I suppose). A perfect meal for this type of day? Huevos rancheros:

Microwave frozen brown rice according to the directions, or use boil-in-a-bag brown rice. (Feel free to make your own brown rice. I rarely do.) Mix with rinsed canned beans and chopped fresh cilantro. Top the rice with salsa, sliced avocado and a fried egg. Season with S & P.