30/30 - #13 Father's Day Slumgullion (Egg Dish)

Happy Father's Day!

I thought it was only fitting that the favorite on Father's day be a recipe that my own Father specializes in, Slumgullion. This is my dads breakfast specialty, that was handed down to him from his own father. 

Slumgullion is a fantastic breakfast to feed a large crowd and use up leftovers from the night before. It usually shows up at our family get together's.

Wishing all the Father's a wonderful Father's Day and sending love to those that have lost their Father's.

You can find the recipe for Slumgullion here.

My Fancy Duck Egg Breakfast

I was feeling fancy the other morning. I had just stocked up on delicious Farmer's market fare and started working on a recipe all morning. I quickly realized I had missed breakfast and peaked in the fridge to spot the duck eggs I had just purchased. One thing led to another, and I ended up with a new recipe!

For the followers out there (or those that know me), this is a pretty typical Sunday morning. It usually takes me a few stops to gather all of the groceries for the week, then I stop to plan meals and make a list of what I can prep before the busy week starts. Somehow, my list always gets changed and I usually come out with a recipe to share....what I like to call "Sunday Fun Day!"

Ok, back to the breakfast. In a previous post, I talked about the exquisite taste of duck eggs - one of our absolute favorites! It's all about the yolk here. Not only are farm fresh duck eggs creamier and smoother than chicken eggs, but they are actually healthier too.

Duck eggs have twice the amount of nutritional value than chicken eggs, containing more Omega-3 which is linked to improving brain function, skin and reducing inflammation. 

Duck eggs also last longer since they have a thicker outer shell and are preferred by most bakers for cakes and pastries.

Most importantly for me, duck eggs are alkaline, unlike acidic chicken eggs. I try to keep my body in balance with a healthy diet full of alkaline foods, which help fight off cancer cells.

The one drawback to duck eggs is the amount of cholesterol. If you have heart disease or high cholesterol in your family, I don't recommend adding them to your diet. However, if you are a healthy person, exercising regularly, then your body needs fat to produce energy, which means duck eggs are back on the menu! 

My Fancy Duck Egg Breakfast

Yields: 1 serving

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

6-8 asparagus spears, trimmed

1 T grapeseed oil (or olive oil)

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

3 shitake mushrooms (or favorite mushrooms), sliced

1 duck egg (or regular egg)

salt and pepper

micro greens or spinach for garnish

goat cheese for garnish

hot sauce (optional)

Steam asparagus spears after trimming.

In a small saute pan, heat the oil and fry garlic slices until you get fragrant oil and garlic chips. Be careful not to burn the garlic slices. Remove the slices from the oil and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.

Add in the shitake mushrooms to the garlic-infused oil and saute for 3-5 minutes. Move the mushrooms to the outside of the pan and crack the egg into the center. Fry the duck egg to desired doneness (we like dippy centers).

Assemble the fancy breakfast by laying the asparagus on a plate, then sautéed mushrooms on top, followed by the fried duck egg. Garnish with goat cheese, micro greens, salt, pepper, garlic chips and a little hot sauce.

Father's Day Slumgullion

Happy Father's day to the World's most amazing father!! I am lucky to have such a wonderful role model in my life, and one that can cook a good breakfast! Cooking is deep rooted in my family - it comes from both sides and has passed through many generations. I am blessed to have many of these recipes and dishes passed down to me. One of which is a breakfast dish that always makes me think of Grandpa, my Dad's father. He is no longer with us, but his spirit, personality and kind heart are still here. I know it is unusual to ask your Dad to work on Father's Day, but knowing how good of a writer he was and his love for his own father, I asked him to guest post today. He was honored and had the perfect idea to make Slumgullion. And yes, this is a real thing!

Happy Father's Day out there to all the fathers. 

Much love,
Jessica
Kettler Cuisine

Quick Breakfast Enchilada

Quick is the key word here, every meal over the past month has been quick! When our schedules get busy, Ryan and I try very hard not to succumb to the dreaded takeout or fast food. I like to keep things homemade as much as possible, but sometimes it is difficult in the mornings. I am one of those that presses snooze about 10 times before I actually get out of bed. I know this is horrible and both Ryan and I hate it, but that is the way my morning goes. I sleep in until the absolute, possible last minute!

So breakfast is usually out of the question for me. On weekdays, I typically have a green drink in the morning and then a hearty snack mid-morning to keep me going until lunch. However, there are some days when I know I won't get that snack and I need breakfast to tide me over. This little gem of a recipe got me through a particularly long day last week!

Last week was crazy - holiday parties, demanding work days, unpacking from New York, laundry and re-packing for Kiawah...Not to mention squeezing in a few final training runs before the half marathon. I needed a protein-packed breakfast that would last me longer than 2 hours. I didn't need a greasy fast food breakfast, so I pulled out the eggs and a few other ingredients. This breakfast literally took me less than 10 minutes to make and it was delicious! 15 minutes later, I was out the door.

Substitutions are easy here. Flour tortillas instead of corn, any type of bean instead of black beans, chilies for salsa, etc. Onions or other vegetables could be added or fresh tomatoes on top.

No more Dunkin' Donut runs for me in the morning!! I am starting my days off right!

Quick Breakfast Enchilada

Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

1 teaspoon oil or butter
2 small corn tortillas

2 eggs

2 tablespoon canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon  salsa

2 tablespoon  favorite grated cheese

sour cream

avocado

hot sauce

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and melt the oil. Crack two eggs into the pan and start to scramble. Right before the eggs are finished to the consistency desired, add in the beans and salsa (or other vegetables being used). Stir to combine well and heat the beans and salsa.

On a large plate, lay the corn tortillas between two damp paper towels and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. This makes the tortillas more pliable and easy to roll. Fill each tortilla with the egg mixture and roll up. Sprinkle cheese on top and heat in the microwave for another 30 seconds to melt the cheese. Top with sour cream, salsa, avocado or favorite toppings.

Enjoy with a nice cup of coffee or tea!

Avocado and Fried Egg Sandwich

Marathon training was very time consuming, and often took away from my passion of cooking. I am glad to say that training is over and the Holidays are among us! I can't wait to dive back into the kitchen and share new recipes with you. 

Until then, I thought I would share a sandwich I made on one of those long training nights. Towards the end of the training schedule, the runs got further and longer, meaning dinner options had to be quick. Eggs were often my solution for this. They are quick, healthy and very filling. Not to mention, they provide the protein needed to recover muscles after a long run.

I dove right in, then remembered I needed to take a picture!

This sandwich was quite enjoyable and inspired by one I recently had in Austin. Toast your favorite bread (gluten or sans gluten), slice ripe avocado, fry two eggs, schmear pepper jelly or favorite condiment on the bread and assemble. I didn't include cheese because I was doing no dairy the weeks before the race, but I bet a slice of Swiss would be delightful on this bad boy!

Avocado and Fried Egg Sandwich

Yields: 1 serving
Prep Time: 5 min
Cook Time: 2-4 min

2 slices bread, toasted

1/2 ripe avocado, sliced

2 eggs

pepper jelly or onion jam (or caramelized onions)

lettuce or fresh spinach

mayonnaise, mustard, cheese (optional toppings)

Toast 2 slices of bread and prep all of the condiments and sandwich components for assembly.

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, melt a little bit of butter in the pan. Crack two eggs into the pan, being careful not to burst the yolk.

After about a minute, flip the eggs over gently to fry the other side, again being careful not to disturb the yolk. Cook the egg to desired firmness. I like a runny yolk since I don't use mayo or cheese on my sandwich.

Place the fried eggs, avocado and other sandwich components onto the toasted bread, slice in half and devour!

Go crazy and try a new condiment, like Stonewall's Kitchen Roasted Garlic Onion Jam or a Seven Pepper Jelly. Or even, a pesto or olive tapenade.