Rating: 💋💋😘
Just because we are in quarantine does not mean we have to eat boring food. Simple recipes with few ingredients can be just as delicious as super complex concoctions. In some cases, I would say they can even be better, because then each ingredient can really soak up the limelight and showcase its amazingness.
This past Sunday, I found myself in a bit of a tight spot with groceries. There is a whole story behind that, and you can look forward to next week's episode for that drama. On Sunday though, I did not care why I did not have food, I just cared that I needed food. A girl is hungry right now. So I looked through my recipes and my pantry and saw that all was not lost. There were actually some fun recipes with minimal ingredients that I was excited to try, so I got cracking.
For breakfast I made Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal with Chia Seeds https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/peanut-butter-banana-oatmeal/
Like the author, I am now obsessed with this recipe. I cooked the oatmeal in almond milk, and I really liked stirring the cinnamon and banana slices into the pot so that those flavors mixed evenly throughout the dish and melted into the oats a little bit. Also - in love with the chia seeds. Sure, they're good for you, but the crux of the argument is they add great flavor and texture to the dish. I never thought peanut butter and banana needed any help in being delicious, they seemed to have that on lock, but with chia seeds added on top? Oh my God. A whole new world. I will be buying chia seeds more often for sure.
My only notes about the recipe are the portions. If you're cooking for two or more people it's fine, but I found even halving the recipe to serve one person produced a surplus of oatmeal. I had to toss a scoop or two into the trash. I hate wasting food, but I simply could not eat all of it and the leftovers were not enough to save. It really was a shame. I think the ideal serving for one is 1/3 cup of oats, 1 cup of milk of your choice (you can do water too, but milk just amps up the flavor astronomically so that's my recommendation), and then all the rest of her ingredient sizes can stay...except the cinnamon. I definitely sprinkled in more than a teaspoon of cinnamon. Know what you love.
Overall though, it was the perfect breakfast for a rainy day. Hot, delicious, nutritious, and packed with energy. Adding the mix-ins to the pot rather than waiting until the end was truly a game-changer.
I was really excited for Sunday's dinner, for which I made my first ever Australian Folded Eggs.
I did not even know these things existed until I stumbled across the recipe in January, and I was most intrigued to try them.
While these eggs were super quick and easy to make, I confess I was not sure why the recipe author was raving about them to such a degree. They tasted all right, for sure, and I did save the recipe for future use, but something was off. If they had not been hyped so much, I probably would have liked them more. The issue was, the reviews claimed these Folded Eggs were THE way to eat eggs, blowing omelettes, frittatas, and scrambles right out of the pan. I disagree. They are comforting for sure and I love avocado and egg together, so that was a good start. Throughout my meal, however, I kept wondering what they were missing. Was the avocado not ripe enough? It seemed pretty ripe...I had followed the instructions exactly...Should I add more black pepper? Throw in some red pepper flakes too? I could not figure it. The one thing I knew: the eggs got cold way too fast. Major bummer.
For this reason, when I made the dish again on Monday night, I took the eggs and cream out of the fridge forty-five minutes before cooking. I figured if they did not go into the pan so cold, maybe they would absorb the heat for longer. The eggs only cook for one minute, so a little room temp acclimation might help lessen the shock when they get thrown on the heat. It was a much tastier experience. The eggs stayed warm throughout the meal, which boosted the flavor immensely. On top of that, not only did I add red pepper flakes to the basil-oregano avocado mash, I sprinkled them on top of the eggs as well to give them a little lift. It worked. I have to give due credit to the real hero: Heinz Ketchup. Growing up, putting ketchup on eggs was a staple. It was simply what you did, the base level of how to prepare eggs. I thought that everyone did it. Only when I got to college did one of my friends tell me it was not a universal thing, and she, for example, only started adding ketchup to her eggs after she got to Fordham. When I asked her what she put on her eggs before, she said nothing, just salt and pepper. Turned my world upside-down. These eggs did not mention ketchup either, or any condiments for that matter, so I prepared them strictly to the recipe the first time. I figured they did not need any extras. They did, though. I do not wish to offend any Australians here, but ketchup really takes the eggs' flavor up a couple levels. It is very possible that me putting ketchup on Folded Eggs could be seen, to some, as similar to when Margot Robbie asks for a straw to drink her wine from in The Wolf of Wall Street, but I don't care. I know what I like and I am sticking to it. (Also, Margot Robbie is the best, she can make anything seem classy. Goals.)
I like to think that I am great at keeping Shannon and myself entertained. My days are filled with doing dance routines (Shannon especially like the Cardi B choreo), getting excessively excited every time it's a sunny day and pressing my hand to my window longingly as I yearn for the outside world, breaking down and taking the stairs to our roof which offers zero view but provides some sunshine and fresh air, and plowing through the stack of Philadelphia Inquirer crosswords I have accrued from visits home. Occasionally, I sprawl on the couch and wail "Where are all my friends?" like Penny Lane, for dramatic effect.
In all seriousness though, there are some positives to this weird new routine. It's nice to be able to plan dinner for when I'll be hungry, rather than getting home from work starving and still having to cook. Plus, I enjoy this springtime thing of being able to eat when there is still natural light. I'm getting comfortable with making self-tapes for auditions. Also, I've decided I'll be super annoyed with myself if I don't walk out of this quarantine with at least one completed movie script. I just finished reading Hygiene de l'Assassin by Amelie Nothomb and wow. Wild journey that story was. 😳I've been painting. I refuse to admit isolation has gotten to me. You can't make me!
I hope you are all doing okay and finding fun ways to spice up your cabin fever routine.
XX,
MK
留言