Five Under Five: Breakfast

Stuck in a breakfast rut? Here are five easy (and healthy!) ideas to shake up your routine, each with five ingredients (plus freebies like salt and pepper) or less...

Hummus and Sprouts = 1. whole-grain bread + 2. hummus + 3. alfalfa sprouts + 4. Swiss cheese + 5. avocado slices (or substitute tomato slices when in season) + salt and pepper
Toast the bread, slather it with hummus, top with sprouts and a slice of cheese and pop in the toaster oven or under the broiler until cheese starts to bubble. Top with avocado slices and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Egg & Grits = 1. quick-cooking polenta or grits + 2. chicken stock + 3. baby spinach 4. minced shallot + 5. poached egg + salt and pepper
Prepare polenta or grits according to package instructions, substituting an equal amount of chicken stock for the water called for in the recipe. Sauté spinach and shallots in a bit of olive oil. Top polenta or grits with sautéed spinach and poached egg then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Super Smoothie = 1. 1/2 cup frozen blueberries + 2. 2/3 cup low-fat raspberry or strawberry kefir + 3. 1/4 cup pomegranate juice + 4. 1 Tbsp. flax oil + 5. dash of honey or agave nectar (if needed)
Combine all ingredients in a blender and let it whir away until thick and luscious.

PB&B Waffle = 1. whole-grain waffle + 2. organic peanut butter + 3. banana slices (buy fair-trade bananas whenever possible!) + 4. honey or agave nectar + 5. chopped walnuts
Toast waffle, spread with peanut butter, and top with banana slices. Drizzle with a bit of honey or agave nectar and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Breakfast Fried Rice = 1. 1 or 2 eggs + 2. minced ginger + 3. cooked brown rice + 4. thinly sliced scallions + 5. tamari or soy sauce
Heat a few drops of vegetable oil in a skillet and add ginger. Cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds and then add rice. Cook for a minute then crack eggs into the pan. Scramble eggs with a spatula, mixing in the rice and ginger. Remove from heat, top with scallions, and sprinkle with tamari.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Five Under Five: Sandwiches

It's Tasty Thursday once again, and this week I would like to share with you a few of my "under five" meal ideas. Each mini recipe (more of a formula, really), uses five main ingredients or less, plus freebies like olive oil, vinegar/lemon juice, shallots/garlic, salt, and pepper. I decided to focus on sandwiches today, because they are so easy, and if they are made with fresh summertime ingredients, they can pack a lot of flavor. Here are five of my favorites:

B.C.T. (Bacon, Chèvre, & Tomato) = 1. two slices of country white or wheat bread, toasted + 2. a bit of chèvre, slathered onto one slice of bread + 3. a few slices of really fresh, ripe tomato + 4. three slices of crispy bacon (or veggie bacon) + a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

Mediterranean Sandwich = 1. ciabatta roll, split open + 2. thin cucumber slices + 3. two or three jarred peppadew peppers, drained + 4. thin red onion slices + 5. blue cheese crumbles + a drizzle of olive oil, a light drizzle of red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

Bronx Special = 1. onion bagel, split and toasted + 2. slices of fresh (bufala) mozzarella + 3. a couple of slices of really fresh, ripe tomato + 4. sliced black olives + a drizzle of olive oil, a light drizzle of red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

Antipasto Sandwich = 1. focaccia bread or hard Italian roll, split + 2. fresh or jarred pesto sauce, spread on both halves of the bread + 3. provolone cheese, thinly sliced + 4. hard salami, thinly sliced (substitute quartered artichoke hearts for an all-veggie option) + 5. roasted red peppers, sliced + sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

Mushroom and Avocado Tartine (pictured above)* = 1. one slice of whole-grain bread, toasted + 2. thin slices of truffle cheese (recommended: sottocenere), melted onto the bread + 3. button or cremini mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in olive oil with minced shallots until light golden brown + 4. half of a ripe avocado, sliced + 5. flat leaf parsley, chopped + a squeeze of lemon juice and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper

*This is my adaptation of a recipe from Chocolate & Zucchini by Clotilde Dusoulier. The photo was taken a few months ago, as you might be able to tell from the old issue of Gourmet and the presence of oranges.