Smoked Salmon Breakfast Bowl with a 6-Minute Egg

It's only in the past few years that I've grown to love breakfast. Maybe it's the freelancer's life, which allows me to have more leisurely mornings. Or it could be that my taste buds have changed with age. Whatever it is, something's different. When I was younger, I barely tolerated breakfast. Hot oatmeal was all I could manage and that's what I ate most days. Everything else bored me (I know, hot oatmeal doesn't seem that interesting, but think of all the fun things you can put on top). I figured it'd be best to tame any hunger and just get to lunch, where I could sink my teeth into the giant sandwiches my dad packed for me.

The only breakfasts that excited me were ones served on the weekend. Most Sunday mornings, my father and I would head to the local Jewish deli to pick up bagels, cream cheese, and white fish salad. On special occasions, smoked salmon was thrown into the order. Home we'd go to schmear bagels and read the New York Times. Every time I visit my parents and my dad offers to get bagels, I try to play it cool. "Sure, I guess I could go for an Everything." But inside I'm doing a little happy dance. Bagels and lox and the New York Times... my favorite way to start the day.

Sorry, I got distracted by the thought of bagels. So, this bowl was inspired by my love of smoked salmon. I was thinking about all the breakfast bowls I've been seeing around the interwebs and how I rarely come across ones topped with cured fish. I used the opportunity to try my hand at my first six-minute egg, which came out perfectly (if I may say so). This is one of those meals that can hold you over from breakfast to dinner. Between the protein and the potatoes and rice and sautéed veggies, it'll leave you holding your belly.

SMOKED SALMON BREAKFAST BOWL WITH 6-MINUTE EGG

SERVINGS
Makes 2 bowls

INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown rice
5 baby red potatoes, quartered
8 oz. smoked salmon
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cups fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried
2 eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Butter
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Bring rice, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and let rest, with the lid still on, for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.
2. Meanwhile preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil. Toss potatoes with 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread across baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, tossing them half way through to ensure even cooking. 
3. Heat a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of butter. Swirl the pan to ensure the melted butter coats the bottom. Add sliced mushrooms in a single layer, trying not to crowd them. Season with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook for 3 minutes, until browned and then given the a quick stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a bowl. Return pan to heat and add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Add spinach leaves, lower heat to a simmer and cook until leaves have wilted. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. 
4. Add 4 cups of water to medium-sized, deep-sided saucepan. Bring water to a rolling boil and gently lower the eggs into the pot. Lower heat to a simmer and cook eggs for 6 minutes. Remove the eggs and rinse under cold water for a minute to shock them. Carefully crack and peel the eggs. Set aside.
5. Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice and smoked paprika until throughly combined. Season with salt, to taste.
6. To assemble the dish, spoon 1 tablespoon of the sauce on the bottom of two bowls. Distribute 1/4 cup brown rice into each. Top each with mushrooms, spinach, roasted potatoes, and 4 oz. smoked salmon. Place the eggs in a bowl and, using a sharp knife, cut them in half, lengthwise. Garnish with chopped parsley, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. 

Mussels with Sweet Potato Fries and Garlic Aioli

If there was ever a question that global warming is real, just ask anyone in New England what the last few weeks have been like and we'll tell you something isn't right. We had very little snow in January, but by the beginning of February we got nailed with back to back storms. In a single five day stretch, close to thirty inches fell. Two weeks later, however, the temperatures were in the fifties and crept up into the sixties, which is unseasonably warm for these parts.  Now, I'm sure some folks are saying "That sounds awesome. Stop complaining!" And, don't worry, I've been enjoying it. But this isn't normal. 

The spike in temps brought out all the little critters, too, including a skunk that sprayed Maki in our backyard. I'm not sure there is any smell worse than skunk. A friend compared it to that of burning tires, but I have to throw gasoline in there too. It's just awful. And it got into our house. Maki received multiple baths that night and the next day Eric took her to get another wash. Even with all of that, she still has a bit of a funk to her (especially her head, where she got sprayed). The irony of it all is that while the warm weather brought the skunk out of hibernation, because it was so warm we could leave the windows open for three straight days to air it out. It all worked out. But it was a bit traumatizing for everyone. 

This bowl of mussels was our Valentine's Day meal from a few weeks ago. I'd meant to share it earlier, but things have just been a bit crazy over here and I never got around to it. Sorry about that. Better late than never, right? I am a huge fan of mussels. It always feels so elegant and decadent, but takes very little work to prepare. To elevate it further, I served them with sweet potato fries and a garlic aioli. A spin on moules frites. I tried to resist eating the whole thing, but failed miserably. Go ahead and make it and you'll see what I mean. 

MUSSELS WITH SWEET POTATO FRIES and garlic AIOLI

SERVINGS
4 servings

INGREDIENTS
For the sweet potato fries
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
4 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil

For the aioli
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup olive oil

For the mussels
2 1/2 lbs mussels, debearded
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 plum tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons dry vermouth

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. While it is heating, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut sweet potatoes into sticks that are 1/4 inch by 1/2 inch wide by 3 inch long. In a small bowl, stir together salt, cayenne pepper, garlic powder and paprika. In a large mixing bowl, toss the sweet potato with the cornstarch until lightly coated. Toss with olive oil and season with salt mixture. 

2. Spread the potatoes in a single layer onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until brown and crispy on one side. Take out of oven and flip potatoes. Return to oven for another 10-12 minutes until crispy. 

3. To make the aioli, put the egg yolk in a medium-sized mixing bowl, along with the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.  Using a whisk, gently blend the ingredients. Now, whisking continuously, but not too quickly, start to pour in the olive oil a couple drops at a time. Do this until you've used half of the oil and the aioli starts to take form. At this point, you don't have to be as careful and can pour in a larger stream of oil. Whisk in the remaining oil. Taste for seasoning and, if necessary, add salt. Transfer to a bowl with a lid and transfer to the refrigerator. 

4. For the mussels, heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and, stirring continuously, cook for 30 seconds. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Add chopped tomato and, stirring occasionally, cook for 1 minute.  Sprinkle in thyme. Add mussels, heavy cream and dry vermouth. Season with salt and pepper and cover skillet. Cook, occasionally shaking the skillet, until the mussels have opened.  Spoon mussels into bowls. Serve with sweet potato fries and mayonnaise.

Roasted Whole Red Snapper with Tomato, Fennel, and Olives

After a couple of rough days last week, I developed a craving for a comforting brothy bowl of mussels and crusty bread.  I bundled up and head off to our local Whole Foods, a reliable source for beautiful seafood. When I approached the display, my eyes scoured the selection. I didn't see any bags. The gentleman behind the counter asked if he could help me with anything. "Any mussels?" He gave me an apologetic smile, "Sorry, we're all out and probably won't be getting in for a few days. Everyone wanted them for the holidays." Bummer. "Ok, so, let's see what else we have here." I looked over my other options. And that's when I noticed a gorgeous lone red snapper laying before me. "What about the snapper?" I asked. His eyes went wide and a big grin formed. "That just came in this morning. It's super fresh. You're going to love it." Sold. 

Not much needs to be done to such a beautiful fish. I rubbed it with a bit of oil and lightly salted the skin. Into the oven it went and, within 30 minutes, the whole thing was finished. There are so many directions one can take with this dish, but I went with a Mediterranean spin, pairing the fish with sautéed fennel, tomatoes and sliced black olives. 

The day after, I ended up at the store again and showed the fishmonger some photos on my phone of what I'd prepared. "This is awesome. Just awesome. I'm so happy you showed me this." I didn't get into details about the blog or that I'm a food photographer (though he got really excited by the plating). I don't know how often people share their creations with him, but I hope it brought him joy knowing that someone enjoyed his recommendation.

ROASTED whole RED SNAPPER WITH TOMATO, FENNEL AND OLIVES

SERVINGS
4 people

INGREDIENTS
1, 3 pound cleaned whole red snapper
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz canned diced tomatoes
1 medium fennel bulb, cut in half and sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
1/2 cup pitted black olives, sliced
Canola oil
Olive oil
Salt
Black Pepper
Fresh parsley

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the snapper onto a large baking pan. Cut 3 or 4 angled slits into each side of the fish. Rub the skin of the snapper with canola oil and lightly salt the skin and cavity of the fish. Roast for 30 minutes or until the fish flakes. Transfer to serving platter.

While the fish is cooking, set a large pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in garlic and fennel. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in diced tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add black olives and taste for seasoning. If necessary, season with additional salt and black pepper.

Serve with a side of rice or roasted potatoes.