Thursday, March 14, 2013

Dinner in Bed


Dinner in Bed









Isn’t there just something so marvelous about breakfast in bed? Maybe it’s the warm sheets…. Or perhaps it’s the softness of the pillows propping up your back as you nosh on something warm and cozy? Maybe you’re lucky enough to have someone deliver that deliciousness right to your nightstand. Now THAT is love.

Well I do have a confession… In the spirit of self-love and something I like to call “soft mornings” (mornings that don’t involve jumping out of bed and rushing off to work) I eat breakfast in bed almost every morning… Only rarely do I venture so far as to eat on the windowsill of my enormous French windows overlooking the early morning bustling streets of the UWS. But when I’m dining alone and feeling particularly cozy, not only will I eat breakfast in bed, but I will return to my abode and happily eat dinner in bed too.

Hence last Monday night after a busy day around the city, I decided to make a quick dinner of thai inspired carrot soup paired with an open faced sandwich topped with a creamy egg. It took but 10 minutes from fridge to bed. So simple and yet as I sat in bed the warmth of the blankets slowly encapsulating my body paired perfectly with the last remnants of the creamy egg dissolving upon my palette. Some pair meals with wine, but the spirit of this meal can be best enjoyed with an atmosphere involving pillows, sheets and, in my case, a glitter headboard. J

Bon Appétit:

Ingredients:

1 cup Shredded carrots
2 cup Spinach
2 TBS Almond butter
Juice of ½ a Lemon
1/8 tsp Cayenne
¼ tsp Ginger Powder
2 drops Nunaturals Stevia (optional or sub ½ tsp Honey)
Salt
Eziekial bread
1 tsp Coconut oil
1 organic egg

1. Start to heat 1½ cups of water over medium heat
2. Over Medium heat, combine shredded carrots, 2 cups of spinach and a TBS of water. Cover and occasionally stir for about 5 minutes. 
3. Add half of the carrot and spinach sauté to your two cups of heated water and reserve the rest for the open-faced sandwich. Add Almond Butter, Lemon Juice, Cayenne, Ginger, Stevia and salt to taste.
4. Toast Eziekial bread and prepare an “egg over easy” (meaning the yolk should be minimally cooked) and sprinkle the egg with salt.
5. To Assemble Sandwich: spread 1 tbs of coconut oil on Eziekiel bread, top with remaining carrots and spinach sauté and top with creamy egg.



Saturday, March 9, 2013

Roasted Figs stuffed with Creamy Goat Cheese


Roasted Figs Stuffed with Creamy Goat Cheese



Roasted figs. Doesn’t your mouth just salivate at those words? Even before I knew what a fig was (those yellow packages known as fig newtons absolutely bewildered me as a youngster) I knew there was something magical about them. It’s not surprising that these decadent little fruits were associated with Dionysus, the God of wine and drunkenness in Greek mythology. The rich texture of a ripe fig unfolds softly upon the tongue releasing a myriad of sweetness that pairs so well with wine and cheese.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy figs is to briefly roast them and then stuff them with high quality goat cheese and a few varying accoutrements for added flare and flavor.

These beautiful little bits take minutes to prepare and yet give a gourmet flare to any party as either an appetizer or a dessert. 



Ingredients:

8 figs
liquid coconut oil (Or sub almond oil, safflower oil)
4oz of soft goat cheese
Pomegranate seeds
Slivered Almonds

Optional:
Black sesame seeds
Edible flowers
Spinach


Preheat oven to 400ºF (mini oven works great) Remove goat cheese from refrigerator and place aside

   Prepare Figs: Cut 1/8th inch off tops and bottoms of figs just to create a smooth surface so they stand upright upon a plate. Cut x shape 3/4ths of the way down into the top of each fig. Drizzle with coconut oil and place in oven for 8 to 15 minutes
  
   Remove figs from oven and let them cool to room temperature. Take a small spoonful of goat cheese and using fingers, stuff cheese into roasted figs op with slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds.
    
  
  Optional Serve figs over bed of spinach leaves, edible flowers and sprinkle with black sesame seeds.