Breakfast: It’s What’s For Dinner

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Amy

Ok, fine. Breakfast for dinner isn’t anything new, but in my family, it’s a hallowed tradition. When I started pondering what to make for the spin this week to tempt you Eaters … well, it just fit. Breakfast is definitely a spin on dinner.

Then there’s the avocado spin. When added to most standard American meals, avocados typically become the topping on a burger, the spread on a wrap or the guac on a chip. They don’t usually take center stage.

Until now.

That’s because for this bow-chicka-wow-wow meal, we’re letting the avocado be the star of the show. As you know, this month we’ve been focusing on aphrodisiacs, which Merriam-Webster defines as “an agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire” or “something that excites.”

I’m not sure how arousing avocados are … or how exciting. I like avocados — a lot, actually — but I had to do a little digging to find out why they’re considered an aphrodisiac. What I discovered made me giggle. You see, avocados grow in pairs. Apparently, looking at trees bearing these dangling fruit (yes, avocados are actually fruits) the Aztecs thought they resembled a certain male body part. The name avocado is derived from the Aztec word “ahuacatl.” The translation? Testicle tree.

Hungry now?

Regardless, here’s a little factoid that should turn you on (at least to avocados!): According to the California Avocado Commission, the buttery flesh of this delicacy packs “20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.” So — get yourself a pair and let’s get it on.

On the table, that is.

Spicy Baked Avocado Eggs

This dish was inspired by Lifehacker’s recipe, among other variations found online.

2 medium to large ripe avocados
4 eggs
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
Garlic powder
Cayenne, ancho chile or chipotle pepper (or combination of)

Salt and pepper

When selecting avocados, pick those with brownish skins that feel firm but give slightly to the touch. They should be ripe, but not overripe.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Slice avocados in half lengthwise around the seed with a large knife. Twist slightly and
pull apart. Protecting your hand with a towel, place the avocado half with the seed still in it on the towel and steady. Tap seed firmly with knife blade to drive it slightly inside, twist slightly, and pull seed free. Using towel, pull seed from knife blade and discard.

Enlarge the hole made by the pit by scooping out about half the meat from both sides of the avocado to make room for the egg (bonus – use this to make one of the other recipes on WTE this week!) Place avocados in a lightly oiled glass baking dish. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili pepper (I used about a teaspoon of pepper, which makes it pleasantly spicy – but I like spice. Season according to your tastes.)

Carefully crack and pour eggs into avocado (some may spill over). I reduced the amount of whites I added on my second try. Place in oven for up to a half hour, depending on how cooked you like your yolks. It takes about 15 minutes for a soft bake with a runny yolk, 30 for hard.

About 5 minutes before they are done cooking, sprinkle each with a few tablespoons of grated cheese (sharp cheddar is yummy.)

Tagged with: aphrodisiac, avocado, breakfast, Cheese, dinner, egg, Spicy, vegetarian
Posted in Spin

Skip The Brick Of Cream Cheese: Lighten Up With Ricotta

Posted on January 25, 2013 by April

Unlike most folks I know, I’m not much of a cheesecake fan. Mind you, I’ll happily devour a graham cracker crust. But that super-rich brick of cream cheese that sits on top of it? No thanks. Too rich. Too much.

This aversion to cheesecake makes me either the perfect or the worst person to offer you a lightened-up version of this American favorite; I can’t tell which. One thing I do know: if you’re looking for a relatively conventional lower-calorie cheesecake option, this post won’t be of much help to you.

Luckily, drawing the “spin” straw in this week’s Sweet, Savory and Spin gives me leeway to offer you a more April-friendly cheesecake alternative. So, dear Eaters, I bring you a similar, but refreshingly different, take!

Granted, a ricotta-based spin on cheesecake may not be entirely new to some of you fabulous foodies, particularly if you happen to hail from Italy. Italian cooks have been baking delicious ricotta cakes for centuries (although not particularly light ones, if my online reading is any guide). But the concept was new to me, and I found it absolutely delicious.

These lovely, moist-yet-crumbly little cakes (I made mine in ramekins, rather than tackle an entire pie) are both rich and light, with a lovely lemony flavor. They don’t taste like cheesecake in the American sense; more like a dense, sweet cross between a quiche and a pound cake, if you can imagine that.

And why imagine it, when you can make it? Because this is one easy little recipe! Just ricotta, eggs, sugar, almond extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. And while this weighs in at about 195 calories per serving (depending on the size of your ramekins, naturally), that’s at least 100 fewer calories than a small cheesecake slice.

Not too rich, not too much. Just right.

Lemony Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes

I didn’t really follow a particular recipe for this, but was inspired by similar treats at the New York Times, About.com and Food.com.

By the way, if you’re not interested in lightening things up, feel free to use whole milk ricotta (and keep in mind that the higher quality cheese you buy, the better this dessert will taste) and add a graham cracker crumb crust, if you like.

One more note: Some recipes recommend you beat the egg whites separately until they’re stiff, then fold them into the other blended ingredients. I didn’t do this, as I was going for a somewhat denser texture, but that method will presumably yield fluffier cakes.

1 pound part-skim ricotta
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla
Juice of one lemon (or to taste)
Zest of half a lemon (or to taste)

Drain ricotta in a fine sieve for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Meanwhile, butter four or five small ramekins well (the size is really up to you. Also keep in mind that, while these will puff up in the oven, they will fall while cooling, ending up at about the height you see when you initially pour in the batter). Cut parchment paper the size of your ramekin bottoms, add those to the buttered dishes, and butter the paper, too.

Combine drained ricotta, eggs, sugar, extract and lemon juice and zest in a mixer on medium speed for about five minutes (you want it thick and well-blended).

Spoon evenly into the ramekins and bake for about 30 minutes, until the cakes lightly brown at the edges.

Some recipes recommend letting the flavors meld overnight in the fridge before enjoying. Good luck with that!

Tagged with: cheesecake, lemon, Ricotta
Posted in Spin

Sugar And Spice, Everything Nice

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Amy

We’ve got orange, cranberries and honey for the sugar; pepper and paprika for the spice — and bacon just about sums it up for “everything nice.” I mean, really: How can anything steeped in bacon not taste good?

I first found a recipe for bacon-roasted pecans in a local magazine, the Washingtonian. I made them for a party earlier this year and found that my guests couldn’t stop eating them. Neither could I. I have dreams about them: Dancing strips of bacon holding hands with their toasted pecan friends, happily swinging around in circles. Yum.

OK, back on subject. I also love Sahale Snacks’ Valdosta Pecans, so why not marry the two, I thought? I stopped by Three Little Pigs again this week to pick up some of their bacon (full disclosure: they are sponsoring the giveaway this week on WTE .)

I love bacon.

This recipe is so easy, which is probably dangerous. When you find you can’t stop eating them, you’ll remember how easy they are to make … leading to a vicious cycle. Try to discipline yourself.

Remember, these are for gifts.

These are for gifts.

Gifts.

munch … munch … munch

Speaking of gifts, we’re still giving this month (with a little help from our friends) … and this week’s gift is a doozy! Three Little Pigs is giving away a $75 gift certificate for one lucky Eater to use toward a class or products in the store. To be entered to win, all you have to do is “like” and “share” any post on our Facebook page that contains “Three Little Pigs.”

Three Little Pigs has provided the gift for this week’s giveaway free of charge. As thanks, WTE has offered the company space to advertise their product. The space is also offered free of charge, and has not influenced the material in this or any other WTE post.

Sweet & Savory Pecans

Adapted from chef Logan Cox’s twist on bar nuts at Ripple, and inspired by Sahale Snacks’ Valdosta Pecans.

1 pound large pecans
3 to 4 slices thick-cut, high quality bacon
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup cranberries (I prefer unsweetened)
Zest from one orange
1 teaspoon coarse-ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut bacon into 1/4 inch thick strips (lardon) and cook until crisp. Strain and set aside, reserving bacon fat. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast about 12 minutes until fragrant. Don’t burn them. Nobody likes their nuts burnt.

While nuts are roasting, you may want to chop the cranberries into smaller pieces. Mine were nearly whole. Grind pepper. Zest orange. Get all your ingredients ready. And your resolve (I will not eat all these nuts … I will not eat all these nuts … I will not eat… )

Transfer the toasted pecans to a large bowl. Add crispy bacon pieces, cranberries and orange zest. Start adding bacon drippings a little at a time, stirring until mixture is well coated. Then add a little more for good (delicious) measure. Stir extract and honey together, add this, pepper and paprika to the mix and stir to coat.

Find a 12-step program.

Makes approximately … well, never enough.

Tagged with: Bacon, cranberry, honey, lardon, nuts, orange, paprika, pecan, pepper, savory, spin, sweet, zest
Posted in Spin