Mustard Egg

When I was growing up, one of the fast and easy breakfast foods in the Soucie household was called, simply: mustard egg. I don't know the evolution of this 'dish,' only that my mother loved it -- and still makes it from time to time.


To make one, melt a bit of butter in a pan, crack an egg into it, and then use a wooden spoon to break the yolk and stir up the egg a little. Before it starts solidifying, place a slice of bread on top, and cook until the egg firms up. For an extra special touch, flip it over and fry the underside of the bread in the remaining butter. Then, just slide it onto a plate and spread a thin layer of mustard over the egg. Finally, S&P it and then eat it all up.

X Country

My first time cross country skiing in...probably fifteen years!

The Next Level

Today, I took the 'green smoothie' to the next level by using black kale instead of spinach. Black kale is a popular winter green in some parts of Italy, but it's starting to become more readily available in North America too. The health benefits of black kale are many -- and, even when steamed, it makes a really sturdy base for winter salads or as a bed for marinated tofu.

Lucy warned me that the kale would have a stronger taste in drinks than baby spinach does. Even so, I think with a little more ginger and maybe a few leaves of mint, I could really develop a taste for this smoothie.

Green Smoothie (Intermediate Level)

1 ripe Ataulfo mango
four small stalks black kale (chopped into two inch slices)
small cube of ginger (peeled)
1/2 cup kefir (or more)
1/2 cup of cold water
1 tsp Udo's oil

Blend for a couple minutes on high. Drink!

Snert

I drove Miss Lucy to Dutch Grocery last week, and loaded up on paprika flavored potato chips, fluffy Dutch mustard, sliced rye bread, farmer's meatloaf, twenty kinds of licorice, and a large container of frozen pea soup (cutely dubbed 'snert' in the Netherlands). I packed some of the soup in Adam's lunch last week, and although he wanted to like it, he didn't.

I think the problem is that he'd never tasted pea soup before. It has a bit of an earthy, feet-like taste that takes some getting used to. As a kid, I couldn't bear the smell of it, even though my mother, a closet French-Canadian, loved the stuff. And now I appreciate why. The kind I bought at Dutch Grocery is thick and smokey with colorful shreds of carrot and generous bites of pork and bacon. Plus, I added half a snop of walnut oil and a fuzzle of ground black pepper for garnish. Delicious!

Still...eating something so hearty and hale this late in the season almost seems quaint, like patronizing the final dregs of cold weather with the appropriate food choice.

Camera Shy

The reason I haven't posted any pics lately is that my old bean had our point-and-shoot on his epic journey across North America. Here's evidence of the Canadian legs of his trip.


Top of the mountain in Golden, BC.


Middle of a steep run.


Break time on one of the tamer runs.


Two total fools. You know it.


Kevin, Shaelin, and Kristine. I miss those guys and want to meet that little one.


Amelia, Rebecca, and a little bit of Carl in the background. Ditto my above comments.

Burrrrritos!

Still no camera, so you'll have to imagine your own image of what I made for lunch!

First, open a can of black beans, dump them into a colander, and rinse them off a bit. Next, put a little pot on the stove, turn the heat on low, add some oil, and finely chop half a small purple onion, adding it to the pot. Then add in a clove of finely minced garlic, a spoonful of cocoa powder, a pinch each of nutmeg and sea salt, and a spoon of chipotle pepper paste (made by pureeing a can of chipotle peppers).

Cook this mixture until onions have turned slightly translucent. Then add the beans and the juice of half a lime. It's done when it looks creamy and is the beans are heated through.

Meanwhile, heat up a couple flour tortillas and shred some lettuce with your chef's knife. I also grated a bit of nippy white cheddar to melt over the beans. Assemble, and they're done!

Warming, quick, simple, cheap, and delicious. Oh yeah!

Drink All Around!

I'm home alone for yet another week! Which means that I don't always eat...'meals.' Not structured ones, anyway. After having a dinnertime snack of Purity gingersnaps and Sussex Golden Ginger Ale (native Maritime treats!), I decided to clean out the old system with a kefir smoothie.

Recipe

1 overripe nectarine (including skin)

1/2 cup kefir and whey

1/4 cup orange juice