Breakfast Vittles

If you're anything like me, you wake up with a raging sense of hunger...or you're at least fairly hungry. If you're never hungry in the morning, your metabolism may be to blame. Make changes if you're eating too late, consuming too many refined carbs at night, aren't sleeping well due to food choice, or you're not eating more than 3.5 hours before bed. All of these can contribute to a whacked out system that can cause you to skip breakfast. Here's an example of how I start my day. It's an egg-white sandwich with a turkey sausage patty on a thin bun (the bun is called a "slimwich" and I happen to find that little name PRECIOUS...so i buy them. Everybody's having a good time). Anyhow, if time is your issue in the morning, you have no excuse to not whip this up. Here's how I do it to fit into my harried pre-work routine. -spray small pan with pam and crack two eggs in to fry (I only eat egg whites but I'm weird like that) -since the heat will be on low/medium-low, hop in the shower to wash your parts! -get out and flip eggs and turn heat on super-low. Also, add your turkey sausage patty (or whatever meat you choose) to the underside of the eggs to warm it up...they're precooked so it just needs a little heat. -Add cheese (i use shredded or sliced swiss) to the top of the eggs and let it get all nice and melty (mmmmmm....cheese) -Next layer your slimwich (te he!) however you like. I use all sorts of things and sometimes combine several of them: hummus, light mayo, spicy mustard, arugula, lettuce, pickles, tomato, avocado, ANYTHING! Just get some greens on there and your favorite condiment to top it off. -Next, eat it while walking 12 blocks into work...or at your kitchen table like a normal person.

The people have spoken and I am BACK! So much has happened in the last year since I've posted. I am no longer cooking from my itty bitty kitchen overlooking downtown. I've traded my view for a bigger kitchen in my own...wait for it...house! Eeeek! I own a precious little brick house 10 minutes from downtown and I adore it. I especially adore my kitchen and I sill spend 80% of my waking hours in there prepping for meal after meal. ALSO, another big change...I'm soon to be no longer cooking for one. I'm getting married to the kindest, most hilarious man on earth in just 3 months so I've gotta polish up my culinary skills before then to make a good wife. SOOOOO, let's start off with a simple meal that I think is fun to make and even more fun to eat. Zucchini boats! I only made one zucchini (two boats) so here's a small recipe but you can adjust it for as many boats as your family can down. First things first, preheat oven to 350. Next, slice zucchini in half and boil the halves for about 5 mins to soften their little bodies up. This makes it bake faster PLUS it becomes so much easier to scoop their innards after they're boiled. In the meantime, saute some sweet onion, 1/2 cup of crumbled turkey sausage (or chicken sausage) and eventually (once scooped) the innards of the zucchini with some chopped garlic, oregano, and black pepper in heated olive oil. This is your stuffing: Once you've scooped the inside of your boats (some use a melon baller, I use a tablespoon) stuff the boats with the sauteed concoction and place in a baking dish. Cover the boats and the sides with any tomato sauce you like. I use a simple Filetto di Pomodoro I actually made and froze from last season's tomatoes but any good sauce will do. Now sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded cheese over the boats and bake for 10-12 minutes. During the last minute or so, pop your broiler on and let that cheese get a little brown. You won't be sorry. Aaaaaaaannnnndd VOILA!