Blueberry Waffles

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 T baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c yogurt, thinned with 1/2 c water
4 T butter, melted and cooled
1/4 c ground flax seeds
2 large eggs, beaten
small handful of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
maple syrup

Preheat waffle iron. On old-fashioned waffle makers (like that hand-me-down from your parents), it's ready to use when the light goes OFF.

In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix together thinned yogurt, butter, flax seed, and eggs. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until smooth (the batter will be very thick, that's ok). Fold in berries.

Grease the waffle iron (Pam is really the way to go for this). Spoon a scant cup of batter onto the waffle iron and spread it out fairly evenly. Close the lid. The waffle should be ready when it stops steaming (and the light will probably go off again, but it's best to judge by the steam). Serve with maple syrup, butter, and more berries.

Very easy and better than what you'd get at Breadmen's.
5 star breakfast.

Omelet & Hashbrowns

I adhere to a 'rule of three' in omelet preparation when it comes to ingredients. Fewer are acceptable but generally, three ingredients provide just the right mix of flavor sensations - more than that and things just get confusing. This omelet pushed the boundaries in a number of ways but when you get down to it, was still a cheese, mushroom, and sausage omelet.

These are the rule stretching ingredients used for this particularly delicious omelet --

• Sausage (Asiago chicken sausage with vegetables)
• Mushrooms (Shitake mushrooms sauteed lightly in butter and garlic)
• Cheese (Rocchetta - a combination of cow & goat cheese)

Although this is a very simple meal I'm giving it 5 stars just because it was that tasty.

BLT and tater tots

I never said we cooked every night.

Black Bean Chili

Chevre-stuffed Figs

My family recently had dinner at Elaine's on Franklin, where we enjoyed a delicious appetizer of blue cheese-stuffed figs. Last week I found some really nice figs at the farmer's market, so this was the result (serves 4):

8 fresh figs (I just discovered Celeste are the best, but Brown Turkey or Black Mission will do fine)
4 strips of turkey bacon, cut in half lengthwise
4 oz goat cheese (I love Celebrity Dairy chevre)
1/2 T honey
black pepper

Fry the bacon until it's cooked but still flexible. Mix the goat cheese with the honey and a couple grinds of pepper. Cut the figs in half vertically. Scoop out some of the flesh (a melon baller or grapefruit spoon works well). Fill the centers of the figs with the seasoned cheese and put the figs back together. Wrap a half-strip of bacon around each and fasten with a toothpick. Now put the figs under the broiler, on their sides with the bacon up towards the broiler. Broil until the bacon crisps, rotating the figs so all sides cook evenly. This will happen quickly, so don't walk away or you'll likely burn them.

You can serve the figs on their own and they'll be delicious, but they're also wonderful as part of a salad. I dressed arugula and butter lettuce with a simple vinaigrette of lemon juice, olive oil, a tiny bit of dijon mustard, and the fig guts I'd scooped out earlier. Topped the greens with the warm figs (2 each), and it was fabulous.

Easy, delicious, and impressive. 5 stars!

Grilled Veggie Pasta

2 thin (Japanese) eggplants
2 red peppers
several tomatoes
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
red wine vinegar
feta cheese
chunky pasta, cooked (we used mini farfalle)

Grill eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes until skins are charred and come off easily. Chop the vegetables coarsely (trying not to lose any of the juice). Saute the onions and garlic, then add the grilled veggies, basil, and rosemary. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Toss with pasta and top with crumbled feta.

A good basic pasta dish. 3 1/2 stars.