26.09.08: Brekky for dinner

After a particularly trying week, She was pleased to slip into something a little more comforting: sausages with chunks of apple and generous sprinklings of sage; scrambled eggs with bits of chorizo; plain bagels; and pan-reduced balasamic tomatoes. Avo, leaves and sweetfire beetroot made a nod to enzymatic health.

SHE SAYS: Breakfast for dinner always feels like a treat, and this one especially so. Sausages AND chorizo bits? I was in salty, porky, protein heaven, esp with a touch of maple syrup to highlight the contrasting herby-apple flavour of the sausages. I nudged my eggs off my half-bagel (His plate, with a whole one, is pictured above) and spread the jammy tomatoes on it instead for a uniquely savoury-sweet brekky bruschetta. Salad acted as a spiky palate cleanser with a drizzle of leftover wasabi-lime.

HE SAYS: Agree with Her. Egg on toast with sausages equals divine culinary experience. The jammy tomato hot compote helped spread the luv all over the plate. The salad eased our healthy consciences and offered a respite from their fellow indulgent meal pals.

05.04.08: Brunch for dinner

She rolled up her sleeves, tied on the pinny, and set to work assembling this cheerful plate o' brunchish vittles: new and improved black beans adorned with avo, pan-fried polenta, balsamic cherry tomatoes, fried eggs (sunny-side for him, over hard for her), and your basic pear-n-mixed-leaves salad.

SHE SAYS: The polenta took rather a long time to brown, but it was such a treat. When you put a bit of fried egg, a touch of tangy tomato, a scoop of herby beans and a nice chunk of polenta all on one fork, you are on the verge of tastebud heaven! (If I do say so myself.) The beans were a revelation: no tomatoes, no store-bought sauces, just lots of herbs and the ever-present primo chicken broth. I'm not sure what possessed me to rethink the whole thing, but I do I think I've finally arrived at the best-ever black bnz recipe, so it's worth sharing. See below, and if you like it, please click the little Bite This fork and vote for it!

HE SAYS: The new black bean variation was supremo, m-m-mmm, just like ya mamma's, could've-eaten-them-by-themselves good. Polenta was very nice with a little hint of parmesan cheese in the mix and grilled to a golden brown. Oh, and it also aided the mopping up duty for my eggs, which is always a plus. The tomatoes in balsamic were sweetly, tartly bliss and since the new beans forgo any hint of that veg, it delightfully offset the herby saltiness of the rest of the plate. Salad was raised to another level by probably the best pear I've EVER tasted EVER! Praise the Lord.

Herby Black Bnz
Ingredients

I bunch green onions
Tbl olive oil
2.5 Tbl cumin (yes, that much!)
1 Tbl chipotle paste (edit)

3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 pint (400 ml) chicken stock
1 heaped tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp dried oregano (edit)

1/2 tsp dried thyme (edit)

good handful fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped, stems incl
few pinches kosher salt
avocado

Directions

Chop the green onions, white and green bits.
Heat oil over med heat in a heavy-based saucepan or pot and saute the onions for a couple of minutes.
Add the cumin and stir in to toast the spice, then add the chipotle paste (edit).

Stir in the beans, then add the broth and all of the herbs.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer until most of the liquid is gone.
Add salt to taste, then puree about half of the beans with a hand blender (easiest!) or food processor. This is essential to release the flavours, so don't give in to the temptation to skip this step. ;o)
Serve with slice sof avocado on top.
I paired this with pan-fried polenta, fried eggs, and balsamic tomatoes, and it was positively dreamy. I've been tweaking my black bean recipe for at least four years and this is the best combination yet!

17.02.08: Breakfast for dinner

Super Sunday: He made spinach-cheddar-dill omelet, vine-ripe tomatoes pan-roasted with a splash of balsamic vinegar, and speshy sage-pork chipolatas, while She roasted a few remaining potatoes in leftover duck fat with rosemary. Maple syrup (not pictured) drizzled over made it just that little bit more decadent.

SHE SAYS: The omelet was perfectly cooked, melty inside and toasty outside; tomatoes had just the right touch of acidity; the special sausages He picked out were v. flavourful; and the crispiness on those potatoes was something you just don't get with oil. Meal o' the week!

HE SAYS: It was nice to add a bit of aged cheddar to the omelet, which gave it some savoury depth. Thought the tomatoes deliciously offset the sweetness of the maple syrup and the five-spice infused duck fat from the potatoes. The potatoes were crispy and more-ish - wish we had had more left in the fridge.