Toasty Buns=Tasty Brunch

Brioche is delicious, let's start there. I have a hard time imagining anything made from eggs and butter wouldn't be tasty, for obvious reasons. Some of the best French toasts I've ever had were made with brioche. But brioche is also hard to come by, unless you happen to live down the street from a boulangerie. So, I make my French toast with the poor-man's brioche––slider buns.

I know, you're thinking how intrepid that is and I'm blushing just thinking about all the compliments your internal monologue is surely bestowing upon me. Thank you! But speaking seriously, the only thing that goes better with tiny buns than sliders is surely french toast slathered with fresh fruit compote. Plus, slider buns are about 100 calories each, so split it half... Well, screw the math: Let's make brunch!

Brioche-style French Toast with Compote
--3 slider buns, tops and bottoms separated so you have 6 pieces of toast
--2 eggs
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--1 tsp butter
--1 ripe pear, cored and chopped into chunks
--1 cup blackberries
--1 TBSP honey
--1 tsp maple syrup*

[*Please note, Aunt Jemima, not maple syrup. Maple syrup is delicious and comes from trees (yum, trees). If it doesn't say "Maple Syrup" on the label then it's made out of corn syrup. Corn syrup, while also delicious, is not the same as maple syrup. Okay, tirade over.]

Crack the eggs into a bowl and use a fork to whisk them into an egg wash (but not an over-beaten egg mess). Add the cinnamon to the eggs and stir one more time to spread the spice out a bit. Dredge each bun piece in the egg mix, soaking for about one minute total per bun piece.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the buns and cook until each side is golden brown.

While the toast cooks, add the pears and blackberries to a smaller skillet. Heat on medium-low heat. You do not need to add any oil to the pan as the juice from the fruits will both lubricate the pan and slowly carmelize. Add the honey and maple syrup and stir to combine. Stir the fruit regularly so that it begins to soften and is warmed throughout.

Serve the toast topped with the compote and enjoy! The compote creates a lovely syrup, don't you think?

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 378 per serving

This Casserole Is All Growed Up, Just Like You

Broccoli cheese casserole is one of those truly brilliant comfort foods; mostly because its covered in cheese. I think for most of us it was a sneaky yet tasty way for our parents to try and get us to eat broccoli as kids. Unfortunately, most recipes for the dish aren't very healthy.

Think of this recipe as the broccoli cheese casserole for grown ups. There's still cheese. (I wouldn't do that to you, take away your beloved cheese. That would be cruel.) I've added cauliflower for extra fiber and tons of Vitamin C. Both cauliflower and broccoli are cruciferous (and you know how I feel about cruciferous veggies what with their awesome antioxidants and cancer-fighting skills). The addition of curry adds another layer of flavor to do a little Bhangra dance in your mouth.

And, as if you needed another reason, boys really seem to like eating this casserole. At least every boy I've ever fed it to...

Curried Cauliflower and Broccoli Cheese Casserole
--1 small head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
--curry powder
--paprika
--black pepper
--olive oil (you will need 2 TBSP total, but exact measurements for each step of the process are below)
--1 cup Jasmine rice
--pinch of salt
--garlic, minced
--small onion, chopped fine
--1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
--1 cup + 1/2 cup vegetable (to keep vegetarian) or chicken broth (to add even more delicious flavor)
--4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
--4 oz. mild or medium cheddar cheese, cubed
--1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
--1 oz. mild or medium cheddar cheese, shredded

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the cauliflower florets in a food storage bag or Tupperware with lid. Add 1 TBSP of olive oil and the curry powder, paprika, and black pepper (generous shakes of the spices or about 1 TSP each to coat the cauliflower pieces). Shake it up until the cauliflower is evenly coated with the spice mixture. Place in an oven proof dish and roast in the oven while the rice cooks (about 20 minutes or so).

Cook the Jasmine rice according to package directions, adding 1/2 TBSP olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining 1/2 TBSP olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Sauté the onions and garlic for several minutes, stirring often. Add the broccoli florets and sauté for several more minutes, again stirring regularly.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven and add it to the skillet. Stir to combine with the other veggies. Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir in with 1 cup of chicken broth and the cubed cheeses. Remove from heat. The cheeses will begin to melt into the mixture.

Transfer into a large baking dish and add the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to the dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and bake the casserole for a half hour. It will be so damn tasty.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 70 minutes (and worth every second)
Serves: 6
Calories: 381 per serving

Leah's Kidnapping -or- A Southern Vegan Treat

Dear readers, it is my painful duty to inform you that the recent silence from your beloved Bad Habits is because our dear Leah has been kidnapped. It seems her fears of the Vegan Police weren't just paranoia or a plea for attention. As I type, she is being forced to eat tempeh bacon while in the company of rescued pigs.

So, in an effort to appease the police and pass on their super powers, here is an easy and delicious southern-inspired vegan meal in two parts!

Red Beans and Rice Burgers
Red beans and rice are good, sure, but it's a scientific fact that everything is better in burger form.

What you need:

• 1 can kidney beans
• 1 cup cooked rice (I use brown short grain)
• 1/4 onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 red bell pepper
• 2 teaspoons Cajun spice mix
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke (optional, but highly recommended)
• 1 tbs + 1 tsp Arrowroot or Corn Starch
• Earth Balance or oil for frying

What you do:

Sautee veggies in Earth Balance or oil until they start to brown. Add spices, sautee another minute and set aside to cool. Don't clean the pan!

Mush beans (they don't need to be smooth) and then stir in all the other ingredients.

Form into patties--I used a 1/3 measuring cup to keep the size uniform and made 7 patties.

Cook the patties in the leftover veggie juice a few minutes until brown.

**Tip: If you soak your rice for at least an hour before cooking (I do overnight) it will cook faster and be more moist. Cook it in fresh water, though. If you're lazy, as I often am, this can be skipped, obviously.

**A good thing about this particular burger recipe: You can change the beans and spices to make it however else you want it--such as chickpeas and curry with peas and carrots instead of celery and bell pepper.

Betsy's Deluxe Corn Bread

A while back, my mom let me borrow a cookbook full of our neighbors' favorite recipes. This is a variation of one, and it's probably the easiest thing ever. I like it for its simplicity, but feel to add something more exciting to it (my mom always used bell peppers and jalapenos).

What you need:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup sour cream (I used Tofutti Sour Supreme)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup corn
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder

What you do:

Mix everything in a bowl until well combined.

Pour into 8" square baking dish and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until just browned.

(No, really, it's just that easy)

Now that you have your burger and cornbread, serve it up with a side of slaw and collards and a big glass of sweet tea!

In case you're curious, my slaw is a bag of red cabbage, 4 carrots, a dash of ume vinegar, a spoonful of Vegenaise and some pepper. I steam my greens in a little olive oil and add a splash of soy sauce and vinegar when they're almost done.

Pâtisserie, Mais Oui!

I have told you previously about my love of pie crusts. It's kind of like eating fried food--it's always good, no matter what it is. Think about it. Fried pickles, yes. Fried oysters, yes. Fried chicken, hell yes. Now, try it with pie crust. Irish boxty, yum. Pie of pretty much any flavor under the sun, yum. Chicken pot pie, yum yum.

Pâtisserie is just a fancy French way of saying pastry, and so much fun to say! Say it with me, "Pâtisserie..." Yeah, it even sounds delicious. Unlike their fruit-filled sugar-glazed counterparts, these pâtisseries are savory and work well as an hors d'oeuvre or as part of a tasty meal.

Red Pepper Rosemary Pâtisseries
--4-5 small sweet peppers (I used the small sweet bell peppers Costco sells)
--1 refrigerated pie crust dough
--4 oz. brie cheese
--1 TSP + 1 TBSP unsalted butter
--1 small shallot, diced
--fresh rosemary

Take the peppers and place them directly onto the oven rack. Roast at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, turning once. Let cool before removing tops and slicing in half.

.Roll out the pie crust and cut it into 6 squares. Wrap 6 equal-sized pieces of brie in the pie crust, making packages. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees until pie crust is golden, brushing occasionally with 1 TSP melted butter.

While the pastry cooks, melt the 1 TBSP butter in a large skillet. Sauté the shallot and fresh rosemary until the shallot is softened and begins to brown. Add the sliced roasted peppers and sauté until tender.

Remove the pastries from the oven and pour the pepper mixture into the pan. Brush the pâtisseries with any remaining butter and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve the pâtisseries over the sweet pepper mix.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6 Pâtisseries
Calories: 251 per Pâtisserie

Tempeh Time!

Tempeh. The word itself even sounds a little weird, I realize. But it actually tastes good, and that is what's important. And is full of protein. And easy to cook. And I needed tasty, protein-packed, simplicity after my workout. I was beat. This getting in shape business is hard.

Stir fry is an easy way to pack in a lot of veggies in a short amount of time. Cook times are relatively short (in fact the most time you spend is the prep time to chop all those veggies) but the payoff is big. If you're tired of chicken or pork or tofu, tempeh does provide you with a different flavor and texture and works well in stir fry. Don't be scared, tempeh won't hurt you. And especially after kicking your own ass at the gym, you need lean proteins and veggies to feed those battered and bruised muscles!

Tempeh Stir Fry
--TBSP seasame oil
--2 TBSP canola oil, divided
--2 TBSP soy sauce, divided (I use the low sodium kind)
--8 oz. package of tempeh (found in the refrigerated section with the tofu), sliced into strips
--small onion, diced
--large shallot, diced
--ginger, minced
--garlic, minced
--medium jalapeno, sliced in rounds
--medium red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced into strips
--small yellow squash, sliced into strips
--small zucchini, sliced into strips
--medium carrot, peeled and sliced into strips
--small package button mushrooms, sliced
--1 bunch red chard, stems removed and cut or ripped into business card sized pieces
--1 pear, core removed and sliced into thin slices

Heat the sesame oil, 1 TBSP canola and 1 TBSP of the soy sauce in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the tempeh strips until browned on all sides. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add remaining TBSP of canola oil to the skillet. Sauté the onion, shallot, garlic, and ginger for a few minutes until fragrant and tender. Add the jalapeno, bell pepper, squash, zucchini, and carrot pieces and sauté for several minutes, stirring regularly. When the veggies begin to soften add the mushroom pieces, again stirring regularly.

Add the remaining TBSP soy sauce and stir to combine into the veggies. Add the tempeh back into the mix and also add the chard pieces at this time. Mix it all up and sauté for a few minutes to allow the tempeh to get warmed up and the chard to begin to wilt. Remove the stir fry from the heat and stir in the pear slices. The cold, crisp pear will provide a nice flavor and texture contrast to the warm, tender veggies!

Serve! This is not a meal that re-heats well so adjust ingredient quantities as needed to avoid leftovers.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 35 minutes (most of it prep time)
Serves: 4 bowls
Calories: 300 per bowl

The 3 C's of Stew: Coconut, Chickpea, Curry

Hey look! Again I'm trying to use the Flip-Cam; again I've failed to post a video, but instead I have stills from the botched shoot for you. You still win. You are a winner! You are full of as much winning as Charlie Sheen! (Is that joke old yet? The answer--yes. Am I deleting it? The answer--no.) Bonus prize? This recipe is not only vegetarian, it's vegan too. So the weekday vegetarian and animal-free among you can rejoice and we can all nom-nom together.

I've been a very busy girl--working, eating out, working out, rinse, repeat. I notice that my default go-to style of meal is the soup/stew. Why? Because throwing a bunch of things in a pot is fast, easy, super-forgiving, and almost always awesome (there are rare bad batches but everyone has a bad day now and again). Because my go-to on the go dish is a soup/stew, I steal ideas and grab inspiration from all over the place and all over the world. Today's dish combines Asian favorites coconut milk and curry powder with Middle East treats chickpeas, Oceana's sweet potatoes, and broccoli of the Roman Empire.

Curried Chick Pea Coconut Stew
--1 TBSP olive oil
--garlic, minced
--1 small onion, diced
--1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
--cinnamon and cumin
--1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced
--1 yellow bell pepper, de-seeded and diced
--1 small head of broccoli, chopped into florets
--1 14oz. can coconut milk
--1 14oz. can diced tomatoes
--2-3 cups vegetable broth (depending on whether you want more of a soup or a stew consistency)
--1 15oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
--1 lime

--salt and pepper to taste

Heat a Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté over medium heat for two-ish minutes. Add the curry powder and a dash each of cumin and cinnamon. Stir to combine, letting the seasoning mix into the oil, onion, and garlic--this will deliver flavor throughout the dish in these tiny little spice hosts.

Add the sweet potato pieces and sauté for a few minutes before adding the bell pepper. Stir to combine and sauté for several minutes, allowing the vegetables to become tender. Add the broccoli, again, stirring regularly and only allowing the broccoli to slightly sear.

Mix in the coconut milk, then the tomatoes, and finally the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil before adding the chickpeas. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring twice before serving. Season each portion with a dash of salt and a few cranks of fresh black pepper. Take the lime and squeeze juice into each portion. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6

Calories: 399 per serving

I Confess, I'm A Sweet Potato Stalker

Sometimes I get crushes on restaurants and like any good school girl, I stalk their menus. The problem with having crushes on restaurants is that menus can change, leaving the menu-lover sitting in the rain á la every John Cusack movie made from 1985-2000. My newest crush is on a restaurant around the corner from my new residence, Fuel Cafe, who changes their menu every MONTH! On the one hand this is made of awesome because there is always something new and delightful to try. On the other hand, it makes me one sad monkey because I have a short window to get hooked on a dish, obsess over, eat it as often as possible, and then say goodbye to it.

The October menu featured a delightful gnocchi with sweet potatoes (not to be confused with gnocchi made from sweet potatoes which also sounds pretty delightful). As any stalker is bound to do, I made my own version of this dish at home so I could re-live all the blissful memories. Sigh...

Fuel Cafe Inspired Gnocchi With Sweet Potatoes
--2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
--3 TBSP butter
--1 12oz. package of gnocchi
--10 pieces of fresh sage
--1 cup fresh spinach, thoroughly washed and hand-ripped into palm sized pieces

Place the sweet potatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Chop 2 TBSP of butter into chunks and spread chunks over the top of the sweet potato pieces. Bake in the oven at 300 degrees until potatoes are softened but not browned (20 minutes max).

While the potatoes cook, boil the water for the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi per package instructions, omitting any oil. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining 1 TBSP butter over medium heat. Fry the sage in the butter until it is evenly brown and wonderfully crisp! Add the spinach, using tongs or a spatula to turn the spinach frequently so that it wilts but doesn't get soggy.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and sauté until the potatoes are fully integrated with the spinach and sage and begin to crisp. Remove the mixture to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add the cooked gnocchi. Sauté for a few minutes, allowing the gnocchi to get brown, crisped spots on the outside. Add the sweet potato mixture back to the skillet and stir it all together. Serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 510

Think Pink (Salt) For Your Potatoes

It wasn't that long ago that there was just plain ole table salt. The famous jug with the girl in the rain slicker comes to mind, pushing her iodized and non-iodized versions. But then there was also Kosher salt, which only chefs and those minding Kashrut seemed to know about. And then along came sea salt, and gourmands everywhere rejoiced with the salt options. Oh gosh, but it didn't stop there. Salt, you see, is the new "it" gourmet product. There is gray salt, rock salt, smoked salt, flake salt, and finally the one I feature in today's recipe, pink salt. Phew!

One of my favorite side dishes is oh so easy that it is almost a crime that I'm posting this recipe (almost, but not quite). If you like salt (there may be a joke in there...) then you will enjoy making vegetables this way and can pocket this as a potential new way to prep some Thanksgiving veggies. While salt is not necessarily the most heart healthy of all the spice choices, all things in moderation--it's not like I'm telling you to keep a salt lick on hand or anything. Besides, salt is experiencing a renaissance period all its own as evidenced by the above list of salty options.

While I make my own concoction of rosemary and pink sea salt ahead of time (and keep it around for every opportunistic occasion), you can just make enough for each batch of veggies. If you can't find pink salt use regular sea salt so you still get good texture. Pictured is a mixture of small russet potatoes and fingerlings but this preparation works well for potatoes large and small of all types and also for beets and turnips.

While the recipe below is for two servings, you can make a small batch or a big batch. I've made enough for one serving, or two, or twelve before. Just keep in mind that one serving of potatoes is about the size of a baseball. Potatoes are rich in potassium and low in sodium (which is good, 'cause, um, we're going to put salt on these) and a fairly healthy food option when baked or roasted.

Rosemary Pink Sea Salt Potatoes
--potatoes (1 baseball=1 serving), either chopped into large chunks or sliced in half
--1 TBSP olive oil
--2 healthy pinches pink sea salt
--2 healthy pinches rosemary, fresh or dried

In a plastic bag combine the potatoes with the olive oil. Shake well to evenly coat the potatoes. Grab one healthy pinch of the salt and one healthy pinch of the rosemary and add to the bag. Shake more to get the spices moved around.

Pour the bag onto a baking sheet or into a cast iron skillet and spread the potatoes out. Use the remaining pinches of salt and rosemary to sprinkle over the potatoes.

Bake at 400 degrees for a minimum of 30 minutes. The salt will cause the skins of the potatoes (or beets or turnips) to wrinkle and brown. You want the outsides a little crispy, but the insides melt in your mouth tender. I usually cook mine for however long it takes me to make the other items of the meal, which on average means about 40 minutes.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2
Estimated Calories: 176 per serving

Fabulous Fall Colors, Fantastic Fall Vegetables

We're knee deep in Autumn; by now the leaves have changed to a rainbow of colors and are falling all around us. Halloween brought critters in costume, marching through piles of leaves and pumpkins, and wandering away full of sugar. It's my favorite time of year for many reasons, but not the least of which is I get a cheap thrill out of eating food that matches the landscape around me. The Fall food color-scape is a bevy of rich jewel tones--vibrant reds, brilliant yellows, energetic oranges.

Root vegetables and those that grow low to the ground thrive this time of year, so fill your plates with potatoes, beets, carrots, squashes, and onions. Today's recipe throws another fall flavor--apple--into the mix and gives this dish even more depth. I served mine with some roasted chicken over brown rice but you could easily make this a vegetarian meal or a Thanksgiving side dish as well. Even better, roast a chicken in the middle of this sea of root vegetables and baste with extra apple cider.

Apple Cider Roasted Root Vegetables
--5 whole garlic cloves
--1/2 large onion
--2 medium sized beets, washed and greens removed
--1 honey crisp or gala apple, cored
--5 small potatoes (or more if you use fingerling potatoes)
--3 medium-large sized carrots, scrubbed and greens removed
--fresh sage
--(optional) 4-5 small tomatoes
--2 TBSP olive oil
--salt & pepper to taste
--4 TBSP apple cider

Roughly chop all the vegetables (except for the garlic, leave that whole) and the apple into chunks. If you opt for small tomatoes, leave those whole (as pictured) so the skins come off easier. Using your hands, rip the sage into large pieces.

Place all the vegetables and the sage into a plastic bag. Pour in the olive oil and shake vigorously to coat all the vegetables. Sprinkle a little salt and crack a little black pepper into the bag. Again, move the items all around so the salt and pepper do a little disco on the mixture.

Pour the contents of the bag into a glass oven-safe dish. Pour the apple cider evenly over the mix. Bake at 400 degrees until vegetables are tender, tomatoes are soft and skins come off easily, and potatoes begin to get a lovely brown crust (45-ish minutes). It's okay if things are a little pink, that's just the beets sharing the love.

Eat!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 189 per serving