Breakfast for Supper

"But Paulie, It's your favorite!" -- Paulie Bleeker's mom in Juno

Yes, it may be Paulie's favorite, but its mine as well. I just devoured some chocolate-chip pancakes and now have inspiration to share with you a simply delicious easy-to-make breakfast dishes.

Crepes
A favorite of Le French, its a super simple recipe that can be put in the fridge for about a week. They're so easy to make you might as well keep some batter around for comfort food or when you don't feel like cooking.

• 1 cup all purpose-flour
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Next, whisk all the ingredients together while heating up a pan on medium heat. Pour about 1/3 a cup into the hot skillet and do a little 180 with the pan to evenly coat its surface. Cook for about 2 min on each side and top with strawberries, Nutella, or powered sugar.

photo courtesy of flickr user Luke H

Saturday, Rainy Saturday

There are very few comfort foods that rock my word.

That being said, I have a few favorites.

Pancakes.
Steak and Mashed Potatoes.
Steak and Cheese.
Quiche.
oh, and French Toast.

There are some very good places to get all of these, especially in the Fairfax, VA area.
And a really great website, The Loop, is a perfect solution for a food quandary

Hint: this where you should go check out the website.

But, to save you the clicking, at least for right now....

Pancakes and French Toast (I would say IHOP but we're talking quality here...)
- Metro Diner
- The Sweet Life Cafe

Steak and Mashed Potatoes
For Budgeters:
- Outback Steakhouse
- Damon's Grill
- P.J. Skidoo's
For Splurgers:
- Coastal Flats
- Ruth Chris Steakhouse
- Longhorn Grill

Steak and Cheese:
- Steak n' Things
- Elie's Deli

Quiche...well, for quiche you're kind of out of luck but there are simple recipes to follow.

Now in a mini!

Are you looking for a fast breakfast on your way to your 10:30 am class and you're already late?
Ooohhh, that was a little Alanis Morrisette. I apologize.

Regardless, there's one thing you need to know: mini frittatas.

Better than fried egg with cheese, better than microwaving your scrambled eggs (gross), and better than frying some bacon on the side.

It's all in one.

A frittata is an unfolded omelet that has veggies and meat in it.

In my version, I use eggs, cheese, and bacon. AND cook them in bite-size eatable pieces by putting them in a mini muffin tin!

Here's the ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk (2% works well too, if you're watching calories)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
  
• 6-8 strips of bacon baked at 405 degrees for 7 minutes (tried and true, this is the perfect temperature/time balance to achieve supreme crunchy flavorful bacon)
• parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

The steps are really easy, make these frittatas ahead of time and zap them in the morning for a good-to-go meal. To start: preheat oven to 375 degrees

1. Add eggs, milk and cheese together and whip until well blended
2. Crumple the bacon into tiny pieces and drop into egg batter
3. Stir in salt, pepper, parsley
4. Pour entire mixture 3/4 of the way full into muffin tins
   
5. Cook for 8-10 minutes.
   

To get a little fancy try adding different ingredients like bell peppers, spinach, and ham for a low-fat option.

photo credit: Me!

Chocolate-Chip Brownie Muffins

Yes. Brownie. Muffins.

To finish off this week's guilty delights features I'm giving you the recipe that will be melt in your mouth delicious.

There are two ways to make this happen -- the box way or the homemade way.

I fancy the box way, just because you add your own little touches here and there and essentially cut the prep time in half. Oh how Sandra Lee would be SO proud!!

But here's the basics for the easy peasy way to brownie muffins. Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees F

• one box store-bought brownie mix (the fudge kind is really good)
• one large egg
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water
  
• milk chocolate chips
• 12 muffin cups (or you can just spray the inside of the muffin pan with PAM)
• one muffin tray (12 cups)
  

1. Mix together the brownie mix, egg, oil, and water.
2. Spoon mixture into the muffin cups 3/4ths full.
3. Drop in milk chocolate chips, as many as your little heart desires
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until done, since some ovens are faster than others.

To top it off....make a simple chocolate ganache by melting dark chocolate bars in the microwave but be careful! Chocolate, like butter, burns very quickly. Once the brownie muffins are done, dip the tops into the ganache and let it set.

And a pat of butter and you're in for a muffin that looks like its from Willy Wonka's factory.

photo credit: twisted_karolina

Fortune Cookie? Try Nutella Wonton.

What is the perfect end note to a Chinese food meal?

If you're old school and ordering take-out, its usually fortune cookies (that may or may not be stale).

But, with some simple steps you can have a nice twist on a Chinese favorite: the wonton
.


My favorite treat from delivery places like China Garden or Eastern Cafe is a crab wonton (sometimes call rangoon) which is essentially a deep fried concoction of crab meat and cream cheese. This is NOT a low-fat dish, but it's well worth the calories and the hour you'll spend at the gym the next day.

The dessert version is the same concept: Nutella Wontons

**NOTE: Nutella is a chocolate hazelnut spread that's from Europe but can be found in any grocery store. The French typically spread it on croissants for a chocolatey breakfast.**

1. Take some wonton wrappers (also can be found in any grocery store, in the Asian aisle), the number depends on how many individual wontons you want.
   
2. 1 tbsp of Nutella spread, plop smack dab in the middle of the wonton. Seal edges with water, form into triangles.
   
3. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, fill with 4 tbsp of vegetable oil (NOT BUTTER! Butter burns too fast)
4. Drop 1-2 wontons in hot oil, fry for 3-4 minutes.
5. COOL COMPLETELY and enjoy!
   

Psst! For an extra treat, sprinkle powdered sugar on top to give these a little more sweetness.

photo by Kali Meadows

"Pure bliss baked daily"

I have decided to indulge this week in confectionery delights in the D.C. Metro area.

What comes to mind when you think about Easter? Gigantic chocolate bunnies? Oozy Peeps that have been out in the sun too long?

I think about one thing: cupcakes.

And the best cupcake shop ever. These ain't your grandmas cupcakes either.

Located in a quaint corner of M Street in Northwest D.C. (a block away from The Shops at Georgetown)

Described as "happiness in the palm of your hand" boasts the most picturesque, ideal, fluffy, creamy, buttery, and all other mouth-watering adjectives you can think of, cupcakes.


There's a special daily cupcake menu depending on what day of the week, as well as monthly specialties. However, no matter what day of the week you visit this little shop of heaven you can find these favorites

• chocolate squared
• chocolate to the third
• vanilla squared
• red velvet
• chocolate & vanilla
• vanilla & chocolate
• (and sometimes, if you're lucky...toasted marshmallow)

My favorite?

By far the Lemon Blossom cupcake: light lemon cupcake with a lemon cream cheese frosting topped with a candied lemon peel.

photo by Serena McClain

Favorite Fairfax Eateries

Bernie's Deli, Noodles & Company, Foster's Grille

Bernie's Deli
Location: intersection of School St. & Chain Bridge, Fairfax, VA
Offers: deli sandwiches, hot meals, desert fare

• A homestyle family-owned deli featuring favorites like corned beefs, super BLTs, and Carnegie Deli Cheesecake.
• Owned and operated by Bernie & Leah "Mama" Socha, employed by mainly George Mason students.
• Price range - under $10.00
• **Call ahead to reduce the wait (703) 691.1269

Noodles & Company
Location: 10296 Main St., Fairfax, VA (next to TJ Maxx)
Offers: Wisconsin Mac & Cheese, Indonesian Peanut Saute, Pad Thai

• Chain restaurant with variety of Contintental, Asian, and Mediterranean pasta/noodle dishes.
• Side dishes include pork or chicken pot stickers, flat bread, Parmesan-crusted chicken.
• Prince range -- individual servings: $7.00, make it a "trio" with salad, noodles, and soup for around $9.00.

Foster's Grille
Location: 10427 North St., Fairfax, Va
Offers: "mouthful" monster charburgers, hand-cut fries, hot wings, beer.

• Burger joint decorated with "Office Space" and "Waiting"-esque flair minus the sarcasm but laid-back atmosphere.
• Greasy spoon burgers, sports events always on nice Plasma TVs
  
• Next door to gelato place Piccomolo -- perfect for an after dinner sweet treat.
• Price range -- under $10.00, show GMU student ID get 25% off.

photos by: James M. Thresher, Noodles & Co., Foster's Grille

Easy Weeknight Recipe

Have some extra time this week?

Want to make a delicious dinner that's no hassle?

Try this: make some chicken enchiladas when you've got a spare 45 minutes, stick 'em in the freezer and pop 'em in the oven once you want to nosh on some cheesy goodness.

Seriously. It's that easy.

To make a pan of chicken enchiladas that yields 8 servings, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (chicken breast works just as well)
2. 1 chopped onion
3. 1 cup sour cream
4. 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
5. 1 teaspoon parsley, oregano, black pepper, and salt for some seasonings.
6. 1 can tomato sauce
   
7. 8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
8. some taco sauce, and chili pepper
9. one green pepper (optional)

The steps to make this easy meal are just as simple:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• 2. In a medium, non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook chicken until no longer pink and juices run clear.
  
• 3. Drain excess fat. Cube the chicken and return it to the skillet. Add the onion, sour cream, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano and ground black pepper. Heat until cheese melts. Stir in salt, tomato sauce, chili powder, green pepper and garlic.
• 4. Roll even amounts of the mixture in the tortillas. Arrange in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with taco sauce and 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese.
• 5. Bake uncovered in a 9x13 baking dish for 20 minutes, scatter extra cheese on top.
  

Pop in the freezer or eat them right then.

To re-heat, put uncovered baking dish in oven @ 350 for 15 minutes.

photo credit: B. Crocker