So what do you get when you mix breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Eggs + a Sandwich + pasta OR Pancakes + Salad + Fish all rolled into one? No, no, I'm not implying that you combine all three daily meals into one larger life meal, that wouldn't be healthy...what I am implying is having a l-inner (lunch + dinner, typically served around 5pm or around the time of the "Early Bird Special) utilizing breakfast ingredients because honestly who doesn't like breakfast all day long? There's even a restaurant in the East Village who caters to those of us who enjoy eggs benedict and waffles at 10pm....
After a whirlwind day of work, errands, photographing, running, and attempting to enjoy some of the mid-60s weather we were lucky enough to enjoy, I decided since I hadn't had lunch yet and I was going to be otherwise occupied for a portion of the evening, I might as well make myself a l-inner, to satisfy my desire for lunch and dinner all in one. Quickly I ruled out quinoa, or baby raviolis, or a tofu stir-fry, and then I realized, you know what I hadn't had in a while -- scrambled eggs! Ding! I was going to make truffled scrambled egg whites with sauteed mushrooms, herbs, and goat's cheese and then I would toss it with some mesclun greens, cherry tomatoes, and diced peppers and I'd get a lovely warm salad packed with veggies and greens and protein in the form of egg whites and the cheese..yum yum.
So lets start with the eggs- I like to take out two frying pans and spray them with cooking spray, putting the egg whites in one pan for me and the yolks in the other pan for my dog. Yes yes, I know that sounds weird, but egg yolks are good for her coat and plus I hate wasting them. Ok, so back to the egg whites, crack two eggs and separate the whites into a bowl, whisk to get the egg whites frothier and more pillowy. While the egg whites are in a bowl, you should have chopped up about five small to medium sized portobello mushrooms caps and tossed them with chopped shallots, some extra virgin olive oil, a little white wine, some rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. After about five to seven minutes of sauteing the mushrooms, transfer your egg whites to a pan over low heat and once you see the eggs go from translucent to opaque, add the mushrooms and some truffle oil, scramble till you feel they are done enough for you. Some people like soft scrambled eggs and other folks like more well done almost golden brown eggs, I'm of the later party, preferring to get my eggs nice and well done. Once they are finished to your satisfaction, toss them into a bowl with fresh mesclun and crumbled cana de cabra, a fresh, young Spanish goat cheese with a little extra tangy grassyness than say its French or American cousins. Next chop up a hand of full of cherry tomatoes and a quarter of an orange pepper for crunch. I know some people do not like raw pepper, but I think in this situation, the pepper is the perfect crunchy oomph! Now toss everything together and you will get a veritable symphony of colors! Reds, oranges, greens, whites, browns all in your salad bowl. I like to toss this with a simple homemade garlic vinaigrette (Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Maille Mustard, and a chopped up garlic clove). Now you have scrambled eggs mixed with salad and veggies and I guarantee it is not an overload of flavors but a symphony of different tastes. I enjoyed this with a glass of Capezzana'ss Barco Reale di Carmignano which is made from traditional Carmignano grapes (Sangiovese, Cabernet, Canaiolo). This wine is produced by the Nobil Casa Contini Bonnacossi at Capezzana in Carmignano with grapes grown on vines in an ancient Medici estate. I tend to not be the biggest fan of Italian reds but this maybe was perfect, medium bodied with a decent amount of fruit but not overly heavy or tannic on the palate, turning what could otherwise be a lunch meal for some into a dinner meal for me!
A nice mixture of different tastes and flavors all rolled into one for a delish meal. If you don't necessarily like my combo of ingredients, at least take its basic principle to heart -- foods that you associate with certain meals do not always have to be eaten only at that meal and sometimes mixing up a lot of distinct food items will give you something so unique and different, it will blow you away. So loosen up folks and make yourself a meal of a smorgasbord of ingredients from your fridge tonight. I guarantee you will be surprised at how yummy it will taste. And you know why? Because, deep down the thing that ties all those foods together is the fact that you like them otherwise you wouldn't have bought them and so when combining them, they will definitely satisfy your palate.
Enjoy!
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