Friday, April 29, 2011

A Royal Foodie Friday



something "borrowed" from the Daily Mail

Did you really think I was going to let this week go by and not mention the Royal wedding? I admit it, I'm one of those that's been all over the coverage and totally woke up at 4am to tune in. No big deal really, it's only about one hour earlier for me to wake up than I do most days of the week.

I took this special occasion as an opportunity to try out another Ina dish I've had my eye on, a roasted vegetable frittata! I figured if I was going to spend 4+ hours watching the pageantry, then a breakfast fit for a queen was in order, no canapes for this girl.

So there we sat (Tallulah and I) coffee in hand (wishing it was a mimosa...stupid work) eating my frittata and watching a "commoner" transform into a princess.

Best dressed guest was clearly socialite Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, in my humble opinion.

However, no one could upstage the future "Mc"Queen. She was stunning. I've never seen a dress fit so well, Sarah Burton must have sewn her into it this very morning at the Goring.

It's obvious that my invitation was lost in the mail, but had it made it to its intended destination I would have donned a fascinator (preferably designed by Phillip Treacy as I'm sure he would have had time to make one for me personally), maybe one like this:


Or this...smaller with a little feather flare:


Oh, who am I kidding - I'd have to consult my personal stylist, I can't make any decision without her. *sigh*

So, without further ado, the "royal" roasted vegetable frittata:


1 small zucchini, 1-inched-diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and 1 1/2-inch-diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1 1/2-inch-diced
1 red onion, 1 1/2-inch-diced
1/3 cup good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
12 extra-large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 scallions chopped, white and green parts
1/2 cup grate Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the zucchini, peppers, and onion on a sheet pan. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and toss well. Bake for 15 minutes. Add the garlic, toss again, and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and turn the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

In a 10-inch ovenproof saute pan, melt the butter and saute the scallions over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add the roasted vegetables to the pan and toss with the scallions. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes over medium-low heat without stirring. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake the frittata for 20 to 30 minutes, until puffed and set in the middle. Sprinkle with the Gruyere and bake for another 3 minutes, until the cheese is just melted. Cute into 6 or 8 wedges and serve hot.

Even though I enjoyed this as my breakfast, I will definitely be having the leftovers throughout the weekend as my lunch, maybe with a mixed green salad on the side.

What made this dish even better was the farm fresh eggs I got last weekend from Eastern Market. I didn't realize the difference between farm fresh eggs and your regular grocery store eggs...let me tell you - there is one! I don't know if I could ever go back. So next time you have a special occasion, splurge for the farm eggs, huh-mazing.

And they lived happily ever after...



Thursday, April 28, 2011

Hearts Go Out to Alabama

As most people know, our home state was tormented by tornadoes. The devastation is unbelievable and what's worse, the death toll keeps rising. Below are some videos of one of the largest twisters as it tore through Tuscaloosa.




Stay safe, Bama (and everywhere else in the country currently being tormented by twisters). Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Muck Yeah!


On Saturday afternoon, I'll be knee deep in a pit of muddy muck... by choice... running the RunAmuck 5K & obstacle course in DC with my bro, sis-in-law and this guy. To be perfectly honest, we're not really even sure what we signed up for. None of have ever run one of these before, and the description seems to be intentionally vague:

The RunAmuck Run is a unique and incredible 3-5 mile run with terrain and outlandish obstacles that can include hills, river crossings, walls, obstacles and mud pits. 



We're racing as a team, Team Shake 'n Bake, and we'll be paying homage to Ricky Bobby in our Nascar gear. Meet our mascot, Wilson Bobby...


Will it be pretty? Not a chance.

Will it be fun? Sure hope so. If not, there is supposedly a beer garden at the end, so I feel fairly certain that we'll find a way to make the most of whatever we've gotten ourselves into. 


If you ain't first, you're last.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Hop! Hop! Hop!

Happy Easter everyone! Liv + Sal are both enjoying a post Easter service brunch here. Tabbard's own freshly fried donuts...yes please!

And maybe for some cross-training after brunch, we can get a group of people together to do the bunny hop. From the likes of this video, the family that hops together, stays together.


Note: We have no idea who Emily is - but Happy 3rd Birthday!

We hope you all have an eggcellent day!