Eggs with Turmeric Mushrooms

8 oz baby portobello mushrooms; cut to 1/4 inch slices
1/2 onion; minced
1 stalk celery; chopped
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
pinch fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon oregano
pinch thyme
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 eggs
4 slices provolone cheese

Served over greens (pictured) or on toast.

Preheat a large heavy bottomed skillet that has a lid over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms, cover with lid and allow to “sweat” (the mushrooms will leak out moisture). Check the progress of the mushrooms every 5 minutes. When they are swimming in their own moisture add the onion and celery, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the tomato sauce, salt, pepper, turmeric, oregano and thyme, stir and allow to simmer without the lid until half the moisture has evaporated. – if you are having this dish over toast put the bread into the toaster at this time- Drizzle with olive oil, crack four eggs on top of the vegetables, cover with lid and cook to desired doneness about 3 minutes (I like the whites cooked but the yolk still runny. If you do not want runny yolk you can also “pop” the yolk with the edge of a cracked eggshell).

Put a slice of cheese over salad greens or on top of a piece of toast and scoop out an egg with the mushroom and place directly over the cheese.

Enjoy!

Farmers’ Breakfast

When the children were younger we had a hearty sit down breakfast every morning, even before school. I always felt it was important to start the day off with a balanced meal that would carry us through whatever was scheduled before lunch. Now with the children grown we take care of our own weekday breakfast but weekend breakfasts tend to be real meals since Xav has time to sit (he normally leaves at 6 a.m. on workdays). Yesterday at the farmers market I picked up fresh, organic and locally grown onions and tomatoes (my bumper crop is still green, taunting me in the garden!) I dashed out to pick a handful of Italian peppers first thing this morning. 

1/2 onion; coarsely chopped
4 small Italian peppers; seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tomato; coarsely chopped
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
dash fresh ground black pepper
4 eggs
toasted bread (we use German whole rye/ gluten free for those of us who are gluten intolerant)
sliced cheese (Havarti is the household favorite for this dish)

Preheat a large skillet to medium. Meanwhile prepare the onion, peppers and tomato. Add the olive oil and onion, saute for 3 minutes,  add the peppers and tomatoes, cover and simmer till tender. Remove the lid, add salt and pepper and allow to simmer till the excess juices reduce (about 3 minutes). Place bread in the toaster. Crack eggs on top of vegetables, cover with a lid and cook until done. Place the toast on a plate, cover with a slice of cheese and top with the vegetables and egg. This is Torie’s plate with gluten free bread. The imperfect yolk was Angelo’s finger test to be sure the yolk was cooked through. If you like your eggs well done, be sure to cook them under cover for 6 minutes keeping an eye on the pan and reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning.

Tropical Mango Smoothie
2 cups mango pieces (I use Trader Joe’s frozen, sinfully easy!)
1 ripe banana
1 cup orange juice (I used fresh pressed from my father’s California care package oranges)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water

Put it all in a blender and push the button.