Author Archives: michcorbett

Better Bites: Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

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Brunch is one of those weekend highlights– but it can be pretty frustrating. After waiting 30+ minutes of waiting for a table you treat yourself to what is usually a pretty indulgent meal, spend way too much money, and then want to nap for the rest of the day. It’s also amazing. My mission for this morning was to lighten up a classic brunch dish: french toast.

You know, I never figured out why more people don’t make french toast at home. It’s super simple, delicious, and makes you feel really fancy for making such a fun brunch! It’s one of my go-to impressive brunch dishes. The bonus? You can make a really delicious healthy version with just a couple of simple ingredients :egg, bread, cinnamon, oil/butter.

Here’s what I used today for 2 servings:

  • 4 slices cinnamon raisin sprouted grain bread (my new obsession)
  • 1/2 c egg beaters 
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon 
  • 2 tsp coconut oil 
  • whipped cream 
  • maple syrup 

The prep is really simple: combine egg beaters (or 3 egg whites or 2 regular eggs) with 1 tsp ground cinnamon (you can also add some milk if you want, it will help create more liquid without adding more eggs). Dip both sides of each slice of bread until coated with egg mixture. Add 1 tsp coconut oil to pre-heated non stick pan (you can also use canola oil, butter, or Pam) and add bread to pan. Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side. The way I can tell when it’s ready is that the eggs start to set around the edges of the bread and the bread can move around the pan easily (if it sticks it’s not ready yet). 

My pan allowed me to cook 2 pieces at a time so I used the other tsp of coconut oil for the last 2 pieces.

To serve, I sliced each piece diagonally, added some whipped cream, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and some dark maple syrup (from Cedarvale of course). I added grapes for fruit and to make it feel more like we were eating at a restaurant… without the weight, the cost, and the nap. I challenge you to make french toast next weekend (or today if you’re a really late sleeper).

Bahn-Mi Turkey Burger

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If you remember one of my first posts was the fiesta turkey burger and in the post I mentioned how much I love turkey burgers. Well tonight, after a long car ride, I was about 3 minutes away from going for take out, but then decided I should cook and once again it was the turkey burger to the rescue. Not only is a turkey burger healthy and quick to make, but it is such a great vessel for flavors. Tonight’s dinner was “bahn mi turkey burgers” which is what I call them because they have an asian slaw on them and some fun crunchy veggies inside.

Here’s what you’ll need for these turkey burgers:

  • 1 lb ground turkey (I had 93% lean in the freezer)
  • 1/2 small onion finely chopped 
  • 1/2 red bell pepper finely chopped 
  • 2 Tb low sodium soy sauce 
  • 1/4 tsp ground coriander (it could have used a bit more, but if you dont like coriander use this much)
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Here’s why I love turkey burgers: 1. combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix by hand 2. shape into 4 evenly sized burgers (I am a bit anal and weighed them… each was about 6.3 oz with the veggies and seasonings)3. flatten and shape into patties and cook COVERED for 4 minutes on each side in a pan coated with 1 Tb coconut oil (or any other cooking oil)

While those are cooking you can whip up some sriracha mayo. Flavored mayos are a great way to make your food more interesting. For sriracha mayo I start with 1 1/2 Tb light mayo and 1 tsp sriracha and mix to taste (add more sriracha to make it spicier or more mayo to cut down on the heat). 

If you’re going low-carb, you can serve these turkey burgers over an asian inspired salad with spinach, mandarins, almonds, snow peas and a light citrus vinaigrette. I went for the bun and toasted up some sandwich thins, spread each with the sriracha mayo and topped the burger with an asian style slaw from Fresh Direct. To make your own asian style slaw add rice wine vinegar, sugar, and ginger to a cabbage based cole slaw mix. 

We had only had breakfast so I heated up some soup and steamed veggies to complete this meal. Next time you are tempted to order take out, challenge yourself to make a delicious turkey burger inspired by the contents of your fridge! Let me know what you make!

Roasted Eggplant with Buttermilk Sauce and Pomegranate Seeds

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Happy New Year! One of my resolutions for 2013 is to cook more and to post more to MichDish. What better way to start with a post from new year’s eve dinner last night! So… cookbooks are one of my favorite things. Even if I never make any of the recipes the pictures and flavor combinations are just inspiring on their own. This year one of the cookbooks I received was Plenty. The photography is just beautiful and everything looks amazing, so when I was in charge of a vegetable side dish for our annual fancy new year’s eve dinner, I decided to turn to the cover recipe.

Disclaimer: I generally do not like eggplant. I find it way too oily or have an issue with texture. The eggplant with buttermilk sauce that was on the cover of this cookbook though is just so inviting I couldn’t not make it. As it turns out the recipe was super simple, a breeze to prepare in advance and bring to the dinner, and so  beautiful and festive looking. Not to mention pretty delicious!

So here’s what you’ll need to serve 6 (or depending on how large the meal is… to serve 24).

  • 3 eggplants (the longer and skinnier the better) 
  • 1/3 cup olive oil 
  • 1 Tablespoon thyme 
  • garlic salt and cracked pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with tin foil. Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, cutting through the stem (for pretty presentation). Using a sharp knife make 3-4 parallel incisions on the inside flesh of each eggplant from stem to base, being careful to not puncture the outer skin. Then make several diagonal cross cuts to create diamond patterns in the eggplant. With a pastry brush evenly distribute the olive oil on the flesh of the eggplants and then sprinkle with thyme, garlic salt, and cracked pepper (you can use other pepper, but there’s something so rustic and chef-y about taking out your pepper grinder). Roast eggplant for 40-50 minutes. If you have 2 baking sheets that don’t fit on the same rack, rotate them half way through the cooking. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

To make the buttermilk sauce, combine 1 cup fat free Greek yogurt (you could use whatever type you like though, i just like the fat free one), 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons light buttermilk (again, use whichever type you prefer), 2 cloves crushed garlic, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, garlic salt to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

The next thing you have to prepare is the pomegranate. If you don’t know how to get the seeds out of a pomegranate without making TOO much of a mess, it’s simple! Cut the pomegranate in half and hold it in your hand, seeds facing your palm over a bowl. With a wooden spoon, smack the pomegranate and the seeds will fall through your fingers into the bowl. It’s a great way to take out frustration. 

The recipe also calls for za’atar which is a middle eastern spice blend. The grocery stores in Hoboken do not sell this, but a specialty food shop would. Or you could make your own like I did with this helpful recipe! I must say, the toasted sesame seeds being ground up give off the BEST aroma!

So, now that you have all the components comes the fun part: presentation! To assemble, arrange the eggplant halves on a platter, coat generously with the buttermilk sauce (you will have a lot to spare, so don’t be shy!), sprinkle with za’atar and top with pomegranate seeds. It looks so festive and elegant. Happy New Year!