Spring-cleaning spread.
This time of year, my brain goes into spring cleaning mode. I go from wiping down our white kitchen cabinets to washing windows to dusting in a mad fury.
There is no better feeling than getting the house spick-and-span (that and finally being able to open the windows after a long winter).
Because I was so inspired, this was the perfect opportunity to clean out the fridge, too. Then I used these leftover ingredients as inspiration for a meal with friends.
Turning to orphan ingredients makes entertaining easier and less expensive because you have fewer things to pick up at the grocery store.
Just as spring signals a new beginning, I also see breakfast as a fresh start to the day. This menu incorporates some of my favorite morning eats that I hope you’ll enjoy too.
My dad is an amazing cook, and he first got me in the kitchen by teaching me how to make banana bread: is there a better way to use up overripe bananas?
The recipe is from my childhood cookbook, “Alpha-Bakery” produced by Gold Medal Flour in 1987. The pages are yellowing and there are splatters on it that are decades old. Out of the 26 recipes that correlate with each letter of the alphabet, the “B” page was our favorite because it contained the blueprint for
the best banana bread ever.
While it bakes in the oven, your whole house will smell like bananas and toasted walnuts. After the bread has cooled, the top becomes firm and slightly crunchy when you bite into it.
To use up milk, I made a chia seed pudding. Chia seeds are a nutritional powerhouse filled with heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium. When you stir them into a liquid or yogurt, they turn into a gel (kind of like tapioca pudding but not as thick). Topped with berries, kiwi and granola, it makes an ultra satisfying breakfast.
On any given day, I have a bunch of random veggies in my fridge. In the case of this casserole, I added spinach, broccoli, mushrooms, onion, peppers and squash. On the bottom lies a base of shredded potatoes. The egg mixture sinks down into the potatoes and veggies to bind all the ingredients together. Feel free to customize this casserole by substituting other vegetables, cheeses or proteins (I used sausage, but you can add cooked, crumbled bacon instead).
The best thing about this meal? If you make it during a spring-cleaning fest, your house is guaranteed to gleam before company walks through the door.