Parisian Inspired Breakfast

This breakfast is inspired by the most special meal I had in Paris. 

It was made by my dear friend, Julia. Here's what Her's looked like...

 

Yes, this meal includes some ingredients I don't normally eat... But I'm sure you could see why there was no question for me to indulge? Hey, there's still plenty of veggies and greens included, and I was in Paris!

One of the most interesting elements to this meal was Caramelized Endive. The most common way I've had endive in the past was just the leaves, raw, stuffed with some mediocre deli salad nestled inside... Before this meal, I never had the pleasure to taste it cooked to perfection... It's quite a treat! Caramelizing endive creates this complexity of sweet and tart flavors combined, as apposed to the dry and bitter characters in its raw form.

I decided to try and emulate Julia's version of a Parisian Breakfast for my friends this weekend. I did decide to use just a little cheese and thin slices of prosciutto to keep things authentic, but you could easily make this meal vegan by leaving those two elements out.

And my version...

Roasted Tomatoes

Arugula, Lemon and Radish Salad (with Prosciutto)

Burratta with Honey and Almonds

Roasted Multi Colored Potatoes 

Roasted Kale 

Caramelized Endive with Shallots 

In addition, I served watermelon chunks, avocado mash, and French baguette slices.

It was a really nice treat to cook for my friends that were visiting me, especially since I don't get to entertain as much as I used to in my new city. I always get extra inspired to do something special when I'm cooking for a crowd... So who's coming to visit me next?!

Roasted Tomatoes

• vine ripened tomatoes, sliced in half
• salt and pepper
• basil infused olive oil (optional)

Preheat oven to 450. On a cooking sheet, place tomato halves face side up. 

Season and roast for 25 - 30 min.

Roasted Multicolored Potatoes

• 1/2 pound baby multicolored potatoes
• 1/4 cup veggie stock or 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp herb de provence
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of turmeric

Preheat oven to 450. In a pyrex dish, combine all ingredients together and bake for 45 - 50 minutes, mixing around potatoes every 10 minutes or so.

Roasted Kale

• 1 bunch purple kale, ripped with hands
• white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp oil (optional)
• kosher salt

Preheat oven to 450. Toss together kale, vinegar, salt and optional oil. Lay out flat on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, and bake for 7-10 minutes.

• Caramelized Endive
• 1 heads endive, sliced in half vertically
• 3 tbsp shallot, minced
• veggie stock (for deglazing)
• pinch of cumin
• salt and pepper

Dry saute shallots in a pan, adding small splashes of veggie stock as needed. Season endive and place into pan face down. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium/low heat. Flip and cook for an additional 10 minutes with cover on. Optional: add 1 tsp of good butter, or vegan butter.