Breakfast (for dinner) Bowl

Hello! I hope everyone is having a restful (and dry) weekend. This morning we woke up (at 6 am....on our one day off....thanks to my husbands alarm clock...) to chilly  temps and falling snow. Which is old news now, because there has been SO MUCH snow this year. But this morning, after a fantastic Pilates class, while running on the treadmill I saw the weather reports for Texas. A casual 80 degrees-- I have friends in Texas, and my heart is filled with envy. Have I mentioned that I am ready for summer? Because I am ready for summer. I've been spending most my time dreaming about our trip to Thailand to visit my dad this summer. I try very hard to enjoy every day, and every period of time, because things go by too fast and I don't want to wish it all away...but its hard not to when  the sky seems to be perpetually grey, and all I want to do is put on a bikini and sit in the sun on a beach somewhere. And if there were a cocktail in my hand? I wouldn't hate that.

Last night, after our long work day, Nick and I decided to spend a quiet night in. We mixed ourselves some dark and stormy's, set up the scrabble board, and I whipped up this Breakfast (for dinner) bowl. I've had us on a healthier than usual diet this past week, because I spent last weekend in Syracuse with my dad and my brothers family, and spent most of the time eating delicious dinners out. So this week I was focused on lightening things back up. And this meal fit right into that category, while still being filling, delicious, and comforting.

A hearty bowl of peppery polenta topped with sauteed brussel sprouts, farm-fresh bacon, a fried egg, and shaved parmesan. Awesome. And polenta is INSANELY filling. I had a 1/2 cup in my bowl and could barely finish it. This Italians knew what they were up to when they threw cornmeal into boiling water. 

The ingredients are super simple.

For the polenta:

3 cups water

1 cup cornmeal

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs parmesan cheese

For the toppings:

3 slices bacon

about 1 1/2 cups shaved brussel sprouts

1 small onion

4 cloves of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

4 fried eggs (technically I had one plus an egg white cause I hate fried egg yolk, but you do whatever you like.)

Cook the bacon until it is crispy, and reserve the bacon grease in a measuring cup.

Bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil, and VERY SLOWLY pour in the cup of cornmeal, whisking the entire time. Reduce the heat to low, and add in the pepper. Cover it and let it be.

Pour a little of the bacon grease into a frying pan, and add in the 4 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped, and the onion, also chopped up small. Add a little salt and pepper, and allow the onions and garlic to brown up. Add in the shaved brussel spouts. Let everything cook until the mixture is a little bit browned and the sprouts are soft.

I love brussel sprouts cooked like this. Love them. As can be attested to by my sausage and brussel sprout pizza. Which I would make a link to but I don't know how. Anyway...once the sprouts are done, put them in a bowl and add a little bit more of the bacon grease into the pan (just a little for flavor, if you have a nonstick pan like this). Once the pan is sizzling hot, drop in four fried eggs, and sprinkle a little pepper on them.

Cook them however you like- I flip mine because I hate sunny side up eggs with my whole heart. Raw yolk? So gross. To each their own. My dad can't get enough of them. 

Stir a tablespoon of parmesan cheese into the polenta, and then assemble the bowls!

In my bowl:

1/2 cup polenta

1/3 cup brussel sprouts

1 1/2 slices bacon (crumbled)

1 egg + an egg white (I gave the yolk to nick)

2 pieces of shaved parmesan cheese

Truly, so good. Nick was impressed with my creativity in coming up with this bowl, and I had to admit that I came up with the concept based off of a recipe I saw in one of my fitness magazines. But, you know? Everyone needs a little inspiration. This dinner was so good that I didn't even mind that Nick beat me at scrabble by four measly points. Or at least it softened the blow...

Today I will be spending 750 hours at the laundromat washing our LOADS of laundry. I've said it once and I'll say it again...the day that I have my own washer and dryer will be the day I know I've made it big in this world... Tonight we're heading to one of our favorite pubs for a 'date night'...which is what Nick is calling his excuse for watching the Bruins game. Which is fine with me. What are you doing for your weekend? If it doesn't include mountainous loads of laundry, then count yourself lucky.