Triple C Salad- Cabbage, Chicken & Chipotles

I'm sitting at my desk, watching the clock. It's 4 minutes to lunch, and I'm excited to open my lunch box and dig in.

I love what I packed for lunch today. Love. It.

Today, I've got my favorite salad waiting for me in the fridge.

This is less of a recipe, and more an invitation to put these things together in your mouth. Soon.

Ingredients:
Cabbage

Arugula if you want
Chicken (poached, boiled, rotisseried, or grilled)
Cilantro
Pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
Green onions
Avocado
Queso fresco (optional)
Tomatoes (optional)

Dressing
Canned chipotles
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Honey (only a little)
Salt

Take a cabbage (I like purple because it's pretty, plus antioxidants), and cut it in half. Then, cut the half in half again. You now have a quarter. Cut out the tough core of the cabbage. Now, going perpendicular to the leaves, slices the cabbage into thin ribbons.

Slice, dice, or shred chicken, however you prefer.

Slice the avocado.

Chop green onions.

Chop some cilantro.

In a small bowl, pour 1 teaspoon of chipotle adobo sauce (and a little chile if you like it spicy), 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil, and mix well. Mix a tiny bit of honey, some chopped cilantro, and a pinch of salt to round out the flavor. This dressing has kick - adjust to your own tastes!

Chop one chipotle pepper finely

Now, in a bowl, add the amount of cabbage (plus arugula if using) you want to eat and add green onions, cilantro pepitas and tomatoes, if using.  Add the amount of dressing you like and stir to coat cabbage. Top with chicken, avocado, a sprinkle of queso fresco (if using) and some additional chopped chipotle peppers if you can take the heat.

So good.

Simple Eggs with Chive & Potato Pancakes

Each morning before elementary school, I was plunked down in front of a bowl of oatmeal or cereal. Lucky Charms, Kix, Smacks, Quakers with brown sugar and butter. I couldn't complain. When it came time for annual standardized testing, though, no sugary carbs were on the menu. On those mornings, my dad would make me a fried or scrambled egg and a piece of buttered toast. I'd drown it in hot sauce and enjoy every last bite. Clearly, my father's intention was to make the day seem special, to start it off on the right foot, with a breakfast of champions. And I must say, it worked. The positive attitude that my dad and those egg breakfasts implied made me immune to test anxiety. I never felt nervous, and I always did well. Now, before big meetings, job interviews, presentations or any time I need a boost of 'the day is yours!', I fry or scramble an egg, butter a piece of toast, drown it all in hot sauce and feel less nervous.

I like eggs all forms of eggs (well... except for crunchy, hard meringue cookies). Omelets, scrambles, quiches, Spanish tortillas, fried, poached, boil or deviled. I could eat eggs any time of day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. This form of eggs for breakfast seems decadent and a little special, but is simple enough not to feel fussy.

So, next time you make eggs for breakfast, try eating them this way- lightly fried in olive oil with thin, hashbrowny, flourless, potato and chive 'pancakes' and a little hot sauce or a small dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt, and fresh cracked pepper. Serve with orange slices, coffee or tea. 

(Added bonus, each thin, little pancake is only about 85 calories!)

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

1 large, waxy potato

1 small bunch of chives (about 3 tablespoons when chopped)

4 tbsp Olive oil

1 tbsp Butter

Salt & pepper

4-8 Eggs

Toppings (optional):

Plain yogurt or sour cream

Hot sauce (I like Tapatio)

Chopped parsley 

Cooked spinach (like I make for Eggs Florence)

Directions:

1. Wash the potato of any lingering dirt. Then, skin on, grate the potato using the small side of a box grater. The small size of the potato grating will help you get the right consistency. Put the grated potato into a medium sized bowl.
2. Fill the bowl with cold water. The water will be cloudy because of the starch on the potato gratings. Swish the potato around, then drain off the water. Repeat until the water runs clear. This is an important step! Rinsing off the starch will make it easier to make your pancakes, as they won't stick and burn in the pan. 
3. To the bowl of rinsed potato, add the chives, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste. 
4. Heat a medium sized, non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and half the butter. Wait for the oil and butter to heat up (butter should not be sizzling or browning, merely gently foaming). Once the pan and oil/butter are hot, add about a 1/3 cup of potato chive mixture to the pan, form into an approx 2" across round. Make sure there aren't any large holes in your pancake. Gently press down with your spatula to achieve uniform, thin pancake. 
5. Repeat until your pan is full (don't overcrowd, though I never put more than 4 in a large pan).
6. Cook over medium heat until you notice the top of the pancakes are becoming more translucent and the bottom side of each on is lightly golden brown. Flip and cook until the bottom is golden.
7. Remove to warmed plate in the oven. Repeat for a second round of pancake. I can usually get about 8 pancakes out of one large potato.
8. Fry or poach eggs to your preferred level of doneness. I like mine fried, with runny yolks. 
9. Plate eggs and potato 'pancakes', one egg on top of one pancake. I sometimes make some cooked spinach and add that inbetween the pancake and egg. Enjoy!