Hands up for savory breakfasts and keep them up if you feel like a rockstar when restyled leftovers are part of the mix! This dish is all about using up those garden greens you have that might be on their last leg (beet greens, kale, chard, spinach, mustard greens, and so on) and turning them into savory breakfast cakes with fresh herbs and creamy goat cheese. It's the perfect platform for an egg cooked your way--my default is sunny side up these days--and a little roasted red pepper vinaigrette to tie it all together. I used a mix of beet greens and kale--the beet greens gave my savory cakes a nice pinkish hue--along with dill, parsley and chives for my herbs and folded in leftover quinoa. Like veggie burgers, savory cakes are equally delicious with or without grains like couscous, farro, or barley or cooked seeds like quinoa or amaranth, but if you have some already cooked, this is a great way to use up leftovers.
Today I'm on my way to Atlanta for Re:co--the Specialty Coffee Symposium--and the US Coffee Championships! I'll be helping out with coffee service at Re:co and judging the US Barista Championship. I can't wait! I'm making a little roadtrip of it with stops in Memphis, Nashville, Birmingham, and a pop over to Charleston. I would love to hear your favorite can't miss spots for food and drinks. Find me here on the blog, here or here. Happy weekend, friends!
Savory Garden Greens Goat Cheese Cakes
Makes 6 cakes
3 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat, divided
1 cup diced onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 large bunch garden greens of choice, chopped, about 10 cups loosely packed
1/2 cup herbs of choice, chopped
2 eggs, whisked
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup leftover quinoa or couscous (optional)
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled or cut into pea-sized pieces
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil or bacon fat in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt then stir in the garlic and fennel seeds and let cook for 1 minute. Stir in the chopped greens and let them cook down with the heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Remove the mixture from heat and stir in the chopped herbs. Let cool, then transfer the mixture to a food processor. Use the food processor to pulse the cooked greens and herbs until they are finely chopped, small enough to help the cakes stay together. Transfer to a bowl and fold in the egg, bread crumbs, quinoa or couscous (if using), smoked paprika, and lemon zest. Mix until well combined, then fold in the goat cheese throughout the mixture.
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil or bacon fat in a large skillet over medium heat. Patty out the cakes, about 1/2 cup each, and cook on the hot skillet. Turn after about 5 minutes and cook a remaining 7 minutes on the other side. Lower the heat if needed to keep them from burning.
Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Makes 1/2 cup
2 roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup olive oil
Use a food processor or blender to blend together the red peppers, garlic, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, honey, and salt. Stream in the olive oil while the vinaigrette is blending. Serve with the savory cakes, sunny side up eggs and fresh sprouts, herbs, or greens. Store any leftover vinaigrette in a sealed contain in the refrigerator and use within a week.
