Mornings might just be my favorite part of the day. Growing up in the Texas hill country, I lived on 15 acres of land less than one mile from my high school. In the morning our rooster would crow nonstop and the chickens would hopefully lay an egg or two and the donkey's would snort a hello. Morning dew always coated my moms many plants, and the smell of my dad making very strong coffee and fried eggs with bacon wafted up into my upstairs bedroom. I would drive my brother and sister to school in Dean (my green Nissan pickup) and could never make it to school on time to save my life.
I read a lot as a kid and teen, and would dream of far away places and traveling and living in a big city. When we first moved to New York, I was excited for the adventure and for exploring a completely new part of the country. I was thrilled to live a new lifestyle, and meet new people. When I conjured up ideas of life in New York, I'm not sure what I pictured, because a lot of things are a lot better or a lot crazier than I ever imagined (for the most part). It's like living in a jungle gym or a concrete jungle, where there are so many new things to explore all the time!!!
When I wake up in New York, sometimes I hear the elevator going up and down in our very old apartment building. Sometimes our neighbor below is already playing his thumping bass music. Or sometimes, there's just the gentle whir of the fan, which we use as white noise. Kyle is already long gone, but when I shuffle into the kitchen I smell his leftover coffee and see his breakfast dishes in the sink. When I walk outside, the energy is instantaneous, with lots of people already out and about going their separate ways. I swipe my metro card, read a book on the subway, or push and shove my way between trains, depending on the craziness of the day. When I step out, I smell the bagel carts and coffee, hear the sound of cars honking, and feel a cold (and probably polluted) breeze in my face.
I love the anonymity, the rush, the adrenaline of stepping out of the subway and instantly being thrown into the chaos of Manhattan. But I also love the quiet corners of the west village, with the cobblestone streets and vine covered brownstones. It's such a different experience from how I grew up, and I do sometimes miss Texas life too. Is it normal to feel equally torn between two places at the same time? Okay, it's probably more like 79/21 with NY having the upper hand.
Frittatas were not ever made in my house growing up, but I love the idea of how simple they are to throw together and bake in the oven. The unique twist to this was adding cooked quinoa to the egg mixture. It sounds weird but it adds a really nice texture. Eggs rule!
Caramelized Onion, Bell Pepper, Kale and Quinoa Frittata
Ingredients:
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- ½ bell pepper, diced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- Half yellow onion, sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Large handful of kale
- 7-8 medium eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbl. olive oil
Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9-inch pie dish or baking pan. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add onion slices. Cook slowly and stir occasionally, until brown, about 15 minutes. Add bell pepper, garlic, and tomato to pan, and sauté until tender.
Add kale, cooked quinoa, bell pepper, tomato, garlic, and onion. Mix together while hot to wilt kale slightly. Add eggs, and stir in cheese. Mix until everything is distributed evenly. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.
