Last night may have been full of regrets-- you can't find your Amex, you're missing a shoe, and there's a wild tiger in your bathroom (oh, wait…that was The Hangover), but somehow…you managed to take home the most stunning girl you have ever laid your dehydrated eyes on. Your next move is vital. After tiptoeing to the bathroom to brush your teeth, how do you ensure she stays, rather than running barefoot clutching her purse as soon as she sees you?
First off, have some confidence. Run a brush through your hair, swig some Gatorade, and check the fridge for a few simple basics. There's nothing more woo-worthy than a memorable morning-after brunch.
Tuscan Baked Eggs:
Hardware:
Cheese Grater (can substitute with store-bought grated Parmesan)
2 small oven-proof dishes or 1 large dish
Sautee pan
Wooden spoon
Ingredients:
Aged Parmesan cheese wedge (can be substituted with store-bought grated)
¼ cup diced red onions
Garlic (1 tablespoon finely minced)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon of thyme
Extra Virgin olive oil
4 large eggs
Time Required: Duration of an episode of SportsCenter (30 minutes). Note: Don't actually watch SportsCenter at this time.
Steps:
1) Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in the sauté pan over medium heat and add the red onions. Simmer for 2-3 minutes or until soft, but not browned.
2) Add the garlic to the oil and onions and sauté for another minute.
3) Add canned tomatoes and thyme; simmer until the mixture thickens a bit, stirring occasionally (6-8 minutes). As the tomatoes cook down, preheat the oven to 450˚F.
4) Once the mixture has thickened, set aside 1/3 of the mixture in bowl and spread the remainder onto the two small ovenproof dishes. Carefully break two eggs over each plate onto the tomato sauce. Then, pour the 1/3 of the mixture you set aside over the tops of the broken eggs, trying to leave the yolks visible.
5) Place the plates on the middle rack of your pre-heated oven and cook for 5-7 minutes. Then slide the rack out a bit, add grated parmesan and finish in the oven for an additional 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Caramelized Fruit:
Hardware:
Sauté pan
Wooden spoon
Ice cream scoop (optional)
One small bowl
Ingredients:
Any ice cream, gelato or sorbet (although vanilla ice cream is usually a safe bet)
A handful of large strawberries
1 banana
1 peach
1 1/2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
2 tablespoons of butter
2 teaspoons of granulated white sugar
Time Required: 15 Minutes
Steps:
1) Start by melting butter in a sauté pan, slowly stirring in brown sugar until it has been completely dissolved into the liquefied butter. 2-3 minutes.
2) Dice the fruits into bite-sized pieces, be careful to remove stems, peels and pits. Place the fruit into the pan with the melted butter and coat evenly.
3) Once fruit has been evenly and generously coated, remove from heat and allow to cool (a good time to start cooking the Tuscan Baked Eggs).
4) Once the fruit has cooled a bit, give it a dusting of granulated sugar to lightly coat.
5) Now take the small bowl and add a few generous scoops of your ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt or sorbet and place the pieces of caramelized fruit on top of the ice cream. You can get as creative as you'd like with presentation or you could keep it very simple. It's pretty hard to mess up something so tasty.
Drink Pairing:
The Bellini
There are many great ‘hair of the dog' cocktails out there, but few as simple but classy as the Bellini. Go the extra mile to whip up a few of these to help take the edge off of your mutual headaches.
Ingredients:
2 ounces of peach juice or peach puree
4 ounces of Champagne or Prosecco
Peach slices to garnish
Combine the ingredients in a champagne glass and serve.
