"Dinkfast"?
Dinner for Breakfast | Wild Arugula & Sautéed White Mushrooms Wrapped in Cotto Ham | Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli over Citrus -Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Peas
I WAS NOT IN THE mood for eggs this morning. I was not in the mood for breakfast this morning. And after thinking about how more and more restaurants are offering breakfast and brunch menu items on their afternoon and evening menus, I saw it fit to cook myself dinner for breakfast.
I returned home from Food Emporium with a package of Buitoni Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli (with Carrots), a quarter pound (three large, thin slices) of cotto ham (the same ham as prosciutto, except that it's seasoned and boil, as opposed to prosciutto which is dry-cured), a small can each of tomato paste and small green peas.
While the fresh pasta ravioli cooked in salted and oiled boiling water, I quickly sautéed some sliced white mushrooms in olive oil with salt and pepper, being sure to not cook them all the way through (to keep some of their texture). I tossed some wild arugula (yes, still with the arugula!) in some balsamic vinegar and placed them at one end of a flat slice of the cotto ham, I spooned the sautéed mushrooms on top of the arugula, the rolled the ham around the greens and mushrooms from one end to the other, finally cutting them in half and placing them on a plate.
Separately, I mixed the tomato paste with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, paprika until it has a sauce-like consistency and spooned it in big but thin round pools on a plate. I sautéed sliced garlic in some olive oil until they just started to brown, tossing in the drained pasta—once it was done cooking—and about a third of the can of peas, continuing to toss and mix for about another minute.
I place three raviolis on top of the citrus tomato sauce, spooned the garlic and peas on top and around the plate, and sprinkled some grated parmesan cheese on top of that.
The cotto ham possessed a natural porky sweetness, an inherent saltiness, and was laced a silky trim of flavor fat that melted in my mouth. The arugula was savory and peppery. The mushroom maintained most of their firm texture while offering its near-umami earthiness while the balsamic added a nice balanced hint of acid. You do the math! It was better than expected, and is now officially part of my "repertoire".
The slight-but-bright citrus flavors brought out the deep richness of the tomato sauce, which never overwhelmed the the spicy season of the beef and sausage in the ravioli, nor did it fight the sweet aromatics of the cooked garlic, each bite finished nicely by the cool verdant agreeability of the toothsome and playful green peas.
I won't ever give up omelets or pancakes or French toast forever, but considering not only the great tastes in these two dishes, but how much healthier (lower in carbs, cholesterol, sugars) they were as well, I think I could make a good case for eating like this more often during the a.m. hours.
Bun Apple Tea!
.kac.
Dinner for Breakfast | Wild Arugula & Sautéed White Mushrooms Wrapped in Cotto Ham | Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli over Citrus -Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Peas
