Sunday Breakfast Treat

An early tennis date in Vermont Canyon this morning left me craving a yummy, crispy rice bowl breakfast I had recently at @Sqirlla, on Virgil avenue.  But I didn't have time to stop there today, so I opted to try and replicate it at home. Of course, it's also another excuse to serve food on my pretty, striped, French table runners!

This dish is a wonderful mash up of flavors and textures -- a magic combo of fresh mint and cucumber combined with the satisfying crunch of spiced crispy rice. An egg on top seems to pull it all together. I would say it is now at the top of my comfort food list.

Happy to report that even while winging it, the home experiment was pretty close to the original.   I'll look forward to Jessica Koslow's cookbook this fall to possibly learn the proper way to prepare it --until then: 

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup Rice Krispies

1 tbs butter

1 glug of olive oil

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp curry

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp  powdered tajin spice

1 medium Persian cucumber sliced and chopped

A handul of Fresh mint diced ( to yield about 1/4 cup, chopped)

Mustard vinaigrette (recipe below)

2 eggs

In a skillet, at medium flame, add butter and olive oil and let them melt and swirl them together with a spoon or spatula. Add all the spices and let them sit in the heated skillet until they are fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Toss in Rice Krispies and blend them into the spices with a spatula. Toast the rice for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off flame and divide the rice mixture into two serving bowls.

Wash the Persian cucumber and slice cross ways and then chop further into smaller pieces. Put them in a small mixing bowl

Wash and chop mint and add to the chopped cukes. Add 1 tablespoon of mustard- lemon vinaigrette and toss together. Set aside.

Using the same skillet used for the rice, crack two eggs and fry them until they are cooked to your preferred done-ness. I like mine over easy.

Place the seasoned cucumber-mint over the prepared  crispy rice waiting in their bowls and add your egg on top to complete the plate. Voila! A fabulous, satisfying flavor bomb of wonderful and unexpected ingredients I wager you will begin craving this one, too.

 Lemon-Mustard Vinaigrette:  (this should last you for several uses)

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 tsp mild Dijon mustard (I use Grey Poupon)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Shake to combine and use as needed