brunch at home

I'm always craving a good hearty brunch when I wake up on a Saturday morning, but more than often wish that someone would deliver it to my bed. Why isn't it socially acceptable to wear robes to a restaurant??? So rather than peel myself out of bed and throw myself into presentable form, I just made brunch at home.

Luckily, I'd thought about this a few days before and had already bought the necessary ingredients. I rarely make omelets and didn't really know how to make them. Making a good omelet is truly an art form, something I was very unaware of. Fortunately, my sidekick, Rob, is an excellent omelet maker. The trick to keeping the eggs fluffy is starting with a cold pan and cooking them low and slow with a cover. Who would have guessed? I would have just heated up a pan and cooked it like a fried egg, probably resulting in a rubbery over-cooked omelet. Thank goodness I've been educated.

An omelet is great on it's own, but why not kick it up a notch with a side of crispy breakfast potatoes! I've eaten so many breakfast potatoes in my college & post-college days and most are, well..., underwhelming. They're not crispy and seriously lacking in the flavor department. My goal was to create a potato that was light and airy on the inside and crispy on the outside. How you may ask? Boiling the potatoes prior to roasting! This technique cooks them evenly throughout so that the center ends up being perfect, not hard and raw.

They take a while to cook, but they're worth it. After you brew up some coffee, pour a big glass of orange juice and you'll think you're at your neighborhood diner — except this is a lot cheaper.

The best part about this? I'm still wearing my robe and slippers, my ideal Saturday morning.

Omelets, makes 2

• 2 eggs & 2 egg whites
• 1/8 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped tomato
• big handful of arugula, chopped
• 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 2 thin slices of reduced-fat white cheddar
• 2 slices Canadian bacon, cubed
• 1-2 tsp canola oil
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 sprigs of thyme, strip leaves off stems
• S&P

In two separate bowls, add 1 egg and 1 egg white to each, season with salt and pepper and beat. Spray two small skillets or omelet pans with pam, pour eggs into each, cover and turn on heat to very low. They won't look like they're cooking for a while, but be patient, they will. In a large skillet, heat canola oil. When hot, add onions, bell pepper, mushrooms, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes and thyme leaves and saute for 3-4 minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes and Canadian bacon and heat through, about 2 minutes. Add arugula and parsley, toss to wilt, and season to taste with S&P and set aside. Meanwhile, when eggs are almost set, add 1 slice of cheese to each omelet, cover to melt. When they are cooked through, about 10 minutes, add half of the veggie-ham mixture to each, fold and serve immediately.

Breakfast Potatoes, serves 2

• 3/4 lb. baby Yukon gold potatoes, quartered
• 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp rosemary
• S&P

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cut potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Place on the stove and bring to a low boil/simmer. Let them cook for 7-9 minutes, until a knife easily pierces them. Drain and set aside. In a small bowl combine olive oil and rosemary, toss hot potatoes to coat and season (heavily) with salt and pepper. Place them on a roasting pan and cook for 20 minutes, toss them around and cook for another 10-15 minutes until crunchy and golden brown. Serve hot.