Adventures in Cooking: Breakfast a la Thanksgiving

Majida Rashid

Thanksgiving is my favorite celebration and so is breakfast. My heart opens up with joy when I think of Thanksgiving. The thought of being with family, friends and the memory of food aroma gives me adrenaline rush.

In 2005 I was working in Xanadu, a division of ProQuest, located on Jackson Road off of I-94 in Ann Arbor. On Monday of the Thanksgiving week, I started babbling with excitement about my new clothes and the food I would eat on Thanksgiving. On Tuesday my boss told me that I could leave early that day. I wonder if it was my anticipation of fun that caught her as well?

Growing up in Pakistan, I always looked forward to celebrating Eid twice a year. Eid to Muslims is what Christmas is to Christians. As with Christmas, families get together on Eid but the emphasis is on celebration and not that much on people. New clothes and new shoes are a must for Eid. Although Eid is a religious holiday and people go to mosque for morning prayer, it feels more like a holiday of festivity. Since Thanksgiving, like Eid, is celebrated nationwide, I cannot help but get into the same spirit.

In 2011, I became vegan overnight without any particular reason. Now I adhere to veganism only 95% of the time. The remaining five percent is reserved for special occasions like Thanksgiving or when my body feels too tired. I usually shy away from meat but make exception for eggs.

The versatile egg, in my mind, is synonymous with breakfast only. As a child I didn’t like to eat until a few hours after waking up, and I still sometimes do that, though rarely. But when I think of breakfast, I remember my mother’s demand that I eat breakfast soon after waking up and finish what she had cooked: fried egg, milk and roti, a Pakistani tortilla-like wheat bread with butter. Decades later, I still comply with my mother’s dictate even though she has passed on.

There is nothing better than starting Thanksgiving with this deliciously wonderful breakfast. It consists of croissants, omelet, coffee, and freshly squeezed orange juice, but store bought will do as well. Everyone will be pleased, trust me. But the success lies in the timing of doing everything.

Please note: The night before thanksgiving, keep the eggs and Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature. It results in having a fluffier omelet. All the vegetables should be chopped the day before.

It’s important to arrange everything before starting to cook the omelet, which will take very little time. The omelet has to be served immediately. Any delay may release its juices.

Set the table, fill the kettle or the coffee maker with water for coffee, put the coffee either in the French Press or in the coffee maker. Half the croissants with a serrated knife and toast them in a preheated oven at 350ºF until golden brown.

Omelet

2 Servings.

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 oz butter
1/8 cup Philadelphia cream cheese
2 tablespoons cold milk
2-3 finely chopped spring onions
1-1/2 tablespoons each finely chopped green, red and yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped firm red tomatoes, seeds removed
1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
1/2 cup fresh sliced mushrooms, sauteed in butter, the day before
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

Put the butter and oil in a frying pan and melt over low heat. Separate the whites from the yolks. Add the salt to the egg whites and beat until thick foam is formed. Mix together the yolks and the Philadelphia cream cheese. Fold this mixture into the egg whites and add the milk.

Gently mix in the other ingredients.

Check the oil temperature by putting in a drop of the mixture. It should gel but not sizzle. Pour the mixture into the frying pan, lower the heat and gently fold the eggs from the sides to the center.

When the eggs gel a little in the middle, move them to one side. Shape into a semi-circular omelet. Tilt the pan to the side where the eggs are collected and lightly run the spatula in the middle. Add the cheddar cheese and the mushrooms. Cook until the part which is in contact with the frying pan is browned.

Place a dish big enough to cover the frying pan. Invert the pan onto the plate. Serve immediately.

Voila!