The Recipe Collection

This burrito is built in layers so every bite has egg, potato, and melted cheese. Cook the potatoes first and the eggs last, because eggs wait for nothing.

Ingredients

• 2 large flour tortillas, 10 inch
• 1 small russet potato, cut in half-inch dice
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 tablespoons salsa, plus more to serve
• Kosher salt and black pepper

Method

1. Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 6 minutes. Lift it out and leave the fat in the pan.
2. Add the potato and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Move the potato to the plate with the bacon and wipe out the pan.
3. Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Melt the butter over medium-low heat, pour in the eggs, and stir slowly with a spatula. Take the pan off the heat while the eggs still look slightly wet.
4. Warm each tortilla for 20 seconds in a dry pan. Scatter cheese down the center, then add eggs, potato, bacon, and salsa.
5. Fold in the sides, roll tightly, and set the burrito seam-side down in the skillet over medium heat for 1 minute per side to seal and crisp.

Short on time? Our partner Sweet Palm Coffee at 471 King Street serves a breakfast burrito from the counter, and it is the one we measured this recipe against.

Hash is a clean-out-the-fridge breakfast that tastes planned. Sweet potato browns faster than white potato, so keep the dice small and the heat moderate.

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato, peeled, half-inch dice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 3 large eggs
• Kosher salt, black pepper, hot sauce

Method

1. Heat the oil in a twelve-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the sweet potato in a single layer with half a teaspoon of salt and leave it alone for 4 minutes so it browns.
2. Stir, then add the onion and pepper. Cook 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is tender when pierced with a knife.
3. Stir in the paprika and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts, about 1 minute.
4. Make three wells in the hash and crack an egg into each. Cover the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.
5. Season the eggs and serve from the skillet with hot sauce.

Ricotta makes pancakes tender without making them heavy, and whipped egg whites give them lift. Fold gently and the batter will stay airy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 cup whole-milk ricotta
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• Zest of 1 lemon plus 1 tablespoon juice
• Butter for the pan, maple syrup and berries to serve

Method

1. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a second bowl, whisk the ricotta, milk, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice until mostly smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients until just combined. Lumps are fine.
3. Beat the egg whites to soft peaks and fold them into the batter in two additions.
4. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and butter it lightly. Drop the batter by quarter-cup scoops and cook until the edges look dry and the undersides are golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
5. Serve right away with syrup and fresh berries.

Use stone-ground grits if you can find them. They take longer than quick grits, but the texture and corn flavor are the whole reason to make this dish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup stone-ground grits
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Hot sauce, kosher salt, black pepper

Method

1. Bring the water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits, reduce to a low simmer, and cook 30 to 40 minutes, whisking often, until thick and tender. Add a splash of water if they tighten up too early.
2. Take the grits off the heat and stir in the cheddar and butter. Cover to keep warm.
3. While the grits cook, crisp the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Lift it out and keep about two tablespoons of fat in the pan.
4. Pat the shrimp dry and season with salt and pepper. Cook in the bacon fat over medium-high heat for 90 seconds per side, until pink and just curled.
5. Add the garlic and most of the scallions and stir for 30 seconds. Add the lemon juice and a few dashes of hot sauce, scraping up the browned bits.
6. Spoon the grits into bowls and top with shrimp, pan juices, bacon, and the remaining scallions.

Drop biscuits skip the rolling and cutting, so they are on the table in under half an hour. Cold butter and a hot oven do the work. Split them for breakfast sandwiches, serve them beside the shrimp and grits, or eat them warm with butter and honey.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut in small cubes
• 1 cup cold buttermilk
• Melted butter for brushing

Method

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips until the largest pieces are the size of peas.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and stir with a fork until no dry flour remains. The dough should be shaggy and sticky. Stop as soon as it comes together.
4. Drop eight mounds onto the pan, about two inches apart.
5. Bake 12 to 14 minutes, until the tops are deep golden. Brush with melted butter and serve warm.

A caesar wrap should be crisp, cold, and sharp with lemon and parmesan against warm sliced chicken. Dress the lettuce at the last minute so it stays crunchy.

Ingredients

• 2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 romaine heart, chopped
• 1/3 cup shaved parmesan
• 1/2 cup croutons, lightly crushed
• 2 large flour tortillas, 10 inch
• For the dressing: 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1 small garlic clove finely grated, 2 tablespoons grated parmesan, black pepper

Method

1. Pound the chicken to an even half-inch thickness and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side, until it reaches 165 degrees in the center. Rest 5 minutes, then slice thin.
3. Whisk the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Thin with a teaspoon of water if it is too thick to coat a leaf.
4. Add the romaine, shaved parmesan, and croutons to the bowl and toss until lightly coated.
5. Warm the tortillas for 20 seconds in a dry pan. Pile on the salad and chicken, fold in the sides, roll tightly, and cut in half on the diagonal.

The version that set the standard for us is the chicken caesar wrap at Sweet Palm Coffee, a quick King Street lunch when you are downtown and nowhere near your own kitchen.

Everything cooks in one oven-safe pan. The rice absorbs the broth and the chicken drippings while the skin crisps above it.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2 3/4 cups chicken broth
• 1 lemon, zested and halved
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Fresh parsley, kosher salt, black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pat the chicken dry and season well with salt, pepper, and oregano.
2. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs skin-side down for 6 to 7 minutes without moving them. Turn, cook 1 minute, and set aside.
3. Pour off all but two tablespoons of fat. Cook the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and rice and stir for 1 minute to toast the grains.
4. Add the broth, lemon zest, and half a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken on top, skin-side up.
5. Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, until the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 175 degrees.
6. Rest 5 minutes, squeeze the lemon over the pan, and scatter with parsley.

Cherry tomatoes collapse into a sauce in the time it takes to boil spaghetti. This is the dinner to make when there is nothing planned.

Ingredients

• 12 ounces spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• Fresh basil, kosher salt

Method

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just shy of done. Reserve a cup of the cooking water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, warm the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant but not browned, about 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes, pepper flakes, and half a teaspoon of salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, pressing the tomatoes with a spoon as they soften, until they burst into a loose sauce.
4. Add the drained pasta, the butter, and half a cup of the pasta water. Toss over the heat for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce clings to the noodles.
5. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the parmesan, and top with torn basil.