This breakfast is one part mushrooms, one part matcha latte, and one part everything but the kitchen sink.

I got hooked on matcha lattes when I would delay going to work by stopping by Starbucks. That's right, gold card member over here. The only problem is I dislike Starbucks coffee wayyyy more than I disliked my job, and I wasn't going to pay whatever ridiculous price they charge for hot water and a 25¢ tea bag. One day I saw a "green tea latte" on the menu, and I decided to give it a try. It was sweet and creamy and tasted like green tea candy and I was in love. I later threw up, probably because there were 6-8 pumps of simple syrup in my medium drink, but I decided to blame my ongoing GI issues and not the latte. But I did start ordering the green tea lattes unsweetened and with soy milk. UPDATE: a Starbucks recently informed me that the new GTL recipe calls for no sweetener!

In Lexington, there wasn't a Starbucks or a coffee shop I trusted to make anything but coffee. So I had to learn to make my own, which is where this recipe originated. In Durham, I live walking distance from Coco Cinnamon, which makes this beauty...

...but I'll still make my own when I don't feel like walking or when I have extra coconut milk from my favorite creamy roasted mushrooms. And since I make these mushrooms at least once a week, I end up making a lotta matcha.

Now let me tell you about these mushrooms.

Glorious, delicious mushrooms.

I am obsessed with these shrooms, and I definitely thought about posting them before. The problem (besides my being distracted by moving and the apartment flooding) is I don't use measuring cups or anything when I'm cooking so I never really know how much of each ingredient ends up in the dish. I didn't know how to share my non-recipes in a way that people would find decipherable.

But then I read the letter from the editor in the October 2016 issue of Bon Appétit. Adam Rapaport said that when you follow a recipe to the T, you don't actually learn how to cook, because when you completely trust a recipe, you stop trusting yourself.

So by not providing exact measurements, I'm really giving you the gift of trust, of believing in yourself. You're welcome.

But if the mushrooms sauce starts to look like this, it means you forgot you were cooking something and let it simmer too long. Or at least that's what it meant for me. But they were still delicious and I ate every last one. So don't give up on you meal if you mess up once or twice.

But seriously, instead of worrying about exact measurements, focus on the look, smell, and taste of your meal. Unless you end up eating it all before you finish cooking, there's no such thing as over-tasting your food. Oh, and try not to start any fires. But if you do, don't worry... been there, done that as recently as Thanksgiving thank you very much. Just make sure you have a fire extinguisher (I did not).

Ingredients

for the mushrooms

Whole mushrooms, whatever kind you like, wiped clean (I like to slice mine in half)
Spoonful coconut oil
1 can of full fat coconut milk (place coconut milk in the fridge at least 24 hours before staring this dish)
minced garlic
fresh or dried thyme (use less if cooking with dried thyme)
salt
pepper
& everything but the kitchen sink (i.e. optional ingredients):
- kale
- parmesan
- eggs
- sweet potato
- truffle salt (or truffle oil, but I like truffle salt here because the salt helps make the coconut oil a bit more savory)
- whatever else you think will make this even more delicious

for the latte

rest of the full fat coconut milk (you'll only use a little bit for the mushrooms
matcha powder
honey (optional)

Remove coconut milk from the fridge (if you forgot to put it in the fridge in the first place, don't worry about it).

Preheat oven to 425. Put a spoonful of coconut oil in a baking dish and put in the oven until the oil has melted. Toss cleaned mushrooms and chopped thyme in the coconut oil, and spread in an even layer in the baking dish. Roast until mushroom are golden brown.

Heat a pan over medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, oil, thyme mix to the pan. If you want to be really crazy, add a handful of kale (ripped into manageable sized pieces) to the pan too. Open the can of coconut milk, there should be a layer of cream at the top. If you remembered to put the can in the fridge, the cream should have solidified. Add a scoop or two of the solidified cream (more if still liquid) to the pan.

Once it's all melty and has coated the mushrooms, taste the cream and add salt, truffle salt, pepper, and more thyme. Use a light hand as the flavor will deepen as the cream thickens. You can always add more seasoning later.

Once the sauce has a good consistency and you are satisfied with the taste, transfer the mushrooms to a plate.

TIP: I like to leave a little bit of oil/cream in the pan, remove the pan from heat to let it cool, and then scramble in some eggs with the residual oil/cream and whisk it all over medium-low heat until just cooked. I read something once in a cooking magazing about the perfect omelet, and I distinctly remember that one chef said the eggs should have the consistency of dog slobber. I thought that was absolutely disgusting, until I tried slow scrambling eggs. (Oh and I actually found an article discussing that quote, it was coincidentally in an article by Adam Rapaport). Throw it all on some sweet potato toast (take 1/4 inch slices of sweet potato & put in the toaster at the highest setting 2-3 times per side) and you have a breakfast in paleo heaven.

AS FOR THE LATTE...

Heat the remaining coconut milk and cream in a sauce pan. Once warm, add honey to sweeten. Make matcha per the package instructions. Fill mug halfway with matcha and pour the sweetened coconut milk to the top. Mix and enjoy.

happy eating!