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asparagus with fried capers + poached eggs.

March 9, 2012 — 3 Comments

It’s time …

… to start thinking about … asparagus … !!!

You might have other, more exhilarating things to get your heart fluttering right now. Not a bad thing! I suppose I do, too – but as we know, it’s the edible things in life that get me weak in the knees.

The edible things, that grow from the ground, that allow us as people who enjoy food to truly get excited about putting good stuff into our bodies.

Ah, the power of a vegetable at its prime.

Or should I say, the power of a roasted vegetable at its prime. Because when you roast asparagus – like most other veggies – at a very high heat, something magical happens. I’m going to trust that you’ve done this before. Because I’m pretty sure I’ve talked about it ad nauseam. But – the real question remains: Have you ever topped said asparagus with fried capers? And perhaps more importantly – poached eggs?

Swoon.

There’s a lot of magic happening in this dish, and if you’re afraid of poaching eggs, well, then I triple-dog-dare you to try it. If you, too, go weak in the knees for a creamy egg yolk running over your toast, ridiculously-delicious roasted asparagus, hash browns, whatever – then you simply must learn how to poach an egg. Because more often than not, restaurants will undoubtedly screw this up, which leads me to throw a temper tantrum in my head because now my breakfast is ruined, and all I really wanted was a proper eggs Benedict and why must I suffer from an overcooked egg yolk that doesn’t. run. anywhere. ?

In Fabulously Simple, Weekend Brunch asparagus, capers, eggs, everything's better roasted, meatless, poached eggs, roasting veggies

chicken soup with meatballs + goat cheese toasts.

February 29, 2012 — Leave a comment

The other day, I went to an event at the South Beach Food & Wine Festival that Alex Guarnaschelli was hosting.

I didn’t see her, but we were still there. Together…in spirit.

{Yes, I did drag my friends up and down the length of a very large white tent on the sand more times than I’d like to admit in an unsuccessful effort to find her}

You may also recall that I referenced her during a recent Q&A hosted by the lovely Lisa of a dinner party. You know, the one where I was asked who I’d invite over for dinner if I could ask anyone in the world, living or dead.

{It’s worth mentioning that Lisa featured Joy the Baker for her next Q&A. Me and Joy, doing the same interviews…NBD}

I’ve stalked out two dishes from South Florida restaurants Alex has referenced on the show “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” I didn’t feel weird about it. At all. I was way too excited, in fact, to know that I was sitting in the same restaurants Alex had been at, ordering the same dishes.

Then, I learned that back in the day, Alex’s own mother used to edit cookbooks for the company I’m now working for. If that’s not a sign, I don’t know what is.

In Main Dishes alex guarschanelli, comfort food, crostini, eggs, goat cheese, italian recipes, parmigiano-reggiano, soups, spinach, veal, winter recipes

huevos rancheros bake.

December 30, 2011 — 7 Comments

Huevos rancheros is high on the list of my all-time favorite breakfast dishes.

And it’s a super-simple concept: Fried eggs, corn tortillas, and some type of tomato sauce. There are, of course, a few variations you can toss in there – like black beans, or salsa instead of a tomato sauce – but those are the building blocks.

When I discovered Deb of Smitten Kitchen‘s way of frying the egg on top of the tortilla over a layer of cheese, I fell in love with this breakfast. Daniel really fell in love with this breakfast. In fact, on any given weekend when I ask him what he’d like to eat in the morning, this is probably his most frequent answer. Sometimes if I have store-bought salsa on hand, I’ll make it with that – though I do prefer the homemade stuff.

Now that I’ve created this new way of making huevos rancheros, however, I have a feeling I’ll be making it much more often.

You heard the story – one of my bestest girlfriend’s also loves her some huevos rancheros, so it’s really her and Daniel you can thank for inspiring this idea. I wanted to make this dish for a group, without frying eggs to order. As I surfed around for a recipe, I couldn’t find what I was looking for – but I did stumble upon this recipe using chipotle and an avocado salsa. It wasn’t a bake, it was still going the traditional fry-to-order route, but I figured I could take the same flavors and create a recipe for a bake. So, that’s what I did – and here it is.

In Main Dishes, Weekend Brunch avocado, black beans, breakfast casseroles, chipotle, corn tortillas, eggs, mexican recipes

truffled wild mushroom frittata.

September 21, 2011 — Leave a comment

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

In many cases, this is true. But such is not the case for this frittata, and I’m sure other frittatas would feel the same way. A photo can’t do this frittata justice. It’s big, it’s brown, and it’s not very pretty. There is no colorful smattering of veggies, no dusting of bright green herbs. Even if there were – I’m not sure it would make much of a difference.

And it doesn’t need to. Because the taste is where this frittata shines – and isn’t that the most important part? Of course it is. Yes, I do feel that food should be beautiful. But certain foods to me – I like thinking of them as rustic – are beautiful in their own right, like this frittata. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for mushrooms. Maybe it’s the fact that this frittata contains my new favorite secret ingredient to sneak into eggs: Cream cheese. OMG. The cream cheese gives it this lush, well…creaminess…that I’ve never experience while eating eggs. Maybe, though, just maybe – it has something to do with the fact that there are four other cheeses in this frittata.

In Main Dishes, Weekend Brunch cheese, eggs, frittata, mushrooms, truffle oil

deviled eggs with butter + truffle salt.

August 18, 2011 — 1 Comment

Deviled eggs are really nothing new or special. Unless you’re adding butter and a sprinkle of truffle salt, that is.

That’s right – these deviled eggs are sexy.

I love the combination of truffle and eggs. I’ve been known to drizzle a bit of oil in my scrambled eggs, I’ll admit. It’s the perfect way to make a simple, everyday breakfast into something decadent.

The same goes for deviled eggs. I honestly pity the person who doesn’t like deviled eggs – that’s how much I love them. When I’m around them, I can’t ever seem to stop popping them into my mouth. They’re a summery-picnic staple, and the addition of butter and a gentle dusting of truffle salt takes them to another level.

In Recipe Arsenal, Starters butter, deviled eggs, eggs, picnic, truffle salt

{handheld} breakfast burritos.

April 3, 2011 — 1 Comment

I love these breakfast burritos because they’re served in individual foil pockets. It makes them feel authentic, like what you might find at a Mexican market or bodega.

Not only does that make them more fun to eat, it also makes for easy clean-up. Double win.

For me, there’s nothing better than a good, hearty breakfast burrito filled with eggs, chorizo, and potatoes – and that’s just what we’ve got here. Storebought salsa makes these incredibly simple, and I love the addition of the fresh, sliced avocado.

{A bloody mary is clearly in order}

Breakfast Burritos

1 large boiling potato (8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice
4 (9-to 11-inch) flour tortillas
7 to 8 ounces Mexican chorizo (see cooks’ note, below), casings removed
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup coarsely grated Monterey Jack (about 4 ounces)
1 avocado, sliced
1/4 cup fresh or bottled salsa

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Cut 4 (12-by 8-inch) sheets of foil. Cook potato in a small pot of salted boiling water until just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain. Wrap tortillas tightly in a large sheet of foil and warm in oven until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook chorizo in an 8-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring and breaking it up, until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add potato and cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until tender and lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Whisk together eggs, water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Heat oil in a small nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot. Add egg mixture and cook, stirring to scramble, until just cooked through. Remove from heat.

Put a tortilla on 1 sheet of foil. Spoon one fourth of chorizo mixture, one fourth of eggs, one fourth of cheese, one fourth of avocado, and then salsa to taste in vertical rows across center, leaving room to fold over bottom and sides. Fold bottom of tortilla over most of filling, then fold over sides, overlapping them. If desired, fold top down (otherwise, filling can be left exposed). Wrap foil around burrito, leaving top exposed. Make 3 more burritos in same manner and serve hot.

Cooks’ Note: If you can’t find Mexican chorizo, you can use Spanish chorizo. Peel off casings and finely chop chorizo. Cook in small skillet over medium heat until warmed through and some of fat is rendered, about 2 minutes. Add potato and proceed with recipe.

In Weekend Brunch avocado, burritos, chorizo, eggs, i heart breakfast, mexican recipes

frittata with bacon, ricotta, and greens.

January 13, 2011 — 1 Comment

If you add greens to bacon, does that cancel it out?

I’m just kidding. I love bacon, and I don’t need anything to cancel it out.

Still – tossing greens into your breakfast does feel like a better way to start the day. I upped the health-quotient even more by using a mixture of regular eggs and egg whites, like I usually do. When I saw this recipe I was intrigued, because ricotta is something I never would have thought to use in a frittata, but I loved the result; the combination of the smoky bacon and the bitterness of the chopped greens with the mildness of the cheese worked perfectly.

Frittata with Bacon, Ricotta, and Greens

Adapted from Bon Appétit

6 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces
4 shallots, sliced
1 bunch kale, roughly chopped or torn
1 bunch Swiss chard, roughly chopped or torn
8 large eggs
1 cup egg whites
Kosher salt
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
15 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook bacon in 12-inch-diameter ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour bacon drippings into bowl, leaving about 2 tablespoons drippings in the skillet. Add shallots and sauté over medium heat until golden, about 4 minutes. Add half of greens and toss until beginning to wilt, about 1 minute. Add remaining greens, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until wilted, tender, and dry, about 15 minutes.

While greens are cooking, whisk eggs and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in ricotta, leaving some clumps. When greens are done, pour egg mixture overtop. Add half the bacon and spread everything evenly in the pan. Sprinkle remaining bacon and 1/4 cup Parmesan over eggs. Allow frittata to set at edges over medium heat, about 2 minutes. Transfer to oven and bake until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Cut around frittata to loosen; slide out onto platter. Let cool 30 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

In Healthy Eats, Weekend Brunch bacon, eggs, frittata, i heart breakfast, kale, ricotta, swiss chard

baked {mini} omelets.

December 26, 2010 — 6 Comments

Who wants to spend time slaving over a stove when you’ve got a house full of friends and family, enjoying themselves over mimosas and bellinis?

Not me.

Still, for me a brunch without eggs on the menu is just not an option. Frittatas are lovely, yes – but these little miniatures baked in a muffin pan are even better; not only are they cute, but they’re already cut into individual portions.

You can fill them with whatever you’d like. I recommend sautéeing your veggies and meats and keeping them separated. This way, you can just fill the muffin pan with your whisked eggs (mixed with a touch of cream or milk), and then add different combinations of fillings for guests who may have different preferences. You can add bacon to some, onions and peppers to others, and so on. You can also add different cheeses and fresh herbs accordingly – just make sure to leave some room in each egg-filled tin.

We used bacon, shallots, some goat cheese, some with cheddar, tomatoes, and fresh herbs (dill or chives) – and they were fantastic.

The original recipe from the Pastry Queen cookbook calls for the vegetables to be cooked in butter, but if you’re making bacon, why waste all of that perfect cooking fuel? Cook your veggies up right in the bacon fat for added flavor. The recipe also calls for the larger Texas-sized muffin tins, which we didn’t have, but we liked the mini-versions just as much, if not more.

These would be a great thing to make a big batch of on a Sunday. Use egg whites for a quick, healthy, ready-to-eat breakfast all week long!

Head over to Joelen’s blog for the original recipe in its entirety, and click here to see how the rest of the Pastry Queen members fared.

In Weekend Brunch eggs, i heart breakfast, project pastry queen

the ultimate {brunch} pizza.

December 10, 2010 — 1 Comment

This pizza is a total game-changer.

We all know how delicious homemade pizza is, but once you try this – there may be no going back.

To pepperoni or mushrooms, that is.

Now whenever I think of making pizza at home, all I can think about is eggs. And bacon. Scallions, and shallots. Lots of fresh herbs. These are the things my homemade pizza dreams are made of.

If the idea of eggs on a pizza doesn’t thrill you off the bat, you have another thing coming. Something huge. Because if you’re anything like me – as in you love breakfast, you’re obsessed with pizza, you sometimes eat pizza for breakfast, or frequently…just sayin’ – you will find true love in this pizza. It’s the best of both worlds, sure – but I don’t even feel that’s saying enough. You must taste it to believe it.

Daniel was staring at me so intently with such a crazed look on his face while devouring this pizza; the pizza seemed to be driving him mad, but in a good way – the type of madness that one associates with being crazy in love. Yes, he was madly in love with a pizza. A breakfast pizza. And of course, I heard a lot of, “this is the best thing I’ve ever eaten,” {I know, we’ve all heard that one before} and even more of, “people would travel miles and miles for pizza like this.”

I have to say, I couldn’t argue – not even with a mad man.

Breakfast Pizza

Recipe via Smitten Kitchen, adapted from The Big Sur Bakery

Makes 2 (12-inch) pizzas. What you will need: an electric mixer for the dough (though you could go old-school if you wanted), a pizza stone and peel (though again, you could probably use a good ol’ sheet pan and just make it into a rectangle), some time the night before to make the dough, and perhaps a bottle of champagne for enjoying while cooking, as well as serving – it’s pretty magical with the pizza. Though I found these toppings to be perfectly outrageous, you surely could switch it up to your tastes, or what you have on hand.

1/2 teaspoon dry active yeast
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bread flour, plus more for dusting
Kosher salt
6 strips bacon
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 cups grated mozzarella
6 large eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced chives
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced

The night before, prepare the dough:

Place 3/4 cup lukewarm water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Sprinkle in the yeast, stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add the flour and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes, then increase the speed to high and mix until a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes more. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, divide into two equal pieces and form each half into a tight ball. Place on a large floured sheet pan, place the pan in a plastic garbage bag, tie the bag loosely and refrigerate overnight.

One to two hours before baking, place the dough in a warm spot. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and set a pizza stone on it. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees 30 minutes before you are ready to bake the pizza.

Prepare the dough and toppings:

Fry the bacon in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until crisp. Cool on a paper-towel-lined plate; roughly chop.

Dip your hands and a ball of dough into the flour. On a lightly floured countertop, pat the dough into a disc with your fingertips, then drape the dough over your fists and carefully stretch it from beneath to form a 12-inch circle.

Generously dust the surface of a pizza peel or large inverted sheet pan with flour and place the stretched dough on it. Sprinkle the dough with half of the Parmesan, mozzarella and bacon. Crack 3 eggs over the top and season with salt and pepper.

Bake the pizza:

Shake the pizza peel slightly to make sure the dough is not sticking. Carefully lift any sections that are sticking and sprinkle a bit more flour underneath, then slide the pizza directly onto the baking stone in one quick forward-and-back motion. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating after 5 minutes. When the crust is golden, the cheese is melted and the egg yolks are cooked, use the peel to transfer the pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle half of the parsley, chives, scallions and shallot on top. Let cool for 2 minutes, slice and serve immediately. Prepare the second pizza in the same way.

In Main Dishes, Obsessed, Weekend Brunch bacon, eggs, i heart breakfast, pizza, smitten kitchen obsessed

huevos rancheros.

November 4, 2010 — 4 Comments

Did you know that I often obsess over breakfast?

It’s by far my favorite meal of the day.

I was surprised to see that my mentioning of this on that list of more than you’ve ever wanted to know about me didn’t happen until #87.

Then I got worried. I thought maybe you might have missed it.

I mean…this is kind of a big deal. If we’re going to be friends, you totally need to know that I love breakfast.

I was thinking this recipe of Huevos Rancheros would be just the perfect thing to discuss it over.

I like eating breakfast for dinner, and this may be my favorite dish for doing just that. The Mexican-vibe makes it feel evening-appropriate, and hey – maybe you should even whip yourself up some margaritas! I was inspired to make it by none other than the fabulous Deb of Smitten Kitchen, and I love how she sets it up by saying that this recipe is probably nothing close to authentic. Authentic or not, it’s positively delicious – and I bet you your favorite margarita that any huevos-rancheros-experto would agree.

Huevos Rancheros

Adapted via Smitten Kitchen

First, make a quick salsa fresca:

Diced tomatoes
Finely chopped red onion
Minced jalapeno
Kosher salt
Squeeze or two of fresh lime juice
Cilantro (optional)

Now you’re ready to rock. You will need:

Eggs {as many as you’d like to eat!}
6-inch corn tortillas
Shredded cheddar {or Monterey Jack, whatever you have on hand}
Sour cream, for serving
Black beans, for serving on the side {I used Goya canned black bean soup like Deb did}

Heat a tortilla in an lightly oiled pan over medium heat. When it is golden brown underneath, flip it over.

Sprinkle some cheese over the browned side and let it melt a bit. Break a single egg over the melting cheese. You may be tempted to break more than one, but don’t. There are plenty more tortillas to go around. And don’t worry if the egg runs all over the pan and off the tortilla.

Season the cooking egg with salt and pepper. When the white is about halfway set, flip the whole thing over. This can be a little tricky, especially if you’re like me and love a runny yolk more than anything in this world. If you do it carefully, you should be able to flip it without the yolk running off the tortilla.

Cook it for a few minutes on the other side. If you’re looking for runny yolk, take it off sooner rather than later.

Serve with black beans, sour cream, salsa fresca, hot sauce, and any other favorite additions.

Tequila welcome.

In Weekend Brunch eggs, i heart breakfast, mexican recipes, smitten kitchen obsessed