Barbara's Stir Fry (Pork Fried Rice)

Pork fried rice is one of our favorite things to order in a Chinese restaurant. With just a little prep work, this wonderful stir fry can be made in less than 15 minutes. 

Loaded with veggies, this delicious and easy recipe was inspired by my friend, Barbara, at Moveable Feasts.  Although Barbara doesn't actively blog any longer, you can still find her on Instagram where she shares the wonderful archive of recipes from her website.  Recently, she shared this stir-fry recipe, which she learned from a Chinese women during her family's Air Force years in the 50's.

I adapted the recipe slightly and used frozen peas and fresh pea shoots.  I also added diced, slow-roasted pork shoulder (a great recipe which lends itself perfectly to stir fry recipes). Recipe below.

Chinese New Year is coming soon (The Year of the Dog) and begins on February 16!

Barbara's Stir Fry

Printable Recipe 

3 cups cooked brown rice (or any rice you have left over) 

2 or 3 eggs 

2 tablespoon canola or peanut oil, divided

1 large shallot, chopped, or regular onion - about 1/4 cup

2 cloves garlic, diced or minced

6 scallions, sliced very thinly  

1/2 cup shredded carrots (I use a box grater)

1/2 cup diced water chestnuts (optional)

1 cup peas, (defrosted if frozen) or ready-to-eat edamame 

1 cup diced, previously roasted pork shoulder (you may also use diced shrimp or chicken) 

2 tablespoons soy sauce 

salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Garnish with Fresh Pea shoots, if available, or, with thinly sliced green onion tops

Note:  Diced bok choy or small broccoli florets would also be great vegetable choices in the stir fry.  Add when adding the shredded carrot.  

Heat a saute pan or wok large enough to hold all the above ingredients over medium-high heat and add a little neutral flavored oil. When the oil is heated, add the eggs and scramble them briefly, breaking into small pieces. Remove the cooked eggs from the pan and set aside. 

Reheat the pan until hot. Add a little more oil, then add the shallots, scallion whites, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the cooked meat and rice and continue to stir for another few minutes until the rice and meat are hot and begin to brown slightly. 

Add the soy sauce, water chestnuts, scallion greens and peas or edamame, salt and pepper to taste and fry together for another minute or two. 

Garnish with some fresh pea shoots, scallion greens or other micro greens, if available. 

Pass additional soy sauce at the table when serving.

Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder with Brown Sugar

Printable Recipe 

SERVES: 10-12

1 3-1/2 to 5 pound pork shoulder (butt) roast

2 whole garlic cloves, sliced or minced (optional)

1/3 cup Worcestershire Sauce

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano

1 cup unsweetened apple juice (I didn't have juice so I used 2 fresh apples, peeled and diced) 

1/2 teaspoon salt, and 

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, or to taste

Make small slits all over the roast then insert a slice of garlic into each slit. Alternately, you can mince the garlic and rub it over the meat). Place the roast in a Dutch oven with lid.  I used my enameled cast iron Dutch oven.

Sprinkle the roast on all sides with Worcestershire sauce. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

At the end of the hour, spoon any Worcestershire sauce that has accumulated on the bottom of the pot back over the meat. Mix together the brown sugar, black pepper and thyme or oregano and press the brown sugar mixture firmly onto the top and sides of the meat. Pour the apple juice into the bottom of the pot and cover tightly.

Place the roast in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 225 F.

Roast for about 4 to 4-1/2 hours or until the meat is fall-apart tender (cooking time will vary depending on the size of the roast).

Remove the meat to a platter, tent with foil and set aside.  Stir the salt into the pan juices and taste test. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Strain juices and reserve. 

Slice meat as desired and pour strained juices over the top of the meat.  

Note:  This can easily be made a day or two ahead and refrigerated.  Juices can be easily defatted after chilling by scraping congealed fat off the top.  When ready to serve, warm meat in a 350F oven in a covered pot for about 30 minutes, adding the reserved juices.  

Adapted from Genius Kitchen 

Eggs Baked in Creamy Pasta Nests

Here's a delicious meal that you can whip up in less than 45 minutes and you may even have most of the ingredients in your refrigerator or pantry!  It was inspired by Put an Egg On It, by Lara Ferroni, a book that I found by chance while shopping recently.  The photo of this egg dish on the cover had me drooling!

Are you as happy as I am that eggs are no longer shunned as a food that was unhealthy and should be avoided?  Actually, they are quite fashionable now so you need to get on trend! Hopefully, they aren't so 'last year' yet :)

My version of the recipe (you can find the original recipe here), starts with cooked capellini pasta, which is mixed together with some cream (feel free to substitute fat-free or light cream), grated Sartori Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley and salt and pepper to taste. This will form the 'nest'. 

Getting that perfectly cooked, soft and slightly runny egg was the hardest part and it took a couple of attempts to get it right.  All ovens are different so times may vary for you. The best test is to lightly touch the top of the egg with your finger when you see the egg white has turned white. If the yolk still feels slightly 'jiggly' inside then it's done.  Remember, it will keep cooking after you remove it from the oven.  If your eggs turn out too well done, you can always whip up a little extra cream sauce and drizzle it over the top as a dressing.

I decided that I needed a salad to make the meal complete, so I lined the plate with a spinach and arugula blend of organic greens before topping it with the pasta/egg nest.  This was so good that my husband ate all of the 'tests' and asked for me to make it for dinner the next night too. 

A truly delicious meal for brunch, lunch or dinner!

Eggs Baked in Creamy Pasta Nests

Serves 2

Printable Recipe Makes 4 using 1 cup-sized ramekins (You could also use a 1 quart pyrex dish and make evenly-spaced wells for all four eggs.) Butter for greasing ramekins 1/2 pound (1/2 box) of capellini pasta or regular spaghetti 4 large eggs 4 cups of fresh arugula, or greens of your choice For the cream sauce: 1/2 cup heavy cream (half and half or light cream can be substituted) 1-1/2 cups freshly grated Sartori Parmesan cheese 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly butter ramekins and place them on a baking sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the cream, 1/2 cup of grated cheese, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente and drain, reserving a small ladle-full of the pasta cooking water. Place the cooked pasta into the cream mixture and swirl with tongs to coat well. Add a little of the pasta water, if necessary. Let the pasta remain in the sauce for a few minutes. Remove about one-fourth of the pasta and and place it in one of the ramekins, swirling as you lay it down. With the tongs, or your fingers, spread the pasta to the outside leaving an indentation in the middle for the egg. Repeat filling the rest of the ramekins. If you still have some cream in the bowl, pour it over each of the pasta nests, otherwise, add a teaspoon or so of cream to the top off each nest. Bake the nests until the tops are golden and bubbly, about 10 minutes. Remove them from the oven and carefully, crack an egg into a small cup, and then pour into the center of each nest. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake the eggs for 5 minutes, or until the whites have set. (Alternately, you may put the egg into the nest before baking the nest which will result in a softer, creamier pasta. Bake for about 15 minutes at 400F.) Let the nests cool for 5 minutes to firm up, then run a knife around the outside of the ramekin and gently remove it. Place on a bed of greens for serving. Garnish with another grind or two of fresh pepper and serve. Delicious! Inspired by this recipe.

Irish Potato and Cabbage Soufflé with Smoked Cheddar

Green, lovely green!  We can actually see a little grass outside our home and my husband said he heard a Robin while walking in the park today.  Spring is almost here!

I'd like to share a lovely Irish-inspired soufflé that I tried this past week in honor of St. Patrick's Day on March 17. This comes from Kevin Dundon's Full-On Irish cookbook, where I've found many good Irish recipes such as the Champ and Baileys Pots de Creme currently on my sidebar. His recipes are contemporary but still use traditional Irish ingredients. It's an older cookbook but available from a few second-party sellers. 

I love making soufflés.  It's so much fun to watch them puff up in the oven - light and airy.  As with all souffles, they will collapse a bit after they cool but fresh from the oven they are spectacular.

 

I used a delicious, Wisconsin-crafted, smoked cheddar which complimented the soufflé ingredients perfectly.  The other contemporary twist to this recipe was coating the ramekins with butter and then a ground walnut and bread crumb mixture.  What a great flavor when you dig in with your spoon and get some crumbs with each bite of soufflé!

Try these on the weekend for a special dinner instead of mashed or baked potatoes.  If you're like me and you enjoy potatoes and cabbage, you'll love them! 

I topped my soufflés with some broccoli sprouts that I found at my local store.  It not only added the 'pretty factor' but added a complimentary flavor as well.

I haven't missed a St. Patrick's Day blog crawl at Cuisine Kathleen since 2009.  Hope you take a peak :) There should be lots of great recipes and Irish table scapes. 

Irish Potato and Cabbage Soufflé with Smoked Cheddar

Adapted from Full-On Irish by Kevin Dundon

Printable Recipe

Fills 6-7 (1/2 cup fluid measure/6 oz) ramekins

1/2 Stick (50g) of butter (softened)
2 oz (50g) dry breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat)
2 oz (50g) ground walnuts
5 oz (142g) smoked cheddar cheese
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
4 oz (100g) Savoy cabbage, thick stalks removed and finely shredded or chopped
4 oz (100g) cooked and peeled potato such as Russet, cooled and grated (I used a potato ricer)
5 egg whites

For the Béchamel Sauce:

1 stick (100g) butter
1 cup (100g) all purpose flour
1-1/3 cups (300ml) milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Broccoli Sprouts for garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease 6 ramekins with enough of the softened butter to thoroughly coat the ramekins. Mix the breadcrumbs and ground walnuts together and lightly coat the buttered ramekins. Set aside. (Note: If you decide to grind your own walnuts, as I did, I advise putting the bread crumbs in the processor along with the walnuts to keep the walnuts from clumping together). 

To make the Béchamel sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly add the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Stir the grated cheese into the sauce until melted, then remove from the heat and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Season to taste and then mix in the egg yolks while stirring quickly (you don't want the eggs to curdle), until fully incorporated.

Heat the remaining butter (1 tablespoon or so) in a frying pan. Add the shredded cabbage and potato and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally. Fold into the the thickened Béchamel sauce and then transfer the mixture to a large metal bowl.

Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until they form soft peaks, then carefully fold the egg whites into the cabbage mixture. Divide among the prepared ramekins and gently tap each one on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until well risen and golden. This will vary according to your oven so watch carefully.

Serve the souffles garnished with broccoli sprouts, if desired.

I reheated these the next day and they still tasted great, although without the grand puff that you get right out of the oven.

Oeuff Mollet and Lemon Brunch Cake

I was contacted by Eggland's Best Eggs and asked if they could sponsor a brunch using Eggland's Best Eggs eggs to spread the news about heart health during "Heart Health Month" in February. 

Eggland’s Best eggs contain more than 2 times the heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids than ordinary eggs, 2 times more Vitamin D and 10 times more Vitamin E, a vitamin associated with reducing the risk of heart disease.  I love eggs and am so glad they have regained their health grade! 

One of the highlights of my brunch was this breaded, soft boiled egg over frisee salad with mushrooms and truffle oil!

This salad is on the menu at my favorite French restaurant here in Milwaukee. Whenever I'm lucky enough to dine there I always order it.  It's so delicious and I was thrilled when I found a video of our James Beard-Awarding Winning Chef showing how to prepare it!  A version of the popular French salad, Frisee et Lardons, this one gets it's earthiness from mushrooms rather than bacon and also from a nice drizzle of truffle oil.

The egg is briefly boiled in its shell, peeled, coated with panko crumbs and then fried to a crispy, crunchy outer goodness while keeping the center soft enough to help 'dress' the greens when broken.  Oh my! 

In this recipe, the frissee is briefly sauteed along with the mushrooms which softens and flavors it deliciously.   The crispy coating on the egg, the mushrooms, and the drizzle of truffle oil make this a delicious and unique salad (and one that I dream about!). Recipe below.

The finale to my brunch was this exceptionally delicious Lemon Breakfast Cake.

It isn't often that a recipe makes me want to do a handspring (if I could do handspring, that is). This cake has the consistency of a muffin - dense and almost chewy and comes to you by way of Ilke's Kitchen .  Thank you, Ilke, I am so grateful I found your blog and this recipe. 

I'm not a big fan of overly-sweet sweets so I love that this cake is delicious just by itself without any 'dressing up'. If you want to make it pretty for company, just a light sprinkle of powdered sugar is all it needs.

Here are the recipes - Enjoy (and enjoy your eggs!).  

Oeuff Moleet (Breaded, Soft Boiled Egg over Frisee with Mushrooms and Truffle Oil)

Adapted from This Recipe
Printable Recipe

Serves 4 people

5 eggs, extra large
1 lb crimini mushrooms, washed and sliced thin
8 oz frisee (curly endive) lettuce, washed and spun
1 tsp chives, minced
1 cup Japanese (panko) breadcrumbs, ground fine
1 oz sherry vinegar
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
6 oz butter, unsalted
to taste sea salt
1 oz black or white truffle oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil for frying *See note for alternative to deep frying below.
4 slices brioche or baguette (optional)

Put the oil into a deep pot and heat to about 350 degrees. *See note below for alternative to deep frying.

Bring a covered pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.

Fill a medium bowl with ice water.

Place four eggs into the boiling water, cover and cook for exactly 5 minutes and 45 seconds. Remove the eggs and submerge into the bowl of ice water. This will stop the eggs from cooking any further, resulting in eggs that have cooked whites and raw yolks.

While the eggs are cooling, take the remaining raw egg and crack into a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of water and salt to taste, whisk together.

Place the breadcrumbs into a separate bowl.

Start to peel the eggs carefully, placing them on a paper towel to drain some of the water.

Begin breading the eggs by taking them one at a time and placing first into the breadcrumbs, then place into the egg wash, then back into the breadcrumbs. Place the eggs in the refrigerator until needed.

Place a medium-sized sauté pan over high heat, add the butter, melt, add the mushrooms and sauté. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sauté until golden brown. Add the chives and half of the frisee, vinegar and olive oil. Stir until frissee is warmed.

Put the remaining half of frisee into a medium sized mixing bowl. Pour the mushrooms/frisee mixture into the bowl and toss together.

Fry the eggs in the oil for about 45 seconds.

Divide the salad into four salad bowls, top with a fried egg. Drizzle truffle oil over the egg and then season with the sea salt. Serve with toasted brioche or baguette.

*Note: You could use a soft poached egg and sprinkle toasted panko crumbs over the top of the salad rather than deep frying the egg, if desired.

Lemon Brunch Cake

Adapted from Lemon Cake by Ilke's Kitchen
Printable Recipe

3 eggs
Zest from 2 lemons
200 gr (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
250 gr (9 oz or 1-1/4 cups) sugar
125 gr (4-1/2 oz or 1 cup) unbleached all purpose flour
125 gr (4-1/2 oz or 1 cup) Bob's Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Lemon juice from 2 lemons (about 1/2 cup).  I used Meyer Lemons which are in season right now.
4-5 tablespoons powdered sugar

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line with a parchment paper and place on a baking sheet. I decided to use a 9" tube springform pan which I buttered and then sprayed with Baker's Joy (great for good cake release).

In a mixing bowl, beat the softened butter with lemon zest for about 30 seconds on medium speed. Add sugar, continue beating until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until combined. 

In a small bowl, combine the flour, rice flour and baking powder.

Add the flour mixture and mix until it is incorporated and you have a smooth batter.

Put the cake in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 325 degrees. Bake for about one hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  I turned my cake over onto a cooling rack placed over a baking sheet right away after taking it out of the oven. 

Add the lemon juice to the powdered sugar a little at a time so no lumps form and whisk together. Pour over the hot cake. Once the cake is cool, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar, if you like. 

Quiche Maraîchère For National Pie Day

National Pie Day is January 23rd and instead of a pie in the traditional sense, I'd like to share a quiche recipe with you. Quiche is a savory pie, after all!

This one is from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table Cookbook which is filled with wonderful recipes.  I found the recipe on several...other... websites,  so I hope Dorie doesn't mind that I'm sharing it here.

I brought this quiche to a New Year's Eve party as an appetizer and I received lots of compliments on it!  It was so delicious, I made it again for my husband and myself for dinner with a simple side salad.

First the pie/tart crust is baked then heaped full of delicious sautéed vegetables - a mirepoix of sorts. Then, it's filled with an egg and cream mixture and baked.  At first I was surprised at how little egg is actually in the mixture but went ahead with the recipe as written at it turned out perfectly.. Rather than Dorie's recipe for tart dough, I used my own Flaky, Tender No-Fail pie crust recipe that I got long ago from a friend,  but you can find Dorie's tart shell recipe on one of the sites I referred to above or simply use your favorite recipe for pie crust.

After the filling is baked, a layer of grated Gruyère cheese is added to the top and then returned to the oven to melt to a golden brown.  Now that's my kind of pie!

Quiche Maraîchère
Adapted from Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2-3 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into a small dice
2 leeks, white and light green parts only, quartered lengthwise, washed, and thinly sliced
2-3 carrots, trimmed, peeled, and finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced
salt and pepper
1 9-inch tart or pie shell partially baked and cooled (watch careful that your crust doesn't contain any cracks or the filling will ooze out. Add a scrap of pastry to the crack and bake a little longer, if necessary)

2/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2/3 cup grated cheese, preferably Gruyère

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced vegetables and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, just until barely tender. Season with salt and pepper, then remove the vegetables to a bowl and let cool.

Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 400 F degrees. Put the crust on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spoon the vegetables into the tart shell and even them out. They should almost fill the crust. Whisk the the cream, egg, egg yolk together, season with salt and pepper, and carefully pour over the vegetables. Depending on how your crust and filling, you may have too much custard. Pour in as much custard as you can without it overflowing and wait a few minutes until it has settled, then add more if you can. Very carefully slide the baking sheet into the oven.

Bake the quiche for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for another 5 or 10 minutes, or until the cheese is golden (the filling should be puffed all over - especially the center), browned, and set. Note: This took a little longer in my oven.

Transfer the quiche to a rack, remove the sides of the pan, and cool until it is only just warm or until it reaches room temperature before serving.
   
Always Flaky and Tender No-Fail Pie Crust

Printable Recipe

This recipe makes enough crust for 1 single crust pie and 1 double-crust pie (3 crusts) and is easily cut in half or even thirds if you care to do the math.  You never have to worry about over-working this pie crust dough - it turns out beautifully flaky every time.

4  cups all-purpose flour
1  Tablespoon sugar
2  teaspoons salt

1-3/4 cups cold shortening

½ cup ice water
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 large egg

Stir together flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening. Mix liquid ingredients together and stir into flour mixture. Divide into 3 portions and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out on a well-floured surface.

Save scraps to fill any cracks in the crust, if they develop while baking.

Chow Mein Noodle Nests and Happy Easter To You!

I'd like to wish all of you who celebrate, a very Happy Easter! I will be hosting Easter dinner here on Sunday with our family and decorations and preparations are under way! Easter and spring are a time of renewal and rebirth (although spring has been excruciatingly slow to arrive here this year!). Eggs and nests are perfect symbols of the season. These Chow Mein Noodle Nests were made for my families upcoming Easter dinner and you will find the recipe below

Once again, I made natural dyed Easter eggs using onions skins, herbs and early flowers from the garden.

I picked pansies from the pots on the front porch and other early flowers from the garden like scilla and dwarf irises and included some parsley and other leafy herbs to decorate my eggs.  The flowers/herbs are placed on the unboiled egg, then it is wrapped in onion skin.
 

The next part takes a little patience. The egg and the flowers or leaves are carefully wrapped tightly in either nylon stockings or muslin cheesecloth. You need about 3 hands to do this but perfection isn't important. Then they are lowered into simmering water and allowed to gently simmer for about 30 minutes. 

I had an unexpected surprise this year after my eggs were finished cooking.  I didn't have time to unwrap the eggs when they were done so after cooling them in an ice bath and draining them, I put them, still wrapped in onion skins and cheese cloth, into the refrigerator overnight. They turned out more vivid and colorful than ever after their overnight stay in the frig!

I also tried growing real Easter grass for another Easter table decoration this year. I lined a favorite bowl with a double thickness of plastic wrap, filled it with vermiculite and then added grass seed.  The bowl was then covered with another sheet of plastic wrap until the seed began to sprout.. I then kept it misted with water each day. It was amazing how quickly it grew in just one week!

There will be more eggs nestled in this grassy 'nest'. 

Here is the recipe for the Chow Mein Noodle Nests. They were not only cute but the nests are delicious too!

Chow Mein Noodle Nests

One bag of white chocolate chips
One bag of chow mein noodles
Sweetened coconut - toasted lightly in the oven
Candies to fill the baskets such as Jordan Almonds or M&Ms

Melt a bag of white chocolate chips in the microwave.  Add chow mein noodles and some toasted coconut.  Stir to coat, and press the mixture against the bottom and sides of a non-stick 12 cup muffin tin sprayed with additional non-stick spray. Cool in the refrigerator and then gently remove with a knife.  Jordan almonds fill these edible nests. 

My best wishes Easter wishes to you whether you celebrate with an Empty Nest, Partial Nest or a Full Nest!

~Susan 

Baked Eggs in Croissant 'Nests'

I love looking forward to a relaxed Sunday breakfast when I know I have time to make and eat something a little more special than cold cereal and fruit or a "no-brainer" piece of toast and preserves.

The weekend is also when I usually have more time to look through my recipes and cookbooks. If you're like me, your have a bazillion recipes that you've collected from the start of food blogging, gleaned from wonderful sites. If you're also like me, you'll never have time to make all of them. But, every now and then, while I'm looking for something else on my computer I'll come across one of those recipes that I had saved and forgotten.

This one I found while searching my computer files under Eggs as I was looking for Easter ideas. I had saved it from a post on Inn Cuisine, a blog that featured recipes from Inns and Bed and Breakfasts. Sadly, Inn Cuisine's site is not longer in existence. This particular recipe I saved came from from The Kate Shepard House Bed and Breakfast.

 

Croissants are cut into approximately 1/4 inch or so thicknesses, lengthwise to make the 'nest for the egg.

An egg is carefully dropped into each nest, seasoned with salt and pepper and then baked in the oven....

then served with a delicious Dijon cream sauce.

I know my husband will be asking me to make these again - they were that good. You can't get much better than a perfectly baked egg in a flaky croissant nest with a dollop of wonderful Dijon cream!

Happy Sunday!

Baked Eggs in Croissant 'Nests'
Adapted from The Kate Shepard House Bed & Breakfast
Printable Recipe


You will need:

Standard-size Muffin Tin
Large eggs (1 egg per muffin cup---according to the number of guests you are serving)
Croissants
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Then:

Spray muffin tin(s) with non-stick cooking spray (I like Baker's Joy)

Cut croissants lengthwise into 1/4 inch or thicker slices. Cut off the 'tips' of the croissants and press firmly into each muffin cup - smaller size of croissant going in first. Overlap as necessary to create a firm cups. Fill in with cut pieces as necessary. Crack eggs into a small cup first (so you don't get egg shell in your croissant cups) and then pour into the center of each bread-lined cup. Salt and pepper each egg to taste.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 16-21 minutes, depending on the accuracy of your oven and the preferred doneness of your egg (I baked mine for about 19 minutes). You can jiggle the pan to see how loose the eggs are to check for done-ness. When done, remove muffin tin from oven and carefully run a knife or silicone spatula around the edges of egg nest in order to release the bread from muffin cup. Carefully lift and remove cooked nests with a thin spatula or flat knife. Place upright on serving plate and pass Dijon Cream Sauce.

Dijon Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 and 1/4 cup half and half (light cream)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

While eggs are baking, melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and whisk until blended. Whisk in half and half and remaining ingredients, except for parsley, whisking often, being careful not to let it boil. When sauce has thickened, remove from heat and add chopped parsley.

Spinach Cobb Salad

I received my August issue of Sunset Magazine yesterday.  Don't ask me why I get a magazine about living in the western part of the United States when you live in the Midwest it's called wishful thinking, but I also subscribe for the great recipes! 

I was inspired by a salad recipe in this issue that had fresh spinach, bacon and hard-boiled eggs but I had to switch things up just a touch.  I have a favorite spinach salad dressing the I've been using for years and it is always such a hit with my husband and family.  With a sweet and sour blend, it's the perfect compliment to spinach.

I also love Gorgonzola cheese and sliced, toasted almonds on my spinach salads - so those had to be added to the list of ingredients.


My husband loves this salad but, then I don't know many guys who don't love bacon and eggs :) The fact that he's eating fresh spinach is an added bonus!

The recipe:

Bacon, Egg and Spinach Salad
Inspired by Sunset Magazine, August, 2010

Printable Recipe

Serves 2 as a main course salad, 4 as a side salad

Salad Ingredients:

4 large eggs, boiled, peeled, chilled and quartered
6 slices thick bacon (preferably sulfite-free) cooked, drained and torn into large pieces
12 oz baby spinach
8 oz sliced button mushrooms
1 large organic carrot, cut into thin ribbons with a potato peeler
1/2 cup crumbed gorgonzola cheese
1 large avocado, diced
2 oz sliced almonds, toasted

My spinach salad dressing ingredients:

1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 green onions with some of the green part, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil such as Canola

In food processor or blender combine all ingredients. Process until smooth.

Place salad ingredients in a large salad bowl, add some of the dressing and toss.  Add additional dressing as needed. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Swiss Cheese and Green Olive Omelette

 
I love weekends because it means lots of time to play in the garden.  It also means I have time to prepare breakfasts that I normally don't bother with during the week.

My all-time favorite omelette is made with Swiss or Jarlsberg cheese and chopped pimento-stuffed olives. When I was a new bride, I saw a program on television that had a feature on how to make the perfect omelette.  The addition of swiss cheese and olives was mentioned and, because I love both,  I knew I would have to try it.  That was more years ago than I care to divulge and I've been making this omelette ever since that day.  I'm still married to the same man and still making this same omelette ;)

I whisk fresh eggs with just a little water added - maybe a teaspoon per egg. I like to use a non-stick pan omelette pan when I make omelettes. When the pan is sizzling hot, I add a little butter to the pan.  Of course, you could forgo the butter if you prefer and use canola oil or non-stick spray. 

As the eggs, cook I gently push them toward the center, tilting and lifting the edges of cooked egg to allow the uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan. 

When the eggs are almost cooked through, add some freshly grated Swiss (Jarsberg is best!) cheese and chopped pimento-stuffed olives to one side of the omelette. You can add a little freshly cracked pepper but I don't add any additional salt due to the saltiness of the olives.

Then, gently tilt the pan on a 45 degree angle and gently flip the unfilled half over the top of the filled side.

After about 30 seconds,  flip the omelette over once again to make sure the cheese has melted and Voila! Add some toast and fresh fruit and your have a delightful, savory breakfast. If you're on the fence about the flavor combination, all I can say is try it once - it's absolutely wonderful!

Swiss Cheese and Olive Omelette
Printable Recipe

Makes 1 omelette

3 eggs
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup grated Swiss or Jarsberg cheese
1/4 cup chopped pimento-stuffed olives
1 teaspoon butter or canola oil

Break eggs into a small bowl and add water.  Whisk gently until thoroughly blended.

Place a small, non-stick saute pan over medium-high heat on the stove.  Test to make sure the pan is hot enough by placing a small drop of water to the pan.  If it sizzles and evaporates immediately the pan is hot enough.

Add a little butter to the pan and allow it to melt and spread it all over the pan with the spatula.  Add the whisked eggs.  As the eggs cook, push them toward the center of the pan, tiling the pan and lifting the edges of cooked egg to allow the uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan.

When the eggs are almost cooked through, add the cheese and olives to the side of the omelette closest to you.  Gently tilt the pan 45 degrees and use the spatula to gently fold over the far edge toward you and over the filling.  Allow to cook for about 30 seconds and then gently flip the omelette over to the other side.  Cook for another 30 seconds and serve.  

Asparagus and Leek Frittata

I had a very special treat for lunch today!  My daughter had taken a few days of vacation this week and came for lunch with our grandson, Mack. I wanted to make something special for her, so decided on this frittata recipe from Epicurious.. 

The only small 'tweak' I made to the recipe was to add some red pepper for color and cut the butter in half and substitute olive oil. Chopped leaks are sauteed in a combination of olive oil and butter, then cut asparagus, red pepper and shiitake mushrooms are added and sauteed. 

Whisked eggs mixed with Fontina cheese are poured over the vegetables and cooked on the stovetop until almost done.  More fontina and parmesan is added to the top, and the mixture is then finished under the oven broiler until set and golden.

I served it on a bed of organic greens - delicious!  I will make certainly make this again. Without a crust to add calories it was lower in calories than a quiche but still a satisfying luncheon dish.  Served with my daughter's favorite beverage, an Arnold Palmer...freshly brewed and chilled tea mixed with lemonade.  It was a good day!

Asparagus and Leek Frittata 
Adapted from Epicurious
Printable Recipe

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 12-ounce bunch thin asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup sliced stemmed shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup red pepper, seeded and sliced in thin julienne
8 large omega-3 eggs
1 cup diced Fontina cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven broiler. Melt butter and olive oil in heavy broile-proof 10-inch-diameter skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté about 4 minutes. Add asparagus, red pepper and shiitake mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes.

Whisk eggs, 3/4 cup Fontina cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl. Add egg mixture to skillet; fold gently to combine. Cook and stir gently until almost set. Sprinkle remaining 1/4 cup Fontina cheese and Parmesan cheese over the top.

Broil until frittata is puffed and cheese begins to turn golden, about 3-6 minutes (make a slice and check to make sure it is cooked through). Cut into wedges and serve.