greek frittata

i don't have a photo for this recipe, but don't let that prevent you from giving it a try. this is a fast, easy mid-week dinner, and the fact that it falls into our "weekly vegetarian meal" makes it even better.

don't think for a moment though that the vegetarian label means it's not full of flavor. the banana peppers and feta cheese keep it tangy. serve this alongside a simple salad of mixed greens with your favorite low fat dressing for a healthy weeknight meal.

ingredients:
3 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 4 oz package of baby spinach leaves
1 8.5 oz can artichoke hearts (packed in water), roughly chopped
2 tablespoons banana peppers, roughly chopped
1 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
12 eggs
red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

directions:
preheat the oven to 350.

heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large oven-proof non-stick pan, add the garlic and saute until fragrant (about a minute). add in the spinach a handful at a time until it is all incorporated. stir with a spoon until all is wilted. add in the roughly chopped artichoke hearts and banana peppers and heat through.

meanwhile whisk all twelve eggs together in a large bowl. redistribute all of the items in the pan so that they are evenly distributed. pour the eggs over the top of the filling items and then top with the crumbled feta cheese. sprinkle red pepper flakes over the top (if you'd like a bit more spice).

cook on the stove until the bottom is set. you may need to pull up the edges of the frittata and tilt the pan so that the eggs can run under to the bottom. once the bottom is set, pop into the oven and cook until the top is set (about 10 minutes). enjoy!

notes:
easy, vegetarian, and gluten free! what more could a girl ask for? this is great for dinner, a lunch, or even breakfast. change the items you serve on the side to suit the meal you choose to serve.

sausage, broccoli rabe, and fontina frittata

this dish is so quintessentially Italian, and it is an excellent source of protein and it is gluten-free (unless you add something wheaty to it). these flavors just “go” together, and when i saw broccoli rabe in the store i knew i would be adding it to something for dinner this week.

ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli rabe, cleaned and ends trimmed, then chopped
3 links or one “roll” pork sausage (i used smithfield mild pork sausage roll as it is gluten-free)
1 block (about ½ a pound) of fontina cheese, cubed
8 eggs
salt and pepper
olive oil

directions:
heat olive oil in a large non stick pan over high heat. add the sausage, breaking it up with the back of your spoon so that it browns evenly. once it is fully browned, add the chopped broccoli rabe and let that wilt down until it’s a dark green and is soft.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

mix the eggs, salt and pepper (to taste), and the cubed fontina in a small bowl. pour this over the sausage and broccoli rabe mixture and make sure to evenly distribute the eggs. let this set on the bottom (run a rubber spatula under this to make sure you will easily be able to cut and remove slices of the finished frittata) and then pop it into the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the top of the frittata is set. let cool for about 4 to 5 minutes and then turn out and slice into wedges to serve.

notes:
this could be a great meal for breakfast or dinner. if you are serving for breakfast a nice side of fresh berries would be a good compliment. for dinner a green salad would be delicious.

classic lemon scones with blueberry jam

every week, we have a meeting at my office, and one member of the group is tasked with bringing breakfast. this week was my turn, so i decided to make classic lemon scones and blueberry jelly. scones are pretty easy as far as baking goes. there is no rising like there is with bread, there isn't even any yeast. essentially, dry ingredients are mixed in one bowl, wet in another, and then they are combined. it's as simple as using an easy bake oven!

this recipe was adapted from the joy of cooking, and it doubles well.

classic lemon scones

ingredients:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tablespoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
6 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 tablespoon pieces
1 egg
1/2 cup of heavy cream
zest of one lemon
more milk or heavy cream (about 2 tablespoons)
sugar or cinnamon and sugar mixed (about 3 tablespoons sugar to 1 tablespoon cinnamon)

directions:
whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. toss all of the butter into the flour mixture, being sure to coat the butter with the flour. using a pastry cutter, mix the butter into the flour, breaking it up as you go. at the end you will likely need to use your hands to continue breaking up the butter until the pieces are quite small (at this point you should be able to squeeze a handful of the flour mixture and have it hold together).

in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream, and lemon zest. make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the wet ingredients. mix them together with a wooden spoon, and then ultimately your hands. the mixture will be dry, but it will all come together.

turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a round that is just below an inch thick. cut it into 8 wedges, and place them 1/2" apart on a very lightly greased baking sheet. brush the top of each with the extra milk or heavy cream, and then sprinkle with sugar or cinnamon sugar.

bake at 425 for about 14 minutes. serve with blueberry jam (recipe below).

blueberry jam

ingredients:
2 pints of blueberries, cleaned and any stems removed
juice of one lemon
2/3 of a cup of sugar

directions:
place the berries, sugar, and lemon juice into a small saucepan over medium high heat. stir together. continue stirring until the berries have all popped (you can help a few of the stubborn ones along with the back of your spoon) and the jam is a vibrant magenta color, this will take about 20 to 30 minutes. taste, add sugar if needed.

pour into a mason jar. this will keep for about a week...but you won't want to wait that long to eat it.

notes:
everyone at work seemed to like the scones and the jam. the scones are better the next day, and they are great heated up with butter. enjoy!

eggs benedict

eggs benedict has always been a favorite of mine. there were several years in my early twenties when my birthday dinner always consisted of eggs benedict, a bottle of champagne, and creme brulee. each of these is decadent in its own way, but combining them together was the ultimate treat.

that's why, for this mother's day i knew i had to make my eggs benedict. it's a favorite with both my mother and mother in law (and they both requested it this year). i always make my hollandaise sauce from scratch, and i have to say, it's not as hard as you'd think. the trick is to use the most amazing organic and free-range egg yolks you can get your hands on...the result will be both better flavor and the unbelievable yellow color you see in the photo.

ingredients:
6 english muffins
12 slices canadian bacon
2 bunches asparagus
12 eggs
4 egg yolks
2 sticks butter, divided
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt
pepper
cinnamon
olive oil
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

directions:
preheat the oven to 415 degrees. wash and trim the apsaragus, and spread it out on a rimmed cookie or baking sheet. drizzle olive oil (about 1 to 2 tablespoons) onto the asparagus and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and cinnamon. using your hands, mix around the asparagus so that each piece is well coated. pop into the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is soft and the tips are beginning to brown. it should still be bright green. remove and set aside.

to make the hollandaise, prepare a double boiler. if you don't have a double boiler (and i don't) simply use two pans that nest nicely (the one on top should be just smaller than the one on the bottom) and add enough water to the bottom pan so that the bottom of the top pan doesn't touch it when they are nesting. turn the heat on high, and whisk 4 egg yolks together until the water in the bottom is at a rolling boil, then reduce to a simmer. begn adding the butter, one tablespoon at a time, whisking to incorporate it, and being careful not to let the mixture separate or any of the yolk to get hard on the walls of the pan. once all of the butter is incorporated, add in the juice of half a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. whisk to combine, redude the heat to the lowest setting and whisk occassionally until the remainder of the meal is completed.

split the english muffins and toast them with butter. once toasted, set to the side.

set a deep large pan (or a pot) with at least 2 inches of water over a medium high burner. the idea is to get this water hot enough to be simmering, but not rapidly boiling. add the vinegar - it helps bind the egg whites together. now the eggs. before we go any further, it's important to tell you never to break your eggs directly into the water, you should break them into a small bowl or ramekin, and then slowly dunk them into the water. this helps keep the whites and yolk together. i will share my one trick to poaching eggs well (which my mother taught me when i was little), and that is to swirl your spoon around the outside of the pan, creating a bit of a tornado effect in the center of the pan, then (using your bowl) gently lower the egg into the center. cook the egg for about 2 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolk is still runny, and then set aside onto a plate so that can be easily slid off when ready. you can cook several eggs at once, i still have trouble with this, but it is much faster. some of the white will move away from the yolk, and that's ok.

once all of the eggs are done, prepare the canadian bacon. though i am not one who usually relies heavily upon my microwave, there are a few times when it comes in handy. this is one of those times. canadian bacon is already cooked when it is purchased at the grocery store, and so i just pop it into the microwave long enough to heat it through. if you lay it out on a plate, and then cover with plastic wrap, and then heat (a minute, minute and a half tops) it won't dry out.

to assemble, place the top and bottom of one english muffin on each plate, top each piece with a slice of canadian bacon, add a small bunch of asparagus (it will lay over both muffins), add one poached egg to the top of each muffin, and then drizzle on the hollandaise sauce. eat immediately, enjoy!

notes:
this is always a hit when i make it, and i think that's due to the from-scratch hollandaise. nothing beats this decadent sauce when it's made at home, and you can further control the flavor by using the best quality eggs and butter. it's a treat, for sure, but suitable for a mother's day feast. the addition of asparagus is really due mainly to my obsession with it. the cinnamon is a special trick i use when roasting this fresh vegetable, which brings out it's natural sweetness and it plays nicely here with the rich sauce.

to vary up your eggs benedict, feel free to use lump crapmeat or seared shrimp in place of the canadian bacon, or smear the english muffins with the garlic and anchoy brown butter here for a decadent treat.

fruit salad with grand marnier whipped cream

for mother's day i wanted to treat both of my mom's (my mother and my mother in law) to a fresh fruit salad that was seasonal, healthy, and also delicious. fresh fruit doesn't need much to make it sing, especially when the fruit is at the height of it's season. i chose perfect berries and exotic fruits to liven up the selection. to top it off i made a decadent whipped cream, which really set off the flavors of the fruit, without overwhelming it.

ingredients:
one package strawberries
one package blueberries
one package blackberries
one package raspberries
three kiwis
one champagne mango
2 cups heavy whipping cream
one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons of grand marnier
2 tablespoons powdered sugar


directions:
rinse and dry all of the berries. hull and quarter the strawberries and add them along with the blueberries, raspberries, and the blackberries to a large bowl. peel the kiwi and cut into half moons, and then slice into small pieces. peel the mango, and then cut the flesh off of the pit (which is larger than you think it is if you've never cut up a mango) and then cut it into small pieces. add the kiwi and mango to the bowl with the berries.

pour the heavy whipping cream into a second large bowl. slice the vanilla bean in half and use a paring knife to scrape out the seeds from each half. add the vanilla seeds and the sugar to the cream along with the grand marnier. using a handheld mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form, but be careful not to over mix...you don't want to make butter!

notes:
this was a hit, and it's dead simple. we found another excellent use for the whipped cream: adding it to coffee!

the flavor of grand marnier was very subtle, and the vanilla and cream were very indulgent.

a saturday morning egg sandwich

as i've mentioned before, i infrequently plan for breakfast. when my husband was in law school it felt like the only meal we always ate together, but now we almost never make a full-fledged proper breakfast. usually what happens is what happened this morning:
me: want some breakfast?
he: yeah, what've we got?
me: well, we've got eggs...
he: but no bacon.
me: right. and we've got potatoes...
he: but no bread.
me: ok. i've got an idea...i'll be right back.
and so, as with most good things, this sandwich was born of necessity. enjoy.

ingredients:
2 ciabatta rolls
2 - 4 tablespoons prepared pesto
1/2 a large ball of fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
4 eggs
handful of basil, torn or sliced
olive oil
salt and pepper

directions:
slice the ciabatta rolls and drizzle the cut sides with olive oil. toast these in a very hot pan for about 5 minutes, until they start to turn golden. remove and set aside. spread one side of the roll (or both, if you prefer) with the pesto evenly.
heat more olive oil in the same pan and then fry the eggs to your liking, as you can see from the photo we went runny (aka over easy), being sure to salt and pepper the eggs. place two eggs on top of the pesto on the bottom half of the roll. add the mozzarella cheese on top of the eggs, and then sprinkle with the basil. place the top of the roll on and enjoy!

notes:
depending on what you have in your pantry/fridge/freezer you could add more or less to this. you could put a thick slice of tomato on, you could replace the mozzarella with another cheese (gouda or fontina perhaps) and you could always add meat of some sort. as it is, it's the perfect summer breakfast. it's not heavy at all, which makes it very refreshing.

a sunday morning egg sandwich

i frequently wake up hungry on sunday mornings and have no idea what to eat. the leftover food from saturday night rarely piques my interest, and though i usually resort to toast with honey and butter, this sunday i knew i needed something a little more substantial.
after peering through the drawers in the fridge and the shelves in our cabinets, i had my breakfast planned out. this is simple and fast (it took less than 5 minutes) and a good use for random odds and ends left over from the week before.

ingredients:
2 thick slices of whole grain bread
2 slices of honey roasted turkey breast
2 large eggs
the leaves and tip of one stalk of fresh thyme
thinly sliced swiss cheese
salt and pepper
olive oil

directions:
place the bread in the toaster oven and put a slice of turkey on each piece. toast until lightly browned. remove to a plate and set aside.
meanwhile in a small pan heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat and break in the two eggs, keeping them separated. salt and pepper the top of each one, and then sprinkle with the thyme. add on the cheese and let these cook until the white is set and the yolk is still runny (or to your preference).
remove and place each egg on top of each of the slices of toast with turkey. enjoy!

notes:
simple and filling, this is a great pantry raid dish. it would taste great with almost any cheese, swiss is just what i had on hand. the meat could also be just about anything, and would taste fantastic. play around with the options and have fun with themed flavors like spinach and feta for a greek flair or roasted red peppers and gouda for a more italian option. any way you make it, it's sure to please.