Egg Nest Brunch

Mar 9, 2014

When it comes to brunch, one of my  favorite go-to recipes is a version of one I saw in a cooking magazine few years ago.  They called it “Breakfast in Bread” but I like to call them Egg Nests.  When I have company coming, it’s one of the easiest dishes to make, but it’s always a crowd-pleaser (gotta love that)!

Today I had the pleasure of having brunch with my sweet friend Andrea, so this is what I made for us.  It’s so easy, and that that means we get to spend more time catching up than I actually do cooking.

Egg Nests

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

flour for dusting

2 -3 strips of bacon

1 1/2 c. shredded grueyere cheese

4 T. shredded parmesan cheese

4 large eggs

kosher salt and ground pepper

chopped chives

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Roll out the pastry sheet and cut into 4 inch squares.  Fold and pinch edges to form four round shells.  Lightly flour the parchment and place the tart shells on it.  Prick the pastry shells with a fork.  Bake until golden, approximately 8-10  minutes.

While the shells are baking, cook the bacon until crispy.  Set aside to cool and then chop into small pieces or crumble.

Once the tart shells are golden, remove from the oven and let cool slightly on the baking sheet.  If the center is puffy, deflate it by gently flattening with a fork.

Sprinkle evenly with both of the cheeses, then make a shallow well in the middle of each one.  Carefully crack an egg in the center of each of shell.  Season with salt and pepper, then top with chopped (or crumbled) bacon.

Return to the oven for 10-15 minutes until the egg whites are set (depending on how runny you want your eggs).  I like my whites to be just a TOUCH jiggly, so the egg is runny.  If you let the whites completely harden then you will have a soft or well done egg yolk.

Top with chopped chives and serve!

I love serving this with a side of Grapefruit & Blueberry Salad (and a couple more slices of bacon of course!)

Happy Sunday Brunch Day friends!

This recipe is modified from a version in Food Network Magazine’s April 2012 issue.

Rum Cake

Feb 21, 2014

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not big on desserts.  My brother got the sweet tooth in the family, and generally speaking, I’m disinterested in dessert period.  I don’t even eat cake at weddings – it’ doesn’t tempt me one iota.  So you can imagine my surprise when I fell in love with this Rum Cake recipe that I got from a precious store customer over Christmas.  It was delicious, so I asked her to share the recipe, and now I’m passing it along to you guys.  It’s simple and tasty (two of my favorite food descriptions)!

Disclaimer:  If this recipe belongs to you or someone you know, please let me know and I will happily give them credit for it.  For all I know, it could be in a Betty Crocker cookbook!  ha.   Until proven otherwise, it’s a delicious mystery.  Thanks for the cake (and the recipe), Caroline!

Rum Cake

1-2 cups chopped pecans, bits or halves

1 Duncan Hines French Vanilla cake mix

1 small vanilla INSTANT pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup dark rum, divided (I used Meyers’s)

1 cup (or a bit more) Bakers Fine Sugar

1 stick salted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a bundt pan with Baker’s Joy (or you can grease the pan and coat in flour like I did)

Assemble the pecans in the bottom of the pan.

In a bowl, mix the cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and 1/2 cup dark rum until smooth.  Pour into the bundt pan over the pecans.  Bake cake through, 40-50 minutes (or until a knife comes out clean).

When done, remove from the oven and “stab with a knife about 20 times.”  (I put this part in quotes because that’s what her email actually said and it’s my favorite part. ha!)

In a sauce pan, mix the sugar, 3/4 cup dark rum and stick of butter.  Bring to a boil and then pour over the cake while it’s still in the bundt pan.

Let sit for 20 minutes.  Remove the cake from the pan.  Best left in the refrigerator for a day or in the freezer.  Will keep up to six months in the freezer (but be sure to keep it wrapped up tightly).

When you’re ready, slice and enjoy!  It’s definitely “rummy”, but I think it’s delicious (and super easy)!

Enjoy!

Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes

Nov 26, 2013

First, what the heck is crème fraîche anyway?  In a word:  Awesomesauce.  In reality?  It’s a “fresh cream” that is naturally soured (not quite as much as sour cream), and contains 30-40% butterfat (yes, I looked it up).  The texture is thick, and it has the most AH-MA-ZING, velvety, buttery taste (thanks to the butterfat).  I happened upon this recipe by accident – I had some creme fraîche in the fridge and just thought it might be a good addition to mashed potatoes.  As it happens, I was right!

So, just in time for Thanksgiving, I share with you my new go-to recipe for mashed potatoes:

Crème Fraîche Mashed Potatoes

(serves 4-6)

6-8 Yukon gold potatoes

1/3 c. creme fraîche (plus more to taste if desired)

chicken stock

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

chopped fresh chives (or dried chives) for garnish

Wash the potatoes and cut them into cubes.  (You can skin the potatoes if you prefer, but I like the skin, so I just peel off any dark/hard spots).

Fill a large stockpot half full with water, throw in a Tablespoon of kosher salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the cubed potatoes and reduce heat to med-high.  Boil until potatoes are cooked through (approximately 20 minutes).  Drain and pour the potatoes into a large mixing bowl.

Use a masher to break up the potatoes (just don’t overdo it).

Add the creme fraîche, gently mixing with a large spoon.  Add chicken stock, a Tablespoon at a time, until you reach the consistency you desire.  I like mine fluffy, but still with a little texture and small clumps.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and top with chopped chives as garnish.

The creme fraîche is so rich and buttery and smooth, I think it makes mashed potatoes even better than adding butter and cream.  If you give it a try, let me know what you think!

Toscana Soup

Nov 16, 2013

It’s no secret, I’m a soup lover, and Toscana soup is definitely in my top three favorites right now (the other two are Chicken Noodle and Egg Drop).  It’s a go-to pretty much any time of the year (if you like comfort in a bowl like I do).  I first fell in love with “Zuppa Toscana” at Olive Garden, but over the years have developed my own recipe (and used it pretty loosely).  It’s one of those recipes that I’ve made so many times I don’t actually measure anything.  Sometimes I add more cream, sometimes I use half and half instead… sometimes I use ground turkey and add fennel (to make up for that loss of flavor of the sausage).  Even though the “meat and potatoes” are usually the star of any dish, my favorite ingredient in this recipe is the kale.  It cooks quickly, so when you add it at the end, it turns this beautiful, bright green color – hey, the eyes DO feast first – not to mention it’s a superfood (and oh-so-delicious).

 Toscana Soup

16 oz. package of Italian sausage ( I use the Owens brand)

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, diced

2 celery ribs, sliced into half moons

2-3 carrots, peeled and finely diced

1-2 medium russet potatoes, diced (I don’t peel mine because I like the peel, but you can)

4 c. chicken stock

2 c. water

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 bunch of kale (about 6 cups, loosely chopped with center vein removed)

extra virgin olive oil (maybe)

First, add the sausage to a large stockpot and brown on medium-high.  Once cooked through, transfer to to a paper-towel lined plate.

Add garlic to the pan (without cleaning it), supplementing with extra virgin olive oil if necessary (so it’s not so dry that it burns).  Cook for about 1 minute (until fragrant).

Add chopped onions, carrots, and celery to the pot, stirring occasionally.  Cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.

Slowly add chicken stock, water and potatoes over high heat.  Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat to med-low.  Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until potatoes are cooked through.

Add heavy cream and stir well.

Add kale and stir occasionally.  It will turn bright green when it’s al dente (my favorite).

Add pepper to taste (usually I don’t need to add salt – the sausage and chicken stock will add a lot of saltiness to it) and serve with crusty bread slices (optional).

There you go!  A hearty soup that’s perfect for winter (or anytime of the year for me)…  Hope you enjoy!