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Eclectic Kitchen™: Fancy Eggs Without the Fuss

Don’t you just love a fabulous weekend brunch breakfast? But you hate all the muss & fuss of it, don’tcha? Me, too! That’s why I love this breakfast it is so flavorful and fancy looking but definitely not a lot of work.  Pair it with some juice, a cup of fresh columbian coffee and a nice half melon or grapefruit and voila! — you have a brunch that looks like you ordered in from that fancy little bistro down the street.

Now again, we’re using fresh organic ingredients as much as we can from our local farmers, through our coop Spring Run Market we get our free range chicken eggs from two different local farmers that we love Be Nourished and Rainbow Meadow Farms. These eggs come from chickens that are raised in a natural habitat with no coops, no hormones, no antibiotics and the eggs are much better for you and taste so much better than store bought coop-kept hen eggs. Trust me, once you taste the difference, you’ll never go back. Eggland’s Best is the only brand of cage-free eggs that I am aware of that are widely found and those are very good. If you want to support your local farmers and your own community, as we do. Go to Local Harvest.Org to find farmers, coops and farmers markets in your area to find a source.

Now let’s get on with our brunch, the mimosa’s are waiting…

Michelle’s Baked Eggs Florentine
Recipe per ramekin serving:                              

            
1 slice prosciutto
1/2 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup diced tomato
1 round slice provolone
2 or 3 eggs (My husband opts for 3)
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
Sea salt & Cracked Pepper to taste

First you’ll need to butter or oil your ramekins, place them on a cookie sheet and then preheat oven to 350.
Then for each ramekin, tear prosciutto into small pieces and place in the bottom of ramekins. Next add baby spinach, then tomatoes. Salt & pepper them, to taste. Then place the provolone in the ramekin so that it makes a table over the items below. In my ramekins, I have to cut into 2 halves & overlap. Then crack the eggs over the top of the cheese being careful not to break yokes. You might need to pack down the other ingredients before you add the eggs to prevent overflow. Salt & pepper, to taste; then cover with shredded mozzarella. Place the cookie sheet into the oven and bake for approximately 12 -14 minutes until the cheese starts to brown a little. I like my yokes to still be a little runny, so if you would prefer them a little more done you might want to bake a little longer.  Have a little fruit, some avocado slices & some coffee with it and you have a fabulous gourmet & paleo brunch! Perfect for a Fight Back Friday Weekend!


                                                                                            Bon Appetito!

                                                                                                                     

        

Eclectic Kitchen™: Ribeyes, Michelle's Fresh Herb Gremolata, Eggplant Neopolitans, Grilled Nectarines & a Brush with Fame

 

Some of you may or may not know that I was recently approached through my other website by Food Network to audition for Grill It! -- Bobby Flay's newest addition to his long list of successful shows! Bobby Flay is my absolute favorite celebrity chef of all of them so this was quite exciting for me!  I was one of the finalists but wasn't ultimately chosen, definitely disappointing but I gained some new friends, some new insight, helpful advice & hopefully, later on, something will come out of the experience & you'll see me next to my cooking idol, Bobby Flay one day! Anyway, I have attached the recipes for the dishes I made for that show & the video is attached, as well so you can check it out! My Herb Gremolata is so delicious & a base for so many recipes & can be used in so many applications, you will definitely want to grab that one for your recipe box!

So let's get started....

 

Michelle's Fresh Herb Gremolata

Place 1 cup each of fresh basil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme & fresh oregano, 4 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt,  1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil in a food processor and blend to a paste.

** I personally make this in large batches of 4 times this size & keep it on hand to use for everything.

 

                                            

 

Eggplant is related to the tomato and potato as part of the nightshade family. It is actually a fruit, specifically a berry, though it is referred to as a vegetable.  In this recipe, I used the smaller Italian or baby eggplant. I find that it has a better flavor. This is just a great simple recipe and it would be an easy recipe to take tailgating, to a party or to a picnic, as well. Just make sure you cut up the eggplant just prior to using it so that it doesn’t discolor. In this recipe I call for rosemary & garlic goat cheese but feel free to substitute any flavors that you like. We’re fortunate, we get our goat cheese direct from the farmer who raises the goats and handmakes the cheese in all kinds of delicious flavors, it really is magnificent. His farm is In the Red Farm and we usually get our cheese from him at the Raleigh Farmer's Market. If you’re interested in an organic source such as ours, I suggest checking with your local or state farmer’s market to help you locate one or you can go to Local Harvest.Org, as well to find one that's near you.  Mangiamo!

  

Grilled Eggplant Neopolitans

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS minced fresh rosemary leaves

1 TBS minced fresh basil leaves
Freshly Ground Sea Salt and black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 baby or Italian eggplants
2 medium tomatoes  
1/4 pound rosemary & garlic goat cheese, crumbled (Substitute soy-based cheese alternate to create vegan entrée)

Optional – shredded mozzarella to top off

 

Prepare the grill so that the temperature on 1 side is hotter and the other is just medium-low.  If you cannot do this, then get the temperature to medium and really watch your veggies closely.

Whisk together the vinegar, rosemary, basil then salt and pepper, to taste. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. ***

Wash the eggplant and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch slices. Cut the tomatoes crosswise into 1/3-inch slices. Place the vegetables on a tray or in a bowl and brush generously with the dressing.  

Grill the eggplant until it’s just cooked, on the hotter side of the grill, 3 to 5 minutes per side, brush with more yummy dressing. Grill the tomato slices for 1 minute per side. Transfer the vegetables to a tray as they finish grilling.

Arrange stacks of vegetables on the cooler side of the grill: start with the eggplant, add a slice of tomato, then add some crumbled goat cheese. Then layer in reverse with the eggplant ending on top with a small dollop of goat cheese and a bit of mozzarella if you opted for it. Cover the grill and cook the stacks 2 to 4 more minutes or until the cheese melts.  Voila! You have a meal or a fabulous snack!

***Sidenote – this vinaigrette is also wonderful on all kinds of salads. You simply must try it.

                                                                                           

                                           

Next it is all about dessert & this is a great spring & summer dessert, so easy, very impressive & delicious – Grilled Nectarines with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce!

After washing your nectarines, cut them in half & remove the stone. You can use a store bought brand of raspberry chipotle sauce or you can make your; own see my recipe below. Brush a little of the sauce on the entire inside of the nectarine halves. Place them, insides down on a grill with medium heat. These will take just a couple of minutes. You want them on long enough to make some nice grill marks but not long enough to make your fruit mushy or mealy. I thinned out a little of the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce with a few tablespoons of simple syrup to drizzle over the nectarines & put them in a little bed of it.  Then top with some fresh whipped cream & garnish with a sprig of mint – these are so delicious!

RASPBERRY CHIPOTLE SAUCE

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 cup small diced onion                                                                                                        

2 cloves minced garlic  

2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped

2 pints fresh raspberries, rinsed or frozen raspberries thawed & drained 

1/4 cup raspberry balsamic vinegar 

1/4 cup red wine  

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 teaspoon sea salt or salt to taste (This is approximate)

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft and slightly caramelized, 4 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 1 minute. Add the chipotle chiles and cook, stirring continuously, for 1 minute. Add the raspberries and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vinegar & wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Add the molasses and salt, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until thickened and reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool before using.

For a clear glaze, strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing on the solids with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. If you prefer the more chunky style with solids left in it, after it has cooled a bit, put it in a food processor to smooth it out or leave it and use it as is.

DON’T FORGET TO CHECK OUT MY VIDEO RIGHT HERE:

 

        

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Eclectic Kitchen™: Sauteed Haricot Verts & Some Liver for Good Measure

Keith just loves good liver & onions --- I’m not much for the organ meat but --- who am I to deprive someone of their desire? We just went to the Spring Run Market last week & we got some fresh grass-fed beef liver from Nooherooka Natural & I got the Guanciale I used to sautee the French beans in from Rainbow Meadow Farms. Now, if you live close to us, you need to check out the Spring Run Market, we are buying from local organic farmers. We’re not only helping our community, we’re eating healthier. We all can certainly stand to & need to eat healthier to put less strain on our bodies, our wallets, our health insurance and our health system.  This is something me and Keith believe is each person’s responsibility to self, to family and to country. Another thing that is truly important to all of us, we all need to help our local farmers, you can find CSA’s, coops & farmer’s markets in your area by going to Local Harvest.Org & putting in your zip code to locate any of these organizations in your area.  Trust me, you’ll eat better, you’ll be supporting your own community and you’ll be helping to save a great natural resource like our farmers.

 

Now, back to this to liver & onions, which honestly take’s a back seat to those fantastic sautéed French beans! First, I rendered the Guanciale (lardons cured in garlic & thyme) in a sautee pan, then poured some of the drippings into the pan for the liver. I supplemented the drippings in the liver pan with a little olive oil. I added a half of a sliced sweet onion to the pan & let them sizzle until they were just transparent & then added the liver. It was prepped with fresh cracked pepper. The liver cooks very quickly because it’s sliced so thin & it needs to be done quickly or it will turn very tough. I cooked the liver until a little browning occurred on the edges & then flipped it, I did the same on the other side, and began smothering it with the onions so the onions wouldn’t cook any longer. After taking out the liver, with the drippings, I added a cup of coconut milk to create a  healthful gravy, I added some fresh cracked pepper & a little sea salt, to taste. Keith loved it! He even had some leftovers to take to lunch!

 

Now for the star of the show, post lardon rendering, I left the lardons in the pan and into the French bean pan went some minced shallots & finely chopped garlic - 3 cloves. After those sizzled for a minute or two, I added the beans & turned them to fully coat, in the drippings. I stirred frequently for several minutes & then after giving them a good dusting of cracked pepper & sea salt, I covered the pan to let them finish cooking. They were still crisp but tender after about 7 minutes, so I splashed a little balsamic vinegar over them & they were absolutely delectable!

 

Check them out! You need to cook up some of these soon! Bon appétit!

 

 

        

Well – I imagine it seemed as though winter would never go away…yes, I am sick of it, too! But the sun has been out, the temperatures have been up and there have been all signs of spring coming to life. My iris & lilies are starting to show their faces so I know what that means it’s time….and I’m so ready for my organic herbs! Trust me, there’s nothing better than fresh organic herbs to get you into the spirit of spring! I am SO there & I am SO ready! I’ve been missing my little organic bunches of love so and I cannot wait to get the seedlings started & get them going!

I’ve always had a fresh organic herb garden growing each year and the way your food tastes

with these herbs – nothing compares.

Once you grow an herb garden, you’ll never want to cook without them!

 

So - I’ve sown my seeds in earth friendly little seed starter compost containers. – And…I won’t even have to disturb my plants when transplanting they’ll just go right into the ground – container & all! Take a look!

I’ve already got healthy plants of rosemary, thyme, oregano, lemon grass, parsley, sage & lemon verbena that are beginning to come back around so I’ve sown seeds of basil, cilantro, tarragon, mint & I wanted another oregano plant so I did some more oregano.

 

Spring has sprung so get out and plant your own fresh herb garden & make sure you come back soon to the Eclectic Kitchen™ to learn how to incorporate those fresh babies into your cooking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                   Remember "Variety, flavors & herbs are the spices of life.™"

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Eclectic Kitchen™: Grilling Two Steaks with the Effort of One

This is like the old adage killing two birds with one stone…When you’re like me, you’re busy, you have a lot of irons in the fire and a schedule that rivals Madonna’s.  Now, as much as I love to cook and find that cooking and the kitchen are my sanctuary…even, I dare say my nirvana, I do need to be efficient at times and do some multi-tasking when I’m in there or in this case - at the grill. If you’re going to go through all the trouble to fire up the grill, doesn’t it makes sense to throw on a little extra beef  (or maybe chicken)  to cover for another meal or maybe even two?

 

We love grilling a good London Broil or a juicy sirloin in addition to whatever steak we’re having for dinner, to slice up and use for steak salads or steak & eggs as a quick fix meal on another night when we have plans, a late night at work or we know we won’t have time to cook an entire meal.

 

I just start with a rub of a little olive oil all over the steaks, then a bit of cracked pepper and end with a light sprinkling of brisket rub. Throw those babies on the grill and pull em off when you find they’re done. We prefer medium – to medium rare, mmmm - excellente.   Refrigerate the extra steak, whole and uncut until you need it then slice it up to put it over your favorite salad fixins. This keeps it nice and juicy so the refrigerator doesn’t dry it out.

 

Or you can use it for a quick dinner of steak & eggs – Take the steak out of the refrigerator after you first get home from work & let it sit on the counter to bring it to room temperature -- no nuking & no reheating to dry out your moist steak.  Once it’s at room temp, move your steak to the plate or dish you plan to eat from. Then cook your eggs & while they’re nice & piping hot, place them over the steak, then cover tightly with a piece of foil for a few minutes, you can add cheese now, too if you want & this will get your steak just a tad bit warm but not hot & will melt your cheese. I like mine like this. For those that have to have a hot steak, you can always throw it in the skillet before the eggs & warm it through. 

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My favorite steak salad is over baby greens, with chopped celery, sliced baby cucumbers, sliced onions, avocado chunks, shredded carrots, sliced strawberries, sliced peaches, Clementine segments, chopped walnuts and fresh goat cheese with Raspberry Vinaigrette. Steak salad is so filling and so quick to put together. Our kids love it, too! Mmm, that’s what we’re having for dinner tonight!  Yum!

 

 

 

 

Raspberry-Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/8 cup Pomegranate Vinegar

1/3 cup Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Light Olive Oil

3 TBS Fresh OJ

1 TBS Dried Orange Peel

1 TBS Brown Sugar (You can use regular sugar)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt (I use a mill)

1 Finely Minced Shallot

1 tsp Poppy Seeds

1 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice (if you don't have this - a dash each of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice will do)

 

Honestly, I don't measure this out, I've never had a recipe, this is something I just put together. I eyeball this and do it by sight. These are approximate values, I got from walking it through, today. I usually make up a large double batch of this. It seems like a lot to do or measure but really once you get this down it takes a couple of minutes to whip it together, the shallot takes the most time. It's really easy and so flavorful.

 

 

 

        

 

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                            Moroccan Chicken