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 eggs

1/4 cup shredded mozarella

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, 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 4 pieces & overlap. Then crack the eggs over the top of the cheese being careful not to break yokes. Salt & pepper, to taste then cover with shredded mozarella. Place ramekins on 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 brunch! Bon Appetito!

Baked Eggs Florentine Breakfast

 Well – I imagine it seemed as though I abandoned this blog altogether –but not the case. It’s been hectic around our house, packing, getting ready to move, trying to sell our house, having a moving sale and open houses. Then there was this little storm you might have heard about named Ike, well he looked like he was headed our direction but just as we prepared for his arrival he decided to descend upon my family in Texas, instead. They have a little less practice with hurricanes than we do. Although, lately, they’re starting to receive more than their fair share.  So – it’s been crazy here to say the least. 

I do have wine tastings to catch you up on & during that time away, I did manage to also celebrate my step-son’s birthday the Big 1-8! Woohoo! Now what do you serve to a bunch of teenagers when all their taste is in their mouths? You got it! Pizza! No, I didn’t order Pizza Hut & call it a day! No, that wouldn’t do – my kids do have a little more going for their taste buds than that – they do, after all – have me. No, I made homemade gourmet pizza. Now I know what you’re thinking but seriously, it’s not all that difficult –or at least — it doesn’t have to be. You can, cheat on the crust, there are some great crusts out there and I wholeheartedly believe when that work is already done & it’s that good there’s nothing wrong with saving yourself some time. Whole Foods has a great crust you can purchase and if you like to buy in some serious bulk, Sam’s has them in a case of 20. They are both wonderful pizza dough.  My secret is in the sauce/spread I use which is the recipe in today’s blog. I use this not only for pizza but on steaks, chicken, pork chops, pasta, vegetables, in dipping oil for bread, you can use it literally on anything you want. It is amazing. My husband swears I should bottle it and sell it. But I’ll just settle for spreading the word here.

Let’s get started with making a pizza, though. First, you’ll want to spray or spread some olive oil on your pizza pan, if you have a pizza stone, then of course, use that but don’t oil it.  Next, knead or toss your dough and spread it out to the size of the pan. After that you’ll want to brush olive oil all over the top of the crust, then brush the sauce/spread all over the top of the crust leaving a 1” border all the way around the outside, this will be the same for all the ingredients we add, nothing will go inside this 1” border. The next order of business is to slice roma tomatoes and place them all over the crust. Then take pieces of prosciutto and lay them all over the pizza in between the tomatoes slices. Mouth starting to water, yet? Then place small dollops of ricotta cheese around the tomatoes & the prosciutto;  chiffonade some fresh basil and scatter it all over the top of the pizza. The final act is to be sure to put a thick layer of shredded mozzarella that covers all the areas of the pizza inside the 1” border. I have all different kinds of flavored oils so at this point, I opt to sprinkle the top of the pizza with some flavored oil. If you have some, by all means use it or you can just use extra virgin olive oil if you like or nothing at all if you’d rather save the calories and fat. Place it in the center of a 350° oven and bake for approximately 12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown in areas. When you bring it out be prepared for a battle over who gets the biggest piece to ensue! Make plenty and keep them coming! I promise it’ll be a hit!

Eclectic Kitchen Margherita Pizza

Fresh Herb Sauce Blend

Place 1 cup each of fresh basil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme, 2 garlic cloves, 1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt & 1 tsp. 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.

Fresh Herb Sauce Blend

Bread w/ Fresh Herb Sauce Blend & EVOO

Fresh Rosemary in the Eclectic Kitchen Herb Garden

Love gourmet food but don’t have time to fuss with the gourmet process? I hear ya! I am so tired sometimes I almost, that is almost, feel too tired to eat – let alone prepare a gourmet meal. I certainly don’t think eating fast food or a bowl of cereal is going to make me “feel better,” either. I love gourmet food but suffer from ADD so I have no patience when it comes to preparing it or waiting around for this step or that step so I have figured out how to get gourmet food flavors without the gourmet food wait and processes. This is a seriously quick gourmet meal. You will not believe how quickly it comes together, how divine it tastes and truly it is fairly low in fat unlike a lot of gourmet. I opt for light cream and light butter and you’re using so little to start out, quite in keeping with — everything in moderation.

Fresh Basil & Sage in the Eclectic Kitchen Herb Garden

I adore lamb so when I saw these lamb blade chops, I jumped at the chance to do something other than a typical leg of lamb.  After washing them, sprinkle fresh cracked pepper over them and press it in.  You’ll want to squeeze the lemon from the lemon you’ll zest first for the Citrus Creamed Spinach  you’ll have with this, over them. Once that’s done, slather Dijon mustard all over, then sprinkle them with dried thyme, basil, rosemary & sage. Then place a few fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme & basil on top of them as they grill. A few minutes per side on a hot grill is all it takes to grill them to perfection. Serve them with the Citrus Creamed Spinach (recipe below) and a bowl of mixed fruit for a well rounded gourmet meal. This meal is done in no time and it is so incredible.  A nice glass of wine and you’re dining at Chez Gourmet.  Bon Appetit!

Fresh Baby Spinach

Citrus Creamed Spinach

12 cups fresh baby spinach

1/2 cup light cream (If you like your spinach wetter you can add ¼ cup)

2 teaspoons orange zest, finely grated  (Put the orange segments in your mixed fruit bowl)

2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated  (Use the lemon on the lamb blade chops)

2 teaspoons light butter

1/2 cup minced shallots

pinch of nutmeg

sea salt, to taste

Optional – 4 tablespoons sliced almonds, toasted   

Heat butter over medium heat in sauté pan and add shallots. Cook until shallots are translucent. Add spinach and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add cream & citrus zest to spinach and cook until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Season with a pinch of nutmeg and sea salt to taste.  Garnish with sliced almonds.

Grilled Lamb w/Citrus Creamed Spinach

Italian or Baby Eggplant

This is a must read - for those looking for a

fabulous hors d’oeuvre, a hearty side dish, or a wonderful

vegetable main course.  With a little modification, it

could be a fully vegan entrée – so look no further.

Filling? Yes it is. Meaty? Uh huh.

Flavor? Out of this world, delicious!

Right now, is the peak season for……eggplant.

Sliced Eggplant With Tomatoes

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 for the fall and it would be an easy

recipe to take tailgating, 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 handmakesthe cheese in all

kinds of delicious flavors,

it really is magnificent.

If you’re interested in an organic

source such as ours, I suggest your local

or state farmer’s market to help you locate one

or you can go to localharvest.org, as well. Mangiamo!

Sliced Eggplant & Tomatoes

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.

Grilled Eggplant Neopolitans w/Tomato, Goat Cheese & Mozarella

Cheesy and Creamy, So, So, So Good… 

When my kids were growing up I never seemed to know how many to make dinner for. There were always a couple of extra “hollow-legs-syndromed” teens about. This was my salvation dinner. I actually caught one of my sons friends lick off his plate; while mumbling “….Mrs.B. this was just delish….”

It will work and taste just great if you want to make it from scratch or just use the boxed kind. This was one of the recipes I had to downsize for my daughter to take along to College. I’ll include both sized recipes.

Ingredients for a family sized casserole. (from scratch version)

·                  1 pkg pasta (2 lbs or 900grams) I like rottini or fusilli noodles the best, they never clump together, but what-ever kind is on hand is just fine.

·                  1 lb (450 grams) ground beef or ground chicken or ground turkey (left over cooked roast or chicken or any type of meat are just perfect too)

·                  1 lb (450 grams) mozzarella or medium Cheddar (more cheese if you like it gooey-er)

·                  2 cups (450 ml) of plain yogurt

·                  2 cups of small broccoli florets (can be replaced with mixed frozen veggies)

·                  salt and pepper to taste

·                  1/2 cup breadcrumbs (optional)

·                  2 tablespoons of cheese powder (optional for extra cheesier flavor)

Methodology:

Add pasta to boiling salted water and cook al-dente & drain. Blanche broccoli florets also in salted boiling water & drain. Quick saute ground chicken (if using ground beef drain off grease). Grate cheese (reserve a handful for topping)

Mix all ingredients well except breadcrumbs. Pour into deep oven-safe casserole dish and sprinkle with reserved grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake in 425 degree Fahrenheit oven for 15-20 minutes. To have a nice browned crust place under broil for 2 minutes.

Tips: If a couple of unannounced visitors pop in just add an extra handful of pasta the rest of the ingredients will stretch over just fine. Serve with a garden salad for a balanced meal.

Using boxed Mac&Cheese version: perfect for the college “scholars”…

·                  1 box Mac&cheese

·                  1/4-1/2 lb ground meat (if ground beef drain off fat)

·                  3 tablespoons of grated cheese for topping (or 3-4 thin cheese slices)

·                  1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

·                  1/2 cup fresh or frozen vegetables

Follow cooking instruction on box. Cut back a little on milk when mixing cheese powder and add yogurt. If using frozen veggies cook in microwave a couple of minutes. If using fresh can be blanched in microwave too. Combine all ingredients; pour into casserole dish. Cover with grated cheese or slices. Bake in 425 degree oven 8-10 minutes or in microwave until topping cheese is melted and bubbly (depending on microwave no more then 3-5 minutes). Now if a bagged salad is added this should be enough for dinner and next day lunch.

Tip: “Scholars” using your ‘photo-optioned-cell-phone’ take a quick click of you and send it to Mom (she will cry with happiness knowing she has instilled healthy food options into you). Enjoy……

 This is so simple and easy, you won’t believe it. It will become one of your go to meals, I promise. Chop up cooked or grilled chicken or if you really want to be a time saver, you can even buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store for this recipe. Place your chopped chicken in a large bowl. Add mayonnaise & mild curry powder to the chopped chicken, to your taste and preference. My family prefers a heavy curry flavor and lighter on the mayo. So the chicken is just coated with mayo but the salad isn’t dripping with it. In one cup increments chop up celery, apples, walnuts, green onions, and halve 2 cups of red grapes. (Make sure you vary these amounts if you have a lot of chicken. – this recipe is based on the amount of chopped chicken you’d get from one small roaster chicken.)  After you have incorporated the mayo and curry powder then throw in all the remaining ingredients and toss to combine well. Add mayo and curry powder, if needed. I usually serve this with sliced avocados and tomatoes and a nice fresh fruit assortment of melon, peaches and berries. It’s a great low-fat, healthy meal that even your kids will love. Enjoy!

 1 1/2 pounds of good dried spaghetti noodles (100% semolina)
Veggie substitute for 1 1/2 pounds of hamburger(optional)
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 medium zucchini, diced
1 pound sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon Italian herb seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 extra large jar spaghetti sauce (your favorite)
2 cups water
Vegan parmesan-like topping
Dice, slice or chop all ingredients in whatever way appeals to you. Buy them diced or sliced if you can. Make it easy on yourself. Heat a large saute pan on medium heat. Add olive oil. Add fennel, black pepper, garlic powder, celery and onion. Saute until onion is softened and fennel is aromatic.
You’ll need a five-quart or larger crock pot. Break spaghetti in half, unless it will fit in your cooker whole. Put half the jar of spaghetti sauce in the crock pot, then add the other ingredients. Top with the rest of the sauce. Stir ingredients gently to mix.
Add water to spaghetti sauce jar, then shake to remove the last of the sauce. Pour into crock pot. Turn crock pot to high and cover. Stir every hour, making a point to keep the noodles from sticking to each other. Serve when hot and thoroughly cooked, approximately 4 to 6 hours.

You can also use canned tomatoes and a bit of tomato paste to replace the jarred sauce. In that case, double the seasonings (well, don’t double the fennel), and you’ll probably want to add some salt, although I don’t. You can substitute other veggies if you don’t like the ones I’ve named. Corn would add to the protein, but then it wouldn’t be as pseudo-Italian. And that one I probably wouldn’t serve to Mario or Martha. Well, I might, I just wouldn’t call it Spaghetti. Actually, you could use whatever noodle shape you want and call it anything you like.
That’s it, next time I’m using rotini and I’m adding corn. I love corn. Diced red and green bell peppers would be good, too. In fact maybe I’ll use the frozen corn that already has peppers in it. See? You can vary this infinitely according to what you like and have on hand. It can’t help but be delicious.
If you must, you can use browned hamburger instead of meat substitute, but then it won’t be vegetarian. You can also use genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano, Peccorino Romano, Asiago, or any other cheese to top the dish, but then, of course, it won’t be vegan.

Ok, well, maybe not a delicacy, but certainly delicate. And sought after, because I am a very frugal mama.

I’m not quite sure why I have issue with spending .69 cents per pound (CDN) considering the trouble it takes to get them to cottage country, Ontario. But, I NEVER buy banana’s “fresh”. Because it’s inevidible that there will be a ten pound bag of nasty looking bananas on the markdown rack for .99c at the big grocery store. Or in a basket for .19c a pound at the mom and pop down town. (and that shop knows me so well, that they’ve been known to just GIVE me the spotted and blackened skinned bananas.)

So, they are such a big find for us because I am the queen of banana bread. At any given time, there are at least one or two banana bags in my freezer.

What, you didn’t know you could freeze them? Oh yeah…I like to put them into a grocery bag, but it’s not necessary. When you want them, take them out of the freezer and cut off the tops. Let them thaw for a bit, then squeeze the “guts” out of the skins, like a tube. (It looks REALLY horrible, but it still does the job, and without having to mash them.)

I digress. Which is typical. Use this in your favourite banana bread recipe, or use them in banana milk shakes. Or try this Peanut Butter Banana muffin recipe.

3 Bananas,
1/4 cup oil,
1/2cup sugar,
pinch of salt,
1 beaten egg,
1 tsp vanilla,
1 1/2 cup flour,
1 tsp baking soda,
1 tsp baking powder,
1/2 cup peanut butter.

Add oil to the bananas, sugar and salt. Mix well, then add egg, vanilla and fold in peanut butter. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda over the mixture, mixing only enough to moisten flour. Drop by spoonfuls into a greased muffin tin for 12 muffins. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

Raspberry-Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Steak Salad with Raspberry-Pomegranate Vinaigrette

1/8 cup Pomegranate Vinegar

1/3 cup Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Light Olive Oil (I use Bertolli)

3 TBS Fresh OJ

1 TBS Dried Orange Peel

1 TBS Brown Sugar (You can use regular sugar)

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

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.

Last week I lamented the fact that many so-called “five minute” recipes. . . aren’t:  They may take five minutes to cook or to prepare, but they almost never are only five minutes from prep to table. So now I’ve been searching for the elusive “three-ingredient-recipe”: Trouble is, while many so-named recipes have three “main” ingredients, there are usually several other “staple” (flour, sugar, oil) ingredients as well.

While these faux three-ingredient-recipes can work for the person with a well-stocked kitchen who is just looking for something simple, the person who really has very limited food supplies on hand (or has a physical/mental limitation that makes most cooking difficult) might find such recipes useless.

It is true, though, that unless one is using a lot of prepared foods (i.e. canned soups and the like) it can be difficult to develop recipies that include only three ingredients. Thus, I’ve allowed a tiny bit of leeway in this list: The recipes may include water, salt, and ground black pepper as ingredients in addition to three other ingredients. Most people who are cooking have access to water, and likely do have salt and pepper on hand.

(Of course, while salt has numerous functions in cooking, black pepper serves only as seasoning, so one might be able to skip it in a pinch.)

Enjoy!

1. Fake Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a crockpot recipe, so it will require 6-7 hours cooking time, but the advance preparation may make it more convenient for some.

2. Three Ingredient Recipes by Donna Smith

This writer features a whole bunch of three ingredient recipes. Enjoy!

3. Beach Boys Pot Roast

Another yummy-sounding crock pot recipe. I really, really want to try this garlicky, peppery delight. Really. Yum.  Where is that crock pot?

4. 3-2-1 Beer Bread

This looks simple enough. Granted, most college age boys don’t have sugar or flour in their pantries, but they should be all set with the beer.

5. Oven Roasted Strawberries

This is an oldie but goodie from a cookbook review by the New York Times

6. Six Low-Carb Recipes from SheKnows.com

Entrees, side dishes and even a dessert. All with three ingredients, all low-carb!

7. Three Ingredient Recipes at RecipeSecrets.net

The great folks at RecipeSecrets.net have a forum dedicated to three ingredient recipes!

8. Squash “Noodles” with Tomato Sauce

Here is a clever, and low-carb, “fake pasta” recipe.

9. Parmesan Crusted Pork Tenderloin at FabulousFoods.com

Another flavorful and simple low-carb recipe.

10. Homemade Tortillas at Feedingtimeathezoo.com

Homemade tortillas? I am SO there.