Maple-Dijon Bacon and Creamy Eggs over Asparagus

Breakfast for dinner is one of my favorite meals. I love breakfast foods--and rarely get the chance to eat them in the morning. I saw these recipes on "5 Ingredient Fix" as part of a larger brunch but didn't feel the need for more. The bacon is glazed with maple syrup and Dijon mustard, so it's sweet but not too, and it literally melts in your mouth when you eat it. Baking it in the oven makes it super easy.



The eggs are soft and creamy, fully cooked, though, and without using any cream. They're slow- and low-cooked, so the protein doesn't develop into large curds. I cooked the asparagus on the stove, vs in the oven per the recipe, but either way works just fine. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Spinach and Feta Mini Quiches in Phyllo

Quiche is pretty straightforward--a few eggs, milk, seasonings and some kind of filling. Making the crust, however, takes a little more effort. Phyllo dough is a nice solution--and it's lighter as well. I layered four sheets of phyllo, lightly brushed with olive oil in between, and then sliced the stack into six pieces. Each sixth was pressed into a greased muffin tin cup, repeating with more phyllo as needed, and then filled with the custard mixture and baked.


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Spinach and Three-Cheese Soufflé

I keep saying this because it's true: soufflés are a lot easier to make than they seem, and they're always a big hit. Even if your soufflé doesn't rise sky-high, if you put sufficient flavor in the base, it will still taste good. But you can protect against low rising by adding an extra egg white, giving the beaten whites just a little more volume. For this soufflé, I lightly steamed some baby spinach--and I could have used a lot more, but I only had about a cup or two raw--and then squeezed it dry and chopped it fine. For the cheeses, I grated Parmesan, Gouda, and a goat Brie--but you can use what you like.


Alongside this, we had steamed asparagus with toasted hazelnuts


And a mixed berry salad



 Spinach and Three-Cheese Souffle

10 eggs, separated (you'll need 10 whites and 8 yolks)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
6 Tbs unsalted butter
6 Tbs flour
2 c hot milk
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 bag baby spinach (steamed, squeezed dry, and chopped fine, or you can use frozen)
2 c grated cheese (use whatever combination you like)

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a large souffle dish well, and then coat with grated cheese (like you would with flour for a cake.)

1. Start by making the white sauce: melt the butter, then add in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes.  Then add the hot milk and whisk til it's smooth and thickened.  Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

2. Off the heat, add the egg yolks, one or two at a time, and whisking them in quickly so they don't scramble. Then add the chopped spinach and cheese and mix well.  Pour this mixture into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

3. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, starting slowly and working your way up to high speed.  Beat til the egg whites are stiff but not dry.

4. Whisk about one quarter of the egg whites into the sauce mixture.  Then, carefully fold the rest of the whites into that mixture, til it's well blended (a few little bits of white are ok, better to keep the volume.)

5. Pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish.  Carefully put this into the oven, and turn the heat down to  375 degrees.  Bake for 25-30 min.--and don't open the oven til it's about done, browned on top and not too jiggly.  If it seems not quite ready, cook for a few minutes more, but it will continue cooking even out of the oven, too.  Serve immediately.

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Grilled Chicken Vindaloo and Naan

Tonight's meal was going to be lasagna, but somehow it evolved to this tasty Indian feast. We had grilled chicken vindaloo, grilled tofu vindaloo, fresh naan, grilled summer squash and zucchini, asparagus, and basmati rice. There were also homemade mango chutney and raita. Mango Chutney 2 Champagne or Ataulfo mangoes, peeled, cored, and diced (they don't have to be perfectly ripe) 1/2 c chopped onion 1 tsp minced jalapeno (or more, to taste) 3 Tbs fresh lime juice 3 Tbs each finely chopped fresh mint and cilantro 1-2 tsp freshly grated or ground ginger 2 tsp brown sugar 1 tsp cumin, quickly toasted in a pan salt In a saute pan, combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and let just barely simmer til the mixture has thickened slightly. Taste, and adjust the seasonings. You might want to double this, because it will be eaten--and quickly. I made this last night and there's only a skimpy tablespoon left. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mother's Day

To all the mothers out there--and most especially my mom-- I want to wish you a very happy Mother's Day! This year I made dinner for my mom, taking advantage of the best of spring flavors. We had spice-rubbed grilled chicken, cornmeal-crusted tofu, asparagus, tomato salad with arugula, and rosemary roasted potatoes. For dessert, we had a tart and creamy key lime pie, along with juicy strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar (one of my mom's--and my--favorites.)

Kt's Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust (9-10 crushed graham crackers, melted butter, sugar)

14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/2-3/4 c fresh lime juice, depending on how tart you like it

zest of 1-2 limes

4 egg yolks

3/4 c heavy whipping cream

2 Tbs sugar

1-2 tsp vanilla

lime zest

chocolate shavings

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the sweetened condensed milk, lime juice and zest, and egg yolks until smooth. Pour into the graham cracker crust -- it won't reach all the way to the top.

Bake for 20-25 min., til only the very middle jiggles slightly. Let cool for 15 min., and then chill for at least an hour. Then beat together the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla til fairly stiff and spread evenly on top of the chilled pie. Top with additional lime zest and chocolate shavings.

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Memorial Weekend Cookout

Happy Memorial Day! We had our cookout on Sunday, as our guests went home today, but it also worked out weather-wise, as today was stickier and then rainy. The chicken was a new recipe, marinated and then grilled in a homemade bbq sauce. We also had grilled tofu for the vegetarians as well as grilled fattoush made with homemade foccaccia, red beans and rice, asparagus, and then carrot cake for dessert. BBQ Chicken 2 c ketchup 1 c brown sugar 2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbs cider vinegar 1 Tbs freshly grated ginger 2-4 Tbs sesame seeds salt and pepper chicken, washed and dried (I used boneless skinless thighs and legs, but any parts will work) Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Pour a cup or so over the chicken, using more or less depending on how much chicken you have. Marinate for at least 15 min or, in the refrigerator, up to several hours. Broil or grill til fully cooked and serve with some of the extra sauce on the side. You can also refrigerate the leftover sauce (not the leftover marinade) and use it another time. Grilled fattoush, based on a recipe from Bon Appetit, cucumber sticks, and bbq chicken Red beans and rice, foccaccia, and grilled tofu Asparagus with lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt Just a slice ... carrot cake for dessert