Eggs florentine

Eggs Florentine

This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLorentis

Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
4 slices bacon 
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 cups (5 ounces) baby spinach
3/4 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup grated Romano cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 tomatoes, trimmed and cut into 1-inch thick slices
Directions
Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray.
Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely before crumbling into small pieces.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until the spinach has wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Fill a small saucepan with 3 inches of water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and the lemon juice. Bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. Crack an egg in a small bowl, taking care not to break the yolk. Slowly slide the egg into the water. Using a wooden spoon, carefully stir the water around the egg. Cook for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until the white has set and the yolk is still soft. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining eggs.
To serve, place a tomato slice on each salad plate and season with salt and pepper. Spoon 1/4 of the spinach sauce over the tomato slice. Top with a poached egg and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon 
Happy cooking! 

Puff pastry sticky buns

Puff Pastry Sticky Buns

This recipe is from Ina Gartens' The Barefoot Contessa. Super easy and yummy! Thanks Ina!
I  really wanted to add this to my blog, so I can have this recipe around for a while!



1 pkg puff pastry, thawed and chilled
12 T butter, un salted and softened
1/3 c light brown sugar, plus 1/3 cup brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans
1/2 c raisins
1 t. Cinnamon

 Mix butter and brown sugar together till fluffy,  place 1 T in the bottom of each muffin cup, add chopped pecans

Place dough on counter, unroll and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar, raisins,
and cinnamon all over. Roll up jelly roll style. Cut in half, the half again then again, until you have sliced the whole roll. Repeat with other sheet of dough. Place all 12 into muffin tins, pat down.
Bake at 400 degrees for abut 30 minutes. Turn out on to a large pan, upside down to serve. Enjoy!
Happy cooking! 

Roasted asparagus with panko

Roasted asparagus

With garlic and panko

Adapted from Mario Batalis 

March edition of food and wine 2013

2 lb Asparagus

2T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 C butter

1/4 C Olive oil

7 Anchovies 

2 Cloves Garlic, minced

1 C Panko bread crumbs

1/2 C grated Romano cheese

1T chopped Parsley

2 t lemon Zest

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

Toss Asparagus with 2 T olive Oil. Place on large sheet pan and roast for 20 minutes on 425 degrees in oven, or 10 min in convection oven until brown.

In a large skillet, add 1/4 C Olive Oil, 1/4 C butter, stir over medium heat.  Add anchovies and cook until dissolved. Add garlic, cook until golden, add panko and toss until golden. Transfer asparagus to platter, squeeze lemon juice, top with Panko, Romano cheese, lemon zest and parsley. Lovely, enjoy!

Cheesy Dog Cookies

Cheesy Dog Cookies

I don't know about you, but I have 3 dogs and buying their treats

commercially can be pricey! Plus I don't trust what they put into them! Here is an easy fast and cheap recipe to make for your prized pooches!

1 egg beaten

1/2 C Whole plain Yogurt

1/2 C ground flax seed

2 cubes of chicken broth or 2 T better than bullion chicken

1/2 C grated cheddar cheese, small grate

1/4 C Olive Oil

1 C plus 1/4 is as needed, to make a stiff dough. Flour or whole wheat flour or rice flour

Mix all ingredients together, adding flour to make a very stiff

dough. Roll dough into balls, bake on cookie sheet at 300 for 20 to 25 minutes! Even you can eat these! Make them vegan by using vegetable broth. If using bullion cubes, you will need to crush the cubes and dissolve in a little bit of warm water.

Enjoy! Happy dog cookie making! Next time, Ill give you a recipe for peanut butter dog cookies!

Fettuccini carbonara, con pollo

1 lb fettuccini pasta, cooked al dente
1/4 lb. bacon or pancetta, chopped
3 shallots minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C frozen peas
1 lb chicken breasts grilled
1/4 lb butter
1 C half and half
1 C grated Romano cheese

Sautée bacon in large skillet. Add shallot, cook till translucent. Add garlic, peas, chicken, butter, half and half and cheese. Stir and heat through. Add pasta. Toss to coat. Serve with salad and garlic bread.
This recipe is not low fat, nor vegan. Happy cooking! Thanks for your support!

Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa

I especially love this dish with Fish Tacos. Just Grill your favorite fish, steam a corn tortilla, add some shredded cabbage, a slice of avocado,  a squeeze of lime and this salsa! A vegan alternative would be just to leave out the fish. You can add some grilled veggies instead!

1 Mango diced

1/4 small red onion diced

1/2 lime, juiced

1/4 t salt

1/4 pepper

2 small red serrano peppers diced

1/2 c cilantro chopped

Combine all ingredients, let set for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle! Enjoy! Happy Cooking! 

Panuchos

Panuchos

In honor of my recent trip to Los Cabos, MX

This is a wonderful delight adapted from the pages of Sunset Magazine,

by Chef Gilberto Cetina!

1 lb chicken breast

1T vinegar

4 t achoite paste

3 T Olive oil, evoo

2 t  kosher salt, divided

1 Can black beans, drained. reserve liquid

1/2 C minced onion

2 1/3 C masa, corn prepared

Toppings:

1/4 C vinegar

1/2 Medium red onion diced

2 green lettuces leaves

1 plum tomato

1 ripe avocado

Habanero sauce

Marinade chicken in a mixture of 1T vinegar, 4 t achoite  paste, 2t evoo, 1/4 t salt. Coat chicken well, then grill over medium heat until throughly cooked. Let cool, shred chicken. Puree black beans with liquid until creamy consistency. Stir fry 1/4 C onion in 1 T evoo until golden, stir in beans, heating thru. Turn off heat set aside. Meanwhile, Marinade remaining onion in vinegar, drain when ready to assemble Panuchos.

With a tortilla press, or rolling pin, roll small dough balls of masa into 4 inch tortillas. Cook on hot griddle about 1 min each side, pressing tortilla down to force it to puff up. Create a pocket in the tortilla, then fill with 1 spoonful of beans, chicken, lettuce, tomato, avocado,  drained onion, and habanero sauce! Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!