Poached Egg over Grits

Grits and I have only been acquainted for a few years now, and we are still getting to know each other.  I love their grainy texture and their versatility when it comes to mixing in different ingredients and flavors.  This recipe makes "calcium grits", which are made in milk with cottage cheese mixed in.  The poached eggs make this a filling and comforting way to begin the day...

Classic French Omelette

We recently went to brunch at Misfit in Santa Monica and they had a "French Omelette" on their menu - we were hesitant to order it for fear of it not living up to the incredible omelettes we had enjoyed in Paris last fall.  We asked the waitress if she could describe it and if it was really a "French" omelette - but really, she wasn't going to know if it was what WE had eaten, so we skipped it and had some incredible food nonetheless.

SO, I decided to research this to see if I could make a classic "French Omelette" at home.  I followed these instructions, and I have to say, the results were pretty fantastic (while not quite identical to what we had in Paris).

It's all about using a fork to break up the eggs while cooking (and heavy on the oil/butter - the recipe called for 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter; I would only use 1 tbsp of the oil next time) and freezing the butter ahead of time.  It really doesn't take much time for the little diced cubes of butter to freeze, so just prep and freeze them while you set everything else up.  You'll incorporate half of the butter in with the eggs, and half to the heated oil. 

Have your shredded cheese (and anything else you want to incorporate in your omelette) and lid for your pan ready.  Once the oil/butter mixture is frothy, pour in egg/butter mixture, and slide fork back and forth to break up the eggs while cooking over medium heat for a few minutes.  Push eggs back together with a spatula, top with cheese, then cover for about another minute or two.  Remove from heat, and slide the omelette onto a plate, simultaneously folding it over.  Serve with toast and enjoy!

Dijon Croque Monsieur

My husband had a serious craving for a Croque Monsieur, and in the interest of saving our arteries from sure doom, I decided to make a healthier version at home for dinner... Health being relative here. HealthiER, not healthy, ok? :-)  The mustard in this recipe adds a nice touch of flavor.

I used this great "whole grain & flax" bread from Trader Joe's that I'd never tried before. It is delicious!  So much flavor, comforting, and good for you too.

I always have a jar of this "Aioli Garlic Mustard Sauce" (also from Trader Joes) on hand.  It elevates even the simplest sandwich and I'm never without a spare jar in the pantry.  Substitute this for the mustard/mayo mix called for in the recipe if you can get your hands on some.

Instead of sliced ham, I used prosciutto (just because).

When I got home, I realized the gruyere cheese I bought was actually a gruyere-cheddar blend.  Amazing.  With the addition of a slice of low-fat swiss cheese, this turned into a 3-cheese Croque. Monsieur.

Once your sandwich is assembled, coat in egg/milk mixture before grilling in a buttered pan for about 3 minutes on each side (you could skip the egg mixture and just butter the bread for a more classic grilled cheese approach):

Too tired to throw together a salad, I served alongside a sliced up apple which helped cut the heaviness of all the melted cheese... Enjoy!

Ricotta Pancakes... For Dinner!

I love breakfast for dinner.  I wish it was easier to have breakfast for lunch, because then I'd be eating b-fast ALL DAY LONG! Luckily sometimes, the husband is okay with indulging my needs for sweet dinner time... So this week we have ricotta pancakes! 

The addition of ricotta and whipping the egg whites results in some of the fluffiest pancakes you'll ever have.

Broken Pappardelle with Ricotta

This recipe wastes no time; the noodles are cooked right in the pasta sauce! Just add some water per the instructions, and once the pasta is cooked, top with ricotta, pepper, and basil, then enjoy!

Egg (trapped) inside a Heart-Shaped Hole

Throwing together a quick meal (this one takes about 5 minutes) doesn't mean it can't be special; cutting out a heart shape in your toast when making this egg in a hole recipe adds sweet charm to start your day...

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate Covered Strawberries are simple, delicious, and just feel especially appropriate in warm weather.  Whether you are entertaining or simply need a sweet treat, they are a perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth without too much guilt.  Follow these simple instructions and enjoy in less than half an hour!

Personal Deep Dish Pizzas

I love this recipe inspiration for making mini deep dish pizzas in muffin tins from Martha Stewart.  It's fun being able to make more than one type of pizza at once.  I used Trader Joe's pre-made plain white pizza dough.  Not only are these fun and versatile, but they are healthier too - they require far less cheese than when making a full size pizza.  I made two of each of the following combinations (listed in order of layers) for a total of 6 mini pizzas:

1.) Creme Fraiche, Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola Cheese, Sliced Pears

2.) Creme Fraiche, Caramelized Onions, Fontina Cheese, Gorgonzola Cheese, Sliced Grapes

3.) Tomato Sauce, Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella, Diced Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Basil (after baking)

Bake in a preheated 450 degree Fahrenheit oven for about 12 minutes.

Chocolate Caramelized Matzo

This recipe is a sweeter take on Matzo; I only made half a batch since it's too hard not to want to scarf it all down at once!

Lunchbox Salad

In an effort to be healthier (and avoid the terrible restaurant in my office building), I started bringing my own salads to work.  They only take a few minutes in the morning to throw together now that I have a working system in place.  I make the same salad for an entire week, and come up with new versions every week.  This week I am making a tuna salad.

I have a nice big ceramic container with a lid from Crate & Barrel that is fantastic for this (similar here).  Use a piece of wax paper as a divider to separate the wet and dry ingredients.  I used 1 can of light tuna mixed with vegenaise and relish for the tuna mixture.  No salad dressing needed.

Remove the divider and mix - lunch is served!

Matzo Ball Soup

Matzo Ball Soup is healthy comfort food at its finest.  It puts chicken noodle soup to shame!  I was feeling under the weather this past weekend, and making this soup set me straight.  I made it from scratch, but honestly, I've had much better, fluffier results using a boxed mix for the Matzo balls in the past.  I think the problem was that the recipe I used did not call for baking powder, which apparently is the key to fluffy Matzo Balls (my personal preference, some people prefer them firm).  I can only assume the boxed mix includes the necessary ingredients; and really, using the box mix is not very different from making it from scratch as far as the integrity of the ingredients...  You can upgrade the box mix by making your own chicken broth.