Cheddar and Kale Quiche

This past Tuesday was the first anniversary of my blog.  It seems impossible that I’ve been blogging for an entire year.  To be quite honest, when I started greenhorn gourmande, I kind of assumed that it would fall by the wayside like so many other hobbies. Example: I just finished crocheting a scarf I started FIVE years ago...yeah...

Anyway, I’m really glad that I stuck with it.  This blog has served me well: as a creative outlet, a handy recipe guide for all of my favorites, and a way to share my passion for cooking.  As of today I can say that we are:

OVER 9,000! (page views)

 I apologize for nerding out... I think I’d better move on to today’s recipe:

Cheddar and Kale Quiche

This was my third attempt at a quiche.  The first time was over two years ago when I was just starting to tentatively dip my toes into the shallow end of cooking.  Looking back I realize that it was an incredibly ambitious recipe, although the end result was tasty (if somewhat liquidy), the overall experience was incredibly frustrating.

The second attempt was only a few months ago, but I ran into the same problem- the damn thing would not set!  Liquidy quiche once again reared it’s watery head.  This time around I fully knew what I was up against, and I managed to taste the sweet taste of success vis à vis a fully set quiche.

The cheddar kale combo is definitely a winner, and the crust is so easy to make.  The kale really shines in this dish, particularly the crisp bits on top which are essentially kale chips. This cheesy pie comes together in a little less than an hour, making this quiche a feasible weeknight treat.

Cheddar and Kale Quiche

Adapted from Eat.Drink.Love.

Ingredients

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp butter

1.25 cups 2% milk

4 large eggs

1 tbsp olive oil

3.25 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups kale, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 tsp kosher salt

more salt and pepper to taste

pinch of curry powder

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  To make the crust, put the oats, flour, salt, and garlic powder in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the butter and pulse until you get a pebbly-like texture. Add a quarter cup of the milk and pulse a few more times to combine. Form the mixture into a ball and place it between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll out into a circle about 10 inches in diameter.  Butter a nine inch pie pan press crust into the dish. Bake for about 7-9 minutes and set aside.

2.To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic and saut until fragrant. Add the kale and cook until wilted seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

3.Reduce the oven heat to 350F. In a large bowl or measuring cup beat the eggs and add the, milk, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  Spread the kale evenly along the bottom of the crust and top with the egg mixture. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Roasted Celeriac Soup

Fall, let me count the reasons I love thee...

1.  The weather is perfect!  Sweaters (preferably of the grandpa variety) and sunshine for all!!

2.  Pumpkins are back at the farmer's market!

3.  Hearty soups finally make sense again!

Seriously though, fall is my absolute favorite season.  The cooler days mean that I don't get sweaty on my way to work (or the subway, or the kitchen, or... you get the picture), and the cold nights just beg you to turn on the oven and roast some vegetables (a.k.a the best kind of veggie).
 
This week I roasted a vegetable that I've been dying to try:

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This gnarled rood vegetable is a celery root, or celeriac if you're feeling fancy ;)  Don't be disturbed by it's appearance, this guy has lots of inner beauty.  I roasted him up with some garlic cloves and blended it into a velvety soup.  Recipe at the end of the post!

Other exciting things have been going on for me this week.  Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of this blog.  It's hard to believe that it has been an entire year of food blogging already.  I've learned a lot about cooking and blogging since then, and I hope to carry on for the foreseeable future.  Hopefully this weekend I'll ring in this anniversary with a more appropriately celebratory post.

Anyway, enough of my rambling.  Let's get on to the heart of this post with WIAW!




Breakfast:

Breakfast this past Sunday consisted of two buttermilk biscuits topped with sauteed radish greens, a fried egg, and two of the best bacon strips ever. Trader Joe's fiends, you have to try their uncured, nitrate free bacon.  It is leaner and far tastier than any other commercial bacon I've ever had.

Lunch:

Sadly I didn't manage to snap a picture of my picnic lunch.  It included some more buttermilk biscuits, rosemary ham, Gruyere cheese, figs, kale, and some Trilogy kombucha.  A tasty combo I shared with Mr. greenhorn at the Brooklyn Bridge Park. 

Dinner:

The one downside of fall... no natural light for dinner = ugly,  poorly lit pictures.

I was a little apprehensive about trying this vegetable, but my fears were completely misplaced.  Perhaps celeriac is a different beast when prepared another way, but I absolutely loved it roasted.  The celery taste is there, but not in an overwhelming or offensive way.  The sweet richness of the  caramelized onions and roasted garlic balance perfectly with the fresh and slightly bitter celery root in this warm and creamy soup.

Roasted Celeriac Soup

Ingredients 

1 celery root, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces

6 cloves garlic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large potato, peeled and thinly sliced

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp butter

2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock)

2 cups water

a pinch of cayenne

2 tbsp sour cream (or to taste)

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

chives (for garnish)

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F.  On a large foil lined baking sheet toss the celeriac and garlic cloves with 1 tbsp of olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste.  Roast for 35-45 minutes until celeriac is easily pierced with a fork, stirring half way through cook time to prevent burning.

2.  While celeriac is in the oven, heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add the onions and caramelize (about 30 minutes).  Once onions are caramelized, add the potatoes and toss to combine, lightly seasoning with salt and pepper. 

3.  Add the water, chicken stock, celeriac and garlic to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered, for another 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.  

4.  Remove pot from heat and allow to cool slightly.  Blend with an immersion blender (or regular blender) and season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, and sour cream.  Serve garnished with chives.

Chickpea and Crimini Soup

Fall brings weather that naturally welcomes one of my favorite foods- soup!  Although yesterday was pretty humid, the gloomy weather made it a perfect day for soup.  See the soup and recipe at the end of this post!

This WIAW started on a pretty average note:

Old Fashioned Oats with Banana, Peanut Butter, and Honey accompanied by a cup of coffee.  While tasty and satisfying, I found myself wishing I still had a couple of these guys around:

Breakfast Egg Rolls!

I made these over the weekend, and let me tell you, the breakfast burrito has got some competition.  Click here for the recipe.

Luckily lunch involved less wishful thinking.  It was (as per usual) leftovers from the night before:

Roasted Beet and Carrot Curry.  This one is definitely a keeper!  The carrots and beets are absolutely delicious in the creamy spicy coconutty broth!  It's an unusual curry, but it definitely works.  The green bits are  raw shredded beet greens, mostly there to make the picture pretty.  Recipe coming soon!

Through out the day at work I also snacked on a pear, laughing cow swiss wedge, and some cut up carrots, celery and radishes.  Also more coffee.  Always, always, more coffee :)

Now finally on to the soup!

Chickpea and Crimini Soup

This soup is relatively simple, but incredibly deep in flavor thanks to the sauteed mushrooms and onions.   The blended chickpeas add body, and make this a very substantial soup.  This hearty vegan recipe will keep you cosy on chilly fall evenings. Recipe is slightly adapted from here.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chickpeas

About 4 cups liquid from cooked chickpeas, or water, or vegetable stock

1 tbsp olive oil

1 extra large onion, chopped (about 2.5 cups)

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 ounces mushrooms, chopped

3-4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 vegetable bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne

Directions

1.  In a large pot heat the oil and cook the onions until translucent and slightly brown around the edges. Add the garlic and cook another minute or so until fragrant.  Deglaze the pan with some water and add the mushrooms and fresh thyme leaves.  Season with salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes until mushrooms have lost moisture and are tender.

2.  Add the chickpeas, bouillon, bay leaf, and enough liquid to completely cover the mix.  Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce to a simmer and let cook another 10 minutes.

3.  Remove pot from the heat and the bay leaf from the pot.  Allow to cool slightly and then blend to desired consistency with an immersion blender.  I left some whole chickpeas and mushroom pieces in mine for texture.  Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste.

I hope you enjoyed my eats of the day.  Be sure to hop over to Peas and Crayons to see how everyone else is Fall-ing into!

Breakfast Egg Rolls

As much as I love hunting down and executing new recipes, I must admit that my absolute favorite thing to do in the kitchen is to forge my own creative path to make a meal with whatever I have on hand.  Inspiration usually strikes in the way of leftover ingredients, and this past weekend I happened to have some leftover egg roll wrappers.

Pre-oven

I had used half of the package the night before for some delicious, albeit ugly, jalapeno popper things.  The next morning feeling half defeated by the damned egg roll wrappers, but determined not to let
them best me, I decided to give them another go.

Post-oven

Since these were not intended for late night snackage, I approached the wrappers this time with a morning classic in mind- the breakfast burrito.

Breakfast Egg Rolls

These cute little bundles of yum are fun, delicious, and vaguely nutritious.  I mean they have egg and something green in them, right? The crunchy wrapper is the perfect foil for the creamy egg and potato filling.

Ingredients

3 eggs

1 small potato, small diced

1.5 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

4 cups raw radish greens, washed and chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 tsp bacon grease (or other oil)

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 pinch curry powder

9 egg roll wrappers

1 tbsp canola oil

Directions

1.  In a non-stick frying pan heat up the bacon grease.  Add the onions and saute until soft and slightly browned around the edges.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant.

2.  Add the potato and mix with the onions and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add a little water or chicken stock to the pan (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) and cover with a lid.  Let simmer for 5-6 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

3.  Remove the lid and let the remaining liquid cook off.  Add the radish greens and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a cup and season with salt, pepper, and the pinch of curry powder.  Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir to combine.  Cook the eggs until done to your liking, turn off the heat, and stir in the crumbled bacon and cheese.

4.  Preheat the oven to 425F (or whatever your egg roll package recommends for baking).  Fill and wrap the egg rolls and place on a greased baking sheet.  Brush the tops of the rolls with canola oil and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Crimini and Kale Casserole

This weekend I turned twenty three.  For some reason, I find that twenty three almost sounds older than twenty four, which I know makes absolutely no sense.  I blame it on that creepy Jim Carrey movie I saw a few years ago The Number 23.  (I do not recommend this film, as I recall, it was pretty terrible.)

Anyway this weekend was spent relaxing and catching up with some friends.  In fact this weekend was so relaxing, I didn't manage to snap any pictures of my eats.

Since I've failed as a photographer and this recipe falls into this month's theme so well, I thought I would share a dish I promised y'all a couple of weeks ago.

Crimini and Kale Casserole

To me casseroles are the equivalent of a warm sweater on a cool Autumn evening.  Easy and comforting, this casserole is loaded with sauteed kale, crimini mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  It is very satisfying in a hearty way, but still seems light enough to be appropriate for our not quite fall weather.

Ingredients

16 ounces 4% cottage cheese

1.5 large yellow onions, thinly sliced into half circles

3.5 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh thyme

salt & pepper

pinch of cayenne to taste

12 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly sliced

8 cups kale, cleaned, trimmed, and chopped into ribbons

16 ounces whole wheat shell pasta

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

chicken stock (optional)

Directions

1.  In a large sauce pan melt the olive oil and 1.5 tbsp of the butter.  Once hot, add the onions and cook until caramelized (about 45 minutes).  Add the fresh thyme leaves, and salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from the pan and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a little water or chicken stock.

2.  Next melt the remaining 2 tbsp of butter, and saute the mushrooms in batches, until most of the water has been cooked out of them.  Remove from the pan and set in a separate bowl from the onions.

3.  Deglaze the pan once again and add the kale, cooking until softened but still bright green, about 3 minutes.

4.  In a food processor combine the cottage cheese, caramelized onions, and cayenne, pureeing until completely smooth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5.  In a large pot of boiling water,  cook and drain the pasta, leaving it slightly under done.  

6.  Preheat the oven to 350F.  Combine all of the ingredients (except the cheddar) and spread into a large baking dish (I used one approx. 9x17inches).  Sprinkle with the cheddar and bake for 15-20 minutes until casserole is heated through, and the top has lightly browned.

Be sure to check out all the fun over at Peas and Crayons!

Applesauce and Oatmeal "Muffin Tops"

The past two weeks I've been on a bit of a muffin kick.  In my WIAW post two weeks ago I promised y'all the recipe for these beauties:

Honey and Sage Corn Muffins

I finally got my act together and posted the recipe.  You can find it here.

Breakfast this week's WIAW was also muffin themed.  I say themed, because these aren't exactly muffins:

Applesauce and Oatmeal Muffin Tops

To be completely honest, these were thrown together in an effort to use up my gigantic jar of applesauce.  Although the recipe is essentially a (healthy) cookie recipe, the texture of these breakfast beauties is like the spongy, soft, and moist top of a muffin (a.k.a. the best part of a muffin).  Muffin top, cookie, breakfast disc- whatever you want to call these, they are quite delicious (particularly when topped with peanut butter) and make for a filling first meal.  Recipe at the end of this post!

Lunch was (as per usual) leftovers from the night before:

Sauteed beet greens and a bean and nooch burrito.  The bright orange tortilla is courtesy of Trader Joe's (Habanero Lime!), and the (not) re-fried bean filling is from this lady's recipe.  Seriously though, these burritos get made at least once a month.  The beans are so tasty, easy, and cheap!  Just like your mom, hahaha.  (Yeah, I just made a 'your mom joke'- deal with it.)  

Moving on...

Dinner was another routine menu item:

Lacinato Kale Salad and

Whole Wheat Penne with Beet Sauce

I normally buy curly kale, but this week the dinosaur kale was looking particularly awesome, and this  pasta is one I've been making all summer.  The savoury notes of thyme and pecorino are beautifully balanced with the earthy sweetness of the beets.  Plus, it's a really pretty bowl of pasta.  You can find the recipe here.  Now as promised, the recipe for the muffin tops!

Applesauce and Oatmeal Muffin Tops

Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 large egg

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup raisins

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a large baking sheet.  In a large bowl combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In a smaller bowl combine the egg, vanilla extract, sugar, and applesauce.

2.  Slowly combine the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well mixed.  Stir in the cranberries and raisins until evenly distributed.  Spoon the batter onto the baking sheet, about 2 tbsp per top, and press lightly to flatten.  These tops don't increase in size much when baked, they pretty much stay about the same size.

3.  Bake the muffin tops until lightly golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes.  Let stand and cool for another 5 minutes (they need this time to set up properly).  Eat alone, or topped with a nut butter.  My batch yielded approx. 15 tops.

Happy WIAW Everyone!

Honey Sage Corn Muffins

Summer is winding down and although I'm enjoying the last burst of summer produce, I am really looking forward to fall foods.

I've been managing to get small tastes in, one of which has been supplied by one of my very favorite herbs- sage.  I've been buying beautiful bunches of it for the past couple of weeks.  The only trouble I've been having is trying to find a use for it all since most recipes only call for a couple of leaves.

This recipe was born of the desire to use as much of my bunch as possible, and I'm happy to say that it was a success!

These muffins are moist, slightly sweet, and the savory sage manages to make its presence known without being overbearing.  They make an excellent breakfast or snack.

Honey Sage Corn Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup yellow corn meal

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled

2 large eggs

12 medium to large sage leaves, finely minced (about 3 tbsp)

12 small sage leaves

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup 2% milk

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 400F and grease a 12 cup muffin tin.  In a large bowl mix together the corn meal, flour, minced sage, baking powder, and salt.  In a smaller bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, milk, butter, and honey.

2.  Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined and mostly smooth.  Try and only mix as much as needed to bring together.  Let the batter rest 3-4 minutes.  Divide the batter into each of the 12 muffin tins, and top with a sage leaf.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until slightly browned.  Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan by running a knife around the edge of each muffin.

So many kinds of greens!

Hi everyone out in WIAW land, I hope you've been having a great summer!  I've had a bit of a break from blogging, but I'm jumping back in the game.

 

This summer has been a really awesome one for me.  It marks the end of my first year since graduating from college *tear*, and I've got to say, it's so much better than last year's post-graduation summer of self-loathing.  (Recent grads my heart goes out to you, it will get better.)  This summer has been filled with free concerts, a relaxing vacation, and loads of gorgeous produce from the farmers market.  This last Sunday is a particularly good highlight of my farmers market finds, and also happens to be full of my summer staples!

Breakfast:

Bacon, Potato, Cherry Tomato, and Radish Greens Frittata

I absolutely adore frittatas, and this one was particularly delicious.  You can find the recipe here.    

In case you didn't know, radish greens (yes the things on top of the radishes!) are edible, and very delicious.  I've been buying a bunch on the weekly, and I always make sure to use the greens. 

Snack:

Honey and Sage Cornbread Muffins

I made these babies shortly after breakfast, and I couldn't resist trying one!  They are absolutely delicious, with a slight sweetness and notable but not overpowering hint of sage.  Recipe coming soon!  You can find the recipe here.

Lunch:

Beet Greens with Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans

Lunch was a more thrown together affair, using some leftover black beans I had cooked the day before and a lonely little sweet potato.  Beet greens are another delicious topper that many people don't realize you can eat.  They actually are related to swiss chard, and have a very similar taste.  Of course I couldn't resist another Honey and Sage corn muffin.  So good!

Dinner:

Crimini and Kale Casserole

This dish is pretty much all of my favorite things baked in one delicious dish: whole wheat shell pasta, caramelised onion sauce, sauteed crimini mushrooms and kale, and a smattering of bacon topped off with a sprinkling of sharp white cheddar.  It's a decadent and delicious meal that is still (relatively) healthy.  Recipe coming soon!

All in all, Sunday was a beautiful day jammed pack of wonderful eats.  I topped it all off with a pink otter pop, because everyone knows that's the best flavor.  

Don't take your tops off! (Or at least wait until you get home.)

I have the privilege and pleasure of frequenting the Union Square Farmer's Market every Saturday morning.  It really has been spectacular the past couple of weeks, with each stand absolutely bursting with fresh summer produce.

My favorite stand always seems to have the most beautiful radishes- bright fuchsia in color, firm and unblemished with verdant tops.  At $1 a bunch I make sure to buy some every week.  So do many of the other shoppers, but it amazes me at the number of people that ask to have the radish greens removed.

In all fairness, I wasn't aware myself that you could eat these delicious leaves until earlier this summer.  

A little research via google turned up a simple radish green soup, and we've been inseparable ever since.  I've found that radish greens remind me of a cross between arugula and mustard greens: peppery, with a slight tang, and they become tender when cooked (as opposed to sturdier greens ala kale and collards).

I typically eat them sauteed with a little olive oil and garlic.  This morning they found their way into this delicious frittata:

Farm Fresh Frittata 

I realized this morning while tucking in that almost all of the ingredients for this meal came from the farmers market (everything but the bacon and spices).  Not terribly relevant, but I'd like to think that very fresh ingredients do bring something to the table.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 medium yellow potato, small diced

1 large yellow onion, small diced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 bunch of radish greens, washed and chopped small

small handful of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp bacon grease (or other cooking fat)

pinch of curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1.  In a medium oven safe skillet, heat the bacon grease and cook the onions with salt and pepper over medium heat until softened and slightly browned.  Add the garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.  Add the potatoes and enough liquid (water, chicken stock, etc.) to almost submerge them.  Salt and pepper, cover, and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about ten minutes.

2.  In a small bowl beat the eggs with salt, pepper, and a pinch of curry powder (trust me on this one).  Once the potatoes have finished cooking add in the radish greens, cooking until tender and wilted.  Add the bacon and cherry tomatoes, and stir to combine everything evenly.  Flatten the ingredients in the pan and pour the egg mixture in, shifting the pan to distribute the eggs.

3.  Turn on the broiler to high.  Continue cooking the fritata on the stove until the bottom 2/3 or so of the egg has set.  Remove from the stove and place under the broiler until egg is fully cooked and slightly browned.

Be sure to check out I heart Nap Time for a lot of other great recipes!

Baked eggs for breakfast? Yes please!

Like most people, I'd say my life is pretty full of routines.

Monday through Friday is the whole work thing : wake- work- sleep- repeat.  Sure, sometimes it's a drag, but I usually consider myself lucky because:

a.  I have a job, and

     b.  It's pretty awesome.

Photo of me on the job.  Not really.  Maybe?

My routines even bear their regulated head during my weekends, most notably on Saturday, a.k.a. grocery shopping day.

I never really thought grocery shopping was all that big of a deal growing up.  In the suburbs all you have to do is jump in your car, go to the store, and carry the bags into the house- no big.

Now that I live in the city, I've found things to be a bit more complicated...

Grocery shopping now involves elaborate planning (to stick to a budget), annoying transportation (about a 90 minute round trip), and the logistics of carrying/ carting back a weeks worth of groceries.

But really, the most daunting question I face before my taxing Saturday morning trek is:

What am I going to eat to fuel this shopping excursion?

Sometimes (if I roll out of bed pretty late, or kind of hung over) it's clothes on, out the door, and pick up a bagel on the way to the train.

Other mornings when I wake up early and I'm feeling a little more ambitious I take the time to make my own breakfast. And yes, it's better than a bagel.

Lately, I've been really into this quick fix:

Baked Egg with Tomato Sauce (a.k.a. Pizza Eggs)

I use up the remaining bit of pizza sauce (bear with me here) from Friday night's homemade pizza.  I imagine you could make this with any kind of tomato based sauce (leftover marinara and the like), but this particular pizza sauce is SOFUCKINGOOD!  I generally have to restrain myself from eating it straight from the pot.

Seriously though, the creamy baked eggs when combined with this sauce and a little bit of mozzarella = heaven in a ramekin.  Scoop it up with toast fingers, or eat it with a spoon- this breakfast is incredibly delicious, easy, and far more satisfying than a bodega bagel.

Baked Eggs with Tomato Sauce

serves 2

Ingredients

2 eggs (preferably from the farmers market)

1/2 cup Best Ever Pizza Sauce (or whatever you happen to have)

1/4 cup shredded mozzarella

kosher salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Directions

1.  Preheat your oven (or toaster oven) to 425F.

2.  In two small ramekins or oven safe bowls, divide half of the sauce.  Sprinkle with about a tablespoon of mozzarella each.  Crack an egg into each bowl, keeping the yolk intact.  Sprinkle with kosher salt, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder.  Cover the eggs with the remaining pizza sauce, and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

3.  Bake for 13-15 minutes until the eggs are set.  Allow to cool a few minutes before eating, and serve with toasted bread.

Check out the Tasty Tuesday party!

Estival Pasta Bowl

So it's been a little over two months since I've last posted...

Now I could go on about how busy I've been and how I feel terrible for letting my blog lie dormant, but then I wouldn't have enough time/ energy to share an awesome pasta recipe.

I think when it comes to carb loading vs. lame faux-splaining my absence, carbs take the cake (heh) every time.

Now I know for a lot of people, pasta brings to mind heavy dishes more appropriate to the bleak months of winter.  But that doesn't have to be the case!  Pasta can be summery too, it just needs a little more imagination than your typical bolognese.

Egg Clouds

Eggs- love them or hate them, they are undeniably one of the easiest things to cook.  I've found myself on both sides of the egg divide.  When I was younger I couldn't stand the whites of eggs, and would only eat the yolks runny with toast dippers.  As I've gotten older I've come around to fully embrace eggs, but even though I fully appreciate a good hard boiled, poached, or fried egg; I do find that they can get a little boring.

I was completely blown away when I saw the picture of this recipe on foodgawker.  

Yes, the entire thing is an egg.  Well, an egg with some mix-ins, but an egg nonetheless.  The yolk is nestled in a little cloud of whipped egg white.  I found the idea so original and whimsical, I knew I had to give it a shot.

The recipe is a little more complicated than most recipes, but it is still pretty easy and quick.  So it is undoubtedly a beautiful dish, but how does it taste?  The texture is very different than any egg I've ever had before- it's simultaneously light, spongy, and tender.  This version is loaded with garlic chives, bacon, and pecorino romano.  A perfect combination that makes this one deliciously savory breakfast treat.

Egg Clouds

Slightly adapted from here.  Serves 4.

Ingredients

 4 eggs
1 ounce grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped garlic chives
4 slices bacon, cooked to a crisp and crumbled
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 450F.  Separate egg whites from yolks, putting whites in one large bowl and yolks in 4 small separate bowls.
2.  Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Carefully fold in chives, cheese, and bacon.
3.  Place 4 separate mounds of egg white mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet, making a deep well in the center of each mound.  Bake for 3 minutes.
4.  Remove from oven and place 1 yolk in each egg white well.  Season with salt and pepper and bake another 2 to 3 minutes.

Meatless Monday: Curried Carrot Soup

Carrots have never really been a favorite of mine (although I eat them quite frequently).  They are the quintessential quotidian vegetable- a reliable if somewhat boring source of vitamin A.  

Curried Carrot Soup

In this luxurious soup the mundane carrot is elevated from a lunch bag side kick to a main course super hero.  I paired mine with roasted asparagus (my favorite!) and a nice hunk of baguette.  This soup is delicious, only requires a handful of ingredients, and is ready in about 40 minutes.  Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 large yellow onion, small diced

1 tsp curry powder

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1 in. chunks

3.5 cups low sodium chicken (or vegetable) stock

3 cups water

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

1.  In a large pot melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.  Add the garlic and curry powder, and continue to cook until the onions are soft, about another 5 minutes.

2.  Next add the carrots, stock, water, 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Bring mixture to a boil, and then cover and let simmer for 20 minutes until carrots are fork tender.

3.  Remove the soup from the heat, and using an immersion blender, blend the soup until all the carrots have been pureed.  Add the lemon juice and season to taste.  

WIAW- easy like Sunday morning

Hey y'all, I'm back.  I took a wee little hiatus from WIAW (and to a lesser extent blogging period), and it's done me some good.  I've had a chance to reconnect with the reason I started this damn thing, my undying love for all things tasty.






I've decided that documenting all of my Tuesday eats has been stressing me out, so I've decided to give Sunday a chance.  My Sundays are usually pretty relaxed (bathrobe all day) and are leisurely spent in the kitchen.

This past Sunday started in the wee hours of the afternoon... Well technically it was 11:30am, but whatever, it's Sunday so who's counting, right?

Brunch:

So I usually want a more elaborate breakfast on the weekends, but this Sunday I was STARVING when I woke up.  I placated the hunger beast with a fruit salad (apple, orange, strawberries) topped with some Greek yogurt and granola.  This of course was just the first course.

Up next roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onion.  It's seriously the easiest breakfast hash ever, since it is done in the oven rather than the stove top.  You just set it- "AND FORGET IT!!!"  (Anyone else ever watch that infomercial like a billion times as a kid, no, just me?)

I was pretty full after this, so I'm glad that the "dessert" took a while to finish:

Beautiful.  As long as I can remember I have been OBSESSED with artichokes.  Even as a kid, I would pester my mom to buy a couple every time I saw them.  Steamed simply with water and lemon, then dipped in melted butter- perfection.  This artichoke was particularly awesome because it came with an eight inch long stem = extra deliciousness (because lets be honest here the stem/heart is the best part).

Anyway after this crazy feast which took all of two or so hours to complete, I was pretty full for the rest of the afternoon.  At about 4pm I was feeling a bit peckish, so I made some hard boiled eggs.

The bowl next to them has the very best friend of hard boiled eggs, soy sauce with a squirt of sriracha-yum!  These were perfect too, soft and velvety, without the disgusting smelly green film around the yoke.  That friends is the sign of an overcooked egg.  For eggcelent hard boileds every time, all you have to do is cover your eggs in cold water, bring them to a boil, and then cover and remove from the heat, and let sit 12 minutes.  Seriously, it's like magic.

Dinner came a few hours later in the way of whole wheat penne with green garlic, bacon, and peas.  Delicious- spring on a plate.

Anyway, that's all for now folks!  Thanks for stopping by and have a great Wednesday.

Meatless Monday: Moar lentilz plz!!!

Okay, okay, so I know there are a lot of jokes going around about lentils.  Namely because they are often used by the well-meaning folks as a cure all for the problems of the poor, fat, and hungry.

I.E.  "All the poor fat peoplez should eat all the lentilz because they're healthy and cheaper than a Big Mac!!"

All ass-hattery aside, I really think people should eat more lentils.  They are healthy, cheap, and insanely delicious!!!  The only downside as far as I can see is there lack of, shall we say, visual appeal?

Honestly, this is actually a pretty good picture of lentils.  If you want to see them in their total paradoxically ugly/ delicious form, see this post here on Sausage with Lentils.

Where was I?

Right, lentils are delicious (if somewhat disgusting looking), and I really could eat them any day of the week.  (Mr. greenhorngourmande still remains somewhat unconvinced of this all lentil diet.  That's okay though, because that just means more for me.)

Seriously though, I'm pretty in love with this tasty little legume.  As seen in a recent photo of me daydreaming of this particular lentil dish, Mujadara.

I can haz all the lentilz!?!?!

I do have to admit that this particular dishes appeal lies not so much in the lentils, but rather the copious amounts of caramelized onions contained within.  This dish is hearty, savoury, and ready in about 45 minutes.  Give it a try, and maybe you too will find yourself as a member of #teamlentilz4life.

Mujadara

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup long grain rice
4-6 cups liquid (veg. stock, chicken stock, water etc.)
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper

Directions
1.  In a large pot heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the diced onions.  Cook until softened and add the garlic and garam masala, cooking until fragrant.
2.  Add the lentils and 4 cups of liquid.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until lentils are beginning to become soft.  Add the rice and enough liquid to cover by about an inch.  Stir together, cover, and cook over low heat until rice and lentils are completely cooked.
3.  While lentils are cooking in step 2, melt the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan.  Add the onions, salt and pepper, and cook until caramelized.
4.  Stir caramelized onions into the cooked rice and lentils, and season with salt and pepper to taste.