A Happy Easter Breakfast!

Tags

benedict, breakfast, classic, Easter, eggs, hollandaise, sauce, spring

Happy Easter!! Today is a gorgeously sunny day. The birds are cheeping and there will be millions of children hunting brightly colored eggs all over our country. It is a good day!

Every good day should be started with an even better breakfast. Eggs Benedict is the perfect dish to serve for your Easter brunch, next to a pitcher of mimosas.

Eggs Benedict for One

• 2 eggs
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 English muffin, toasted
• 1 batch of hollandaise sauce
• 1/2 avocado
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Fry your bacon until crispy. In the meantime, smash the avocado coarsely. Prepare your eggs as you desire. I personally prefer gently fried over poached. On a plate, place the toasted English muffins. Top them with the avocado, then the bacon. Gently place an egg on each toast. Spoon the desired hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Serves 1.

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Smothered Chicken – A Healthier Version

Tags

chicken, grilled, mushrooms, onions, outdoors, peppers, smothered, spring, warm weather

It is warm and wonderful outside. If you are like me, you’re firing up the grill for two reasons- 1) you want to be outside to cook and 2) you don’t want to do dishes so you can stay outside longer. This chicken tastes decadent without adding too many calories… Just in time for your worrying about that bathing suit.

Smothered Chicken – A Healthier Version

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, marinaded as desired
• 1 green bell pepper, quarted and cored
• 8 oz mushrooms,  sliced and in a foil packet with a bit of oil and garlic
• 1 large onion, peeled and thickly sliced
• Mozzarella cheese 

Prepare grill to medium heat. Grill meat, peppers, onions, and mushroom packet until all are done. Combine in a glass dish and top with cheese. Allow to melt before serving.

Asparagus with Shallot, Caper and Balsamic Relish

Tags

asparagus, food, relish, side dish, spring, vegetable, vegetarian

I love spring because it brings cheap asparagus to the markets for weeks. Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables and I am always on the lookout for new ways to prepare it.

In the past, I have prepared it these ways:

With easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce

In Spring Ribbons Salad

In the Spicy Pork with Asparagus and Chile stir fry

With Balsamic Butter Sauce

How do you prepare this delicious spring treat?

Asparagus with Shallot, Caper and Balsamic Relish

• 1 pound of asparagus, trimmed
• 1/8 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Oven roast or steam the asparagus. While the asparagus is cooking, combine the relish ingredients well. Spoon over the warm asparagus. Serves 2.

Lemon Zucchini Bread with Lemon Glaze

Tags

bread, dessert, gardening, lemon, pastry, spring, zucchini

Thanks to NancyCreative for this really awesome recipe. It is just in time for the summer zucchini season when you know you will soon be overwhelmed. What is better than a quick dessert to use up those ever bearing zucchini.

Lemon Zucchini Bread 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 cup grated zucchini

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Grease and flour a 9×5″ loaf pan; set aside.

In large bowl, blend flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In medium bowl, beat 2 eggs well, then add canola oil and sugar, and blend well. Then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest and blend everything well. Fold in zucchini and stir until evenly distributed in mixture.

Add this mixture to the dry ingredients in the large bowl and blend everything together, but don’t overmix.

Pour batter into prepared 9×5″ loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (if your oven tends to run hot, check the loaf after 40 minutes). Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack and cool completely. While loaf is cooling, you can make the glaze…

Lemon Glaze

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 Tablespoons lemon juice)

In small bowl, mix powdered sugar and lemon juice until well blended. Spoon glaze over cooled loaf. Let glaze set, then serve.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

Tags

dressing, food, pomegranate, salad, spring, vinaigrette

Another pomegranate recipe!  I love pomegranate. As a whole fruit, as juice, used in cooking. I don’t think I have every had a pomegranate something that I just don’t like.  It is such a unique, robust flavor.

This vinaigrette is very nice with a simple salad. I used my homegrown lettuce, roasted beets, feta cheese, pecans, and green onions to construct my lunch. These flavors pair very well with the fruitiness of the vinaigrette. They compliment, not overwhelm the dressing. A great salad, indeed.

Pomegranate Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 3 tbsp pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme or finely chopped tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the above ingredients with a whisk. Pour over your salad and enjoy!

Spring Ribbons Salad

Tags

asparagus, avocado, food, grapefruit, salad, spring

Thanks to Just a Smidgen for this lovely spring salad (the one below is a variation of the original). I love asparagus and am always looking for new ways to eat it. I had never had it raw before today. I really like the flavor and crisp texture. The citrus adds a nice pop and the avocado a smooth, buttery-ness. The dressing is simple and a nice change from my usual vinaigrettes.  I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I did.

Spring Ribbons Salad 

Dressing:

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or low fat sour cream
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• Chives, as desired

Salad:

• 1/2 head butter lettuce (I used spinach since that is what I had on hand)
• 1 grapefruit, segmented
• 1 avocado, cut into chunks
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 4 radishes, sliced thinly
• 1/2 bunch asparagus, shaved thin with a peeler

Combine the dressing ingredients, whisking smooth.

On a plate, place the lettuce. Top with segmented grapefruit, avocado, cucumber, radish slices, and asparagus shavings. Drizzle dressing over salad. Serves 3.

Green Herb Dip

Tags

appetizer, dip, food, fresh, green herb dip, herbs, spring, summer

Now that it is officially spring, it seems only fitting that today’s recipe embrace the freshness of the season. Main St. Cuisine posted a recipe the other day that I just had to try and I was lucky enough to have all the ingredients on hand. Boy, am I glad I did!. It made a nice little snack along with a grilled pastrami and swiss sandwich. Thanks Allison!

Green Herb Dip

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise (I only use Kraft)
• 3/4 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I didn’t have any so I used a bit of fresh rosemary, which does alter the taste significantly)
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, parsley, dill, salt and pepper in the bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade.  Pulse until just blended, but not pureed.  Serve at room temperature. Refrigerate for later use. Serve with fresh veggies to dip- I used cucumber… DIVINE! Yields: 2 cups

Spring is Nature’s Way of Saying, “Let’s party!”

Tags

flowers, garden, Kentucky, spring

There is a party in my garden… 

And you are invited!

Some days I spend more time in the garden than I do in the kitchen. 

Any day in the garden is a good day. Good Morning!

(If you look close, you can see the baby asparagus spears peaking up!)

Crazy Kentucky Weather

Tags

disaster, Kentucky, Red Cross, spring, thunderstorm, tornado, West Liberty

On Friday, Kentucky was about 75 degrees and there were dangerous thunderstorms/tornadoes. Today, it is 40 degrees, spitting snow, and there is a winter weather advisory. The saying goes “If you don’t like the weather now, wait five minutes. It will change.” How true that is.

Some of you may remember my previous post about the Sorghum Festival held yearly in West Liberty KY. Well, that little town is no more. It was hit by a tornado around 5pm Friday afternoon. Death toll in that town has reached 5; over thirty people were killed across the Midwest because of the same band of storms.

Below: The Methodist Church in West Liberty. The photo on the top I took last year. The photo below is from The Original Weather Blog.

A video taken of the storm by a local resident:

Another link from CBS news with more shots of the buildings destroyed: CBS News Coverage

My in-laws live about 20 miles from West Liberty and had tennis ball sized hail. It knocked off the side mirrors of their car, busted the windshield, and severely damaged the roof on both porches. Property can be replaced. Thank God our family is safe.

If you want to donate time, clothes, or money to those suffering because of this tornado, contact the American Red Cross in your community or you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Remember, not only did these people lose their homes and businesses, they don’t even have warm coats and a safe place to sleep. It will be a long time before West Liberty can recover from this blow. You can help make a difference.

Rich Chocolate Cheesecake

Tags

change, cheesecake, chocolate, dessert, dinner party, retirement, spring

Spring is finally here! My crocuses are peaking up and the back yard is full of robins. I am near full to bursting in anticipation of the spring growing season. I put down 10 bags of top soil into my little garden bed. In a few more weeks, I am going to start my lettuce. I can’t decide if I am going to plant radishes and green onions. I have never done it on my own, though I have watched my grandmother do it in the past. How hard can it be? (Famous last words, I know.)

Today I am going to a retirement party for my old manager. Though I am happy that she is able to enjoy the fruits of her labors, I must confess I am nervous about the changes I know we will face under new management. One thing I have learned for certain- change is hard but one’s negative reaction can make it so much worse. Instead of pre-judging a new person based on your own fears, judge them on their actions. Most of the time you will find they are not so bad. And if you are wrong, at least they have proven you wrong. It is hard to be an optimist but much more pleasant.

Rich Chocolate Cheesecake

The Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped almonds

The Filling:

• 3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup baking cocoa
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

The Topping:

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pecan halves

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Press onto the bottom and 1 in. up the sides of a 9-in. springform pan; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in coffee and vanilla; mix well. Beat in cocoa just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set.

Remove from the oven; increase temperature to 425 degrees F. Combine the sour cream, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over warm cheesecake; arrange pecan halves as desired. Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool for 1 hour longer. Chill overnight. Remove sides of pan. Refrigerate leftovers.