Eggs for dinner (or breakfast/brunch/lunch)

My husband and I love to have “brinner” or breakfast for dinner a few times a month.  However, waffles, frittatas, and pancakes got old.  Lately, I’ve seen many variations of egg recipes and one included eggs in tomato sauce.  I created my own version of this and it is a wonderful, meatless, and filling meal that can be made for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.  The eggs are just barely cooked, so that when you break the yolk, it comes running out like a thick custard sauce that coats the tomatoes.  Serve some crusty bread or pita to sop up the tasty sauce and you’re happy.  In short, it’s really really good.

Eggs in Tomato Sauce (serves 2- can be easily doubled)

1 medium onion, finely diced

4 large garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno, finely chopped

1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or sweet)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

kosher salt/pepper

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 425

Heat an oven safe skillet over medium high heat (coated with olive oil or cooking spray)

Add onion and cook until onions are translucent and slightly browned

Add garlic and jalapeno and cook for 1 minute until softened

Add paprika, cumin, tomatoes, parsley, and season with salt and pepper

Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium low and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5-10 minutes

Sprinkle feta cheese evenly over sauce and turn heat off

Make 2 wells in the sauce on opposite sides of the pan

Add 1 egg and 1 egg white to each well

Transfer skillet to the oven and cook about 8-12 minutes until egg whites are set, but yolks are still runny

Garnish with parsley and serve with crusty toasted bread or pita for dipping

Other add ins:  ½ can drained and rinsed chickpeas to up the protein and texture

                          Other cheeses that you like with eggs

                          Diced ham, bacon, or sausage       

                          Replace parsley with cilantro or do a combination of both herbs

Ragu (NOT the jarred stuff)

Ragu isn't just a jarred tomato sauce that's incredibly bland.  It's actually a thick meaty sauce that's totally delicious and wonderful over thick cut pasta.  I make this probably a couple times a year when I have the time in the afternoon.  It takes about 3-4 hours total (chopping, reducing, and cooking), but it's totally worth it.  My husband begs for it and no one has ever been disappointed with this dish.
Don't be afraid when a dish takes a while to cook.  Most of the time in this recipe is the pot simmering, so there's no real work involved.  Furthermore, you can use beef, veal, or even venison and they are all equally wonderful.

The ragu simmering away minus the pasta mmmmmmmmmmm

My husband's portion- I think he could eat the whole pot if left to his own devices.

Ragu with Pappardelle

3 ½ to 4 pounds boneless beef shoulder (or any good steak) cut into 3 inch chunks

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons dried fennel seed

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 ½ cups dry red wine

Two 28 ounce cans of petite diced tomatoes, drained

4 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary

1 pound pappardelle pasta (or any long cut pasta)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Using a large enameled cast iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat

Add onions and cook until translucent

Add garlic, fennel, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook another minute until garlic is softened

Add red wine and bring a to a boil, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pan

Reduce wine to 1/3 cup

Reduce heat to medium high and add tomatoes

Cook for about 5 minutes, until slightly thickened

Add stock, rosemary, about 2 teaspoons Kosher salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper

Bring to a boil

Add beef and cook partially covered over low heat until very tender, about 1 ½ to 2 hours

Remove meat and shred it using 2 forks

Boil the sauce until slightly reduced, about 10 minutes

Stir in meat

Taste for salt and pepper and add more if necessary

Cook pasta according the package directions

Add cooked pasta to the ragu and stir, making sure every noodle is coated with sauce

Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Strawberry Baby Cakes

Of course it's the dead of winter, but I wanted strawberry shortcake.  My dad always made the shortcake growing up, but I wanted to do a twist on his version and make individual cakes.  However, to give a depth of flavor to the cake, I decided to add lemon zest into the batter.  Strawberries and lemon are good friends, so they work beautifully together.  Also, shortcake can be a little one note:  sweet.  Lemon zest adds an extra punch and deepens the flavor by cutting the sweetness. 
Furthermore, I didn't want to use just boring Cool Whip or whipped cream from a can.  I wanted to make a whipped cream frosting that lasted for more than a few hours before collapsing.  I figured gelatin would stiffen the cream enough so that it would last for a few days, but powdered gelatin doesn't taste very good.  As I looked through my pantry, I noticed marshmallows.  They have gelatin, so how bad could they be in a frosting?
I also happened to have homemade strawberry sauce in the fridge that was begging to be used, so I decided my final dish would be a tower of cake, strawberry sauce, fresh strawberries, and whipped cream frosting thickened with marshmallows.  Really, how bad could that be????

The result was an amazing and beautiful cake, not to mention totally delish!

The layers:  cake, strawberry sauce, fresh cut strawberries, whipped cream frosting...repeat

Strawberry Baby Cakes

For the shortcake:

1 ¼ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

1 egg, room temperature

½ cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 glass pan

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  Set aside

In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Add the egg

Add the milk and vanilla and mix well

Add the flour mixture and mix only until combined

Add lemon zest and mix well with rubber spatula

Put batter into the greased 9x13 pan and smooth evenly (batter will be thin)

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool completely

Using a 4 inch (or similar size) round cookie cutter, cut cake into rounds (you’ll get about 6 rounds)

Place 1 round of cake on a plate, drizzle with strawberry sauce, top with fresh cut strawberries, spread (or pipe) whipped cream frosting over the berries.  Repeat process one more time

Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups cold heavy cream

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

7 large marshmallows

In a large bowl whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form (start on low then increase the speed to high)

Place marshmallows in a bowl and place in microwave.  Microwave for about 30 seconds until puffed

Put marshmallows into the whipped cream and beat until combined

(This lasts in the refrigerator for a few days)

Strawberry Sauce:

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

¼ cup sugar

2-3 tablespoons water

1 jar (12 oz) strawberry jam

Cook berries, sugar, and water (start with 2 T. and add more if needed) in a medium saucepan over medium high heat

Bring to a boil and stir often so it doesn’t burn

Cook until berries are softened and sugar is dissolved

Off the heat, add jam and puree (with blender, food processor, or immersion blender)

Taste and add more sugar if needed

Cool completely

(This lasts really well in the refrigerator and is also excellent over ice cream)

Double Delight

Recently my friend asked me to donate 2 dozen cupcakes for a church gathering she was attending.  Furthermore, she asked me to "create a bakery name" for myself so I could advertise.  I never really thought of what I would call a bakery if I owned one, but the name "Double Delight" came to my mind.  This name is after my twins that passed prematurely at 19 weeks and what a better way than to honor them with what I love to do.  So, these cupcake creations that I made are dedicated to my babies, Caroline and Ryan, and the bakery I will probably never own.

I made Ina Garten's chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing (recipe follows and is found in her cookbook "At Home" page 187).  However, I added a chocolate ganache center that stays ooey gooey after it was baked.
I also included my own creation, strawberry champagne cupcakes (under my archives, June 2011 "Strawberry Champagne Cupcakes")
Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Icing

For the chocolate ganache:
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Place chocolate and cream in a small bowl and melt (in a double boiler or in the microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring often)
Once melted, add powdered sugar and stir to combine
Place in refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes (overnight or longer is fine too)

For the cupcakes:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

½ cup sour cream, room temperature

1 ¾ cup flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 and line cupcake pans with paper liners (recipe makes about 14-15 cupcakes)

In a medium size bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside

In a measuring cup or a bowl, combine buttermilk and sour cream.  Set aside

In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes alternately in thirds to the bowl, starting with the buttermilk and ending with the flour

Mix only until blended then fold with a rubber spatula until blended

Divide batter into cupcake liners, about 2/3 full
Add 1 teaspoon of chocolate ganache into the center of each cupcake (if you have some left, you can add more, but not more than 2 teaspoons) 

Bake for about 18-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean

Cool in pans for 10 minutes then take cupcakes out and place on cooling racks until completely cooled

Frost with peanut butter icing and garnish with chopped roasted peanuts

Peanut Butter Icing:

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural)

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature

¾ teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cream

Put powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and mix on medium high speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula

Add the cream and beat on high speed until light and smooth